Havarti Party on The Boardwalk://Cedar Point Media Day 2023

                   Date:5/4/2023

Destination: Sandusky, Ohio

Goal: Media Day for The Boardwalk at Cedar Point

Distance: 292  Miles

Means of Travel: Driving

Potential Credits: 1

It's no secret that my favorite place in the world is Cedar Point. This island/peninsula/whatever is a land formation in Lake Erie surrounded by water on all sides, and functions just as much as a summer beach resort as it does an amusement park, and has done so from the 19th century at that. And as a lover of all things nautical, I always had wanted them to get something that was thematically beachy or coastal or the like to sort of throw back to this. It was right up there for something I wanted the park to get along with a GCI to give them a good modern wooden coaster or a wild mouse because the little mechanical carnival-esque coaster would match the vibe of the park.

So when it was announced the park was getting a boardwalk-themed midway with a Zamperla Wild Mouse, I was totally onboard with it, no pun intended. I definitely enjoyed Wicked Twister, but I do think its demise opened up the beachfront and presented the opportunity to do something really cool, making this seaside park really feel like one. Wicked Twister's plot would be reused for a large restaurant called Grand Pavilion overlooking Lake Erie and Scrambler, Troika, Matterhorn, and Tiki Twirl would be moved over here, creating a classic carnival ambiance akin to something like Kings Island's Coney Mall or Hersheypark's Midway America. An addition that was intended to be both new and polished as well as historic and nostalgic.

As admins of RMC Connoisseurs, Ben applied for us to do the media event and were invited to do so, so plans were made, and hastily. I would get off work Wednesday, drive up to DTW where he was doing flight attendant stuff, and we'd stay the night there and head for Cedar Point the next morning. After normal roommate shenanigans including a haunted alarm clock that kills you after it chimes four times, we got on the road to the park!

Cedar Point had us walk back down the beach walkway, and Grand Pavilion looks great from there, but I don't get why you can't just walk in from here. This could've easily been Cedar Point's Chocolatier but this just looks like they somewhat gave up on that idea. Like, at least put some art or something here. Great concept but it feels like it's missing something.

We lined up by the Windseeker entrance and from what I could see, we had something fun and colorful behind the gate waiting for us! We waited about, got sorted into our lines, and I knew it was about to open when I saw a gentleman with a straw hat and pinstriped shirt stroll out and start juggling.

It didn't even feel real to be recognized as official media by Cedar Point. Like, this is the most official photography anything I've ever done.

Welcome to The Boardwalk! I love this sign!

I walk in, and see these performers roaming about, presumably the entertainment that guests will experience when they come here on public days. So I've got my camera and I'm looking around for that money shot. This girl sees me with my camera out...and just sits down on a planter and bends her knee back complete with a cracking sound! 

Lots got repainted around here, and this is the perfect home for these otherwise inconspicuous carnival rides. They also have soundtracks now!

The theming is here is minimalistic in approach, but it works because of what that theme is. You can't go Disney with a boardwalk the way you can with, say, medieval or spooky, but Cedar Point still put effort into this simple theme with roaming performers, props, simple architecture choices, and even a unique trash can design for the area as opposed to the standard Cedar Fair trash bin.

Aight, everyone went over to Mouse first, which was already slow to wake up because they were still doing stuff in the station. Finally, we get in line, and get to the front, before we're told we're in the wrong line and to go over to the media line over by the exit. Queue greeter apologized, it is what it is, and we headed over there to wait to get our video.

We get up to the front...and it breaks down. They evac everyone, take a car off, test it, and reopen it...and it breaks down again. Same as before, harness up, get people off, fix it, and Ben and I get the cheese car we had wanted!

Guys it's gouda! Seriously, cheddar than the other Wild Mice! 

Wild Mouse is easily the best Zamperla coaster I've ridden, it's smooth, and even with balanced spinning it still felt like being flushed down a toilet as a tornado hit. Or if you're in the Midwest, a typical Sunday afternoon. The little dip into the hairpins helps you get a little off center, it spins you a bit through there as typical for a good spinning mouse, and then after that it just goes ballistic and doesn't stop until you hit the brakes. And once you pull out of that helix, the shit essentially hits the fan and violently whirls you all the way to the brakes. Long after we stopped spinning I was still dizzy.

We got off, collected our SD card, and went to go take photos of the rest of the area. Sadly no Grand Pavilion as it had opened and closed while we were in line waiting for it to reopen, but we could at least see everything walking around!

Grand Pavilion is gorgeous, shame I couldn't eat here because it looks really good. But the building is beautiful and I can't wait to maybe one day take my family here and eat looking out at the water like we love to do. And I gotta try that funnel cake shrimp this season!

I went back to take a few stills of Wild Mouse in action...and it went down again, because it's a new ride being a new ride.

And with that, it was time to get Ben to the airport and me home because Battlebots was that night and the tournament was starting and I wasn't about to miss more drama with Team Riptide this season!

Ben and I headed to Dirty D's, a diner place in Sandusky known for their delicious food and delightful service with a smile, where I got a gyro and some soup for like fifteen bucks before we got on the road.

This is exactly what the park needed. As I said, it was lowkey something I've wanted to get for a while in some form, so I'm so glad it's so similar to what I had wanted. Is it Steel Vengeance? No. They have Steel Vengeance. They needed The Boardwalk. Something that takes advantage of the park's gorgeous location, really embraces the old school amusement park vibe that Cedar Point's managed to retain, and feels like that wonderful summer season Cedar Point has. This made me want to go in the water, dry off, and get a spin in on a coaster. I love this addition and I'm so glad Cedar Point got it! Now onto Grand Pavilion next time I'm back, I want those funnel cake shrimp!