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Opening Day!
Thanks for watching! Kerney-cation couldn’t wait to be back in the park this year for 2023! With new changes from the Boardwalk to new restaurant changes! In the video above, we check out all of the other changes going on in the park outside the new Boardwalk area. This includes updates on Top Thrill Dragster construction progress, dining changes, and early park entry for 2023!
Early Park Entry
For Early Park Entry in 2023, the overall number of rides open has been reduced drastically when compared with previous years. This year, only rides located in the Boardwalk area will be open for Early Park Entry. These rides include:
- GateKeeper
- Wild Mouse
- Calypso
- Atomic Scrambler
- Troika Troika Troika
- Dodgem
- Kiddie Kingdom (Select Rides)
During our visit, we stayed at Hotel Breakers, so we entered the park through the Magnum gate towards the back of the park. The crowd levels were very manageable and none of the lines were very long. Gatekeeper had not opened yet, but there was about 200 people waiting in line for it to open. Wild Mouse also was not open, but Millennium Force was opened as a substitute for Early Park entry.
Top Thrill Dragster
ICYMI, Cedar Point closed Top Thrill Dragster for the entire 2022 season due to a ride accident that occurred in 2021. A piece from one of the trains came loose during the launch, and struck a guest in the queue line. After being closed for the 2022 season, Cedar Point announced that Top Thrill Dragster will not re-open “as we know it”. The ride started undergoing construction during the 2022 season, which involved removing the launch and brake runs, leaving the Top Hat unaltered.
Currently, the rumor is that a footer is being construction towards the back of the attraction. A footer would be used to construct a spike for the coaster. Part of the Iron Dragon coaster had to be removed during this construction, delaying the open of the coaster until later this month.
Such a design hints at multiple forward and reverse launches to get the ride vehicle over the top hat.
For now, we will keep you updated on any construction progress we see while we are in the parks! The walls are still up and the crane is still on site.
Dining Updates
For the 2023 season, multiple dining changes have been announced or noticed. This includes the two new Bar locations in the park, Bar 1870 and Fire Engine Spirits. Bar 1870 takes place in the old Señor Vargas walking taco location. Señor Vargas is moving to be combined with Derby Dogs on the Midway. Fire Engine Spirits is in Frontier Town where they previously served ice cream and some desserts.
Walkers Horse and Hatchery signs have been placed on the old Wild Turnip (Vegan) location. Wild turnip has not been announced to return to the park. Walker’s Horse and Hatchery has a menu out front which includes an Emu theme for Emu Eggs, Emu Wing Dings, and Emu Cocktails! We will keep an eye on this location for any updates/changes!
Chick Fil A is no longer in the park in Frontier Town, and has been replaced with the Frontier Inn. The Frontier Inn will be serving up Chicken Fingers, Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers, French Bread Pizza, and new Special Bratwurst Burger! We checked out this venue on Ohio State day and were happy with the food, but we don’t include in the same category as Farmhouse, Backbeatqueue, and the Grand Pavilion restaurant (what we consider the top 3 places to eat in the park).
Johnny Rockets (not pictured) has also closed its doors for good at Cedar Point. Cedar Point has announced that this location will be replaced with a new Funway Arcade.
In addition to the loss of Johnny Rockets, Mac Shack will also be closing its door this year. This was one of favorites last season. Nothing has been announced to replace the Mac Shack at this time.
Closing the Forbidden Frontier
Also during the offseason, Cedar Point announced that the Forbidden Frontier on the Frontier Traill will not return. This was a themed area off the Frontier Trail in the back of the park. Cedar Point opened the Forbidden Frontier in 2019 where the previous shoot the rapids attraction previously existed. The Forbidden Frontier was an interactive attraction where guests could interact with characters themed often in the form of a show.
It is believed that Cedar Point decided to close this area due to the loss of foot traffic after its initial opening. The pandemic didn’t do this area any favors, where the last thing guests wanted was anything interactive due to social distancing and masks. The forbidden Frontier was also off the main trail and was a long walk to to get there.
One of the biggest losses was the giant kids playground in this land. We really hope that this playground is somehow repurposed or reused since it’s a great place for guests with young children to burn off some of their energy.
