SANDUSKY, Ohio -- Everybody knows about the Steel Vengeance roller coaster, but there are even more changes coming to Cedar Point in 2018 that were just announced.
Park officials revealed all the updates during their annual Winter Chill Out charity event Saturday, which WKYC was invited to attend.
Among the highlights? Chick-fil-A is coming back to the park and the Luminosity night show is gone. Then there's also this mystery.
Here are the other things you will see in 2018:
►Chick-fil-A returns to its former home: Chicken sandwiches, waffle potato fries and hand-spun milkshakes are back. Chick-fil-A returns to FrontierTown in the former Frontier Inn.
►Point Plaza: The former Park Plaza gift shop, located at the park’s main entrance, is undergoing a complete renovation. With beach-themed décor, Point Plaza will feature a wide variety of Cedar Point souvenirs, T-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, bathing suits, candies, snacks and more. "We’re giving it a new look on the exterior as well as the interior, so a complete remodel," park spokesperson Tony Clark says.
See photos of the Park Plaza gift shop before it's renovated:
►Frontier Foldovers: Located in the former BBQ Shack on the Frontier Trail, this new quick-service food stop will offer folded brisket, chicken and Italian meat sandwiches.
►Sidewinder Sue’s: Located near the FrontierTown train station, guests will enjoy new “twisty” fries with meat toppings of pulled pork, brisket or chili.
►Miss Keat’s Smoke Shack: New barbecue brisket, pork, wings, sausage and savory sides will be served at this restaurant adjacent to Last Chance Saloon in FrontierTown.
►Roundup: The menu gets a shake-up at Roundup with bigger, bolder burgers to match Steel Vengeance’s big and bold thrills, located near Maverick’s entrance.
►FrontierTown Shooting Gallery: The popular game of skill, complete with animated scenes and sounds, returns in the Jitney Arcade.
►Western Shoot-out: The Western Shoot-out in FrontierTown becomes the popular basketball game of H-O-R-S-E as guests attempt to sink baskets from strategically-placed spots on the midway.
►Gossip Gulch: The new Gossip Gulch stage, located adjacent to Roundup, will feature themed live entertainment, including the park’s Bluegrass Jamboree.
►“Lusty Lil’s French Revue”: Lusty Lil’s FrontierTown friends are performing their idea of a French Revue, but misadventure and misunderstanding get in the way. It results in a family-friendly show filled with live music, comedy and cancan dancers. Lusty Lil’s French Revue will play in the Palace Theatre in FrontierTown.
►“Vertical Impact”: Acrobats and dancers perform in this new fast-paced, high-energy show in Celebration Plaza. Luminosity, the former night show hosted in this location, will not return.
►“Snoopy’s Dog Days of Summer”: Snoopy and his PEANUTS® pals will gather on the Main Midway near Pagoda Gift Shop in this new family-friendly celebration of music, dancing and fun.
►Midway Entertainers: Live music comes alive on the midways with The Traildust Trio, performing classic country in the Gazebo near Town Hall Museum; The Tomfooleries guitar duo will entertain with comedy and music in the Palace Theatre and on FrontierTown’s streets; The Swell Tones will serenade guests with their classic 50’s musical stylings on the Main Midway; the Roving Beach Crew will wander the midways, interacting with guests on their quest to find the Cedar Point Beach; and the Summerdaze Band takes the stage at Cedar Point Shores Waterpark.
►Boardwalk: There will be a new entrance to the Boardwalk. "The Boardwalk is an interesting project because our origination of the park began with the beach," Clark says. "We want more people to be able to go to the beach without having to go around Cedar Point Shores or through the hotel. So we have this new access that’s going through the main parking lot. You can walk the Boardwalk now all the way behind GateKeeper, behind Wicked Twister right around WindSeeker and then continue on down the Boardwalk all the way to Cedar Point Shores and even to the tip of the peninsula. It’s a nice walk along the beach, but it also gives guests access to the beach that’s a lot easier and easier to find.”
The Winter Chill Out is an annual opportunity for Cedar Point fans to get an offseason tour of the park. The event raised more than $40,000 for the A Kid Again charity.
Cedar Point will open for its 149th season on Saturday, May 5 -- which is also the day Steel Vengeance makes its debut.
