Cedar Point Celebrating 139th season in 2008

With 75 diverse rides, including 17 roller coasters -- more coasters than any park in the world; a huge outdoor waterpark (Soak City); four resort hotels including a year-round indoor waterpark resort (Castaway Bay); a luxury RV campground with cottages and cabins; two large marinas; outdoor activity complex featuring a skycoaster, go-karts, miniature golf and more (Challenge Park); award-winning live shows; gift shops; delicious eateries; four giant kids' areas and more, it's easy to see why Cedar Point has been voted the "Best Amusement Park in the World" for an unprecedented 10 years in a row. Celebrating its 139th season, Cedar Point first opened in 1870.

There will be a whole new world of fun at Cedar Point this summer with the addition of Planet Snoopy -- a new area built just for families, a new kids' restaurant and four new live shows. Planet Snoopy will be Cedar Point's fourth designated kids' area, joining Camp Snoopy, Kiddy Kingdom and the Gemini Children's Area. This new complex will feature seven rides that children can ride with their parents or by themselves. Planet Snoopy will have a mini-tea cup, miniature train, four by four trucks, bouncing tower, spinning balloon, rocket ship and crazy sub rides. Snoopy will also make special appearances. Parents will appreciate a new family center that will include changing stations and areas to feed children in a quiet, private atmosphere.

Four new shows, ranging from an ice-skating extravaganza featuring Snoopy to gravity-defying bikers, rollerbladers and skateboarders, plus musicals spotlighting the hits of the '50s and '60s and popular country tunes, will also be presented at the park this summer.

Are you an adrenaline junkie? Does the thought of screaming down a 420-foot-tall hill at more than 120 mph sound like the best thing in the world? If so, then Cedar Point is the place for you. Featuring a world-record-breaking collection of 17 roller coasters, Cedar Point offers white-knuckle fun for everyone. From the towering 420-foot-tall Top Thrill Dragster and the terrain-hugging Maverick roller coaster, all the way to the kid-friendly Junior Gemini and Woodstock Express, Cedar Point is truly nirvana for any thrill-seeker. Last summer, Maverick was voted the "Best New Ride of 2007" by Amusement Today's panel of experts in the newspaper's annual Golden Ticket Awards.

While Cedar Point is known around the globe as the leader in world-record-breaking roller coasters, its impressive collection of rides is popular with guests of all ages. Whether you like screaming when you are launched to the top of the 240-foot-tall Power Tower or kicking the sky on the swinging maXair, Cedar Point features a wide variety of rides that are sure to thrill. Cedar Point also offers an assortment of thrills a little closer to the ground. The park has three antique carousels, a steam locomotive train ride, bumper cars, spinning rides and more.

Cedar Point has four areas that kids can call their own -- Kiddy Kingdom, Camp Snoopy, Gemini Children's Area and the new Planet Snoopy. Located along the Main Midway, Kiddy Kingdom has more than a dozen exciting rides, including an antique carousel, four by fours, helicopters and bumper cars. Camp Snoopy was introduced in 1999 and is home to the Woodstock Express roller coaster, Camp Bus, Lolli Swings and much more. The Gemini Children's Area includes a mini-version of the Power Tower and the Gemini roller coaster -- just or kids. The new Planet Snoopy is located just off the Main Midway and will feature seven rides and attractions that will delight the little ones. And you never know when you might spot Charlie Brown or everyone's favorite beagle -- Snoopy.

Cedar Point's award-winning live entertainment presents an assortment of shows that will please guests of all ages. New this summer will be "Snoopy's Big Bow Wow On Ice," a smile-making ice-skating show with intricate skating routines, lively music and everyone's favorite beagle, Snoopy. "All Wheels Extreme" will wow guests of all ages in the Extreme Sports Stadium. Skilled bikers, skateboarders and rollerbladers will perform flips, tricks and unbelievable stunts in this high-energy stunt show. In the Centennial Theatre, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" will feature singers and dancers in a spectacular stage show celebrating the music of the '50s and '60s, while "Country Unleashed" will showcase an all-new six-person musical revue in the Red Garter Saloon. In Frontiertown, musical mayhem in the Wild West takes center stage at The Palace Theatre while "Hot Summer Lights" lights up the night with flames of fire illuminated against the nighttime sky.

Each fall, menacing monsters, creepy clowns and other creatures inhabit the normally docile midways of Cedar Point for the park's annual HalloWeekends event. Spooktacular live entertainment, special areas and shows for kids, haunted houses, eerie walk-through attractions and more tombstones, spider webs and Halloween decorations than anywhere else all help make HalloWeekends at Cedar Point the best Halloween event around. In fact, Cedar Point's HalloWeekends has been voted the "Best Seasonal Event" by the readers of Theme Parks Magazine for two years in a row. HalloWeekends are celebrated on Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 12-14, 19-21, 26-28, Oct. 3-5, 10-12, 17-19, 24-26, 31 and Nov. 1-2.

If you like water, you'll love Soak City. Spanning an impressive 18 acres, this huge waterpark features two relaxing inner tube river rides; more than a dozen thrilling water slides; a gigantic 500,000-gallon wave pool; Splash Zone, a multi-story interactive play area with more than 100 different wet and wild water gadgets that spray, squirt and drench guests; two kids' areas; and much more. In addition to all of the fun it has to offer, Soak City also features shaded and sunny lounge areas, an adults-only swim-up refreshment center, changing facilities, food and drink locations and a merchandise shop for those forgotten items. Private cabanas with dining table, chaise lounges and chairs are also available for rental. Admission to Cedar Point is not required.

Located between the towering rides and roller coasters of Cedar Point and the cool refreshing waters of Soak City is Challenge Park -- an activity complex that features the RipCord Skycoaster, two high-speed go-kart tracks and two challenging 18-hole miniature golf courses. New this summer is Skyscraper, a thrilling ride that will spin riders in a circular motion 16 stories above the ground at speeds of 55 mph. Guests can take a break in the arcade with state-of-the-art games and refuel at a food stand with hot dogs, popcorn and soft drinks. Challenge Park is open to the public and admission to Cedar Point or Soak City is not required. Each attraction has a separate fee.

Nothing beats a day of fun at Cedar Point amusement park/resort. But where can the family take an overnight break after all that excitement? A reservation at one of Cedar Point's resorts is always a popular choice. Whether it's a quiet night in a cozy cottage or a weekend adventure in a historic hotel, guests will find a variety of overnight accommodations that fit their needs. Cedar Point has a wide array of options for guests, including -- Hotel Breakers (650 rooms and suites); the newly renovated Sandcastle Suites (187 suites); Breakers Express (350 rooms); Castaway Bay year-round indoor waterpark resort (237 rooms); the Cedar Point Marina (665 docks); the Castaway Bay Marina (280 slips); Camper Village RV campground (112 lots); and Lighthouse Point featuring cottages (64), cabins (40) and luxury RV campsites (97).

Families looking for a fun-filled getaway will want to check out Cedar Point's Castaway Bay year-round indoor waterpark resort. This Caribbean-themed resort features 237 rooms and suites -- including family-oriented units and a 38,000-square-foot indoor water park loaded with water activities for all ages, including a water roller coaster, slides, kids' areas, a wave pool, whirlpool spas and more. Additional amenities include a day spa, fitness center, state-of-the-art arcade, restaurants, retail shops, adjacent marina and space for birthday parties, meetings and group events.

Cedar Point is the second oldest amusement park in North America. With a history dating back to 1870, this classic amusement park/resort on the shore of Lake Erie has seen its share of rides, roller coasters, trends and history. Summer fun at Cedar Point began in the summer of 1870 when local businessperson Louis Zistel opened a small beer garden, bathhouse and dance floor on the peninsula. The history of thrill rides at Cedar Point began in 1892 with the introduction of the peninsula's first roller coaster, the Switchback Railway. The addition of the 25-foot-tall, 10-mph scream machine would forever shape the future of Cedar Point. Later years would bring a wide variety of rides, roller coasters, games, shows and more family entertainment. Visionaries such as George Boeckling, George Roose, Emile Legros and Richard Kinzel have all played a significant role in creating the ultimate amusement park that more than three million guests trek to each and every summer.