Ceder Point Vs. Hersheypark Endgame

That time of year again...the family vacation.  While we didn't bring along Aunt Edna, drag our dog on vacation or go to WalleyWorld, we did happen to make stops at two of the region's top amusement parks.  Cedar Point and Hersheypark. Time for the comparison blog!

When I first bought tickets for these two parks, I knew it would be a matter of which park was better.  C had gone to Hersheypark before.  I had gone to Cedar Point before, and G had a friend that seemed to "summer" on Lake Erie.  Would we kill the kids or would they kill each other?  Could we coax them onto roller coasters without yelling at them?  The questions were boundless, but the important one is the one that we're answering today - which one was better?

Time 5 riding Raptor

Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio (they haven't changed that name Chevy Chase-style, yet?) was our first stop.  It was a Thursday and the weather was sunny-ish, humid and in the low 80's.  We saw that there might be thunderstorms later in the day, but the skies were clear when we got there...We got fast passes for this park so that we could maximize the ridership.  It was an extra $89 per person.

Hersheypark in Hershey, PA.  It was hazy, hot and humid.  It had to have been at least 90 degrees.  We did not get fast passes here because it was a staggering $135.00 per person for unlimited rides - plus the tickets.  I mean that's 3x more than the ticket to get in.  I could have paid $100 but 10 of the 13 rides would have been excluded.  That sounds like a much better deal, honestly. I guess I'm not going to Chocolatetown next year.

Now this is a biased question, really.  My undiagnosed high blood pressure was not suitable for the rides.  The warning placards told me so, at least.  So which one was better was my perception of the children's good times.

C:    I believe that he liked Hersheypark more.  He was familiar with the park having gone a couple of years ago.  He talked us into waiting in line for an hour for a milkshake at the store before the park.  Compare that to thunderstorm cloud burst that he had to endure while riding the train.  "I'm soooo wet!" he must have exclaimed at least 3 times on that ride. He did like Magnum XL-200 and Gemini - C and G went on those rides at

G: Definitely a Cedar Point guy.  He rode Raptor at least 5 times with his sister.  Enjoyed Magnum XL-200 and Gemini with his Brother.  Enjoyed all of the Cokes that he got at the fill up stations and the Crab Fries at Chickie & Pete's (Definitely not the best sports bar in America).  At Hersheypark, he seemed hot and seemed disgusted with the wait at Wildcat.  No Fast Track here. 

DLG:  She liked Ceder Point and Hersheypark equally, it seems.  She spent at least $60 playing the impossible to win rubber ball toss.  The girl manning the booth I think felt bad for her because every time she played, she gave DLG a stuffed animal.  Ellie thanks you.  She had a lot more luck at the next spot although she had to rely on C to get her the two things.  One of them was a multi colored unicorn that I was plotting to throw out as soon as we got home.  Cedar Point was close since she clearly liked the roller coaster.

Mom and Dad:  Who cares can we just get out of here and go to Dinner?

Verdict?  Cedar Point.