Making 'dollars and sense' out of Cedar Point's new season passes

Editor's note: Justin Dietz is a Register correspondent representing CPFoodBlog.com and @CPFoodBlog on Twitter. SANDUSKY — Cedar Point's 2023 season passes are now on sale following the announcement of the new boardwalk renovations that include a new roller coaster and Grand Pavilion. While normally the sale of season passes may not be that big of a change from the previous season, for 2023, the park is rolling out a new premium product that might be worth considering. Cedar Point will offer four season passes for the 2023 season: gold, platinum, prestige and prestige plus (Prestige+). In addition, the free Pre-K pass will be available though with a new stipulation. So let's look at the passes. 2023 Gold Pass ($99) Guests get unlimited park visits to Cedar Point and Cedar Point Shores for the remainder of 2022 and all of 2023. Renewing gold passholders get a free bring-a-friend ticket valid through Oct. 30, 2022, excluding Saturdays. Each free bring-a-friend ticket equates to a $30 to $45 value, depending on the day of use. While the discounts, 10%, and perks of gold membership remain the same as 2022, the big change is the gold pass will no longer get guests in for early entry. The Gold Pass $99 promo is only expected to last until mid-September. 2023 Platinum Pass ($250 / $240 renewal) The Platinum Pass gets all the same benefits as gold, however, platinum gets guests into Cedar Point and Cedar Point Shores early. In addition, parking and admission are included to all Cedar Fair parks, including Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio. 2023 Prestige Pass ($299) Cedar Point is offering a new "premium" season pass that offers benefits some may find of value. Picture the Prestige Pass like an upgraded Gold Pass. Guests get access to Cedar Point and Cedar Point Shores for the remainder of 2022 and all of 2023. Where the pass starts to differ is with the following benefits: • 15% discount on food and merchandise (versus 10% on gold and platinum passes) • Two free bring-a-friend tickets annually • Access to the Cedar Point Millennium Club VIP lounge and a new Cedar Point Shores lounge coming in 2023. • Preferred parking, which will be limited in supply closer to the gate • Preferred entrance for the first two hours of each day; This does not mean two hours of early entry; only a special gate that other passholders and day ticket guests will not be able to use during the specified time. • Early entry to Cedar Point and Cedar Point Shores with other platinum, prestige, prestige plus and resort guests • One single-use Fast Lane Plus voucher per visit; Note: This is not an all-day Fast Lane. 2023 Prestige+ Pass ($399) The Prestige+ Pass is equivalent to an upgraded Platinum Pass. All the same benefits apply from the Prestige Pass, but the difference is the 15% discount and parking/admission to all the other Cedar Fair properties is included. 2023 Pre-K Pass (Free) The free pre-K passes will still be available for the 2023 season, however, a gold, platinum, prestige or prestige plus pass is required of the adult(s) redeeming for the pre-K passes and there is a limit of only two per adult pass. There are some interesting stipulations on the prestige and prestige plus passes: • While guests can use them in 2022, the preferred parking, preferred entrance and Cedar Point Shores VIP area will not be accessible until 2023. • For guests that purchase the Prestige+ Pass, the preferred parking, preferred entrance and VIP areas only apply to Cedar Point. Since Carowinds and Kings Island are also rolling out prestige/prestige plus passes, the benefits do not apply at those parks if guests purchase them from Cedar Point. Your prestige plus pass will still get guests into those and other parks, you will just not be allowed to utilize select benefits outside of your home park. We get it, all these different types of season passes can be confusing, especially when you throw in all kinds of different rules. Our family sat down and did a detailed analysis on all the benefits to determine whether a platinum or prestige plus pass was right for us. Maybe that will help you determine which season pass is best for you.