Early Entry

As much as I hate the idea of complaining that something has become to good of a deal I think they have made the gold pass deal just a little too sweet at this point. Unless there is a price increase next year since it will no longer be part of the 150th celebration they have made it pointless for a very large number of passholders to upgrade to platinum and definitely devalued the extra expense of staying on point. If everyone but daily ticket holders is getting early entry is it really that big of a perk anymore? I don't use it often because I'm not normally a morning person and I certainly am feeling even less motivated to get up at the butt crack of dawn for early entry now that everyone is doing it.

Joe, you beat me to it. I was going to say the same thing.

Is it possible that the park could eventually wipe out the gold pass? Essentially going back to how things were before that pass existed? I always viewed the gold pass as part of their two year celebration and not necessarily something permanent.

There’s been a lot of head-scratching decisions made by the park this year and I’m not quite sure what to make of it. This is year two of the pandemic, and technically there’s no more restrictions, but yet the park is operating as if they gave control over to less experienced individuals this year.

It is important to note that the Gold Pass was initially a Paramount Parks invention that was then carried over when CF bought that chain in 2007. As such, considering how long it has been around and how successful it is at parks like KI, I get the strong impression that the Gold Pass is here to stay for the foreseeable future. (And, offering a new pass that has major uptake, then removing it a few seasons later likely will not develop the consistent passholder visitor base they are looking for.)

Considering these pre-existing Gold Pass parks, it is also interesting to note that early entry at parks like KI are half-hour long events at 2-3 coasters. This means that the "front half at 9:30" Golden Entry system CP was using for the first couple of weeks was very similar to what we see at the pre-existing Gold Pass parks. Similarly, Gold Pass sales actually end mid-season at parks like KI, leaving only the standard pass and the Platinum Pass. (My memory of the cut-off is fuzzy; I think it is somewhere around mid-June, but it definitely happens before July.) With that in mind, I really wonder if CP will follow suit and cut off Gold sales mid-season. (My gut says no, but if the Gold Pass gets too oversold (if it hasn't already), this may be a bridge they will have to cross eventually.)

Gold pass sales at KI are *supposed* to end in June but for at least the past few seasons sales keep getting extended well into July. With the next season’s passes sales starting in late August there is effectively only 4-5 weeks that the Gold are not available.

Current Gold Pass sits at $135. I’m sure on renewal it will be discounted $10 or so. Much more reasonable than the $99 but still historically low.

I remember my 2001-02ish total pass cost was around $160. I think it was $110 for CP and SC, $40 parking, and $10 for ‘Joe Cool’ which got you the early entry perk and parking on your pass instead of a single vehicle. That’s pass and additions is about the equivalent of gold now. Granted it would get you into other CF parks, but were talking at the time Dorney and MIA, so nobody was exactly buying that as a primary reason. Inflation adjusted that’s $230ish, not too much more than where the platinum sits now. Attendance really wasn't an issue then. There was a slight dip in attendance 2001-02ish, but picked right back up after the SFWoA debacle was over,

Speaking of… my SFWoA pass was around $70 plus a $25 parking ticket book, or $140 is today. Crazy to think they are even undercutting that.

Speaking of inflation, they will probably have to increase the cost of gold just to cover the inflationary pressure on wages and capex. I am thinking there will be some sticker shock when it comes renewal time.

Joe E said:

Speaking of… my SFWoA pass was around $70 plus a $25 parking ticket book, or $140 is today. Crazy to think they are even undercutting that.

Well, after all, I drove past Cedar Point to get to Six Flags Worlds of Adventure.

Chuck Wagon said:

The website page for early entry, as well as the blog post announcing it have both been revised. The blog post indicates it was updated on 25 May.

i disagree. I checked the park website looking for the revised information, but it is the same as when they first announced the return of early entry. Also the blog is the same way. Am I missing something?

Originally the Gold Pass provided only 30 minutes of Early Entry. Now it provides 60 minutes, the same as Platinum.

Here's the WayBack link to the pass page:

https://web.archive.org/web/20210503213013/https://www.cedarpoint.c...son-passes

And here's the WayBack link to the original blog post:

https://web.archive.org/web/20210320152036/https://www.cedarpoint.c...entry-info