Cedar Point, Not as Planned

I was so excited when I learned earlier this year that the company that Paul works for would hold its annual picnic at Cedar Point this summer. I became even more excited when Mom and Dad offered to watch the kids that day and overnight so Paul and I could fully enjoy a day to ourselves -- with roller coasters, nonetheless.

The day -- two Sundays ago -- didn't turn out as planned. It started very promisingly. With a little luck and a lot of Hotwire stalking, I was able to book Cedar Point's Express Hotel for only $69. Since we had a reservation at a Cedar Point property, we were able to enter the park an hour early, at 9 a.m. We had driven to my parents' house the day before, so Paul and I left their house at 6:10 that morning while everyone was still asleep in order to have enough time to drive to Sandusky, check in and snag our early entry pass.

We got to the gates at 8:30 a.m., and I felt on top of our game. When the gates opened, we would immediately head for Steel Vengeance, the new coaster at the back of the park. The hotel even advised walking to the Marina entrance in order to avoid the crowds and cut down on our walk to the ride.

Gates opened, got in line, all is good. Until an hour later when Steel Vengeance closed down. Waiting, waiting, waiting. People exit the line. Waiting, waiting ... it reopens! Phew. So glad we stayed in line! Then it closes again. Waiting, waiting, waiting. We finally leave the line at 11:30 a.m. -- just steps from the tracks -- so we can make the company picnic, which lasts until 12:45 p.m.

In the simplest of terms -- it is now nearly 1 p.m. and we have NOT RIDDEN EVEN ONE RIDE.

SO INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING.

The rest of the day went well, however. We road the remainder of the main coasters, including quite a few rides that didn't exists when we were last there in 2006 or 2007. I particularly liked Gatekeeper. I noticed that I'm not quite as carefree -- I didn't put my hands up, and the rides made me feel a little funnier than they used to. But it was still fun, and the weather in the high 70s was absolutely perfect.

We never did ride Steel Vengeance.