Cedar Point holds so many fun memories for me. Almost every year, from the age 12 and older, I’d head to Cedar Point with friends at least once a year. We’d always have a sleepover the night before and stay up way too late anxiously awaiting our visit to our favorite amusement park. I have so many memories from riding my first roller coaster there, class trips, riding the newest rides and eating our favorite foods until our stomachs felt like they were going to burst.

With 18 world-class roller coasters, Cedar Point is hands down the best midwest amusement park! Aside from rollercoasters, there are a ton of other style rides (71 rides total!) for all ages and thrill levels, a huge waterpark, tons of delicious food, games, arcades, shows and events, and on-site lodging that make family-travel so fun and easy.

It has been several years since I’ve visited (hello to babies and toddler life). Now that our kids are older, I couldn’t wait to take them to experience the magic, fun and exhilaration of Cedar Point. We packed up the car the past weekend and road tripped a little over two hours to visit the Midwest’s best amusement park! Speaking of road trips, don’t miss my guest post on The Find by Zulily, with a detailed road trip essentials packing list!

Since we knew that we were planning on visiting more than once this year, we opted with season passes for the family! Season passes allow you to visit as often as you want (for both the amusement and waterpark), free parking, discounts on food, merchandise and lodging and lots of other great benefits.

For a little reference, our youngest is 5 years old and about ___ inches tall. Our oldest is heading into second grade and is 48 inches tall. The excitement building up to this trip was intense, and let me tell you: it didn’t disappoint! Our family has such a fun visit and the kids have been telling everyone all about it non-stop.  Our trip fell during Cedar Point’s 150th Anniversary Celebration in which they had an amazing nighttime parade (we were honored to be the Grand Mashal of the parade which was an awesome experience) and opportunities to enter to win the ticket of a lifetime and VIP ticket experiences! We definitely will be heading back soon and have our eye on visiting in the Fall when they do their HalloWeekends (September 17 through October 31st).

I’ve rounded up some of my favorite things, tips and hacks for visiting Cedar Point with young and/or elementary school aged kids below!

Guide For Visiting Cedar Point With Kids (+ Must-Try Foods)

Rides for All Ages, Heights and Thrill Levels

Cedar Point has so many rides that there is literally something for everyone in your family! I love that they had plenty of options for younger kiddos and so many rides for thrill seekers too! For many of the larger roller coasters, 48 inches is the magic height, but they also have several great roller coasters for little ones too (our youngest was able to ride 3 of them). A few times, we would split up with the kids and take our oldest to ride some of the larger rollercoasters and take our youngest to the other kid-centric rides. You can check out all the different rides based on height/thrill/attraction type here.

For younger kiddos, there are 3 separate areas that are catered to little thrill-seekers: Kiddy Kingdom, Camp Snoopy and Planet Snoopy. Each area has a ton of wonderful rides that kiddos can ride. All the lines moved very quickly too which we loved.

A few tips to make lines and riding more enjoyable:

Get Fast Lane:

Fast Lane wristbands allow you to skip the regular line on more than 20 rides & attractions. You can use it all day long. Make sure to buy them ahead of time as only so many are allowed to be sold in a day.

Parent Swap:

Parent swap is a great way to ride some of the height-restricted rides and attractions, even if your kids can’t ride yet. Here’s how it works: one parent waits in line to a coaster or other height-restricted ride. After riding, they give their Parent Swap pass to the ride operator, and the other parent/guardian, who’s been taking care of the little ones, can walk up the exit to get right on the ride. You can get an authorized slip at Guest Services (at the main gate), Town Hall Museum or Resort Entrance Gate (near Magnum).

Characters and Shows

My kids loved seeing all the Snoopy characters in the park (specifically in Camp Snoopy and Planet Snoopy). It’s a great photo opportunity. There are also shows that are occurring throughout the day that make for a great chance to rest or grab a treat as you watch them sing, dance and play.

Waterpark

We love waterparks and Cedar Point has an amazing one! Cedar Park Shores Waterpark is huge (18 acres) with lots of opportunities for family fun. From splash-pads for the littlest ones, lazy rivers, waterslides, lagoons and drop slides there is so much to do! You could easily spend a day at the Cedar Point amusement park and then another day at Cedar Park Shores Waterpark and I highly suggest staying local so that you have plenty of time to explore both parks. Cedar Shores also has lots of dining options in the park so it’s a one stop for everything you need. The change rooms were very accommodating for families with plenty of space and family bathrooms as well.

Arcade and Games

The arcade at Cedar Point is huge and there are so many carnival style games located at the front of the park (& more throughout the park as well). My kids eyes lit up as we walked into the arcade with lights and sounds galore. From classic Skee-ball to the newest games there are hundreds to choose from. Make sure to check out the Play & Save specials before traveling to take advantage of some great deals.

Parade & Events

Cedar Point is celebrating their 150th year anniversary and they have some great events to commemorate it! You definitely don’t want to miss out on the Celebrate 150 Spectacular nightly parade! It’s a multi-sensory parade with lights, music, entertainment and so much more! The parade ends in Celebration plaza with a huge performance with dancing, pyrotechnics and music.

Food & Drink

One of my favorite things is trying all the foods! Cedar Point has a little of everything and so many fun treats to try! I highly recommend taking advantage of the dining and drink plans when it comes to purchasing food and drinks in the park! It’s one of the easiest ways to save money and stay fueled for your adventure filled visit.

A few of my highly recommend favorites:

  • The Mac Shack for gourmet mac & cheese. Build your own bowls with lots of topping choices. The kids LOVED this!
  • Toft’s Ice Cream Parlor: Get the cherry milkshake! These massive shakes are oh-so-good!
  • Hugo’s Italian Kitchen: The kids loved their pizza and my husband and I loved the caprese sandwich (focaccia bread, mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and balsamic glaze – delicious!). Super family-friendly and great air conditioned escape.
  • French Quarter Confections: End your day with a funnel cake loaded with all the toppings!

Petting Zoo

Everyone loves a petting zoo! The kids loved getting up close and personal with the animals to pet and feed them!

Lots of Restrooms

There are restrooms around every corner and we never had to wait very long! Anyone who has traveled with kids, knows that sometimes you’re making a mad dash to the bathroom!


Let me know if you have any questions about visiting Cedar Point!

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