Summer Fun at Cedar Point Shores Waterpark

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Cedar Point Updates for 2023

The park has announced several updates coming to the park in 2023. Some of the updates include:

• The Boardwalk: Cedar Point’s big update for the 2023 season is the addition of The Boardwalk. The new area is located along Cedar Point Beach and will be home to a new family roller coaster, a new dining venue, and other entertainment options. 
• Wild Mouse: There’s a new family coaster coming to Cedar Point. Part of the new Boardwalk, Wild Mouse featured themed cars that spin 360 degrees as you twist around the track. Every ride will look and feel different depending on how your car spins. 
• Cedar Point’s Grand Pavilion: Also part of the new Boardwalk, the Grand Pavilion is a new dining venue debuting during the 2023 season. According to Cedar Point updates, “The bi-level complex will be home to a new restaurant featuring culinary items not found anywhere else in the park (plus traditional favorites), a waterfront bar for relaxation and conversation, indoor and outdoor seating, plus viewing decks with unparalleled views of Cedar Point and the Lake Erie shoreline.”
• Ride relocations: Two existing rides are moving over to complete the Boardwalk area — Matterhorn and Scrambler (now named Atomic Scrambler). 
• Ride renaming: Tiki Twirl is being refreshed and renamed Calypso, honoring the former park classic. 
• Top Thrill Dragster 2024 Update: No, Cedar Point is not bringing fan-favorite Top Thrill Dragster back for the 2023 season.  However, the park recently announced that a reimagined version of Top Thrill Dragster will return in 2024. We’ll keep you updated as new details are released. 
• Two restaurants are going away: At the Winter Chill Out Event, Cedar Point announced that Chic-Fil-A and The Mac Shack are not returning for the 2023 season. 
• Forbidden Frontier is closing: Another Winter Chill Out announcement is that Forbidden Frontier, the interactive family area recently added to the park, will not reopen.

This past Fourth of July this year, our family jumped at the chance to visit Cedar Point Shores Waterpark. It was such a beautiful day, but blazing hot! I can’t think of a better place to beat the heat than at a water park. Let’s take a closer look at our family adventure to Cedar Point Shores. You’ll learn more about the park, all its water park rides, and tips for a successful family day at this incredible water park.

What is Cedar Point Shores?

Cedar Point Shores is an outdoor water park located in Sandusky, Ohio. They are part of Cedar Point Amusement Park and are owned and operated by Cedar Fair. Cedar Point used to have a water park called Soak City, but it was revamped and rebranded as Cedar Point Shores in 2017.

Cedar Point Shores Water Park Rides

As we first walked into Cedar Point Shores we were taken back by the number of water slides in the park. It’s unbelievable! I grew up going to Soak City, which was a great water park, but they really expanded with tons of slides. I counted 24 water slides, not including ones in the kids’ areas. I’m probably missing some honestly.

Because we visited on a holiday, the water park was extra busy. Every ride line was long. We were able to get on several slides when we first arrived. The lines grew as the day continued, which kept us from being able to ride everything. What were our favorite rides?

Storm Surge: Take a ride on a giant raft with up to 4 people through various turns and drops into a splash pool.

Point Plummet: Only a couple of us were brave enough for these drop slides. You start standing up and then the floor drops and you plummet into an enclosed tube slide.

Riptide Raceway: We have to love a set of water slides that allows our whole family to race at one time! Ride on these tube slides with these cool blue mats that make you fly really fast.

Runaway Rapids: Cedar Point Shores is so cool that they have two lazy rivers in the park. Runaway Rapids was our favorite. We rode this several times throughout the day. There was a wait to get inner tubes because of the crowd, but the wait was worth it. This lazy river is full of waterfalls, geysers, fountains, and other water hazards. You can avoid them easily if you don’t want to get that wet, but to me, that’s the point!

Breakwater Bay: No water park is complete without a wave pool. This one is a half million-gallon pool, which is huge! What’s great is that you can stay in the shallow section and wade in the wave pool or head out to the 6-foot water to feel the full effect of the waves. They also allow inner tubes in the wave pool. They can take up a lot of space, but Breakwater Bay is big enough to handle it. I saw several adults chilling in the shallow end with their chairs right in the water.

Beyond our favorites, there are plenty of other water slides and other water attractions at Cedar Point Shores, including:

• Crosscurrent: 3 fast-moving water slides
• Lake Erie Nor’easter: 3 tube slides on inner tubes
• Perch Plunge: 3 weaving water slides into a splash pool
• Portside Plunge: 2-person inner tube slides that start in a tunnel
• Wild Walleye: 2 super fast inner tube water slides with tons of twists and turns
• Great Lakes Cove: If you like to swim, Great Lakes Cove allows that, with some floating animal obstacles to add some life to the pool
• Lily Pad Walk: Try and keep your balance as you walk across giant floating lily pads in a pool
• Cedar Creek: The second lazy river, Cedar Creek is a little tamer than Runaway Rapids

Cedar Point Shores Water Park Rides For Younger Children

Our kids are a little older, but I wish we had a place like Cedar Point Shores when they were younger. I think families with young kids avoid places like Cedar Point and Cedar Point Shores, thinking they don’t have enough rides for younger kids to justify the cost. This place isn’t a waste of money at all. Young children will have a blast in sections of the water park specifically designed with them in mind.

Lakeslide Landing: Located next to Lemmy’s Lagoon, these slides allow younger kids to still feel the thrill of water slides, which empty into a shallow pool

Lemmy’s Lagoon: This area is like no splash pad you’ve ever seen before. It has a Lake Erie monster slide, waterfalls, geysers, fountains, and tons of other cool features your kids will love

Waterin’ Hole: This is basically a playground in the water, with slides and even a tire swing 

SplasH20: This cool multi-story structure is full of water slides and tons of other water features that will keep kids busy for hours. This is similar to something you would see at most indoor water parks, like Castaway Bay for example.

There really are rides and attractions for everyone at Cedar Point Shores, from infants and toddlers to grandparents. I had followed updates as the park was being renovated, but I don’t think I realized how much there is to do at this water park. 

Safety at Cedar Point Shores

Cedar Point Shores takes guest safety seriously. That was super important to us when our kids were younger. Our kids are older now so it’s not on my brain as much, but it’s good to know that their staff has you covered while you are having fun. It seemed like on every ride there were more than enough lifeguards keeping rides safe. I’ve seen water parks that try and operate short-staffed. That’s great as long as nothing bad ever happens. 

For younger children, complimentary life jackets are available and often required at specific water park attractions. You can find life jackets spread throughout Cedar Point Shores. You can bring your own life jacket if you want, but it must be Coast Guard certified. 

If you need First Aid, there is a station near Subway for all guests. As a parent, you hope you never need it, but you’re glad it’s there.

Dining Options at Cedar Point Shores

If you plan to visit Cedar Point Shores, you should have a plan for meals for the day. There are a few dining options within the water park. 

• Dockside Grill
• Crystal Rock Café
• Subway

On top of that, there are a couple of places where you can get some sweet treats within Cedar Point Shores. I’m sure you’re familiar with Dippin’ Dots. There is also a great ice cream shop called Beaches & Cream. 

There are two bars within Cedar Point Shores if you want to enjoy an adult beverage during your time at the water park. Schooner’s Bayside Bar is located near the wave pool. If you need a quick break from the kids, Mufflehead’s Beach Bar is actually a swim-up bar for adults only.

You can use any of Cedar Point’s Dining Plans at Cedar Point Shores. You can buy these online or at the park’s ticket window. For more information on Cedar Point’s Dining Plans, click here. 

 Cedar Point Shores doesn’t allow outside food or drinks into the park (with the exception of special diet/needs items). You can bring in unopened, individual water bottles, which we did. Unlike at Cedar Point, there is no picnic area outside of the park. 

If you don’t like having to eat in the park, you could always keep a cooler in your car and eat there or leave and visit a local restaurant and come back. Or you can be a rebel and try and bring in food anyway. With four kids, it’s expensive to eat at any amusement park or water park. We usually try to bring in food and hope security doesn’t say anything. We brought backpack coolers for our water (and some food items) and Cedar Point Shores security took all of 8 seconds to check our bags. They have better things to do than bust people from sneaking in some Uncrustables and cheese sticks. 

Cabana Rentals at Cedar Point Shores

Another cool feature at Cedar Point Shores is their cabana rentals. They are a bit pricey, but I was tempted to get one for our family because it was so hot the day of our visit. They have 2 different types of cabanas: Standard and Premium. Both cabanas come with a table, umbrella, and chairs. They also all have free WiFi, a lockable storage box, lounge chairs, inner tubes, and poolside food & beverage service. Premium cabanas add features like a TV, ceiling fan, mini-fridge, and more. We’ve never rented a cabana at Cedar Point Shores so I don’t know if it’s worth the cost honestly. 

Parking at Cedar Point Shores

If you are going to Cedar Point Shores, you pay the same cost for parking as you would for Cedar Point. You’ll enter the same way too, but there is a separate parking lot near the water park around the back of Cedar Point. You can buy a parking pass online or pay at the gate. They are the same price unless there is an online deal.

Changing Rooms / Bathrooms at Cedar Point Shores

One area that could use some improvement at Cedar Point Shores would be the changing areas and bathrooms. There aren’t enough bathrooms for the size of the park and the number of guests they can hold. There also aren’t enough changing areas in the water park either. It’s not a big deal if you arrive and leave in your bathing suit, but it’s not great if you plan on changing. 

Locker Rentals at Cedar Point Shores

Cedar Point Shores has lockers available for rental. This is great if you don’t want to leave anything unattended on your lounge chairs. We brought in tons of bags and beach towels and had no issues leaving items for long periods of time. 

Tips For A Successful Day At Cedar Point Shores

For families headed to Cedar Point Shores, there are some things you can do to make your visit more enjoyable for your family. Here are some tips we’ve learned from our time at the water park:

Get there early: This will help you maximize your time at the water park. Getting there early also helps you secure chairs in prime areas of the water park. 

Pack lots of water: You can bring in unopened water bottles. Take advantage of that. We packed ours in a backpack cooler. There are water bottle refill stations by most of the bathrooms so just keep filling up your bottles for free. 

Find a good chair location: There isn’t a seating area in the park that allows you to see everything. It’s too spread out. Find chairs near the area you’ll spend most of your time and use it as a home base. If your kids are older and can go off on their own or in groups, use your chairs as a place for them to check-in every at designated times. 

Most of the chairs are in unshaded areas. If you want shade, we saw people setting up shop in grassy areas under trees and water slides. Bring a blanket if you do this. 

Wear flip-flops, sandals or water shoes around the park: The cement at Cedar Point Shores is crazy hot! It’ ‘s hard to wear shoes everywhere, but this can save you from burning your feet. We saw piles of flip-flops at the entrance of some of the attractions. Leave them there at your own risk, though. 

Bring Food: It’s against park policy, but food in the park is expensive. 

Bring Sunscreen: Bring it and use it more often than you think is necessary. 

Protect your phone: If you plan to use your cell phone on or around the water slides, have a waterproof phone case. We saw tons of people using waterproof phone lanyards too. I wish I would have had one so I could’ve snapped some photos in the lazy river. 

Cedar Point Shores Tickets

Cedar Point currently doesn’t offer individual daily admission tickets for Cedar Point Shores. In the past, they’ve encouraged guests to visit the water park and Cedar Point with a 2 Day, Any Day Ticket which comes with admission to both parks. Another way to gain access to Cedar Point Shores is by purchasing season passes. 

Occasionally, Cedar Point has special deals for discount tickets to both parks. Sign up for their email list and follow them on social media to hear about the latest deals. 

The Bottom Line

As far as water parks go, Cedar Point Shores is one of the best we’ve visited in a long time. The amount of water slides at the park is incredible. There is something for everyone to do at Cedar Point Shores. For a family of six like us, it’s not cheap to visit, but honestly, there aren’t many cheap entertainment options for larger families. If you’re looking for a great place for family fun this summer, Cedar Point Shores has you covered.

***Disclosure: We received complimentary tickets for our visit and review of Cedar Point Shores Waterpark for our readers. All opinions are 100% our own.***

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What’s your favorite water park to visit during the summer? Let us know in the comments below.

Kevin Payne

Kevin Payne is the co-founder and budgeting and family travel enthusiast behind FamilyMoneyAdventure.com.

Kevin is a freelance writer specializing in personal finance and travel. He is a regular contributor to Forbes Advisor, Bankrate, Fox Business, Credible, CreditCards.com, and Student Loan Planner.