Choosing the best time to visit Cedar Point depends on the kind of Cedar Point vacation you’re planning. In this post, my husband and I share our thoughts on when to visit Cedar Point. We compare the pros and cons of the theme park calendar to help you decide on the best day to go to Cedar Point for you and your family.
Choosing the Best Time to Visit Cedar Point
When planning a Cedar Point vacation, you first must consider multiple factors.
- Who is going to Cedar Point with you?
- Are they still in school?
- When can they take time off work?
- How many days do you want to spend at Cedar Point?
- Will your Cedar Point vacation be a day trip or a long weekend?
- Are you traveling a long distance to Cedar Point?
- What do you want to do at Cedar Point?
- Are you primarily interested in roller coasters?
- Do you want to visit the water park?
- How important are the entertainment options?
- What kind of weather is most comfortable for you?
- Which holidays do you want to celebrate at Cedar Point?
- How do you feel about crowds?
- What is your budget?
The answers to all of these questions and more will help you plan your Cedar Point vacation. For example, a family with school-age children will want to visit Cedar Point at a different time than college students who love Halloween. A couple on a budget with a flexible schedule will plan a different Cedar Point vacation than a couple with few vacation days.
The Best Month to Visit Cedar Point If…
I’ve put together a few different scenarios to help you decide the best month to visit Cedar Point. After all, the best time to visit Cedar Point depends greatly on your personal preferences!
You love Cedar Point’s entertainment options
Cedar Point offers multiple different forms of entertainment throughout the park, during the entire season. However, you’ll have the most options for live music, thrilling performances, and kid-friendly entertainment during peak season. Multiple shows don’t start until June 7th, and they end August 18th. If you want the best opportunity to see all the entertainment Cedar Point has to offer, then the best time to visit Cedar Point is June, July, or August.
You hate waiting in long lines for thrill rides
I get it. No one really enjoys waiting in long lines for roller coasters. However, unless you’re willing to pay extra for a Fast Lane wristband, then you will have to spend some time in line at Cedar Point. Luckily some months are less crowded than others at Cedar Point!
To minimize wait times, the best time to visit Cedar Point is before Memorial Day or after Labor Day. May and September have less crowds because kids are in school. Crowds pick up again at the end of September with Halloweekends.
You want to visit Cedar Point Shores
The water park opens Memorial Day weekend and closes after Labor Day. If your Cedar Point vacation includes a day or two at Cedar Point Shores, then the best time for you to visit is in June, July, or August.
The Best Day of Week to Visit Cedar Point If…
Many thrill-seekers can only visit Cedar Point on the weekend due to work commitments. However, vacation days aren’t the only consideration when deciding the best day to visit Cedar Point.
You love Cedar Point’s entertainment options
I looked up dates and times for most of Cedar Point’s shows. All of them have performances on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. All of them skip one weekday, but not the same weekday. If you don’t care about seeing all of Cedar Point’s shows, then you can look at the schedule and figure out which day still features the shows you want to see. Otherwise, Friday or Sunday are the best days to visit Cedar Point. You can catch all the performances while dealing with slightly less crowds.
You hate waiting in long lines for thrill rides
Again, I get it. No one really wants to wait in a long line. If you have flexibility in your schedule, then Monday through Thursday are the best days to visit Cedar Point. Crowds are almost always lower on weekdays. Just skip Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and Labor Day.
You have more energy than money or free time
I have visited Cedar Point multiple times on a Saturday. While it’s always the most crowded day of the week, it’s still a good day to visit depending on your circumstances. Saturday is good for waking up early, driving to Cedar Point, enjoying the whole day, and driving home that night. (Assuming you have to work Friday and Monday). You can sleep well Friday night and then spend all of Sunday recovering before returning to work. Visiting Cedar Point on Saturday is the easiest way to avoid a hotel stay while still giving you the ability to remain at the park until closing.
You can only spend one day at the park, and you want to stay as long as possible
Check out the times listed on Cedar Point’s calendar. Certain Fridays and Saturdays in July and August have extended hours. While these dates are generally more crowded, you can still do and see a lot at Cedar Point if you plan your day out carefully.
More Tips to Beat the Crowds at Cedar Point
Sometimes a crowded day at Cedar Point is inevitable, especially if you lack flexibility in your schedule. However, you can still do a few things to enjoy your Cedar Point trip, no matter how crowded.
Check the weather forecast before a spontaneous trip
If you live close enough to Cedar Point to plan a weekend day trip at the last-minute, check the forecast. An ideal day has a 30-50% chance of rain. The possibility of rain will keep away other spontaneous visitors, but any rain in the park will most likely be light and sporadic. Plus light rain will help keep temperatures cool!
Stay as late as you can
If you have the energy, yes, arrive at opening and stay until closing. However, if you must choose between the two, it’s better to stay late than to arrive early. Cedar Point is already crowded first thing in the morning from all the hotel guests who got in an hour before opening. Lines die down in the evening as families with kids and guests with long drives leave the park before closing. Coasters like the Raptor and Gemini will have almost zero wait time in the evening.
Planning a Cedar Point Vacation
Of course, choosing the best time to visit Cedar Point isn’t your only consideration when planning a Cedar Point vacation.
You also need to consider whether or not you’ll stay at a hotel, and if so, if you’ll stay at a Cedar Point hotel or another local hotel.
If your Cedar Point vacation involves multiple people, then you need to plan on you’ll divide and conquer once in the park. Most rides have height restrictions, plus not everyone will be interested in the same attractions.
Luckily for you, this is not my first Cedar Point vacation guide! I’ve written three other posts to help you plan a Cedar Point vacation.
- 13 Tips to Have the BEST TRIP EVER at Cedar Point
- Is Cedar Point Worth a Visit if I Don’t Like Roller Coasters?
- All the Cedar Point Roller Coasters, Ranked
I’ve also reached out to Cedar Point to ask a few questions about the 2019 season. I will update all of my blog posts once I hear back from them.
I want to hear your thoughts! Have you ever been to Cedar Point? When’s your favorite time to visit Cedar Point? Share your opinions in the comments below!
