Cedar Point and African Safari Trip Report for Families (Part 1)

I am exhausted! I love the experience of being able to go into an amusement park, and getting the feeling of being in another place and time, with little thought of the outside world. Except this time I brought the outside with me…it was my company work party, being celebrated at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. Overall, when I should have been excited to travel on someone else’s dime, I was kind of dreading the day.

A little over a week ago, I had to have surgery on my ankle, and since have had limited mobility while it heals. I can get around but need to wear a boot since I still can not wear a normal shoe due to all the bandages. So I knew if I did go to Cedar Point a week after my surgery, I might need to rent a wheelchair to really get around. While I would do what I could so the rest of my family could experience the park, I was not necessarily looking forward to it. However, as long as I had my wife and kids with me, we would make the most of it.

Since Cedar Point did not open until 11:00 am, we had plenty of time to kill in the morning; however, I wanted to make sure we got there as early as possible so we did not have to park far back in the parking lot due to my limited walking range. So what did we decide to do?

We stocked up on African Safari Groupon vouchers earlier this year. On a quick side note, these guys amaze me. The Sandusky African Safari runs on Groupon more than any other Groupon I have seen. The reason is they can sell a TON of them every time! It is unbelievable how many thousands of vouchers they can sell when they run their discounts with Groupon. No other deals regularly sell anywhere near the numbers of the African Safari. The deal is traditionally $5 per person for an admission, and luckily our two boys are still free. So for $10 it makes for an entertaining hour or two.

The secret though is to make sure you come prepared. Your admission includes one cup of feed per vehicle. Buying more is expensive, and the animals do not even really like it, let alone it is difficult to hold and the animals rip it out of your hands. They also sell very expensive 1 pound bags of carrots, which the animals prefer. So prior to leaving for the safari, we run and grab 3 pound bags of carrots in bulk, typically less than $1/lb. About 12 pounds is more than enough for our family of four.

This was our second trip to the safari this year, and it was a great hit with the boys! Our two-year old finally was not scared of the animals and was not sick. He loved feeding the animals the carrots, except when a giant river ox or buffalo would stick his head in the window. On the opposite side of the car, my wife had our six-month infant. He was completely mesmerized by the entire process, yet seemed to be more concerned about holding a carrot. He is at the age where he just started eating baby food, and is fascinated by anything food. When one of the animals stole his carrot, he was really upset because he lost his carrot. It was pretty funny.

That is one thing that is the most memorable experience every time we have been to the safari…the laughs. We laugh so much when we have gone because it always presents unique situations. Where else can you see a buffalo sticking their head in your vehicle, blowing snots all over the place, or letting out a nasty carrot burp?

The best part is always the end where there are giraffes. We open up the moonroof, and let the giraffes stick their heads inside as we dispose of the last of our secret carrot stash. The one giraffe this time was flickering its tongue waiting for another carrot. Of course our carrot infant had one in hand, and the giraffe used his giant tongue to lick the back on his head. It was so funny, and creates a lifetime of great memories.

Overall it took us 45 minutes to go through the safari, which put us at the Cedar Point gates just after opening. Perfect. Luckily I was able to park at the front in the handicap section (I guess this surgery thing pays dividends). After meeting up with my administrative assistant, who came to help and assist us watch the boys in case we wanted to ride anything with our two-year old together, we entered the park.

The second part of this trip report will have more detailed information on the Cedar Point leg of this trip. Stay tuned for more information.