Cedar Point / Put In Bay
 

We are planning a trip to Cedar Point in July 2015. The plan is to go to the park two days and take a ferry to Put In Bay one day. We will have a 14, 16 and 21 year old with us. I have never been to the area so a few questions:

How long is the ferry ride from Cedar Point to Put In Bay?

Is it worth staying at Breakers? I really want to because of the location but it looks old/dirty. It would be really nice to stay on the beach and within walking distance where the kids (or adults) could easily take a break if they needed a rest from the park but I don't do well with dirty hotels. Old is ok but dirty? Especially for the price.

Is Put In Bay more a party place? Would the kids have a better time staying at the hotel, going to the beach and pool, riding jet skies? We didn't know if it would be better to leave the kids and non drinking adults back to enjoy the beach and pool or if Put In Bay is a good place to take the whole crew to?

Is there any special tricks to Cedar Point I need to know about? I know if we stay at Breakers we get into the park an hour early. I've also heard to start at the back of the park first and work your way forwards. Any cost saving tips? (since we maybe springing for the expensive hotel)

Thanks for the help!!

Breakers IS old & dirty - in the old section. If you pay a little extra for the newer section, it's fine. That's where we stayed, and walking past an older room with its door open, we were glad to have paid a little more. The pluses to staying there are the proximity to the park and the free entry (or was it just early entry? Someone correct me if I'm wrong). The water at the beach, however, is gross and we declined to go in any deeper than our ankles. The pools onsite were crowded for a reason. Breakers has a "Breakers Express" hotel just down the road. It's much cheaper and you still get the early entry perks. DS went there with his girlfriend a couple years after we stayed at the Breakers, and he said it was perfectly nice and the lower room rates were welcome.

Oh, and when you stay at the Breakers, you do enter at the back of the park, as that's where the hotel is located.

The most convenient hotel is the newer side of the Breakers. You have two large pools and a beach with boardwalk and restaurants in back of the hotel. The water is not as clear as the other Great Lakes but I don't find it gross. The front of the hotel leads into the park and is very convenient to walk back to in the middle of the day for a rest or swim, and in the evening when time to call it a day. The Breakers Express appears nice but it is not within walking distance into the park. You do have to drive. You and your family will love Cedar Point!!!So much to do there!

We also love Put-In-Bay and go every year. I recommend taking the Jet Express, it is the fastest, but if you want to take your car you would have to take the Miller Ferry. We take the Jet Express and rent gulf carts as the majority of people do. You can rent them just as you get off the ferry. http://jet-express.com/index.php/fer...sky/directions
If you want to spend the night on Put-In-Bay we always stay here: http://www.bayshoreresortpib.com/ It is not a plush resort but clean with a pool, an outside bar, a screened in porch, with every room overlooking the lake and close to the main drag.