How to Buy Discount Cedar Point Tickets - Top 17 Ways

Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, is the second oldest amusement park in the United States and famous for its 17 roller coasters, mile-long beach, water park, five hotels, and live entertainment. I rank it as one of the best theme parks in the United States, and you can buy discount Cedar Point tickets through authorized sellers online and in person at certain regional retailers.

I’ve outlined all of the methods that I know of here that are popular places to check to save money with discounted prices on general admission tickets Note that many of these options aren’t better than what Cedar Point or aRes Travel offers if purchased online (more on this below).

Ultimately, cheap Cedar Point tickets and how much you save depends on how many tickets you buy and if you will need to account for tax and service fees.

Cedar Point is currently closed for Winter and most of Spring. The park is set to reopen on Saturday, May 6, 2023. Ticket sales will resume closer to the park’s reopening date.

NEW: Debuting in May 2023 is a brand new section of the park, The Boardwalk. Roller coasters, rides, new attractions, and dining venues will all be open and ready to welcome your family, so book your cheap Cedar point tickets today!

You can save on tickets, tours, and hotels through my affiliations. If you make purchases through the links in this post, I may be compensated.

Cedar Point Tickets General Information and Gate Pricing

Cedar Point admission tickets are usually offered as Daily Tickets and Season Passes. Both can be enhanced with various optional add-ons, including Fast Lane.

General Admission: The price of Cedar Point amusement park tickets at the gate for a one-day ticket is usually around $85 for ages 3 and older. Children ages 2 and under enjoy free admission. Children ages 3–5 also receive free admission if you register them for a Pre-K Pass (more details on how to do this are below).

Done with roller coasters? Cedar Point Shores water park and soak city has you covered. Requiring a separate ticket, gate pricing is typically around $42 for ages 3-61 and 48″ tall or taller in bare feet. It is $29 for ages 3-61 and under 48″ tall in bare feet or anyone age 62 or older (this is the Jr/Sr ticket).

Season Pass: Cedar Point offers four different Season Passes as well. Season Passes provide unlimited admission through the end of the calendar year plus early ride times of one hour before the general public. If you’ve ever wanted to ride all the roller coasters on repeat, this is the time to do it. These may be the best option for those who intend to visit the amusement park more than once during an opening season.

Fast Lane: Get in the fast lane at Cedar Point, the best amusement park in the country! You can upgrade your ticket before you go or at the theme park to include a Fast Lane wristband. This allows you to bypass the regular lines on 20 rides that include the Valravn, Gatekeeper, and Rougarou.

You may further upgrade to Fast Lane Plus, which adds unlimited rides on roller coasters like Steel Vengeance, Maverick, Millennium Force, and Top Thrill Dragster. And this Cedar Fair park offers frequent visitors the opportunity to buy a Fast Lane season pass which helps you save time at the parks.

HalloWeekend Passes: These tickets are for the Halloween season when the park is open Thursday — Sundays. You can purchase three different types of tickets: HalloWeekends Admission, HalloWeekends Bundle, and HalloWeekends Bundle Max. HalloWeekends Admission includes a single-day ticket, all-day rides, and HalloWeekends attractions. Additionally, with HalloWeekends Bundle, you will receive admission, parking, and all-day dining for one low price. HalloWeekends Bundle Max provides all the same benefits of HalloWeekends Bundle, plus Fright Lane and access to the Millennium Club Lounge.

Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster at Cedar Point theme park. — Top Thrill Dragster (Coasterman1234 at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA)

The bottom line: Gate prices are higher than what can be secured online, so whatever you do, save money with discount Cedar Point tickets purchased in advance

The prices listed below were for the 2022 season.

1. Cedar Point Direct Special Offers and Tickets Online

Pre-Season Single Day Admission starts at $45 per ticket.

Be careful, however. Online, Cedar Point charges a $6.99 processing fee and tax, which in many circumstances, makes the ticket options below more advantageous.

2. Discount One-Day and Two-Day Tickets

You can save money by purchasing through aRes Travel if you need discount Cedar Point tickets. They are a California-based, authorized ticket seller to major attractions across the United States, including Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Universal theme parks.

They charge a $2 convenience fee per ticket, but you will still likely come out ahead, which makes it a good deal Tax is included in the ticket price.

Currently, there are no Pre-Season tickets available through aRes. However, they will be available soon. For now, you can see last year’s prices for reference.

One Day General Admission – Good Any Day Ticket

One Day General Admission – Good Any Day Ticket is valid for one (1) admission to visit Cedar Point on any operating day through the operating season. Price: $51 for ages 3+

Two Day General Admission Cedar Point and Cedar Point Shores – Good Any Day Ticket

Two Day General Admission – Cedar Point and Cedar Point Shores – Good Any Day Ticket is valid for two one-day visits during the operating season to Cedar Point and/or Cedar Point Shores. Visits do NOT have to be on consecutive days. Price: $79 for ages 3+

Cedar Point Shores One Day General Admission – Good Any Day Ticket

One Day General Admission – Good Any Day Ticket is valid for one (1) admission to Cedar Point Shores on any operating day through the operating season. Price: $37 for those over 48″ tall; $35.50 for those under 48″ tall.

3. Cedar Point Resort Vacation Packages

Temporarily not available. Cedar Point has four of its own resorts and hotels: Hotel Breakers, Lighthouse Point, Breakers Express, and Castaway Bay Resort. Build your own hotel package with a Play Your Way package in 2023, available through Labor Day. These vacation packages give resort guests:

An overnight stay at a Cedar Point property
Unlimited admission to Cedar Point for 1, 2, or 3 days
Early Entry to Cedar Point park (usually one hour before the general public)
FREE Cedar Point fountain beverages
Access to the mile-long Cedar Point Beach along Lake Erie
Free parking included with your ticket package

These vacation packages are a good deal when traveling with family to visit Cedar Point theme parks and most people will find the discounts add up to save money.

BOOK A VACATION PACKAGE

4. FREE Pre-K Passes

If you have a child between the ages of 3–5 years old, register them for a free Pre-K Pass. You’ll need to bring proof of the child’s age to the park with you. With this pass, eligible kids will receive unlimited visits for the entire season.

5. Season Passes

Frequent visitors should definitely consider a Seasons Pass. A Cedar Point Season Pass entitles the holder to unlimited park admission through the end of the calendar year or through Labor Day if you purchase the Summer Pass. There are even select days where Season Passholders have early entry and can arrive an hour before the park opens to the public to enjoy early ride times.

Choose between a Summer pass, Gold pass, Platinum pass and Pre-K pass. Gold, Platinum pass, and Pre-K include admission to Cedar Point Shores Waterpark. Platinum pass also offers admission to other Cedar Fair parks like Kings Island. Check to see which season pass (some of which include free parking) works best for you.

6. Meijer Cedar Point Tickets

Temporarily not available. Currently, Meijer is not selling any online or in-store cheap Cedar Point tickets, and there is no information on if they are going to resell them yet. They are usually not cheaper than Cedar Park’s online pricing anyway, but they do usually come with unique add-ons. You can check online for updates.

7. Cedar Point Tickets on Groupon

Groupon Cedar Point, theme park tickets, can be found on their own or grouped with hotel packages. There are usually special offers available, as Groupon maintains a dedicated page for the theme park, but there are none at the moment. When it comes to purchasing only tickets, aRes Travel above is usually less than Groupon.

8. Cedar Point Tickets at Giant Eagle

To secure Giant Eagle Cedar Point tickets, visit the Customer Service desk inside of the store in person to pick up a coupon. Present the coupon at a Cedar Point park ticket booth to redeem it.

9. Drug Mart Cedar Point Tickets

Temporarily not available. Drug Mart usually sells tickets for the same price as they cost online directly through Cedar Point, but without the service fee. However, they are currently not selling Cedar Point tickets at this time. You can check online for updates.

10. Costco

As of this writing, they do not have online tickets available for the amusement park. Search Costco’s theme park section online periodically or check in your local store to see if they are selling cheap Cedar Point tickets as availability changes.

11. Kroger Cedar Point Tickets

You can check your local Kroger store for discounted tickets to Cedar Point. However, not all stores offer them.

12. AAA Cedar Point Tickets

AAA Cedar Point tickets can be secured by contacting your local AAA office. The discount on single-day tickets can be up to 45% for AAA members. The availability depends on your region and isn’t available in California currently.

13. Military Discounts

Active and retired military personnel and veterans can receive discounts on front-gate pricing for single-day theme park admission. You can take advantage of these savings directly online to score cheap Cedar Point tickets.

14. Student Discounts

College students should check with their student unions to see if any Cedar Point student discounts are available to them. For example, current students at the University of Michigan receive discounts on Cedar Point park admission.

15. Group Discounts

A group discount is available for purchases of 15 – 99 Cedar Point tickets when purchased in advance online, and a different category of discounts and other special options for groups of 100 or more. Details are available on the park’s website.

16. Combo Packages with Kings Island

Typically, you can buy Kings Island and Cedar Point combo tickets through Cedar Point directly; however, currently, they are only selling Season Passes and Pre-Season general admission to Cedar Point. Some of the grocery stores that typically offer cheap Cedar Point tickets may also offer combo tickets that include these two popular Ohio theme parks. Kroger is known for selling these.

Important Cedar Point Tips

The Millennium Force roller coaster at Cedar Point theme park in Sandusky, Ohio. — Millennium Force roller coaster (Coasterman1234 at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA)

Check Cedar Point Hours

When planning a visit to Cedar Point and its water park Cedar Point Shores, be sure to check their calendar for opening dates and hours as it is a seasonal park and not open year-round. Its typical daily season runs from May – Labor Day Weekend. It’s open on weekends only after Labor Day through October or early November for its annual HalloWeekends Halloween celebration.

Always Read Ticket Terms and Conditions

Before purchasing Cedar Point tickets, be sure to read all terms and conditions, which should outline expiration dates, refund policies, and transfer policies. Some tickets will not be usable on days with special events.

Cedar Point Directions and Parking

Cedar Point is located in Sandusky, Ohio on Lake Erie, roughly 55 miles from Cleveland and 65 miles from Toledo, Ohio. The official Cedar Point address is below. Using it, Google Maps will take you to Cedar Point Drive but you will still need to drive out to the point which will be obvious once you get there.

Cedar Point
1 Cedar Point Drive, Sandusky, Ohio 44870

The park’s website has a map and more information about the Cedar Point parks. It is very much a destination theme park that people fly in to visit. The closest airport is the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport of Ohio. Others ride Greyhound or Amtrak.

Cedar Point single-day general parking costs $25 per car per day and may be purchased online in advance.

How do you buy discount Cedar Point tickets?

FAQs About Cedar Point Tickets

Is there a Cedar Point first responder discount?

No, Cedar Point is not currently offering any discounts for first responders.

Is there a Cedar Point teacher discount?

No, Cedar Point is not currently offering any discounts on tickets for teachers.

No, Cedar Point does not offer any buy one get one (BOGO) free ticket deals. However, they do offer discounts on group tickets to save money for parties of 15-99 people (perfect for family reunions) If you are traveling with a larger group to Cedar Point theme park or other Cedar Fair parks, you will want to take advantage of this deal.

Learn also how you can buy:

Top photo credit: User Vlastula on en.wikipedia [CC BY-SA

Katie Dillon is the managing editor of La Jolla Mom. She helps readers plan San Diego vacations through her hotel expertise (that stems from living in a Four Seasons hotel) and local connections. Readers have access to exclusive discounts on theme park tickets (like Disneyland and San Diego Zoo) and perks at luxury hotels worldwide through her. She also shares insider tips for visiting major cities worldwide like Hong Kong, London, Paris, and Shanghai that her family has either lived in or visits regularly (or both).

How to Buy Discount Cedar Point Tickets from Authorized Sellers