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Cedar Fair, Events, News and Updates, News Stories, Rides, RollerCoasters

Cedar Fair is “Coasting For Kids”

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Cedar Fair Press Release

SANDUSKY, Ohio – The thrill of a roller coaster ride will have a whole lot more meaning on Thursday, July 29 when Cedar Fair Entertainment Company’s (NYSE: FUN) eleven amusement parks host “Coasting For Kids 2010” to raise money for Give Kids The World Village, the nonprofit organization that provides weeklong vacations to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

The fun-filled event is a company-wide effort. Park fans and coaster enthusiasts alike will enjoy a day filled with riding the coolest roller coasters at their favorite park over and over again. Featured rides include Gemini at Cedar Point, Shivering Timbers at Michigan’s Adventure, Jaguar at Knott’s Berry Farm and the Racer at Kings Island, with rides at the other seven parks to be announced soon. All participants are encouraged to raise at least $50 for Give Kids The World to take part – with prizes going to the top three fundraisers at each park.

All participants will receive complimentary admission to the park of their choice, a “Coasting For Kids” t-shirt and unlimited rides on the event’s featured attraction. Each participating park will also offer additional event perks unique to their location.

“Cedar Fair has been proud to partner with Give Kids The World for many years,” said Lee Ann Alexakos, Vice President Marketing and Advertising, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. “’Coasting For Kids’ is the perfect way for our guests to enjoy our parks – and help children with life-threatening illnesses.”

“We are so excited to work with Cedar Fair,” echoed Give Kids The World President, Pamela Landwirth. “We had such fun at the inaugural event at Cedar Point last year, and are looking forward to this nationwide coaster marathon at all eleven locations this year. This tremendous support for Give Kids The World will help us continue to make dreams come true for children who need it most.”

“Coasting For Kids” will take place at Cedar Point, OH; Kings Island, OH; Canada’s Wonderland, Ontario, Canada; Dorney Park, PA; Valleyfair, MN; Michigan’s Adventure, MI; Kings Dominion, VA; Carowinds, NC; Worlds of Fun, MO; Knott’s Berry Farm CA; and California’s Great America, CA. Anyone who is interested in participating can go to www.firstgiving.com/gktw, click “register for an event” and pick the park they wish to attend and take part at. All participants must raise at least $50 by Wednesday, July 28 to take part in the event on July 29. Space at each park is limited. To learn more, interested participants can call Give Kids The World at 407.396.1114 ext. 4504 or email dream@gktw.org or log on to www.gktw.org.

Cedar Fair Entertainment Company

Cedar Fair Entertainment Company (NYSE: “FUN”) is a publicly traded partnership headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio. The Company, which owns and operates 11 amusement parks, six outdoor water parks, one indoor water park and five hotels, is one of the largest regional amusement park operators in the world. Its parks are located in Ohio, California, North Carolina, Virginia / District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Missouri, Michigan, and Toronto, Ontario. Cedar Fair also operates the Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in Gilroy, California under a management contract. Cedar Fair’s flagship park, Cedar Point, has been consistently voted the “Best Amusement Park in the World” in a prestigious annual poll conducted by Amusement Today newspaper.

Give Kids The World

Give Kids The World Village (GKTW) is a 70-acre, nonprofit resort in Central Florida that creates magical memories for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. GKTW provides accommodations at its whimsical resort, donated attractions tickets, meals and more for a weeklong, cost-free fantasy vacation. With the help of many generous individuals, corporations and partnering wish-granting organizations, Give Kids The World has welcomed more than 101,000 families from all 50 states and 72 countries.

Admission, Deals, Events, Food, News and Updates

4th of July Weekend 2010

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There’s lots to see and do, so stop on by and take advantage of everything the Point has to offer:

July 1 – 5:

  • See the Johnsonville Big Taste Grill (the world’s largest touring grill). Serving Johnsonville Brats starting at 11 a.m. daily.

July 2:

  • The Point Patrol will stop at various live show venues at random to give prizes out to the audience.
  • Meet Stewie, the Red Gold Tomato, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for a hand shake or a big hug.

July 3:

  • The Picnic at the Point all-you-can-eat meal is served. Plus, combine your admission and the meal and save money. For more info and to get your tickets, visit Cedar Point’s Online Deals page.
  • The Point Patrol will stop at various live show venues at random to give prizes out to the audience.
  • See the Cleveland Cavaliers Scream Team at 1 & 2 p.m.

July 4:

  • The Picnic at the Point all-you-can-eat meal is served. Plus, combine your admission and the meal and save money. For more info and to get your tickets, visit Cedar Point’s Online Deals page.
  • The Point Patrol will stop at various live show venues at random to give prizes out to the audience.
  • All members of the military can get into Cedar Point FREE with valid identification. This includes active, retired, veterans & honorably discharged service men & women. Valid at Cedar Point only.
  • FIREWORKS! The sparkles and bangs bring the night sky to life at 10 p.m. Fireworks are launched from the east end of the Cedar Point Beach. Park remains open until 1 a.m.!

July 5:

  • The Point Patrol will stop at various live show venues at random to give prizes out to the audience.
  • All members of the military can get into Cedar Point FREE with valid identification. This includes active, retired, veterans & honorably discharged service men & women. Valid at Cedar Point only.
  • See the Firelands Chorus perform patriotic favorites at 1 p.m. near the Extreme Sports Stadium.
  • Meet former Ohio State linebacker and Super Bowl Winner Mike Vrabel at 12 noon in front of the Game Day Grille.
Deals, Events, News and Updates, News Stories

Fireworks, Food and Fun Highlight Cedar Point’s Fourth of July Weekend

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Cedar Point Press Release

SANDUSKY, Ohio, June 28 — Special entertainment, delicious meals, and money saving deals will be available at Cedar Point during the Fourth of July Weekend, Thursday through Monday, July 1-5.

Guests will even have a few extra hours to enjoy the Independence Day festivities at Cedar Point as the Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park/resort will be open until 1 a.m. on Sunday, July 4.  That leaves nearly three hours to enjoy all of the park’s rides and attractions after the fireworks display ends.  Plus, Starlight Admission, beginning at 5 p.m., is only $29.99 for eight hours of fun and excitement!

Cedar Point resort guests can purchase one-day tickets for $29 and Starlight Admission tickets for $14.99, a savings of $15 per ticket.

Some of the special activities planned for the holiday weekend include:

Fourth of July Fireworks

A spectacular Fourth of July fireworks display will light up the sky beginning at 10 p.m. on Sunday.

Presented by Zambelli Internationale, Inc., of New Castle, Pa., one of the oldest and largest companies in fireworks displays in the United States, the program is synchronized to patriotic music.  (In case of inclement weather, the fireworks show will be rescheduled for Monday, July 5.)

In addition to the fireworks, Starlight Experience, the park’s themed lighted walkway along the Frontier Trail that uses more than one million LED lights, will be in operation until the Maverick and Millennium Force roller coasters close for the evening.  At 11 p.m., Hot Summer Lights featuring music, video, pyrotechnics and “Firewater,” bursts of flames that climb 25 feet into the air, will be presented.  (Excluding July 4, Hot Summer Lights is presented nightly at 10 p.m.)

Cedar Point and its unmatched collection of rides and roller coasters will be open until 1 a.m. on the evening of July 4.  The park will also be open until 11 p.m. on Saturday, July 3.

For an added treat, Cleveland Browns sensation Josh Cribbs will be at the park on Sunday.  From noon to 1 p.m., Cribbs, who makes his own fireworks, will meet guests and sign autographs near the Game Day Grille, just off the park’s main midway by the Blue Streak roller coaster.

Salute to the Armed Forces

Cedar Point will salute members of the armed forces on Sunday and Monday, July 4-5.  On either day, any active, honorably-discharged or retired member of the military can receive one free admission ticket for themselves.

Great Meal Deals

Guests with an appetite should be sure to purchase a brat from the Johnsonville Big Taste Grill, which will be located on the midway in front of Dodgems. Brats will be served from 11 a.m. until park closing Thursday through Monday.

On Saturday and Sunday, July 3 and 4, guests can enjoy more great food at the Picnic at the Point in the Coral Courtyard. The Picnic at the Point will feature an all-you-can-eat meal of broiled Johnsonville brats, fried chicken, hot dogs, baked rigatoni, potato salad, baked beans, cookies, ice cream and assorted Pepsi beverages The meal will be available from 4-5:30 p.m. on Saturday and from 4:30-6 p.m. on Sunday.  Tickets can be purchased online at cedarpoint.com or at the park’s admission gates.

Special Entertainment

The weekend will be filled with special guests and entertainment.  On Saturday, July 3, the Cleveland Cavalier’s Scream Team will perform from 1-1:30 pm and 2-2:30 p.m. near the WildCat and Iron Dragon roller coasters.

The Firelands Chorus will perform patriotic songs from 1-1:20 p.m. on Monday, July 5, on the chorus stage by the Extreme Sports Stadium. Also on Monday, former Ohio State University linebacker and Super Bowl Winner Mike Vrabel will meet guests and sign autographs from noon to 1 p.m. in front of the Game Day Grille restaurant near the Blue Streak roller coaster.

Point Patrol Giveaways at Shows

Besides the rides and special attractions, Cedar Point’s entertainment lineup also includes classic summer hits from Jimmy Buffet and Gloria Estefan, toe-tappin’ country tunes, and a real-life version of MTV Games’ Rock Band video game.  There is even an ice-skating show starring Snoopy and a high-energy stunt show with gravity-defying rollerbladers, gymnasts and dancers.

For added excitement, the park’s Point Patrol will be distributing prizes at select live shows on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  Giveaways will include prizes from Red Gold Ketchup (Friday only) and gift cards from Hard Rock Cafe, Perkins Restaurant and Bakery and Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland.  Coupons for Shearer’s Potato Chips, Toft’s Ice Cream and Johnsonville Brat products will also be given away.

For more information about Cedar Point’s weekend celebration, please log on to cedarpoint.com or call the park’s general information line at 419.627.2350.

Events, News and Updates, News Stories, Rides, Water Rides

Cedar Point’s Shoot the Rapids finally makes a splash

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From the Sandusky Register…

SANDUSKY

The first splash came at 10:40 a.m.

The new Shoot the Rapids water ride finally began, after several weeks of delay while Cedar Point officials fixed the ride’s problems.

The first riders were 24 people who bid in a Red Cross charity auction for the privilege.

When that was completed — that first group actually got two rides apiece — it was opened up to the general public.

Cedar Point spokesman Robin Innes estimated that about 8,000 people would ride it on the first day.

Jeff Harper, 43, a Southfield, Mich., resident who bid $105 to be one of the first riders, said that although the ride is aimed at the entire family, its two hills make it substantial enough to please coaster fans.

“I think a lot of the coaster fans will really enjoy those drops,” Harper said. “Those are good drops.”

Harper can draw on plenty of experience when discussing Shoot the Rapids. He has been on 682 roller coasters in 191 amusement parks.

“Cedar Point is my favorite in all those parks,” he said.

“It was great. The first splashdown was the best. Really good stuff,” said Andy Rybarczyk, 28, of Chicago, who drove four and a half hours to get to Sandusky.

Rybarczyk had spent the whole winter watching the construction of Shoot the Rapids on a Cedar Point webcam and decided he’d be one of the first riders. He bid $125.

Cedar Point is marketing the ride as suitable for all ages. The youngest first rider Saturday was Abe Haprian, 8, of Wadsworth, Ohio. The oldest was his grandmother, Meredith Hickey, 70, Huron.

Cedar Point officials had not been completely sure the ride would launch on Saturday. It flunked a Thursday night state inspection, but inspectors from the Department of Agriculture returned Saturday morning to complete the licensing process.

Innes did not specify what the last-minute mechanical hitches were, but said Cedar Point and the state inspectors agreed to raise the height requirement for Shoot the Rapids. It had been 42 inches. That was raised to 46 inches for a person accompanied by an older adult, and 48 inches for a person riding by himself.

Shoot the Rapids originally had been supposed to open on May 15. That was delayed to May 29, and then was delayed further. Although other rides have launched behind schedule, the six-week delay for Shoot the Rapids was the longest ever logged for a Cedar Point ride, at least within recent memory, Innes said.

The Firelands Chapter of the American Red Cross has been having auctions for first riders since 1994, and has raised $150,500 with those auctions, said Judy Kinzel, who is active in the local chapter. Shoot the Rapids raised $7,000.

Not everyone could attend Saturday’s debut on short notice — the ride’s launch was announced Thursday — so a few of the people claiming the first 30 seats will come later.

Each rider who won a spot in the auction received the first two official rides on Shoot the Rapids and all-day admission to the park. They also got yellow Shoot the Rapids rain slickers, a Cedar Point mug, a Cedar Point beach towel, a Cedar Point T-shirt, a commemorative medallion and a certificate.

The highest bidder was Jeffrey Brashares of Columbus who bid a total of $2,400, or $800 apiece, to put himself and two family members on the ride. As the top bidder, Brashares got the first pick of available seats.

Events, News and Updates, News Stories, Rides, Water Rides

Shoot the Rapids gets green light and splash down

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From the Sandusky Register…

SANDUSKY

It’s finally here!

UPDATE: 10:40 a.m.

Inspectors and Cedar Point officials smoothed out last-minute snags and 24 Red Cross highest bidders took the inaugural ride today.

The ride is expected to be open through the weekend, barring any other problems.

Cedar Point official expect 8,000 people will ride the new offering on Saturday alone.