Cedar Point Announces New Water Ride for 2010 Season

I don't mean to interrupt this well thought out debate, but I am the only one scratching my head in an attempt to figure out what wonderful theming the SF parks in question have? I'd take the theming of STR or even Maverick over anything I can think of in SFGAd or SFGAm.

CP makes more money that Great Adventure or the other parks mentioned. The resort aspect of CP plays a large role in making it a cash cow. CP could do a better job keeping up the themeing, whether it's light bulbs, animatronics, sound or whatever. I'm sure they could find about $150,000 in the budget to hire three people to take care of animatronics, light bulbs and other themeing aspects. I know they used to have a team of people back in the 70's that just replaced lightbulbs every night. CP will never have Disney themeing (and doesn't need to) but keeping all the light bulbs lite and the theming they have now working does not seem like too much to ask.

Funny you bring up the lightbulbs. My youngest was riding Red Baron yesterday and I noticed how many bulbs are out. I had the same thought as you - why can't they put new bulbs in? I think it looks tacky. Maybe you and I are the only dorks that notice things like that?

Pete said:
CP makes more money that Great Adventure or the other parks mentioned.

That's not the point. The point is that CP has a profit they target, and their attendance and maintenance (and a host of other factors, obviously) factor into that equation.

Sure, CP could find money for those things (just like SF could find money for more rides), but only if they're willing to reduce their profit. As it stands, CP has found the formula that works for them, and until it stops working, why would they be expected to deviate from it?

Then why do folks here expect them to deviate from their high food prices? Obviously that works or they would have changed by now right?

Fo me it starts with the small stuff. If you can't take care of the little things then it won't be long until another "small" corner gets cut, and then another, and then another.

I expect (or, rather, hope) they deviate from their food prices based on customer response. For example, my response to their food pricing is to simply not purchase any.

And it's not like I particularly enjoy their inability to keep theme elements operational (and I don't consider light bulb replacement under the "theme" umbrella, FWIW). I just see it more as CP's pragmatic response to what they perceive their guests' interests to be. That is, CP feels there is more ROI from World-class rides than there is from animatronics or whatever.

Maybe, but having the themeing (I consider light bulbs themeing) sit in disrepair affects perception of the park in a negative way. It's about guest experience. Myself, looking at a ride with a nice light show with all the lights working makes me happy, looking at sections of burned out bulbs on the same ride makes it look sloppy. Not everything has an ROI that needs to be done to assure customer satisfaction. Do clean restrooms have an ROI? Maybe that is the next thing that can be cut.

Perhaps the height of the water table is the only reason the restrooms haven't deteriorated into simple holes in the ground.

I think if the rides at the park switched to lighting like Busch Gardens has on their Wave Swinger, the park could save a lot of money, and the bulbs would last longer.

The reason I don't consider light bulbs theming is that even traveling fairs have lights, and almost always have no theme.

That said, I agree that not everything needs a demonstrable ROI to be worthwhile. I've simply been pointing out what I assume CP's strategy is.

I like when it gets dark and the lights come on. It's my favorite time of the day at a parkit has that festive look. It drives me crazy when there is a large number of lights out on a particular ride. I understand there may be a few out. It's difficult to keep up with every bulb. Monster and Troika seem to alway have lots of bulbs out. I will say that the lighting on the games up front has held up well and always looks good.

I agree with Pete that when lights are out things look shabby. You begin to wonder about how things are maintained. If they can't replace a simple light bulb then... If they don't want to maintain the light maybe they should just remove them. Any business, if you see lights out, cracked windows, duct tape used as patches, etc. you begin get a negative perception. Little things do mean a lot. Wait until they start fixing bad pavers with asphalt patches. I shutter to think about it.

A couple of other things that bug me are giant weeds growing in flower beds and restroom stalls with broken locks. On the latter I remember opening day 2008 early in the day finding a broken lock. I thought to myself they had all winter to fix this.

I see the top of Powr Tower was lit this past weekend after being dark the previous weekend.

Valleyfair Enthusiast said:
I don't mean to interrupt this well thought out debate, but I am the only one scratching my head in an attempt to figure out what wonderful theming the SF parks in question have? I'd take the theming of STR or even Maverick over anything I can think of in SFGAd or SFGAm.

A few examples...

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/57833.aspx?id=818142

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/57697.aspx?id=814500

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/57697.aspx?id=814519

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/56580.aspx?id=792014

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/56539.aspx?id=791035

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/56539.aspx?id=791062

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/56446.aspx?id=788519

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/56388.aspx?id=786945

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/56388.aspx?id=786952

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/56388.aspx?id=786957

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/56352.aspx?id=785604

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/56373.aspx?id=786346

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/56303.aspx?id=784335

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/56303.aspx?id=784334

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/56303.aspx?id=784346

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/56303.aspx?id=784362

I could keep going, but I think you get the idea.

I am not sure how it would cost a lot of money to keep any of that theaming in working order.

I think it's quite a stretch to call some of that stuff "theming" (ride entrances in particular).

If I had a camera and some time at Cedar Point (Dragster/Maverick) and Kings Island (Crypt/Backlot/Fountains), I'm sure I could take some theme pictures that would compete with those.

Theaming on dragster? They removed all the theaming a few years ago. The only theaming(and I use that term loosley in this case) is the sign, and a few fact posters while in line.

Most of the theaming on maverick has gone away. The lights, sound effects, and the mist. The cannons work sometimes. But other than that, the theaming of the station, sign, and switchbacks are ok. They also did an ok job with theaming on str.

Kings islands crypt is a joke now. Cedarfair ripped out all of the theaming. The ride was built before cedarfair took over, so the theaming was done by paramount, not cedarfair. What theaming that is left, is sure to be gone in time.

Backlot is a shell of what it used to be.

All of the theaming that is in the parks, was in place before cedarfair took over.

What theaming cedarpoint had, is almost all but gone. In the 70's and 80's, the park had some great theaming,but has been removed over time.

djDaemon said:
I think it's quite a stretch to call some of that stuff "theming" (ride entrances in particular).

If it pertains to the theme of the ride, it's theaming. There is a lot of theaming that I could not get pictures of because of the no camera policy on the rides.

So, on one hand you claim that the ride-related stuff in Dragster's queue only "loosely" constitutes theming (at CP parks anyway).

Yet on the other hand, anything related to the ride (at SF parks anyway) is theming.

Seems a tad biased to me. :)

I don't necessarily disagree with your assessment of CP's theming, but just sayin'.

djDaemon said:
So, on one hand you claim that the ride-related stuff in Dragster's queue only "loosely" constitutes theming (at CP parks anyway).

Yet on the other hand, anything related to the ride (at SF parks anyway) is theming.

Seems a tad biased to me. :)

I don't necessarily disagree with your assessment of CP's theming, but just sayin'.

If you want to call a few facts about drag racing on a wall "theaming" then that's fine.

I wasn't calling that theming. You were.

What I ment was if it were to be called "theaming", it would be loosley based on theaming.