Kick Off Summer With Cedar Point & Hotel Breakers | #BloggingAtCP

Thanks to Cedar Point and Hotel Breakers my family got to spend a fun filled day and comfortable night at the park and resort.  We discovered last year that our girls enjoy riding roller coasters and they are getting tall enough to ride more of the rides.  It was exciting to be invited back again this year to see the renovations done to Hotel Breakers and the new amenities at Cedar Point.

When we arrived we told the parking lot attendant we were headed to Hotel Breakers.  They asked us for our reservation confirmation number and sent us on our way.  We wove our way through and around the park towards the resort area enjoying the views of Lake Erie and the running amusement park rides along the way.  It was fun to have this unique perspective of the park.  Though we were so concerned that it was going to be a rainy day like it had started it turned out to be the perfect day to be outside.  It was overcast and warm with a pleasant breeze blowing off the lake.

We have never stayed at any of the resorts at Cedar Point.  Last year was actually the first time we had ever gone out to the beach and walked down to the Hotel Breakers resort to have a look around.  My husband’s cousin and his family say they stay there at least once a year and love it because it’s right on the beach, has three (yes, 3) pools, an arcade, free WiFi, and comfortable rooms.  It looked lovely last year from what we could see.  I was blown away by how much it had changed when we walked in the front entrance.  It is a pleasant mix of classic Atlantic-coast, seaside chic and modern glam.  Many of the decorations and artwork inside are inspired by the merry-go-round at Cedar Point.  Actually, inside the lobby there are two full size wooden merry-go-round horses on pedestals on either side of the grand staircase.  They anchor and separate two seating areas for guests to enjoy.  They didn’t forget the kids either.  There is a big screen TV tuned to Disney Channel surrounded by a cute modern seating arrangement.  There’s even a fun house mirror to one side of the TV.  Something fun to keep the kids occupied while mom and dad handle the bags and checking in.

 

Fun Day At Cedar Point & Hotel Breakers #BloggingAtCP #Sponsored by Slidely Slideshow

One big thing we realized while staying at Hotel Breakers is that it really is a great deal to bundle your Cedar Point tickets with a stay at the resort.  We live a little more than two hours from the park so we’ve always just driven home.  The problem with this is it makes for an extremely long day because we have to get there as early as possible and have to leave early if we want to make it home at a decent hour.  With line times topping an hour on some of the more popular rides it can be a bummer if you know you need to leave the park early.  Staying at the resort means you can stay in the park until closing time and just walk a few minutes along the beach to a comfy, clean, and conveniently located room.  Also, you can get discount late arrival tickets after 4PM through the hotel to take advantage of the last 6 hours of the day in the park OR get discount tickets for a second day in the park.  We chose to stay on Saturday night after a full day of fun in the park.  If we hadn’t been sandwiched between work and school days we would have stayed an extra night and taken advantage of the discount tickets.

The entrance nearest Hotel Breakers, just off the beach, is by the Windseeker and the Lakeside Pavillion.  I don’t remember seeing the Pavillion last year, but it is b-e-a-utiful.  That change blew me away.  I remember last year our blogger group got together there to have lunch when it was Coral Courtyard, but it paled in comparison the the new Lakeside Pavillion.  There was a group having a special event there at the time and taking advantage of the sheltered, yet open seating area with drink stations throughout.  Looked like a great place to have a class or family reunion.

Our first order of business when entering the park was finding something to drink and eat.  We got a bit of a late start and got there around lunch time.    So we headed toward Frontierland since we hadn’t had a chance to show our kids this part of the park last year.  It was fun to see a part of the park I hadn’t been through in almost 20 years. We had “Southwestern” food at the Chuck Wagon.  Everyone was super friendly.  It is rare, but we had a fabulous experience everywhere we stopped to eat or get a snack or drink or service.  This was in and out of the park.  Maybe the weather had everyone in an especially good mood. 🙂

 

Thunder Canyon and the other water rides were not open for the season yet, but Cookie got to go on the Mine Ride and the swings with my husband while I took BonBon on the Antique Cars.  BonBon got a little frustrated that she was too short to ride many of the rides back there so we gave her next choice for where we would go.  First thing she said was Woodstock Express and Pipe Scream. So off we went to Camp Snoopy. (On a personal note I was actually able to ride the Woodstock Express this year with Cookie.   Last year I couldn’t even close the buckle.  This year I was able to buckle in with some room! Plus, I didn’t suffer any motion sickness at all this year.  Could it be the weight loss? Hmmm.)  It was so much fun to hear my girls scream and giggle on the Pipe Scream.  Next we did the Lake Erie Eagles since it was another favorite from last year that she could ride on.  

Hubby and Cookie wanted to ride the Power Tower so BonBon and I headed over toward the Matterhorn.  She was getting tired and when she saw the line she about had a nervous breakdown.  So I suggested we go over to the Scrambler.  She wasn’t too enthused, but she wanted to ride something.  She did her best to rest, leaning on the line dividers while we waited for our turn.  She didn’t look too thrilled when it was finally our turn.  As soon as they turned the ride on her eyes got as big as saucers and she started laughing.  Win! She wanted to ride it again and again.  The Scrambler had shaken all the water out of me so we had to go to the bathroom again.  On the way we saw a young girls back sack spring a leak and electronics and candy started spilling out all over.  Quickly I opened my purse and pulled out a plastic shopping back she could put her bag and stuff in so she didn’t lose any more.  Oh the adventures we have.  Glad I had that plastic bag!  By that time the others were done on the Power Tower.  It was time for some bumper cars.

Cookie was too tall to go on the Joe Cool’s Dodgem School so BonBon had to go it alone.  She had fun, but was itching to try something more exciting.  We thought maybe we could all go on Dodgem, but she wasn’t having it.  Hubby took her to ride Tiki Twirl while Cookie and I rode Dodgem.  It worked out OK though.  I think Dodgem would have been a little too “bumpy” for the little one. Cookie and I had a ton of fun though.

It was still early in the evening and I knew my husband would like to ride one of the larger rides.  We had talked since last year about going on Gate Keeper, but since we had to be divided because of the kids we couldn’t ride together.  Cookie hesitantly went with him and I took BonBon back to the hotel for a swim.  She’d been begging all day and I thought this would be a great opportunity to help her get it out of her system.

Though the outdoor pool areas are not yet open Hotel Breakers has an indoor pool and spa.  The pool is only 3′ deep so it is good for the younger ones to get in and hop around without worry of any kind of steep drop off.  There were plenty of towels available and tons of places to sit.  BonBon had a wonderful time.  It was so great she didn’t want to leave.

When Cookie and her dad were done on the Gate Keeper they came to find us at the pool.  They taunted us with their yummy snack from Starbucks.  Not really, but they did get organic milk and and Americano from the full service Starbucks in the rotunda.  We decided it was time to make plans for supper and we had a hard time choosing between the three restaurants in the hotel – Tomo Hibachi, Perkins Family Restaurant and TGI Friday’s.  We had wanted to try something a little different so we headed to Tomo Hibachi only to find it closed.  We don’t know why it was closed; we guessed maybe it wasn’t open for the season yet.  So we went to TGI Friday’s.  We were warmly greeted by the host and seated immediately.  Our waitress Shawna was very friendly and accommodating.  There was even a snafu with my burger and she took care of it right away.  Even for resort menu prices the meal was still reasonable.

We had planned to visit the Surf Lounge bar since it has a non alcoholic kids menu and hubby and I could get an adult beverage and just hang out for a bit before heading to bed.  Unfortunately, after supper both girls were fit to be tied and ready to hit the sack.

 

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We took advantage of the All You Can Drink cup and the Coca-Cola Freestyle stations all around the park.  Those are awesome.  You can try over 100 variations of Coke products. I really appreciated the flavored and unsweetened flat and sparkling waters.  It was a nice change from the sugary sodas, but still with some flavor.  Fifteen dollars sounds like a lot for a cup, but we refilled it so many times that we definitely got our money’s worth. If we would have thought ahead we could have purchased it online from Cedar Point’s Drink & Dining Deals page for $10.99.  Not to mention if we go back this season any refills will only be $.99. 

If you are going with a large group of family or friends getting together to buy more than one of these cups is a great benefit.  The more you buy they cheaper they are.  I think if you buy 3 the price comes down to $10/piece and they all get free refills throughout the park – even in the restaurants.  We did this at the Chuckwagon and they refilled it no problem.  All they do is scan the UPC and let you refill.  One employee in the park indicated this is how they keep track of if you purchased the cup that day or not.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to ride the Rougarou on this visit.  With just the two of us and one kiddo too short to ride the rides it was tough having to wait and walk so much.  I had completely forgotten until just now that they do have a Parent Swap program which allows parents to switch out on height restricted rides.  Before your visit make sure to go to the Cedar Point website and check out all the neat programs, deals and ideas they have to make sure everyone has fun.  I wish I would have done this to refresh my memory of this program.  I could have gotten a pass at the Guest Services (at the main gate); Town Hall Museum; Resort Entrance Gate (near Magnum).  Next time!

What I did notice was that the Rougarou was in place of my old fave – the Mantis.  It was no secret there were a lot of people who did not like the effect of the massive G-forces from the ride on their legs – my husband included.  I can see why Cedar Point chose to revamp the ride with improved seating to make the ride more appealing to more riders.