What is the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions, Cedar Point? If you are like me, it is the biggest raddest roller coasters of course. Cedar Point doesn’t get the name roller coaster capital of the world for nothing. However, did you know that they also have an amazing waterpark too? Cedar Point Shores Waterpark has been named one of the best waterparks in the USA by Family Circle Magazine. This waterpark offers attractions that appeal to the entire family. There are extreme slides for the bigger kids and thrill-seeking adults and pint-sized slides and splash pads for the little ones.
See below as we review all the fun to be had and get my top 10 tips on how to get the most out of your visit to Cedar Point Shores Waterpark.
Lemmy’s Lagoon & Lakeslide Landing
This was the perfect location that all three boys loved. My littlest boy, who wants to do everything that his big brothers do, thrived on these slides.
SplasH2O
Be prepared to get soaked as the bucket pours over every 3 minutes. Perfect for little tikes.
Breakwater Bay
Awesome wave pool! I could of pulled up a chair and sat at the water’s edge all day.
Great Lakes Cove & Lily Pad Walk
This was so entertaining to watch them jump from pad to pad. Plus all the floating logs and snakes were fun for them to climb on.
Storm Surge
The boys loved it but too scared to do it again!
Runaway Rapids & Cedar Creek
A little more than your average lazy river but still relaxing.
Lake Erie Nor’ easter, Riptide Raceway, and Other Thrill-seeking Slides
All these slides looked like a blast! Outside of Riptide Raceway, my boys were a little too scared on this trip to try them. The two oldest said that they would try them next time for sure. I can’t wait until one of them will ride the bigger roller coasters and slides with me. My hubby is scared of heights so he refuses to ride any big rides. Shhhh, don’t tell him that I told you!
Food & Beverage
Cedar Point Shores offers something for everyone in the food department too. My boys live on chicken tenders and mac & cheese so we opted to get our food from Crystal Rock Cafe. My hubby and I got pulled pork sandwiches and fried shrimp. We were really impressed with just how big the serving sizes were. Definitely enough to feed my growing boys. There are other places to grab food around the park too like Dockside Grill with a slightly different menu of hamburgers and hot dogs to an actual Subway Restaurant. Of course we couldn’t skip out on dessert, so we stopped at Beaches & Cream for the famous Toft’s Ice Cream and Dippin’ Dots.
Top Ten Tips
- Plan to spend a WHOLE day or two days at the waterpark. With 18 acres of a splashin’ good time, it will take your family an entire day to explore it all. Honestly, I didn’t want to feel like I was rushing them so we took our time at each spot but they were definitely sad to leave as there was so much more that they wanted to see and do. Next time we will have to plan for two days at Cedar Point and two days at Shores Waterpark!
- Stay hydrated! Bring into the park unopened water bottles. Better yet, freeze some beforehand to keep them cold longer. Ask for complimentary cups of water or invest in the drink program. Trust me, the drink program with the souvenir bottle is so worth it. There is a single day bottle for $14.99 and a season long bottle option for $31.99. We opted for the single day bottle because it only cost a $1 to refill on any other day. Pro-tip: purchase the drink program online before coming to the park to save some money.
- Cabana, Cabana, Cabana! Now this is living! All the cabanas are located around Breakwater Bay towards the back of the waterpark. You can rent a standard cabana for $109 for 4 people ($5 for each additional guest) or a premium cabana for $119 with extra amenities of a ceiling fan, TV, and mini fridge plus complimentary water, towels, and sunscreen. If I wasn’t going to be chasing 3 little kids around the park, then I would consider a cabana for sure.
- Purchase a meal program or bring your own cooler to eat at the picnic tables outside the park. My boys can eat a ton so this was a great option for our family. Food is not cheap in the parks so spending $31.99 for one day to $53.98 for two days is totally worth it ($99 for the season). Next time depending on our hotel stay option, we just might bring lunch each day and eat dinner in the parks.
- Bring a friend day! Did you know that you can join a platinum passholder for exclusive savings at both Cedar Point and Shores Waterpark? Each passholder can bring up to 4 friends each day.
- Stay at Hotel Breakers or Lighthouse Point for easy access to the waterpark. Both locations are walking distance to the waterpark and your family receives 30 minute early access to the parks to claim your pool chairs and take on the biggest slides before the crowd.
- Apply lots of sunscreen! Do as I say and not what I do here. Don’t worry, we applied plenty to the kids but both my hubby and I slacked in that department and paid for it later. Don’t forget to reapply!
- Check minimum height requirements if your little tike wants to ride with the big kids. Most of the larger slides require the child to be 42 – 48 inches tall. Don’t worry though, there are plenty of areas and even slides for the younger ones including Lakeslide Landing where we spent a lot of our time.
- Bring your own life jackets or other coast guard approved life vests like puddle jumpers. My little guy keeps his head above water better with a puddle jumper than a life vest. Plus this germaphobe mom, I admit it, feels better about my child not wearing a life jacket that another child wore just minutes before. Also make sure to leave all inflatables at home as they are not allowed in the park. Inner tubes for wave pool, slides, and rivers are free.
- Don’t miss out on visiting the beach front on Lake Erie for other attractions like parasailing and renting wave runners that are outside the park. Once outside the parks, head out to dinner at one of the restaurants like Quaker State & Lube or TGI Friday’s. Finish the evening with Cedar Point Nights and Glow Party on the beach while enjoying games, campfires, and music.
Our boys are already asking when we can go back. I can’t believe as many times as we have been to Cedar Point that we haven’t been to the Shores Waterpark before now. Definitely recommend adding this waterpark to your itinerary during your next trip to Sandusky. Let’s make some memories!
