#cedar point

My family hadn't been to Cedar Point since the pandemic, so we were excited to go and see what was different! My dad had to back out due to some sudden medical stuff (he's okay, not in any imminent danger of death; just not allowed to ride roller coasters anymore) and figured it would be better anyway if he stayed at home with our dog. We still had a few of my cousins to hang out with, though, and it was the little ones' first time at Cedar Point.

I will say, $200+ for one all-day Fast Lane Plus bracelet is ridiculous. We opted to just tough out the longer lines. The waits weren't that bad, though. I think the worst one was Top Thrill 2 on Day 1, and even that was only an hour or so since it was close to closing time. I've certainly sat through worse. We just wanted a fun time at the park, anyway, and that's what we got. :)

Now for an approximate ride timeline over the course of my stay.

Day 1

Gemini

It's a family tradition to ride Gemini first. The blue train was out of service, but it was still a good time with a very short line.

Steel Vengeance

Just as spectacular as I remembered. Amusement parks in general are marvels of engineering, but SteVe especially blows my mind. It's a real powerhouse of a ride experience, and it makes for a visually stunning structure. Also, the Frontier Town character bios in the queue. I love them. They add even more flavor to this already lively section of the park. They kind of make me miss the characters from that "Battle for Cedar Point" app they were promoting like ten years ago, too.

Top Thrill 2

This one certainly gets the award for "most insane." I mean, we built a track as tall as a skyscraper (420 feet/128 meters), with trains that can travel about twice as fast as a cheetah (120 mph/193 kph), that also launches you backwards, just for fun. And it was fun. The descent down the spike was my favorite part.

Day 2

Top Thrill 2 (again)

We wanted to get another ride in with at least one of the other party members since Day 1's ride was just me and my mom--so we did just that. Our companion was shaking by the end of the ride, but she said that she loved it!

Millennium Force

It may not have a ton of gimmicks or fancy tricks, but I'd say Millie still deserves its place as the park's flagship coaster. It's a thrill in its simplest, purest form.

Atomic Scrambler

I was with the older of the two kids for this one. She's not a big fan of roller coasters, but she likes most of the park's other offerings. Atomic Scrambler, though? It was a bit much for her. She said it was "too chaotic" like five times. I don't blame her. It was a bit faster than I remembered, and she slammed into me since she didn't have a good grip on the bar restraint. ^^"

Wild Mouse

I'm normally good with spinning rides, but this one legitimately made me dizzy! Appropriately, my party was placed on the green "Dizzy" mouse car. The ride was faster than I expected for its compact structure. Very fun, though! I love the retro feel of the signage and decor, too.

Sky Ride

This one is always a delight. It's nice to take a break from walking around the park and enjoy the scenery.

Iron Dragon

The younger kid turned out to be a huge fan of this one. She rode it twice in a row, then had me join her later for a third ride. It's a great gateway coaster for a kid of her age--not as crazy as the bigger rides, but still exciting in its own right. It would be cool if they got the fog rolling over the pond again, though.

Siren's Curse

So cool! The tilt at the top of the lift hill is out of this world. The siren's voice playing over the speaker was also super neat. The Lake Erie Shipping theme in the queue was a bit weird, but I get it. Work with what you have, especially when you're given a ride that was meant to be at a different park. Freshwater lake sirens are a fun concept, anyway.

Maverick

My mom and I got in line before closing time, and we were lucky enough to get front-row seats on one of the trains! Gosh, I love this ride. It has always been one of my favorite coasters in the park. It's crazy intense for how small it is, but it doesn't rough you up the way some of the other rides do (Corkscrew...). And that 95-degree drop on the first hill? Simply amazing.