Cedar Point Trip!!!

Mark and I have been talking for awhile about taking the kids to Cedar Point and when we noticed that Megan could go on most rides, we decided this was going to be the year we took them for the 1st time.

 We planned on going to CP the week between Joey and Megan's birthdays, to avoid any favoritism. As our original planned day got closer, it was calling for rain and thunderstorms, but the next day looked perfect. So we delayed out trip a day, no big deal. We made the 2 hour drive the night before 1. To make the trip a little more special (This was our first trip with just the 4 of us.) 2. Because waking up early, driving 2 hours, playing all day, then driving 2 hours home...with 2 young kids...did NOT sound like fun. Our drive was uneventful and just as the "When are we going to be there?" questions started, so did the rainbows. It was kind of fun, the last 30 minutes of our drive we saw at least, 5 different rainbows. Megan loved it! This rainbow was over the main parking lot at CP, so Megan was going back and forth looking at a rainbow...roller coaster...rainbow...roller coaster.

 We got settled into our hotel room and then took a walk to "get the wiggles out." The path from our hotel to the other hotel with food, was along Lake Erie. I saw a perfect photo spot and asked the kids to climb up the rocks. They were too excited to take a nice photo, but I still think this one turned out well.

 Yep, that's a roller coaster feet away from our balcony. Obviously, the kids were too excited to go to bed right after dinner, so our compromise was that they could watch the roller coaster for a bit once they had pj's on. Soon it was bedtime and both kids settled in nicely. Shockingly, once the doors and windows were closed, we couldn't hear the CP noise at all.

 Finally...we are here! By staying at a CP hotel, we got in an hour early, so our first stop was Camp Snoopy. Side Notes: My phone was blurry thanks to the sunscreen still left on my fingers. 10 years ago, it would have taken a lot to be excited about Camp Snoopy!

 The hotel lied to us...Camp Snoopy was NOT part of the open an extra hour (I swear it was listed!!!) So we walked around the park looking at things and trying to find anything all of us could ride together. After 40 minutes of walking, Joey found a circle of chairs and was vary excited to sit down.

 Finally, Camp Snoopy...round 2. Megan and Joey's 1st roller coaster!

 We checked out the rest of Camp Snoopy, where most of the rides the kids could do on their own. Megan was a great big sister, helping Joey on and off the rides.

 Megan loved that she could control the plane going up and down. Joey didn't care, he was just happy.

 Not too many kids at CS early in the day.

 Needing a break from kiddie seatbelts (having to wait for a CP employee to unlock MY seatbelt got old real quick!) We set off to one of the "family rides" Megan wanted to go on the Antique Cars

 I didn't get to see her face, but Mark said the look of concentration on her face was priceless! She was so concerned with steering and not going too fast, that we had to tell her to go faster because the car behind us was catching up. We never told her the metal track would keep the car in place :)

 Joey picked the next family ride...the train. Both kids enjoyed

Now onto Snoopy Land (Snoop Doggie-Dog land according to Mark) Wonder what the difference is between Camp Snoopy and Snoopy Land? Yeah, me too. They are pretty much the same, except the rides are different colors/themes. Megan and Joey didn't care, they were excited to see a whole new area of rides just for them.

 Joey LOVED Peanuts Road Rally trucks We...yes WE rode this one a lot! And apparently, this video is illegal...no phones or cameras on ANY CP rides. Now keep in mind, I was sitting in the back of a fully automated kiddie ride, strapped in by my seatbelt (that only comes unlocked after a CP employee physically unlocks it) and I was 3 feet off of the ground. So after I took this video and had my phone put away...I was nicely reminded phones are not allowed on rides :) (Yes, I understand why, but it honestly never crossed my mind that, that rule was for kiddie rides with a top speed on 1.5 MPH)

 Joey was starting to "hit the wall" so we needed to move onto something new. So of course we shove him on a huge Giant Wheel Waiting in line he was getting really nervous (AKA tired) but once it started he was all smiles.

Megan was all smiles too...pretty sure she was smiling all day.

By 5:00, Joey was pretty much done. He never really got cranky, but he was ready to stop walking. Megan and Mark were off riding bigger roller coasters, so Joey and I were left in Snoopy Ville to pass the time. Snoopypolooza also included karaoke...kid karaoke! But being the awesome mom I am, I knew there was one more kid area Joey hadn't visited yet.

 He got another burst of energy when he saw more things for him to ride on!

 Trucks, lights and horns...this boy was in heaven!

 I am shocked he didn't get sick on this. The bar on his lap controlled the helicopter going up and down...Joey did NOT make smooth transitions. His quick "forward/back/forward/back" meant up/down/up/down on repeat, for the whole ride. It was funny to watch! But he loved it!

I am sure you noticed, that Megan was missing from a lot of photos, well that's because she wasn't with me (the keeper of the camera) for a good chunk of the day. Mark and Megan went off to ride the big roller coasters. Mark made sure to go in a certain order, slowly getting bigger, faster etc. By the end of the day, these were the roller coasters Megan went on. Mine Ride, Blue Streak, Gemini, Iron Dragon, Cork Screw, and she finish the night off with Magnum-XL200 The picture above, her excited/proud Dad had to buy after they got off of the Magnum. After each coaster Megan was excited, a little scared but quickly asked what she could ride next :) She is a little dare devil...our future trips to CP are going to be fun!