Cedar Fair Drew Record Number Of Visitors In 2010

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - America's third-largest amusement park chain says it had a record-breaking year in 2010.

Ohio-based Cedar Fair says 22.8 million people passed through the gates at its parks. That's up nearly 8 percent from 2009.

Cedar Fair says better weather and an increase in season pass and group sales helped it rebound.

It also saw an increase in stays at its hotels, but spending was down slightly inside the parks.

Many of Cedar Fair's parks, especially in the Midwest, have been hit hard by the struggling economy.

The company operates 11 amusement parks and seven water parks, including Cedar Point and Kings Island in Ohio and Knott's Berry Farm near Los Angeles.