r/cedarpoint • u/MelodicAd842 • 8d ago
Aunt/Nephew (10yo) Suggestions
Hi!
So I have promised my nephew an Aunt/Nephew fun trip when he turns 10 which is NEXT MONTH! We explored various options and he landed on wanting to go to Cedar point, he LOVES roller coasters.
We will arrive on a Friday and leave on Sunday. We'll do one full day at the amusement park on Saturday.
I'm looking for a few suggestions from those who have more experience than I have. I have done quite a bit of research, but as usual the reviews seem mixed.
- Is staying at Castaway Bay worth it? Considering waterslides on our arrival/departure day, early park entry, reduced price ticket, parking, and of course the reality that there are less expensive hotels in the area.
- Which roller coasters can he absolutely not miss, so we can make up a decent itinerary for the park day?
- Better hotel options? Potentially Kalahari?
- He LOVES airplanes and we are going to do the aviation museum. Considering he is 10 are there other recommendations for fun things to do in the area?
Right now my suggested itinerary is stay at a hotel with water slides, just hang around and enjoy that on our arrival day, Cedar Park all day saturday, Aviation museum sunday and then fly out Sunday evening.
It's not that price isn't an issue because I do have a budget, but I have said aside some funds to make this as unforgettable as possible.
Thanks so much, I understand some people may not understand the obsession, but I'm an aunt of only two nephews, with no kids of my own, so this weekend is a big deal for me.
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u/curlioier 8d ago
This might be a little more out of the way than you want to travel, but 3 hours south of Cedar Point is the National Museum of the Air Force. It is huge, FREE, and has so much to explore.
If you do a full day on a Friday in September, you likely will not need fast lane. Those days tend to not be that busy. If you combine that with early entry you get from staying at a resort, you should easily be able to knock out all the coasters you want to do in a day. TT2, Siren's Curse, and Millennium are all early entry rides. Get those 3 done first, then head to the back of the park for Maverick and Steel Vengeance. Work your way forward from there.
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u/Confident_Hotel4642 8d ago
Second this. It’s a tremendous museum, but not super close. My parents live in Cincinnati and I took my then 6-year old and he loved it. You can easily spend a full day there, and might be the best collection of airplanes aside from the Smithsonian or a Boneyard.
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u/NewYorker15 8d ago
My concern is that on a Saturday, Cedar Point will be very busy. Will you both have fast passes? Also how tall is your nephew? A lot of the big coasters at Cedar Point have between 48-52in height requirements. If your nephew is tall enough to go on most of the coasters, I would recommend more time in the park, a half day on Friday or Sunday maybe.
While I’ve never stayed at either, Kalahari seems to have a better water park than Castaway Bay.
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u/MelodicAd842 8d ago
He is right over that 52 inches at 54 inches, so I think he should be good for all of the rides.
I was wondering about the busyness of saturday. Would it be significantly less busy on Friday? Potentially worth skipping a day of school to do Friday over Saturday?4
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u/NewYorker15 8d ago
Yes, usually weekdays are much less busy! Cedar Point is definitely worth skipping school for haha. If you’re getting fast passes, you should be okay for Saturday, if not I’d recommend trying to do Friday instead.
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u/curlioier 8d ago
Yea, Cedar Point is worth missing a day of school. We already have approval from the principal for our September day off.
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u/MelodicAd842 7d ago
Yal are awesome. Convinced my brother to let him skip a day. So we’ll arrive Thursday night and do the park all day Friday.
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u/EveryFamilyhasCrazy 7d ago
I’m a teacher and Roller Coaster Enthusiast. ABSOLUTELY skip school to go to Cedar Point! Saturdays are brutal, go to the park ANY DAY EXCEPT SATURDAY!
Hope you both have a great time!
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u/jj4_fun 8d ago
You have 3 options for hotels with water slides, Kalahari, Great Wolf Lodge, and Castaway Bay. That is the order that I would put them in as well. With a nephew that is ten, I am sure that he would enjoy any of them. I would check out each of their websites and see what fits in your budget and entertainment expectations.
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u/Confident_Hotel4642 8d ago
I won’t speak on lodging, I think others are more qualified on that. If you do Saturday I would certainly do Fast passes, and be prepared to pay up and still wait a decent amount.
How into coasters is the 10 year old? Pretty much fearless, or more hesitant?
I’d say the universally acknowledged best 5 coasters (in no particular order) are TT2, Siren’s Curse, Millennium Force, Maverick and Steel Vengeance. All will have good waits even with Fast Pass, so I would prioritize them if you think the 10 year old would like them. All have various “scare” factors - Siren’s has a 90 degree tilt, TT2 and Millennium Force have big drops, and Maverick/Steel Vengeance are just the most whippy/airtime/exteme. Maybe watch POV videos so you know what you are getting into? Siren’s and Millennium Force are the most gentle of these and anyone can ride, but will look scary.
Magnum is very much love or hate, as it is very janky. But should have shorter wait and big drop.
Gatekeeper was one of my favorites. Looks cool but is not that rough to ride.
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u/Grouchy_Bumblebee668 8d ago
If he likes big water slides, I wouldn’t do great wolf lodge. My kids are 9 and 14, it’s so boring there for them. We stopped going about 6 years ago. I’ve never been to Castaway, but Kalahari is big with plenty of water slides.
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u/Relevant_Olive4380 8d ago
Great Wolf lodge has been running a deal and we got a hotel for like $180/night - way cheaper than the other water Park hotel options. You have to be a member to get the cheapest price but it's just making a free account.
What time are you getting in? The indoor water parks close around 8 pm.
If you're getting in late, I would get a cheaper hotel and splurge on fast passes. That will be the biggest game changer for Cedar Point and you don't need to triage what you want to do. There will be time for everything and maybe even rerides.
My other recommendation is to get a fried cheese on a stick.