Cedar Point takes top honors in amusement park polls

Tuesday, 24 July 2007

Cedar Point Press Release

The Awards Go To ...

SANDUSKY, Ohio, 2007 – Cedar Point amusement park/resort was recently named “America’s Favorite Amusement Park” by the readers of Theme Parks Magazine. This is the third year in a row that Cedar Point has been voted the No. 1 amusement park in America in the magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards.

Cedar Point also placed three coasters in the Top 4 of the “Top Steel Roller Coasters” category. Millennium Force, standing at 310 feet tall with speeds of 93 mph, was rated No. 1 for the third straight year, while the Top Thrill Dragster came in No. 2 and perennial favorite, Magnum XL-200, captured the fourth position. The park’s Mean Streak roller coaster made the Top 10 in the wooden roller coasters poll.

The Roller Coaster Capital of the World also took home top honors in the “Favorite Park for Thrills” and “Best Value” for the third year in a row. Cedar Point’s HalloWeekends won a Readers’ Choice Award for “Best Seasonal Event” for the second consecutive year.

In addition, the amusement park/resort was rated highly in the following categories: “Best Food”; “Cleanest Park”; and “Most Beautiful Park.”

“We are very pleased with the results of the poll,” said John Hildebrandt, vice president and general manager of Cedar Point. “All of us at Cedar Point are not only proud of our roller coasters, but the overall guest experience we provide. Our goal is to make everyone’s visit to the park the best it can be.”

Theme Parks Magazine, based in Independence, Mo., is dedicated to helping its readers discover America’s theme parks. With park guests in mind, Theme Parks Magazine features eye-catching photos, in-depth park guides, feature stories and attraction profiles from a wide array of amusement destinations across the country.

In addition to the Theme Parks Magazine poll, Cedar Point has also been featured as an “exceptional destination” in Rand McNally’s Midwest Getaway Guide. The amusement park/resort is highlighted as a “can’t miss” stop in the new travel guide, which blends travel information and recommended stops with maps for vacationers.

The Midwest Getaway Guide features maps of popular attractions in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin and is now available for purchase.

Earlier this year, Cedar Point’s Millennium Force and Magnum XL-200 roller coasters were selected as the two “Best Steel Roller Coasters” by the National Amusement Park Historical Association’s (NAPHA) 21st Amusement Parks and Attractions Survey. It is the oldest poll of its kind.

For more than 10 years, these two coasters have either held or shared the top spot with each other. From 1995-2001, Magnum was the survey’s No. 1 steel coaster. Millennium Force was first in 2003, 2005 and 2006. The coasters shared first place in 2002 and 2004.

But change may be on the horizon. Cedar Point’s new Maverick roller coaster is receiving rave reviews from riders. With a 95-degree first-hill drop, the first-of-its-kind Twisted Horseshoe Roll and a 400-foot-long tunnel, the $21 million steel roller coaster has already become a guest favorite.

In addition to its honors for Millennium Force and Magnum XL-200, NAPHA voters also ranked Cedar Point fourth in the ”Favorite Traditional Amusement Park” category.

Founded in 1978, NAPHA is an international enthusiasts’ organization interested in preserving and documenting the heritage of the amusement park industry, past, present and future.

Cedar Point will be open daily through Monday, Sept. 3. The park will reopen for a Bonus Weekend Sept. 7-9 and for its annual HalloWeekends event on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 14-16, 21-23, 28-30, Oct. 5-7, 12-14, 19-21 and 26-28, 2007.

For more information about Cedar Point, log onto cedarpoint.com or call the park’s general information line at 419.627.2350.

Discuss this story at CP Place