Dinosaurs alive platinum pass holder news!

So their plan is to break even?

Obviously they have to cover the costs. They have to pay workers. Pay for the paths they made, the plants they plant, and the light-bulbs that light the way. Pay the rent.

To make a profit.

At the end of the day, I'm tickled we get to walk through for free with our passes, and I'm sure the girls will enjoy it.

Thabto said:
Actually, the reason for the up-charge was to cover the cost of renting the dinosaurs. CP doesn't own them and they need to pay the company that rents them out.

Every attraction comes with development, construction, and operation costs. They could just have easily increased general admission by a buck or two to cover all costs related to DA, as they do with other additions to the park.

If...
Every attraction comes with development, construction, and operation costs. They could just have easily increased general admission by a buck or two to cover all costs related to DA, as they do with other additions to the park."
Then why isn't there a decrease in general admission (a buck or two) when attractions are removed or SBNO for extended periods of time? It would reflect the savings in maintenance, staffing, and other operational costs.

You would only do that if you suck at business.

Plus, it's rare that CP actually scales back in what they offer. Sure, they'll remove older attractions, but in most cases they're replaced with something(s) new.

By your definition (of - if you suck at business), the customer (which be us) is!

I can't think of a time when Cedar Point has ever scaled back.

Ever.

Can anyone else?

I can think of years when ticket prices did not increase. Sometimes at the gate, sometimes in other areas, like group tickets. Small-group ticket prices, for example, did not increase this year at all. So it's not as if every year prices just go up and up with no end.

Plus, Cedar Point DOES offer big discounts for days that are known to be less busy throughout the year.

You know, factoring in less staff, maintenance, etc...by much more than just "a buck or two".

The only one that comes to mind would be Gatekeeper's debut, when they removed DT and SS. But they also overhauled the gate and made it a much more enjoyable experience.

So no, I can't think of when they've scaled back.

SteveH said:
By your definition (of - if you suck at business), the customer (which be us) is!

The customer is what?

The customer just is.

It just is.

By your definition, the customer (you included), must suck at business for accepting the increased gate price with these reductions in product.

SBNO rides, removed rides (which don't equate to the number of additions), and even the free drink cups - have been reduced the parks expenditures --- and the park has pocketed these savings along with charging us for the improvements.

In addition, many of the improvements have come with an upcharge or at the expense of making the queue increased for non upcharged people (those without FastPass or FP+) because of longer lines that reduce the average customers overall ride count at the end of a visit.

SteveH said:
By your definition, the customer (you included), must suck at business for accepting the increased gate price with these reductions in product.

What reductions in product?

Even if we're to assume there's a reduction in product (a claim that is flimsy, at best), a more reasonable conclusion would be that the gate was priced too low to begin with, and even with your imaginary downsizing of the park, the customer still finds value in the product.

Which is supported by the park and company continuing to set records for revenue.

SBNO rides...

Aside from Skyhawk, do you have any other examples of rides that were SBNO for extended periods of time?

...removed rides (which don't equate to the number of additions)

Care to elaborate? In my view, the park has more attractions now than they did 10 years ago.

...the park has pocketed these savings along with charging us for the improvements.

What savings? On smaller plastic water cups?

What about their additional expenses? Like modifying existing rides to make them more accessible? Or cosmetic improvements to the park? All those Halloweekends decorations? The improvements to the electrical infrastructure of the park? The lighting, sound and cosmetic improvements on the Main Midway? The main gate overhaul?

djDaemon said:

Thabto said:
Actually, the reason for the up-charge was to cover the cost of renting the dinosaurs. CP doesn't own them and they need to pay the company that rents them out.

Every attraction comes with development, construction, and operation costs. They could just have easily increased general admission by a buck or two to cover all costs related to DA, as they do with other additions to the park.

Right, but the park doesn't rent the coasters, they don't need to pay Intamin, B&M, etc every month for their coasters, just pay it once and you're done, unless there is maintenance that would require them to send out a crew. Also, the DA contract could've stipulated that it had to be an upcharge for a set number of years and the park had to pay them a percentage of the earnings from it. Maybe now, that's why they allow platinum passes in this year.

Thabto said:
Right, but the park doesn't rent the coasters, they don't need to pay Intamin, B&M, etc every month for their coasters, just pay it once and you're done, unless there is maintenance that would require them to send out a crew.

What difference does it make? The cost still exists.

By your definition, the customer (you included), must suck at business for accepting the increased gate price with these reductions in product.

There has never been a reduction in my memory of 30+ years visiting the park.

SBNO rides, removed rides (which don't equate to the number of additions), and even the free drink cups - have been reduced the parks expenditures --- and the park has pocketed these savings along with charging us for the improvements.

Please enlighten me by "showing your work" on this math. Let's look at recent memory.

Removed over the past decade:

White Water Landing
Disaster Transport
Wildcat
Paddlewheel Excursions
Space Spiral
Chaos
Demon Drop

Am I missing something? Maybe.

Installed:

Maverick
Gatekeeper
Complete overhaul of entrance
Flying Eagles
Pipe Scream
Skyscraper
Sling Shot
Shoot the Rapids
Windseeker
SkyHawk
MaxAir
Planet Snoopy
Complete overhaul of Gemini Midway
Luminosity area addition & Overhaul
Dinos
Overhaul/theme and moving of boat ride
Overhaul of hotels

I'm confused. Less is more? More is less?

REMOVED: 7 rides
INSTALLED: 10 rides (2 of which are major coaster installs...plus Planet Snoopy's stuff)...plus all the other rehabs and attractions added

I guess your reduced-size water cups weigh very heavily in your mind.

And I was kind by only going back a decade. If we started at 2000, we would add MF, TTD, and wicked Twister to this list, while losing "Swan Boats"

Like I said...please enlighten me as to how Cedar Point has in any way been "reduced".

So all those years of declining food quality/service don't count as a reduction;)

SteveH said:
SBNO rides, removed rides (which don't equate to the number of additions), and even the free drink cups - have been reduced the parks expenditures --- and the park has pocketed these savings along with charging us for the improvements.

I have been going to CP for many years and never have they decreased or cheapened the product by removing rides. The rides that were removed were done so because they were no longer very popular or were outdated in some way.

Can you honestly say with a straight face that the addition of Gatekeeper did not totally surpass what was lost with the removal of Space Spiral and Disaster Transport? In the last few years I rode Space Spiral only a couple of times time final year for nostalgia after I heard it was being removed. DT, rode that only a handful of times, pretty MEH ride. Gatekeeper on the other hand became one of my favorites in the park that I rode over and over when crowd levels allowed. Plus, the new front gate is beautiful and inviting.

On the drink cups, well I don't think any of us have the information to judge if the smaller size is a cost savings. I know I just order two, no big deal that they are small. At least you can get free water, I was at an Indians game recently and they charged for a cup of water, around two dollars I believe.

In the past 10 years...
STR was out of service for most of the season last year - not that I miss it much after it's "issues".
Maxair had motor issues that rendered it closed for a significant portion of the season two years ago.
Windseeker was late to open and ended up closed for a significant period it's first year.
Vertigo simply fell down on its own. But this one is not fair because it was in Challenge Park.
Many of the "overhaul" projects listed are really corrections to areas that were poorly planned or cheaply done initially.
Skyhawk was down most of last summer.
Now these are not old or relocated rides I have listed, and sure - you can blame the manufacturer for a lot of the issues - but the gate price has never reflected these outages that are omitted from riding.
If Disney or Universal considered their refurb projects the way that CP does, their admission price would be about $600 a day.

SteveH said:
Many of the "overhaul" projects listed are really corrections to areas that were poorly planned or cheaply done initially.

Doesn't matter what your opinion of the improvements is. The fact is, these were improvements done to the park that enhanced the guest experience.

If you can use small water cups as an example of cost savings, these sure as hell count as an example of an enhanced guest experience.

As for rides that were down temporarily, you are probably the only person on Earth who thinks that's a remotely big deal, especially in terms of value of the admission price.

Steve, I'm honestly putting you in the "troll" category.

It's really just that nonsensical, so I can't take it seriously.

Well I guess that puts you in the official "Fan Boy" category!

Actually, I thought name calling constitutes banning from the site. And we do need to thin the herd of all these rose colored glass wearers!

I wouldn't say troll, but maybe really, really, grouchy.
SteveH - do you actually go to Cedar Point? As unhappy as you are with the place, I would assume not.