2016 season pass increase?

I remember seeing somewhere that season passes will be going up in price in May. Did anyone see this? And if so, when? Thanks.

Every year the price to season passes starts relatively low in September-November and gets higher and higher as the year goes on, so I wouldn't doubt it.

It said price goes up May 31st in an email I got a while ago. I just renewed a few weeks ago. And price increases are nothing new. It always goes up after the season starts.

Thanks, wanted to renew my families passes before the increase.

LIghthouse point campsite prices spiked to $119/nt this year for Halloweekends. Only a few short years ago prices were under $90/nt.

I get the premium location pricing and I'm okay with it, but this is exactly what I predicted when the electric-only loop was eliminated last year in favor of 10-person cabins.

It's right at the point where it's giving me pause booking multiple weekends back-to-back.

Agreed, MaverickLaunch. Last year we stayed 10 weekends. This year down to 6. Still love the location, but close enough to drive up early and leave late.

MaverickLaunch said:

It's right at the point where it's giving me pause booking multiple weekends back-to-back.

...and I'm thinking it must be nice to be able to afford to book multiple weekends back to back to begin with....

That was about $2000 in camping fees. Ugh

The campsites are simple supply and demand. We stay there around 6-7 times per year. Rates have continued to go up each year but clearly people (me included) are willing to pay it. It was smart that the park now allows people to spread their resort fees over 4 months. This makes their stay more affordable while CP can charge premium rates. Can't beat the location

noggin said:

...and I'm thinking it must be nice to be able to afford to book multiple weekends back to back to begin with....

Cedar Fair hates you.

Walt Disney World hates me too, so they're in good company.

Regardless of one's relative income, research clearly shows that spending your money on life experiences with the ones you love rather than on "things" (or even saving it) is directly tied to one's overall happiness and life satisfaction.

So, no matter how many times you stay (or can), you are using your money wisely when it comes to your mental health by staying at the Point.

$$ well spent.

Absolutely right on Kevin, could not agree more!

Does paying twice as much for something double your happiness? We used to stay in the cottages/cabins at least once or twice a year until the prices jumped up. If we are spending the night it will be in an off-site hotel. The kids still see it as a vacation and a fun time regardless of where we sleep and we save 50%. That seems like a much better way to increase my satisfaction as compared to staying on point.

That completely depends on where you find value. I agree, a lot of the times we go to CP, it will either be a day trip or we're staying somewhere off property. Before we became passholders though, we tried to always find a way to stay on property because of the early entry perk. It also depends on what type of experience you're looking for. Last year for Coastermania we camped at the KOA and it was a nightmare. In short, we did not have the weekend we were hoping for, and decided right then and there that this year we would be camping at Lighthouse Point. The price could have been double and I would've found a way to do it just to be on Point for that weekend. I don't think Kevin was saying staying off property is wrong, but that there are a lot of nice perks to being in one of the resorts that should be looked at as an investment in your family. At least that's the way we look at it.

As much as I hate paying $200+ for a weekend of camping, as a family, we still find great value in staying at Lighthouse Point. When they took out the electric only loop, I had doubts about spending much time up there anymore due to the increase in cost for the full-hookups, but we have 1 weekend every month of the operating season booked up there now and I wouldn't think of staying anywhere else. I love to camp up there for the atmosphere, nothing better than kicking your feet up on the zero-gravity chair with a cold beer and listening to the sounds of the park on a warm sunny day. We like to ride for a few hours in the morning, go back to the camper and relax (maybe do Soak City for a few) and then do it all over again in the evening. I don't even want to know how much a season of camping costs us between the fuel, food and site fees, I'd probably have a heart attack if I saw that number. But it's what we do as a family during the summer and it makes for great memories. I save Nov. thru April to be able to camp how we want May thru Oct.

Shades said:

Does paying twice as much for something double your happiness?

You're comparing staying in a cabin/cottage (complete with deck, full kitchen, grill, etc.) to staying in a hotel. That's an incredibly loaded "comparison".

Even comparing on- and off-site hotels, you're not paying twice as much for the same thing. You're paying twice as much for an objectively better experience. Sure, maybe the kids don't see the difference (though mine certainly would). But for us, being able to stay close to where "the action is", whether that's a beachfront hotel, CP resort, or Kalahari/Great Wolf/etc., provides substantial value compared to loading up the car each morning to head to the beach/park/water park.

OK. Let's change it to "we used to always stay at Breakers until the price jumped". Now we are on a hotel to hotel basis. Still paying double. Now lets compare on/off site. What is the objectively better experience that on site gives me? What does staying close to where "the action is" get me when the park is closed? I might be close to the action but the gates are locked.

Shades said:

Does paying twice as much for something double your happiness? We used to stay in the cottages/cabins at least once or twice a year until the prices jumped up. If we are spending the night it will be in an off-site hotel. The kids still see it as a vacation and a fun time regardless of where we sleep and we save 50%. That seems like a much better way to increase my satisfaction as compared to staying on point.

Maybe, maybe not. For the kids, you're right; ignorance can be bliss, and maybe they won't know or couldn't care either way. Maybe you don't either.

Personally, I used to lie to myself into believing that the most important thing on any trip was how much of a deal I could get, or how much I could save doing this or doing that. In the end, the savings seem to be marginal at best, the experience is always worse, and I probably wasted more time searching for the "best deal" than I ever want to think about.

If that "other 50%" is meeting basic needs, then of course, it's a wise choice. But to be completely frank, I'm going to bet that you miss staying in the cabins and cottages, and you might personally benefit from allowing yourself to splurge on one just once; then the other times choose the Motel 6.

Seeing Aerosmith live is ridiculously expensive. My wife, however, loves them, and they may not be around much longer. The past two times we have seen them I have not even glanced at the nosebleed seats, and instead dove in to get some really good seats that made the experience simply amazing. The trick is to simply stop caring. It was worth it.

The point was incredibly simple; you benefit from "going all in" on experiences sometimes. To the extent that you're taking away from your kid's braces or lunch money? Of course not, but when it's choosing what to spend discretionary funds on, experiences simply cannot be topped.

Unfortunately for us amusement park trips aren't free, and when it comes to staying overnight, I would argue you certainly get what you pay for.

And I don't know where you're paying double at.

We have a family suite booked at Hotel Breakers, and it's only $13 more expensive per night than staying at a similar family suite at Best Western Suites off 250.

Simply not having to drive back to the hotel or to the park in the morning is benefit enough for me. Not to mention if we want, we could all go take nap in the middle of our day and guess what? Still here! Spill something on my shirt? Well....let me just walk to my room and get a new shirt. Ticket discount? Pretty steep as a guest. Parking? Get that covered as well.

13 dollars well spent. Plus we get to stay at Breakers, which, I'm sorry, puts any hotel near Cedar Point to shame. When you get to the cabins and cottages, are you kidding? You have a frickin' cottage on the lake with your own BBQ. You're Jimmy Buffet with an amusement park in your back yard for Pete's sake! (no offense, Pete).

Shades said:

OK. Let's change it to "we used to always stay at Breakers until the price jumped". Now we are on a hotel to hotel basis. Still paying double. Now lets compare on/off site. What is the objectively better experience that on site gives me? What does staying close to where "the action is" get me when the park is closed? I might be close to the action but the gates are locked.

Is there anywhere else in Sandusky where you can stay within walking distance to a beach, water park, amusement park, restaurants and bars? I can't think of anything that fits that bill.

And when the park is closed, so too is much of Sandusky, aside from perhaps some bars and restaurants.