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We'll exit the park by going back down the Twister Midway, turning
onto the Gemini Midway, then turning right just after Magnum. Passing
under the road and exiting the gate, we see the Grand Prix Raceway.
(Don't forget to get your hand stamped if you want to get back into the
park!)
You can go racing around like Mario Andrette. Or like his brother Luigi. Or Donkey Kong. Oh, wait -- that's on Nintendo! Anyway, these cars move faster than the Cadillac Cars in the park, and they don't have any silly guide rail. Got your foot down to the floor, yet you've stopped? Well, that's because a radio-control system might just be keeping you from running down the ride operators. Oddly enough, they prefer to remain on their feet. |
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Just like they do it downtown!
Following the raceways around to the left and under Magnum, we come across Skyscraper, added in 2008 on the site temporarily occupied by VertiGo. But, VertiGo is now VertiGone. When it VertiWent, it VertiLeft a VertiGap in Challenge Park. X-treme Trampoline bounced in to take its place in 2003, then bounced out to make way for Skyscraper. Skyscraper is an extreme spin-n-go-puke ride. The ride goes to a height of 160 feet, and spins around at up to 55 miles per hour. The cars can even flip upside down. The view from the top is great. Be sure to wave to the Magnum riders as they go by! |
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| Continuing a bit farther along, we come across RipCord! RipCord
is a sky coaster. What the heck does that mean? It means that
you're attached to a cable, then you go swinging through the air.
Up to three people can ride in one of the harnesses. The more people
you've got, the cheaper it is per person. Of course, then you need
to decide who gets to pull the rip cord to let you all fly!
In 1999, I finally opened my wallet and took a flight on Rip Cord. I'm sorry I waited so long! It may be expensive, but Rip Cord is a fantastic trip! I booked two flights in 1999. The first time, I went with my nephew. He was excited, but he didn't want to pull the cord to start the flight, so that duty was left up to me. Later in the season, my niece was also tall enough to ride, so the three of us hit the open skies. This time, my nephew did pull the rip cord to send us soaring through space! My niece claimed she wasn't scared, but she was gripping my arm with quite a bit of force! As the saying goes, Rip Cord is not just another ride in the park -- I heartily recommend it! Cedar Point does recommend making reservations, since the ride just can't handle all of the people that are in the park on a typical day. On an average day, the park entertains around 50,000 people. Most rides can pump through around 1000 to 2000 riders per hour. Rip Cord, however, might be able to manage around 100 people in an hour. |
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Soak City is a large water park -- it would be easy to spend a whole
day just riding these slides. With its 1997 expansion, Soak City
grew to be comparable in size to many year-round water parks that are not
directly linked to amusement parks. And, it grew again in 2004
The park is located on both sides of Magnum. The east side is the older part, with the west side added in 1997. For 2008, note that Soak City is only open from May 24 through September 1. |
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I've got some fairly pointy shoulder blades, and I discovered long ago that the seams on the body slides are a bit uncomfortable on my shoulders. As a result, one year I tried taking one of the speed slides while wearing a cotton t-shirt. Well, lemme tell ya, that didn't work too well. I got stuck at the top, and had to inch my way to the drops where I finally got moving! If you're going to wear a shirt, you might want to make sure it stays slippery in water!
Bubbles Bar is an interesting feature. It is an in-water bar for
the adults, allowing you to get sloshed while you soak. When Cedar
Point went to install it, the Ohio commission in charge of pools said,
"Hey, you can't have electricity that close to the water! We won't
allow it!" Apparently, they could not explain pool lights.
It would seem that such lights must not be electric, since they are clearly
allowed. Ignoring the total lapse in logic, and not taking no for
an answer, Cedar Point went to the Ohio commission in charge of rides.
That commission said, "Sure, you can do it! We'll just classify the
pool as a ride." So, Bubbles Bar is actually classified as a ride.
Be sure to remain seated while drinking your beverage, keeping your seat
belts fastened, and keeping hands and arms inside the pool at all times.
Remember, picture taking is not permitted on any swim-up bar at Cedar Point.
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Next, we'll wade on over to the west side of Soak City, going under
Magnum. One feature is Breakers Bay, a large wave pool. There
are three tube slides called Eerie Falls. These slides are enclosed,
making for one dark journey! If you should see light up ahead, it
may not mean the end of the slide -- you might be on the verge of passing
under a waterfall! Renegade River is a river that's not quite so
lazy. Oh, sure, it's still rather relaxing, but there are more waterfalls
than Main Stream, plus quite a few other ways to get wet. There's
also a wave channel, combining the features of a lazy river and a wave
pool.
Zoom Flume is a big raft ride, allowing multiple riders within a single raft. Beware -- it feels like you just might flip right over! Zoom Flume cruises along at a good pace. In my opinion, I've found it to be one of the most enjoyable water flumes of its type. In addition to all of this, there's another children's area over here, and a water "playground" for older, uh, "children" (like me). 2004 saw the addition of Splash Zone, featuring an activity tower that includes a big bucket that periodically dumps water on those standing underneath. |
| No doubt you noticed the big hill with the miniature golf courses located on it, and wondered when I'd get around to mentioning it. Well, get off the edge of your seat, I'm mentioning it now. Challenge Golf includes two 18-hole mini golf courses. They are really both quite fun, and a bit challenging! For those who remember Cedar Point's old miniature golf course, on the current Planet Snoopy site, Challenge Golf is far superior. Of course, putting in the living room was about equal to the old miniature golf course, but, truly, Challenge Golf is a lot of fun, and definitely worth trying. A couple of years ago, I was stranded in one of the caves when a surprise storm raced in from the north off of Lake Erie. I've weathered such storms before, and knew when I saw it that it would be a big one! Fortunately, I stayed quite dry in the cave, watching as the crew went home because they didn't realize anyone was still out on the course! With the torrential rains, tons of lightning, and strong winds, there wasn't any way I was coming out of that cave until the storm was over! Once it ended, I completed my round on a then-flooded Challenge Golf course. |  |
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| Return to Twister Midway | Go to The Point Tour | Continue with the Cedar Point Resorts |