Dinosaurs! >>>Good idea or really bad idea???

Tilt-a-Whirl said:
My problem with Dinosaurs is the $5. It's like charging $5 extra to ride the train, go through a haunted house, or to walk through frontier town.

Or charging someone $5 to have an employee guess their weight.

Or charging someone $5 to shoot 3-pointers.

Or charging someone $5 to have an exaggerated picture of themselves.

Or charging someone $5 to have a stencil airbrushed on their face.

It's just another attraction at the park. It's not the first to cost extra, and it won't be the last.

Right. Those are GAMES and MERCHANDISE, completely different than an attraction like dinos. And I disagree, most of the general public will not find out Dinos is $5 until they get to the attraction. That was my experience atleast while working the Sky Tower at SeaWorld. Heck, atleast make it free for passholders.

Not really that different. They are all entertainment options offered by the park. They all have an additional cost above and beyond the price of admission.

Some people will find value in that additional cost and will pay it to be entertained. Some people won't find value and will skip it.

There's no fundamental difference between GAMES, MERCHANDISE and the dino walkthrough. All of them are forms of entertainment that simply aren't included in the cost of a general admission ticket. Just like Soak City, Challenge Golf, Skyscraper and so on. This is not a new concept.

And just like Soak City, Challenge Golf, Skyscraper, etc., some people won't know that Dinosaurs Alive costs extra. Few will care, and more than a few will gladly pay the extra $5.

Ok. Well with that logic, what keeps the park from charging an additional $$ for a roller coaster? Perhaps in 2013 the new attraction will also have an extra admittance fee, but I guess many of you here won't mind.

As I see it the real issues are as follows...

By removing the paddle wheel boats, there is one less attraction in the park - yet my entry price does not reflect that fact. The Dino experience isn't even separate like Challenge Park - it's inside a park I already have paid to enter.

If I want to go to Dinos, Challenge Park, Soak City, or use Fast Pass - I am upcharged incrementally for each attraction or benefit - and if I don't elect to stay on property, or have a season pass - no ERT for me and my party, and on top of that, I have to pay for parking. This is really cruel to family groups that can't afford much for vacations, and may not be able to cough up for these "perks" - plus it diminishes the value of their entry where the ones with $ can now do a "legal line jump". If you have ever waited at the front gate with kids watching the ERT people scoot right in (while your party has to wait and watch) know what I mean - it's really hard to tell them they have to wait. And this is going to be even more prevalent with Fast Pass.

Come on, we are just emerging from a recession, and a lot of people view CF as a cost savings over other vacation destionations because of promotions that run for "pay one price" and they look for discounted entry just from the posted prices by purchasing tickets in advance or as part of a advertised promotion. But the budget quickly goes out the door when I am constantly charged all these hidden fees.

Couple all of this with the staggering price of food - and other upcharges like 3 Point, locker rental, and carnival games, and the fine print really starts eat at my wallet that already has no insurance against attraction down time, inclimate weather, or the price of gas just to get to the Point.

Now I understand that a lot of these issues can't be avoided, but in terms of good and bad ideas - the marketing department had better take all of these concerns and look at ways to minimize them to insure the value = the price.

SteveH said:
But the budget quickly goes out the door when I am constantly charged all these hidden fees.

What hidden fees? The prices for parking, admission and all attractions are easily found on the Cedar Point website.

And if a family is truly on a budget and plans a vacation without actually looking into the costs involved with said vacation then I feel no pity for them.

Cedar Point has never aimed to be a poor man's vacation. And there has been no evidence that a trip to Cedar Point should somehow be within everyone's reach. Some people can't afford it, some people can, and some people can afford it with all the bells and whistles.

SteveH said:
The Dino experience isn't even separate like Challenge Park - it's inside a park I already have paid to enter.

You're making an arbitrary distinction to suit your argument.

This is really cruel to family groups that can't afford much for vacations...

Seriously? Do you not understand the concept of supply & demand? The park has absolutely no obligation to ensure people of all income levels are able to visit the park. Just like the Detroit Tigers has no obligation to provide tickets to homeless people who can't afford to purchase one. Just like the BMW dealer is under no obligation to ensure a 17 year old working part time at Taco Bell can afford to purchase one of their vehicles.

If you can't afford a day at CP, there are other, less expensive options.

...it's really hard to tell them they have to wait.

It's nothing more than an early lesson in "you get what you pay for". And that's to say nothing of the complete lack of perspective you're suggesting these kids have. Maybe they should be reminded that taking any sort of vacation at CP is a luxury that many kids never experience.

...the marketing department had better take all of these concerns and look at ways to minimize them to insure the value = the price.

Have you not been paying attention to CP's (and by extension, CF's) attendance in recent years? I'd say they're doing a pretty good job of doing just what you suggest. In fact, CP is probably leaving money on the table.

Tilt-a-Whirl said:
Side Note- I love how the marketing dept emphasizes "animatronic" as if this is a "cool thing." Isnt the point supossed to be the imaginative aspect of seeing real dinosaurs? It'd be like Disney saying "Come ride the Haunted Mansion, featuring 999 hologramic, fake ghosts!".

I think the idea is to emphasize that the dinosaurs move, that it is more than a static display. Since real dinosaurs haven't roamed the earth in more than 65 million years, anyone who thinks they will see real dinosaurs probably are not smart enough to know what animatronic means, so it's a moot point.

SteveH said:
As I see it the real issues are as follows...

This is really cruel to family groups that can't afford much for vacations, and may not be able to cough up for these "perks"

CP is not an inexpensive vacation and was never meant to be a place for people who "can't afford much". There is always the option of pitching a tent at a state park if you can't afford what CP offers.

If you have ever waited at the front gate with kids watching the ERT people scoot right in (while your party has to wait and watch) know what I mean - it's really hard to tell them they have to wait. And this is going to be even more prevalent with Fast Pass.

It's called a lesson in life. If you find it hard, then you are doing something wrong.

But the budget quickly goes out the door when I am constantly charged all these hidden fees.

Couple all of this with the staggering price of food - and other upcharges like 3 Point, locker rental, and carnival games, and the fine print really starts eat at my wallet that already has no insurance against attraction down time, inclimate weather, or the price of gas just to get to the Point.

There are no hidden fees, everything is clearly spelled out on the website and other publications. And seriously, do you really think games should be included in the price of admission? It seems that perhaps a trip to an amusement park may not be for you, a nice family hike through the woods might be better.

Tilt-a-Whirl said:
Ok. Well with that logic, what keeps the park from charging an additional $$ for a roller coaster? Perhaps in 2013 the new attraction will also have an extra admittance fee, but I guess many of you here won't mind.

I wouldn't. It's certainly one way to keep the line manageable for the first year or two of a new coaster.

I'm more of a line snob now than I was in the past. I'm the guest with disposable income and relatively low patience (aka, the park's dream guest), or as Ouimet put it, a "benefits-oriented consumer." I'd gladly pay $5 to ride a new coaster with a 15-30 minute wait instead of 2 hours for "free". I've also paid for for Qbot/Fastlane at 3 out of the 4 park visits I've made this year. And I'm far from the only one. If you expect parks to leave that kind of money on the table, you're dreaming.

Didn't Cedar Point used to have small climbing walls inside the park that were an upcharge? I think it would have been somewhere around 10 years ago. This doesn't seem any different then that.

Cedar Point showed "Rolling Stones at the Max" in 1992 at the Cedar Point Cinema and charged an extra fee. Minor point, I know. :)

^^They did have a rock wall that was an up charge. and if I remember right, it was $5 per person. It is where the High Striker sits by Witches Wheel. And didn't the park have laser tag too at one point, or am I thinking of Kings Island?

I think for a family $5 a person to go in Dinosaurs Alive! is a great value for what can be accomplished. And by this I mean, some day when you go to the park sit out the exit of Dinosaurs Alive! and watch the families come out, specifically the looks on the kid's faces. I can tell you that there will be kids coming out acting like the dinosaurs they saw, making noises and faces. They will be coming out jumping around saying how cool that was. Basically you'll see the same reactions that you see when you play Roller Coaster Tycoon and build that 500 foot ride and see people come off and enjoy it. For every one person that is against this, there is going to be at least 5 kids that are going to be amazed by seeing a dinosaur, even if it is fake. And dare I say that some may even want to, when they get home, start looking up more on dinosaurs and learning new things about them. That's the real benefit that the $5 is going to bring, the opportunity to introduce something educational in a fun way to kids that will stimulate their minds. And I'm sure some of the kids when asked what their favorite part was they'll say something about the dinosaur they saw.

Pete said:
CP is not an inexpensive vacation and was never meant to be a place for people who "can't afford much". There is always the option of pitching a tent at a state park if you can't afford what CP offers.

Yeah, if you want a budget vacation, you can always go to Geauga...oh, wait.

I can't believe people are still complaining about the cost of Dinosaurs Alive when it's been announced since September of last year. If $5 is too much for you, then simply don't go see it. The end

I don't think an extra $20 (for a family of 4) is going to make or break the family vacation.

The solution for people who can't afford or don't want to pay for it is to just go back to thinking there is nothing there. It was empty space before and now they've put something there, if you don't want to pay, walk on by.

For those who say they lost paddle wheel and my ticket isn't any cheaper, you're right, but they also made general improvements across the park, not to mention all the luminosity work, I would say that balances out, especially given (and let's be honest) practically nobody was riding paddle wheel.

If it bothers you that much go down to KI instead and go through theirs... oh wait, it has the same upcharge, what did you expect would happen when it came here? I guess I just don't understand why people whine and moan about everything. Try instead to look at it from a different way, everybody who pays the $5 could be contributing to a new coaster or new attraction. Of course the park will try to make money on everything they can, because they put a lot back into the park as new stuff.

OK, here is the problem with the new DA attraction. It's extortion. People keep trying to say DA is meant to make the park more family friendly. I see it as a more traumatic experience for my wife and kids. We go to Cedar Point to have a fun day. Now every time we walk down the midway anywhere close to DA or see one of the in park advertisements my kids are going to start screaming they want to look at the dinosaurs (or again if we go more than once a summer). This means I have to drop another $20.00 at least or we have to listen to them whine the entire car ride home. I know that is exactly what the marketing folk and number crunchers at the park had in mind; but, it doesn't mean I have to like it and don't tell me it is family friendly.

And yes, anyone who thinks upcharging for DA (an attraction inside the park) is a good idea or they won't do it for other attractions in the future are foolish or just don't understand the way the world works. Did anyone ever hear of a PSL 20 years ago if they wanted to go to a football game? I want to see how the opinion of supporters of the DA upcharge change, when Cedar Fair decides to upcharge for every new ride or attraction they put in a park. Yes, you can buy your PSL(err admission ticket) and enjoy the "free" rides and attractions like bumper cars and live high school marching bands on the midway; but, if you want to ride one of the new record breaking coaster you have to pay extra for the premium rides in the area formerly known as Dinosaur's Alive. Can't you hear the marketing spin doctors explaining already how the "new" rides aren't meant for everyone; just those who want to pay extra for added thrills (insert Fast Lane joke here). After all, the park spent so many years catering to the "family crowd" they responded to their coaster base with these new attractions. But, with the economy the way it is, and the huge cost of the new ride (yada, yada, yada) we need to charge another $2.00 for anyone who wants to ride this new "special attraction". Don't worry; I'm not giving anyone in the front office any ideas. They already came up with this idea; it's exactly what they are doing with Dinosaurs Alive. They are just sticking it to families, not the coaster base.