Cedar Point?

[wilde_oscar]

I grew up on both WDW and Cedar Point. They are very different places. But much like WDW draws companies looking to learn how to do things better... Cedar Point is the leader of the standard for Amusment Parks.

If ya like the thrill rides, Cedar Point is your place... more record breaking coasters in that park and more coasters in that park then anywhere. And this is the 10th year they have won the Golden Ticket.

I realize Pete is all about WDW, but ask to keep an open mind, Cedar Point gets it right and has been getting it right for 130 years.

 

[ADP]

I grew up on both WDW and Cedar Point. They are very different places. But much like WDW draws companies looking to learn how to do things better... Cedar Point is the leader of the standard for Amusment Parks.

If ya like the thrill rides, Cedar Point is your place... more record breaking coasters in that park and more coasters in that park then anywhere. And this is the 10th year they have won the Golden Ticket.

I realize Pete is all about WDW, but ask to keep an open mind, Cedar Point gets it right and has been getting it right for 130 years.

Cedar Point is a great place; however as you say they are two totally different experiences. Cedar Point is an amusement park. Disney parks are theme parks. To me they are different in that respect. It makes a huge difference.

To be honest the Golden Ticket Awards should really have two seperate categories; one for best theme park and one for best amusement park.

 

[I<3EvilQueen]

I love Cedar Point.

I have always considered it an Amusement Park and Disney a theme park. Not sure if that makes a difference in that poll.

 

[WDWannabe]

I grew up around those parts and Cedar Point was my fist big park I went too....It's great if all you want are rides, of all kind.
Then they also have Geauga Lake and Sea World, but to say they both are now long gone. Have not been up in those neck of the woods for a long time and have not visited any of them lately.
I loved those parks growing up....but now I am much closer to Disney! You really can't compaire the two parks, miles different.

 

[drgreene1096]

And I am so lucky that from 10/19-10/21 I will be @ Cedar Point and then from 10/22-10/30 I will be @ WDW!!

I can't wait for both trips!!! Millenium Force & Top Thrill here I come!!

 

[KimmyDisneyNerd]

I grew up around those parts and Cedar Point was my fist big park I went too....It's great if all you want are rides, of all kind.
Then they also have Geauga Lake and Sea World, but to say they both are now long gone. Have not been up in those neck of the woods for a long time and have not visited any of them lately.
I loved those parks growing up....but now I am much closer to Disney! You really can't compaire the two parks, miles different.

Geauga Lake is still very much around and owned by the same people that own Cedar Point. It does not compare to Cedar Point, but just wanted to get the record straight. Just to throw my 2 cents in.... I think the only thing Disney and Cedar have in common is they are both destinations. Cedar Point in no way should ever be compared to Disney World.

 

[dburg30]

Thank for you coming to Cedar Point, America's Roller Coast!

 

[Cool-Beans]

Geauga Lake is still there. For a while it was a Six Flags, but it is now Geauga Lake again, which is a blessing for me as I never got around to calling it Six Flags in the first place.

Some of the rides that were once at Geauga Lake mysteriously disappeared...identical rides showed up at Cedar Point. Every time I say those rides were moved from GL to CP some DISer tells me I'm wrong, so I'll just leave it at that.

Sea World, though, is (in the words of Chilliwak) gone, gone, gone.

If you blinded me (with Science or otherwise) and dropped me down in the middle of Geauga Lake anywhere in the late 1970s to mid 1980's I could still find my way around - I spent that much time there. I'm still pretty good, but need my eyes. It is still a decent park, IMO.

Cedar Point is a good park, too, with newer and whooshier rides. I had no idea until I hit the DIS that so many people all over the country had heard of it.

But neither of them are anything like Uni or WDW. I don't really compare them. When people come to CP expecting something like Orlando has, they cannot help but be disappointed. The rides are good, but there is no theme. If ya wanna ride coasters, you'll have a good day at CP. But it is no Disney.

 

[two-foxes]

Growing up in Cleveland, Cedar Point was part of growing up....you went there for school trips, after proms, etc...I always think it's kinda funny that it is the top amusment park around now! It took me a while to warm up to roller coasters and going on Demon Drop and Gemini as a kid was always a big deal....then came along the Magnum...scared the living heck outta me! I haven't been there in YEARS, but I still think it is very cool it is the top amusement park. But for the record, nothing compares to Disney!

 

[nedac]

Cedar Point rocks! TTD is by far the best coaster I have ever ridden, sorry RRC...

 

[asmit4]

What did this guy, Pete, say about Cedar Point and why on earth would anybody compare the 2?

Cedar Point is a great wknd destination for 2 nights, 1 day at CP and 1 day at Soak City....it is not a "vacation destination" - at least not like disney were you could spend 10 days at or more.


CP is great for THRILL rides, while RRC is a nice ride, to compare disney and CP for thrill rides, CP will always win that race. CP wins the race against most other thrill parks too simply by it's nature.

It's not about winning or being better though- they each have their own place as a vacation spot, they each have different qualities. There just is no point in comparing. I grew up an hour away from CP so we went several times a year, on the other hand, Disney was something I did 5 or 6 during my whole life. Disney is a vacation and CP is a wknd getaway. I love them both!

 

[disneydude91]

I have never been to Cedar Point but I have always been interested in going. I think if you have an issue with the podcast only being about Disney, find a different amusement park based podcast.

 

[sherabby]

I grew up around those parts and Cedar Point was my fist big park I went too....It's great if all you want are rides, of all kind.
Then they also have Geauga Lake and Sea World, but to say they both are now long gone. Have not been up in those neck of the woods for a long time and have not visited any of them lately.
I loved those parks growing up....but now I am much closer to Disney! You really can't compaire the two parks, miles different.

Geauga Lake is back but Sea World is gone. My husband goes to Geauga Lake every summer with his older son.

 

[Cool-Beans]

What did this guy, Pete, say about Cedar Point and why on earth would anybody compare the 2?

I didn't go back and re-listen to the podcast, but I think he (or someone else) said basically the same thing. The two shouldn't be compared. They even mentioned that Amusement Parks and Theme Parks ought to be in two different categories.

Some group gave out awards and Cedar Point won one...for the bazillionth time. I figure Cedar Point is paying someone for it, but that's just my guess. I'm sure Disney is in no way affected and I doubt they even care. CP is no threat to Disney, that's for sure. But, anyway, they were talking about the awards and CP came up because of that.

I agree about CP always winning for thrills. Disney's coasters are pretty sad when compared to CP. I always figure folks who say BTMRR is a "must do" or a great coaster have led coaster-deprived lives. When they talk about how great RnRC is or the hills on EE, I have to remember that they haven't ridden things like TTD and MF. But the list of what Disney and Uni have that CP doesn't is soooo long. Apples and oranges.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Every year they give out something called The Golden Ticket Award.

Every year Cedar Point wins the best Amusement Park award.

The comments from the Roundtable were that WDW and Cedar Point should not be in the same category and we agreed with all the points mentioned above.

As this was a WDW news story, we talked about it, but we were not comparing the two.

It's a bit silly that they are even in competition as they are wildly different experiences.

This is not to say anything negative in regards to Cedar Point. It was not our intention at all.

Kevin

 

[I<3EvilQueen]

Every time I heard the phrase Golden Ticket, I want to see the song from Willy Wonka... ;-)

 

[asmit4]

Are the 2 (DW, CP) even in the same running for the award??? I thought that the amusement award was given to amusement parks, not themeparks like DW. That just makes no sense to me that they would "fight" in the same category, it's like comparing the best HS football team to the best NFL team- while both are great, they are not comparable.

If they are both in the same category, DW would win, (and should win) every single year, there is NO other park in the world that is like it! Nothing could compare or outbeat it, IMO. So comparing is just dumb.

As for who wins the golden ticket awards? I thought the awards were given out based on votes by guests but I could be wrong.

 

[ADP]

Are the 2 (DW, CP) even in the same running for the award??? I thought that the amusement award was given to amusement parks, not themeparks like DW. That just makes no sense to me that they would "fight" in the same category, it's like comparing the best HS football team to the best NFL team- while both are great, they are not comparable.

If they are both in the same category, DW would win, (and should win) every single year, there is NO other park in the world that is like it! Nothing could compare or outbeat it, IMO. So comparing is just dumb.

As for who wins the golden ticket awards? I thought the awards were given out based on votes by guests but I could be wrong.

Cedar Point has a huge following. It is wildly popular with thrill ride junkies. There are a ton of thrill ride enthusiasts who travel to Sandusky, OH every year just to experience the coasters at Cedar Point. I could see how Cedar Point could beat Disney in a public poll which lumps them together in the same category.

Cedar Point; however, has no theme to it. It's a park for people's amusement. Disney parks have a theme. They are theme parks. The award for best amusement park should be broken up. Also, the way it is worded "best amusement park" kind of leads people to pick an amusement park instead of a theme park.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Walt Disney World and Cedar point are in the same category as far as the Golden Ticket awards are concerned.

Here is the list of winners for 2007:

Best Amusement Park
Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio

Best Waterpark
Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, New Braunfels, Texas

Best Children’s Park
Legoland California, Carlsbad, Calif.

Best Marine Life Park
SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, Fla.

Best Seaside Park
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, Calif.

Best Wooden Coaster
The Voyage at Holiday World, Santa Claus, Ind.

Best Steel Coaster
Superman Ride of Steel
at Six Flags New England, Agawam, Mass.

Best Kids’ Area
Kings Island, Kings Mills, Ohio

Friendliest Staff
Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.

Cleanest Park
Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.

Best Halloween Event
The Haunt at Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park, Calif.

Best Landscaping - Amusement Park
Busch Gardens Europe, Williamsburg, Va.

Best Landscaping - Waterpark
Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, New Braunfels, Texas

Best Food
Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pa.

Best Shows
Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio

Best Outdoor Night Show Production
IllumiNations: Reflections of the Earth
at Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center, Orlando, Fla.

Best Water Ride
Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Fla.

Best Waterpark Ride
Master Blaster at Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort,
New Braunfels, Texas

Best Dark Ride
Amazing Adventures of Spiderman
at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Fla.

Best New Ride of 2007 - Amusement Park
Maverick at Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio

Best New Ride of 2007 - Waterpark
Bakuli at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari,
Santa Claus, Ind.

Best Carousel
Grand Carousel at Knoebels Amusement Resort,
Elysburg, Penn.

Best Indoor Roller Coaster
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney-MGM, Orlando, Fla.

Best Indoor Waterpark
World Waterpark, West Edmonton, Alberta, Canada


According to the Golden Ticket website:

The Golden Ticket Awards are presented to the “Best of the Best” in the amusement industry calculated from an international poll conducted by Amusement Today. Surveys were sent to a database of experienced and well-traveled amusement park fans around the world – in balanced geographical regions – asking them to rate the “bests” in 24 categories such as “amusement parks,” “roller coasters,” “shows,” “friendliest staff” and “water rides.”

I think WDW could have won in many of the categories listed, but thats just my opinion.

 

[dpuck1998]

Hmmmm....I smell an agenda....