Cedar Point Gears Up for Another Summer

May 15, 2009

The Sandusky Register

 In the rest of the world, summer will begin on June 21.

At Cedar Point -- and in Sandusky -- summer begins Saturday with the park’s opening.

The final preparations are intense.

View Preparation Photos at SanduskyRegister.com

During one sunny day, the work began in the morning and went on late into the night.

A painter was in the middle of a 12-hour shift. Technicians from the ICEE Co. nursed their machines, trying to make sure plenty of cold, sugary goodness will be ready if the weather is warm.

And over at the Iron Dragon, class was in session for the college kids who will operate the suspended roller coaster.

Greg Bacni, 21, Sandusky, was drilling his crew.

“Can guests have food or drink in line?” he asked.

One young woman immediately answered.

“They can. They just have to finish it,” she said.

The class then discussed what to do when customers insist that employees hold onto possessions for them during the ride.

That’s forbidden, but “try to be as empathetic as you can,” suggested Bacni, whose badge identifies him as an eight-year Cedar Point veteran.

A short distance away, ride technician Brad Caris and other employees were working on the final assembly of the ride.

Getting the rides ready isn’t always a smooth experience.

Cedar Point CEO Dick Kinzel recalls that in 1976, the big new ride that year, Corkscrew, was not ready hours before opening day.

“The crews worked all night to get the trains ready for the next day,” he said.

The rides may be the main drawing card at the park, but it’s not the only part of the Cedar Point experience.

When the guests get hungry, they expect to find tasty food. When they need a break, they want to be entertained by one of the free shows. If they want a souvenir of their trip, they’ll be looking for attractive items in the gift shops.

T-shirts are popular keepsakes, Hildebrandt said, so fresh designs are important.

New food offerings include a giant burrito at Los Gatos, fried chicken at Hurricane Hanna’s at the front of the park and fresh homemade potato chips.

In addition, “someone has come up with a way to do a light-up wand with cotton candy,” said John Hildebrandt, general manager at the park.

The tasty potato chips will be available initially in sea salt, barbecue, sour cream & onion and salt & vinegar flavors, while ketchup chips are “on the way,” said Ralph Robinson of the U.S. division of Chippery.

Robinson, a trainer, was at the park last week to show employees how to make the chips.

“As potato chips go, they are one of the healthiest potato chips,” he said, adding that they have no preservatives, trans fat or cholesterol and are made with sunflower seed oil.

At the Red Garter Saloon, three young women and three young men were singing and dancing Tuesday afternoon, rehearsing a country and western show that debuted this weekend.

Jeremy Braley, 19, Maren Fischer, 20, Tiffany McLaughlin, 20, Derek Wilson, 21, Elizabeth Brickey, 20, and Billy Depetro, 24, take direction well, choreographer and director Lisa Jones said.

That’s good, because they have to be quick learners.

“They started learning the show less than a week ago,” she said.

Brickey, who is studying music theater at Bowling Green State University, won her job at a campus tryout.

“It’s amazing to see we get paid to do what we love,” she said.

Although Cedar Point isn’t unveiling any major rides this year, it does have a new attraction.

The Starlight Experience, a new light show, will use more than 1 million LED lights. It will have several themed floats, and aims to capture the changing of the seasons.

Irwin Baggett, 22, a native of Michigan, stood next to a tree last week with strands of yellow and red lights, meant to evoke the turning of autumn leaves.

“We’re standing in fall right now,” he explained.

The Starlight Experience provides an additional attraction that will appeal to guests of all ages, Hildebrandt said.

And if it tempts them to hang around a bit longer -- and perhaps make another purchase -- that would be OK, too.

John Papenfuss, a maintenance painter who works year round at Cedar Point, was finishing the exterior of a caricature booth.

Papenfuss said he was taking advantage of the good weather and working a 12-hour shift.

“Right now, it’s crunch time,” Hildebrandt said. “Long hours for everybody.”

The preparations extend to filling the ATM machines with cash. Ohio’s ride inspectors were in last week, approving safety licenses for the rides.

Cedar Point closed on Nov. 2 last year, and preparations for the 2009 season began the very next day, Hildebrandt said.

And those preparations extend beyond park property.

Hotels that close during the winter open back up in May, and restaurants take on extra workers.

The McDonald’s restaurant at 2102 River Avenue, near the park entrance, balloons from about 20 employees in the winter to about 75 during the height of the summer, said Deb Edwards, the store manager.

“I started hiring in April,” she said.

The fast food eatery was only open until 8 p.m. in April -- but starting this weekend, it’s open until 11 p.m. to cater to hungry guests who stop in after a day of thrills.

FUN FACTS ABOUT CEDAR POINT

• Cedar Point has 75 rides and 17 roller coasters -- more than any amusement park on Earth. It opened in 1870, although the first roller coaster didn’t show up until 1892.

• The young employees at Cedar Point are not allowed to have beards or piercings, and any tattoos must be covered by clothing. Banned hairstyles include “unnatural colors” and dreadlocks.

• The train that runs through the park is the only ride employees can use while they’re in uniform. They are expected to wave and smile during their ride.

• The park is expected to have almost 5,000 employees this summer. Hungry employees getting off work are a major source of late-night business at Sandusky’s fast food restaurants.

• The best time to visit Cedar Point and avoid long lines is on weekdays in May, when many children who would prefer to be on a roller coaster are still held captive in the classroom.

• The normal summer opening time is 10 a.m., but Cedar Point officials say they always see guests in the parking lot by 8 a.m.

• Children in Ohio know they are growing up when they reach 48 inches — tall enough to be allowed on some of the best rides.

• According to CEO Dick Kinzel, Detroit is the park’s biggest market, leaving it vulnerable to downturns in the car industry.

• General information is available at 419-627-2350 and cedarpoint.com.