Before we begin, a very special thanks and shoutout goes to Ken Miller, author of the “Rolling Through The Years: A Cedar Point Atlas & Chronology; 2nd Edition” and the Sandusky Cedar Point Historical Museum for help in collaboration on piecing together the Cedar Point CoasterMania timeline and historical artifacts.
If there is one thing Cedar Point fans proved in 2026, it is do not mess with CoasterMania. Over the past several years Cedar Point has been tailoring that annual roller coaster event to a broader audience and trying to create something that stands out in the industry.
What once was an event held exclusively for roller coaster enthusiasts that belonged to a park approved roller coaster club eventually was opened up to the general public so anyone could come and enjoy the park with additional benefits for the day.
But how did CoasterMania come to be?
According to the Rolling Through The Years book by Ken Miller, along with the Gemini opening, Cedar Point held the first CoasterMania event June 30-July 2, 1978. Over 300 guests came to the event filled with industry speakers, meals and exclusive ride time on Gemini, Corkscrew, WildCat and Blue Streak.
Then any records of CoasterMania do not show up until the event returned in 1989.
Below we will do our best from available records to highlight the historical timeline of Cedar Point’s CoasterMania. If you have any historical artifacts or details from previous events, please feel free to submit them for inclusion into the article.
CoasterMania History
1989 CoasterMania event returns
Magnum Mania I was June 1, 1990
Magnum Mania II was June 7, 1991
June 5, 1992 CoasterMania returns
1993 unknown
June 3, 1994
1,170 guests attended and Blue Streak received its Great Ohio Coaster Club plaque
June 2, 1995
June 7, 1996
June 6, 1997
June 5, 1998
June 4, 1999
(11th annual) Roller coaster designer Ron Toomer guests speaks while park celebrates 10th anniversary of Magnum XL-200
June 2, 2000
Big Chuck and Lil John host live television broadcast during CoasterMania
June 1, 2001
June 7, 2002
Over 1,500 enthusiasts attended
June 6, 2003
Features ERT on seven attractions including new Top Thrill Dragster
September 18, 2004
June 3, 2005
June 2, 2006
June 15, 2007
June 6, 2008
– 6-8am ERT on Maverick
– 6-8:30am ERT on Millennium Force & Raptor
– 7:30-8:30am ERT on Blue Streak
– Noon-1pm Q&A in Cedar Point Convention Center
– 2-3:30pm Lunch
– 10-11pm ERT on Gemini & Jr Gemini
– 10:30pm-midnight ERT on Magnum
– 10:45pm-12:30am ERT on Top Thrill Dragster
June 5-6, 2009
Featuring guest speaker and roller coaster designer Ron Toomer with over 1,500 guests
Friday
– 6pm Social Hour
– 7:30pm Special Magnum Anniversary Presentation
– 10:30pm ERT on Magnum + 2 other coasters
Saturday
– 6:30am ERT
– 9am CoasterMania mini-golf challenge
– 9am CoasterMania Skills competetion
– Noon CoasterMania Film Festival
– 2:30pm Luncheon
– 10:30pm ERT
June 4-5, 2010
Friday
– 9am Registration
– 6pm Social Hour
– 7:30pm Special Presentation by Walter Bolliger & CoasterMania Film Festival
– 10:45pm- 12:30am ERT on Top Thrill Dragster, Magnum, Raptor, Mantis
Saturday
– 4:30am Registration
– 5:30-6:30am Millennium Force behind-the-scenes tour
– 6:30-8:30am ERT on Millennium Force
– 6:30-7:30am Behind-the-scenes of Maverick
– 7:30-9am ERT on Maverick, SkyHawk, Shoot the Rapids
– 9am Mini golf challenge/Games of Skill on Gemini midway
– 2:30pm Lunch
– 11:15pm-12:15pm ERT on MaXair, Disaster Transport, Blue Streak, Wicked Twister
June 3-4, 2011
Friday
– 9:30am Registration
– 5:30pm Social Hour
– 7pm Special presentation by Richard Kinzel; CoasterMania Film Festival
– 10:45pm-1am ERT on SkyHawk, Magnum, Top Thrill Dragster, Mean Streak
Saturday
– 4:30am Registration
– 5:30-8:30am ERT on Millennium Force, Maverick, Mantis, Corkscrew
– 2:30pm Lunch
– 10:15pm-Midnight ERT on Raptor, Blue Steak, Disaster Transport, Wicked Twister, MaXair
– 11pm-Midnight ERT on WindSeeker
July 13, 2012
Cedar Point announced the retirement of the Space Spiral and Disaster Transport at CoasterMania
6:30-7am Behind-the-scenes of Top Thrill Dragster
7-7:30am Behind-the-scenes of Gemini
7:30-9am ERT on Millennium Force, Raptor, Maverick, Iron Dragon, WindSeeker
9-10am ERT on Bluestreak, Dodgem
1-2:30pm Lunch
11:30pm-12:30am ERT on Mean Streak, Wicked Twister, Disaster Transport
11:30pm-1:30am ERT on Top Thrill Dragster, Magnum, Gemini,
June 7, 2013
June 6, 2014
– 7am Registration
– 7:30-9am ERT on Millennium Force, GateKeeper, Raptor, Iron Dragon
– 9-10am ERT on Blue Streak, Wicked Twister, MaXair, WindSeeker
– 1-2:30pm Lunch
– 10:30-11:30 ERT on Gemini, SkyHawk, Pipe Scream, Lake Erie Eagles
– 10:30pm-12:30am ERT on Top Thrill Dragster, Magnum, Maverick
June 5, 2015
June 3, 2016
June 2, 2017
Tickets are $35 (Season Passholder ticket) or $80 (event ticket and one-day park admission). This event is limited to specific coaster fan clubs.
June 1, 2018
(Exclusive to seven roller coaster clubs: American Coaster Enthusiasts, European Coaster Club, Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain, Club de Fans de Montanas Rusas, Club TPR, CoasterBuzz Club and Great Ohio Coaster Club.
June 7, 2019
CoasterMania cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic
June 5, 2021
$40 for season pass holders and $80 for non-pass holders
June 3, 2022
Event no longer required coaster club membership and opened to the general public
June 2, 2023
$45 for passholders, $90 for admission and CoasterMania
June 7, 2024
$50 for season pass holders and $95 for non-pass holders
June 6, 2025
June 5, 2026
Cedar Point announced for the 2026 season they would be replacing their iconic CoasterMania roller coaster event with an event June 5, 2026 that offers exclusive ride time on 4 roller coasters before the park opens to the public.
Dubbed the Morning Rush, Cedar Point would offer to open Siren’s Curse, Millennium Force and Iron Dragon from 7:30-9am exclusively for Morning Rush participants. Then from 9:30-11am guests will have access to Rougarou.
For the price of $95, guests could purchase a ticket to the event. This price did not include admission as a separate season pass or single-day ticket was also required.
In addition to the special event access, guests would receive a premium all-day dining plan wrist band, exclusive event t-shirt, and (1) single use Fast Lane Plus voucher.
Six Flags said based on the event popularity, they may offer additional events each month throughout the year.
Well within hours of backlash online that this event was replacing CoasterMania, Cedar Point pulled the event from its website and swiftly brought back in CoasterMania. Guests offered hundreds of comments on what they love and makes CoasterMania special, and the park promptly heard the calls loud and clear.
