Visit Cedar Point on the Cheap: Hidden Discounts & Deals

2024 Complete Guide to Cedar Point

Chances are if you are coming to the Sandusky Area, a trip to Cedar Point is part of the plan. Cedar Point maintains a reputation for the biggest, the fastest, the tallest, and the most in their never-ending quest to satisfy the most discerning of roller coaster enthusiasts.

Cedar Point has definitely packed its Lake Erie waterfront property with thrilling rides, all within steps of each other; no long walks at this amusement park. But what you may not know is that Cedar Point also offers great shows, a variety of dining choices, and even rides, shows, and attractions just for the little ones.

Cedar Point on the Cheap
Gatekeeper, Cedar Point by Roller Coaster Philosophy

If roller coasters aren’t your cup of tea, shopping on the midway for souvenirs or taking in a live show are popular ways to spend the day at Cedar Point.

After a non-stop Thrill Ride, well Cedar Point Amusement Park Ohio is exactly that! With 17 Roller Coasters, Cedar Point Sandusky Ohio rates Number 1 in most people’s minds for the Biggest and Fastest Thrill Rides on the planet. When it comes to amusement parks in Ohio, this is one of the world’s best Parks, which is why over 3 million people visit Cedar Point amusement park every year.

Opening through the months of May-October, Cedar Point in Ohio’s vast locale is the epitome of all amusement parks. If you’re the kind of person who likes being surrounded by endless fun and attractions, then this is surely the place for you.

Cedar Point Amusement Park is a whirlwind of action at every angle, maintaining a total of three amusement parks in the Cedar Point Sandusky OH area: the main amusement park known as Cedar Point.

Cedar Point Review Amusement Park
Cedar Point Review Sandusky, Ohio Amusement Park

Cedar Point Amusement Park Ohio is one of the biggest Ohio attractions, operating for nearly 150 years they have been host to many family vacations and provided some dazzling days with thrilling night adventures.

There are plenty of Ohio Amusement Parks but Cedar Point amusement park Ohio has been voted number one 13 years in a row for a reason.

Rides

Cedar Point’s 364 acres of non-stop fun and thrills contain a variety of rollercoasters, water rides, resorts, and other kinds of entertainment.

Cedar Point Roller Coasters

Featured Cedar Point Roller Coasters and Thrill Rides

Cedar Point Roller Coasters are world-class Thrill Rides – Cedar Point Rides like Millennium Force, Maxair, Iron Dragon and Top Thrill Dragster scare even the most hardened roller coaster enthusiasts.

  • Mantis – Read what this girl said about this 60 mph stand up monster after she took it for a spin
  • Raptor – No Joyride on this Roller Coaster
  • Wicked Twister – One of the Top Ohio Attractions.
  • Power Tower – Talk about a Thrilling Ride.
  • Maverick – Plenty of G-Force action on this roller coaster at Cedar Point.
  • Demon Drop – Fans are still talking about this icon, which has now been relocated to Knotts Berry Farm, so a road trip may be on the cards if you want to take another drop on this thriller!

Maxair

You’ll be thrilled on this joyride

When it comes to amusement ride design, Cedar Point has outdone themselves with a ride like this. You’ll get plenty of airtime on this beast traveling 140 ft in the air like a swing, while the disc base that you are strapped into turns in a 360-degree motion. Take the virtual tour Cedar Fair has developed to get the full sensation.

Dragster

Cedar Point Top Thrill

New Theme Park rides are always on the drawing board, but it’s going to take a lot to beat this Cedar Point Roller Coaster!

This will be the longest 17 seconds of your life… when you jump aboard this 420 ft high mammoth, reach speeds of 120 mph in only 17 seconds, that’s not the scariest bit.

When you get to the top …420 ft in the air it slows to the point where you could go forwards and down the other side or …..you may get what’s called a roll-back.

Imagine the adrenaline rush going forward, now times it by two backward at that height and speed!

When it was opened in 2003 the Dragster was one of the world’s highest and fastest roller coasters, some compared it to having a jet-fueled drag car engine strapped to your back.

Millennium Force

310 ft Roller Coaster

I hope you have amusement ride insurance when you take this wild Cedar Point Roller Coaster Ride.

Millennium is similar to your traditional style coasters in that you follow a track, however, that’s where any similarity stops.

Stands at 310 ft tall, and you fly along the tracks at over 90 mph with fierce, almost vertical inclines and heart-pumping full-throttle moments when you plum-it towards the ground in huge dips with plenty of twists and turns before you arrive back to the safety of the station 2 minutes later.

Family Cedar Point Rides, Kiddy Rides, and Theme Park Ideas for kids.

Long gone are the old coin-operated rides at Cedar Point Amusement Park they have something for everyone.

Great Family Rides like the Space Spiral, that take you 285 ft in the air while rotating so you can see fantastic views of the theme park.

Another favorite is Sir Rub a Dubs Tubs, which float down a water track spinning and bumping your way to the end.

If you’re looking for more water park action you should check out Soak City it’s full of water slides and attractions, no longer are the kids ridding boring bumper boats like when we were youngsters!

Roller Coasters at Cedar Point that Kids can safely enjoy, oh, and you if you’re not up for the more extreme Cedar Point Roller Coasters

You can try the Jr Gemini with the kids, it will take the kid’s breath away and maybe yours as well.

The Woodstock Express, the little ones (and some big ones) will love this train, it’s one of the favorites among the kiddy Roller Coasters.

Tickets

Admission prices to Cedar Point Amusement and Water Parks can easily put a dent in your wallet, so if you’re able to purchase Discount Cedar Point Tickets it certainly helps reduce the expenses for the family vacation.

Cedar Point near dusk
Cedar Point near dusk by Paladin27

How to find discount Cedar Point tickets

The quick answer is …You Have !….. Once you read this page you won’t pay anywhere near what most people end up paying, when they think they are getting Cheap Cedar Point Tickets.

Below is a summary of all discount tickets and passes for these great amusement and water parks.

Resort guests are given a discount for stay at one of their hotels, Regular is for everyone else….you get the idea.

Tell me how I get Cheap Cedar Point Tickets

  • Simple. Follow our chart below for discount Cedar Point tickets or passes depending on your length of stay.
  • On the left, select what parks and tickets you may want and follow that line until you reach the length of your stay. We left some of the prices in so you see the comparison.
  • Forget about what you’ve been told about coupons unless your stay is only for 1 day… Why? Because that’s about the only time a cheap coupon deal will be of any value.
  • If you’re curious or just not understanding the chart… work out how much you’ll pay with and without Soak City and then compare it to our chart to see our recommendation. It will soon become clear to you after a few calculations.
  • This is the regular (Adult)price comparison and below that is the kids’ version.

Note: The comparison shows prices based on 1 person, a greater discount is available if you have 2 or more, by using the purchase 2 discount deal which you save another few dollars.

Here are the four main options to buy a Cedar Point ticket!

    1. One-Day Entry – If you’re 100% sure you are only staying one day and going to only the amusement park…then sure, buy this option or discount tickets.
      Many hotels offer a discount off the general admission price if staying at their hotel or any other coupon offers are on the market to purchase discount tickets.
    2. Two Days – Two Park – Cheaper than buying individual tickets to both … but you also get a second entry for free. It can be used in a row or at different periods in the week either.
    3. Three Days -Cedar Point Season Pass – Cheaper to buy the Season Pass even if you won’t use it again than trying to by one of the discount Cedar point Tickets!

The exception to this would be if you wanted Soak City for most of the time as well (like if you had kids)…then you would be better buying the Platinum Pass for the $10 dollars extra. Parking costs you between $10 and $15 for 24hrs depending on the size of the vehicle.

Not Driving I hear you say… Due to the additional discount benefits, we still recommend this option.

    1. Platinum Pass -After 1 to 2 days, maybe 3, you won’t find better discount cedar point tickets than this deal anywhere.

We explain all the benefits below the kids discount tickets chart.

Cheap Cedar Point tickets for kids as well

To work out the best discount Cedar Point Tickets for kids, just follow the same steps as for adults. That’s it.

Platinum Pass is better than discount Cedar Point tickets

Why do you ask? Look at the main benefits, which you won’t find on any of the other discount Cedar Point tickets

  • Unlimited Free Admission to ALL 20 theme and water properties owned by them in the US. Excluding Castaway bay.

Free parking at all 20 parks in the US – If you went five times while on your vacation, that’s $50 you saved immediately. (1 person $50 – Two of you $25 ea and a family of 4 save $12.50 ea) …That’s without going to any other parks, add those prices to any discount Cedar Point tickets and see what works out cheaper

In our view that already adds up to a few extra dollars, you may pay and in most cases, it’s cheaper depending on your vacation package.

  • 1 HOUR Early Entry– gates open an hour earlier for Platinum passes than the general public. No queues, jump straight on your favorite roller coaster or ride for an hour.
  • ERT Nites – Exclusive Ride Time Nights– After the general public leave you can enjoy ERT for the times listed. Discount cedar point tickets don’t give you this option. Check dates and times at the grounds.
  • Hotel Discount – 10% off normal room rates when you stay at one of the amusement park resorts.
  • VIP Show Seating – arrive only 10 min prior to the show start times for your VIP seating. Enter via specified doors as noted at the park.
  • Many more discounts and purchase one get one free offer at various attractions and food outlets throughout the amusement park.
  • $15 Castaway Bay Entry – massive indoor water park, unfortunately, the only property you don’t get in for free, however, you can buy admission at nearly half price.

Our recommendation is don’t try and cram all the action into 24 or 48 hrs, plan your vacation for at least 5 days to get the full benefits.

Here’s how !… Spread your time over several trips to the attractions, you’ve got no parking or admission fee’s and early entry…use it.

Arrive early and stay till it’s too busy, around lunch. Head off somewhere for lunch (much cheaper outside the park)and relax by the pool or take in some of Soak City water attractions.

Either head back in the arvo or night for a few more rides or see other Ohio attractions and do it all again tomorrow.

Plan your trip correctly and you won’t be wasting it standing in queues for hours, just the same as people looking for Discount cedar point tickets when the answer is right in front of them.

I hope we answered all your questions to do with Discount Cedar Point tickets and made your vacation a little more affordable.

Build Your Own Cedar Point Vacation Packages

Save money when you Custom build your own discounted Cedar Point Packages, see the example spreadsheet below of the Custom Cedar Point Vacation Packages.

You can include as much or as little as you like. That’s what’s so fantastic…and the discount price.

Cheap Cedar Point Package that fits any budget

Select the type, style, and price of hotels and add flights, hire cars, and even admission tickets to the various Parks.

These discounted Cedar Point Vacation Packages in the example above show what sort of deals you can put together by following a few simple guidelines.

While extracting the prices for the vacation packages, I randomly checked 10 different combinations through the major travel websites and found we were saving from $100 per couple to nearly $1000 in some cases.

Expedia, Priceline, and Orbitz produced the best overall deals which I searched for using mainly Trip Advisor, at least initially.

We chose the Travelodge Lake Erie Sandusky which is one of the many options available. Our choice was purely based on price for these Cedar Point Vacation Packages.

Depending on the length of stay two other hotels were used, Best Budget Inn and Knights Inn both in Sandusky also.

Lowest room rates

Now we don’t all want the lowest room rate, we also take into consideration how long we will be staying in the hotel.

For 1 or 2 nights you may be happy with cheap accommodation because you’re out all day at the attractions, roller coasters, rides, and water parks.

For longer stays we would look into medium to deluxe resorts and properties, maybe pick-up a bargain !…best of both worlds…. and occasionally lash out on some luxury lodgings.

If you design your own Cedar Point Vacation Packages, you can have a few nights of luxury… that’s an added bonus of booking the schedule yourself online.

Cedar Point vacation packages listed include great savings on admission entry to the theme and water parks…How? By NOT buying the general admission tickets …Unless it was for one day only and you are 100% sure of that.

Hotels

In addition to the amusement park itself, Cedar Point is a complete resort with hotels, a campground, a marina, a beach, and two waterparks; one indoors and one outdoors.

Halloweekends at Cedar Point offers thrills along with chills with the addition of haunted houses and Halloween themes throughout the amusement park. An October trip to Cedar Point offers a haunted experience for the young and old alike. Rides are open if you dare.

If you live nearby or are planning more than one Lake Erie vacation during the months that Cedar Point is open, investing in a season pass for every member of the family is a great way to save money on your trips to Cedar Point.

Cheap Sandusky Ohio Hotels

You have a huge range of lodging options, from Resorts which are owned and operated as luxury accommodations under the various theme and water parks …to budget, standard, deluxe, and luxury properties. So if you need hotels near Cedar Point, for your next vacation you’ll have plenty of packages to choose from.

Rodeway Inn Cedar Point South

Approximately half a mile from the theme park’s entrance and close to many Ohio attractions, Rodeway Inn Cedar Point South is priced in the mid to high hundreds and includes the appropriate amenities for this style of lodging.

Rodeway Inn Cedar Point North

Older property than its sister above but has all the basic features you want in a room, including an indoor swimming pool. Read some reviews to help you decide where to stay.

Hotel Breakers

Owned by Cedar Point you will be paying around the $200 – $300 mark for a night in this luxury property, if you have planned that in your budget and want to be right in amongst all the action, then this is the place to stay.

Castaway Bay

Castaway Bay Resort and indoor water park, again owned by Cedar Point and is classed as a luxury resort and has some fantastic features as you would expect if you’re paying in the high $ 200s to $300 or $400 depending on the type of room and if you include the theme and water parks options.

As with all luxury properties you need to decide if the price matches the luxury, check out our vacation package deals before you decide. You can probably build your own package much cheaper!

Need more Cedar Point Lodging options?

Many people enjoy camping at Camper Village, so if you have an RV or caravan, hitch ’em up and take a road trip!

Lighthouse-Pointe, on the same property, has great little cabins and cottages, other campsites in the area offer similar options.

Other than Villas Apartments, HomeAway Vacation Rentals allow owners to rent out their houses while away on vacation themselves, I believe you can even swap houses these days.

Final Word

Cedar Fair which owns the best amusement park in Ohio also operates eleven other Amusement, Theme, and Water Parks here’s a full list of the Indoor and Outdoor Water Parks – they also own six of these across America as you’ll see from the list.

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