Coaster Mania Suggestion

CoasterBuzz Club is closing in on 400 members fast and held two (was going to be three) events this year. Cedar Point has a corporate membership. The day after CoasterMania, we had an event down at PKI that attracted people from 13 states.

Just because you don't think it's legit doesn't mean that it isn't. As Pete said, for a lot of people it sure offers a better value proposition than "traditional" clubs.

Those of you who think the park owes you something or should recognize enthusiasts for any reason at all really need to get a grip. The park doesn't need you. They certainly are not obligated to run an event with food and ERT that costs exactly zero to season pass holders and is included with a ridiculously discounted admission to everyone else.

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Jeff
Webmaster/GTTP - Sillynonsense.com
"Pray that your country undergoes recovery!" - KMFDM

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Vince79 said:

The park needs to crack down on who it honors as an enthusiast organization. To lower the CM attendance they should only honor the traditional clubs such as ACE, GOCC, ECC, ect. Today, the park is recognizing online website clubs, and this is were I believe the non-enthusiasts are comming from.Don't honor the online clubs as official organizations.

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"Traditional clubs:? Please, just because I have chosen over the years NOT to belong to what you consider "traditional clubs" does not make me any less of an enthusiast then the next person. There are even LESS enthusiASSes in what you consider non-traditional clubs. Online websites (such as Coasterbuzz.com) which have a MEMBERSHIP fee and card are recognized by CP.

You would be surprised what a GOOD VALUE an ONLINE club is. Heck instead of receiving an OUTDATED magazine weeks if not months after the fact you'll find UP TO DATE info on just about any park.
*** This post was edited by Old Timer Tim 6/9/2003 5:14:19 PM ***

While I do agree with you Jeff for the most part, I happen to think that GOCC offers plenty of perks for me, perhaps at equal value to some online memberships..

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"What time does the 10 pm laser show start?"

I ranted about this yesterday. It appears to me that many of the people who seemed to complain about Coastermania this year (and last year) appeared to be those from ACE. I've heard a TON of complaints from the various ACE members over many of the activities including the European Coaster Tour, Coastercon from last year, and even SRM.

I don't hear the GOCC club members complaining. I've heard very little complaining by Coasterbuzz Club members.

I'm an ACE member, but, frankly, in the past two years, I've become almost EMBARASSED to admit it. It seems there are a lot more ACE members who join NOT for the initial reasons ACE was established, but specifically to take advantage of discounts and ERT. And when they don't get what they want, they complain.

Not ALL ACE members are enthusiasses, but that number seems to be growing.

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
http://www.webtechnik.com/ebony/CPLady.htm

ACE has one of the (if not the most) largest number of memberships. So you will find more of the (guessing) 20,000 ACE people complaining compaired to the 400 coaster buzz members. Simply because there are more of them.

Thats why percentages are fun. What percent of the Coasterbuzz members were not happy? What percent of ACE members were not happy?

I've noticed the same thing in a RCT2 game I played recently. As the number of guests get higher, the number of them complaining about needing the restroom goes up. Once the number of people reaches about 120 the game warns you. However if you have 4,200 guests in your park that is only 2% and about normal. But it still warns you because it looks for a number and not a percent.

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"I can't make a movie or write a song either, but that doesn't mean I'm not entitled to think they suck."
-Jeff

Dragster: 1 Force: 5 Twister: 7 Raptor: 6 Magnum: 12
*** This post was edited by Rider 6/10/2003 4:20:56 PM ***

ACE has around 8,000 members.

I would add that I'm very proud of the way attendees have behaved at both CoasterBuzz events this year.

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Jeff
Webmaster/GTTP - Sillynonsense.com
"Pray that your country undergoes recovery!" - KMFDM

8,000 ok... thats 20X more than Coasterbuzz has. So if, lets say 5% of people were unhappy with Coastermania that would mean 400 ACErs (or all of Coasterbuzz :)) and 20 Coasterbuzzers were unhappy.

When you get lots of people, there are sure to be more unhappy with something. What was the final count for Coastermania? 2,500? Thats a LOT more than Coasterbuzz would ever get at any of its events. So it is a lot more easy to please them.
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"I can't make a movie or write a song either, but that doesn't mean I'm not entitled to think they suck."
-Jeff

Dragster: 1 Force: 5 Twister: 7 Raptor: 6 Magnum: 12

The "problem" with ACE as with just about any group is the VOCAL MINORITY is what people outside the group hear.

Perception is reality...like it or not. ACE is a good group and will have the opportunity to SHINE at CP in 2004. (the ACE convention will be at CP).

I am not a member of ACE but I am sure ACE will carry themselves well in 2004.

I readily admit that the vocal minority is what I'm hearing. I guess I just have a hard time understanding why an "enthusiast" would BE so vocal about something they should readily understand--that rides can and do have problems, and that parks are just as upset when a signature ride goes down, let alone for such a large event as Coastermania and Coastercon..

When parks provide front of the lines passes, substitute other coasters, try to find ways to make up for problems such as these, and ride crews are sorely put to the test, yet are still criticized (not just CP, but other parks as well) it just seems pretty ungrateful to me.

Even at Beastbuzz, the operators at Delirium were obviously worn out. The queue at Delirium was filled all day and the ops were running the last group on the ride when we showed up. They gave us three rides in a row, and the Beastbuzz attendees thanked and applauded the ops. I wonder how many ops at CP got applauded on Friday.
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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
http://www.webtechnik.com/ebony/CPLady.htm

I saw ALOT of great enthusiasts in the park last Friday. MOST and I do mean most do understand the nature of the problems and it is just not CP wanting to stick it to the enthusiasts. Unfortunately, these people are not the ones you write trip reports!