Fall 2020 Information

It's out, they just posted a park update for the fall season.

https://www.cedarpoint.com/park-update

When I see "Unique food options," I read "less food options." Which I completely and wholly understand, if that's indeed the case. Staffing in the fall was already a challenge, well before the pandemic. I'm glad to see the park giving it a shot though!

Kings Dominion and Carowinds confirm no 2020 operation. If they can't operate in 2021 either and the Ohio parks have to use band aid ops along with Knotts and Wonderland staying closed, Cedar Fair is finished. Awful. The other parks in the chain are meaningless.

Even if 2021 is still modified, Cedar Fair is not "finished". And those parks will open in 2021. No need to cause internet panic.

I definitely will be making my way down this fall and enjoying their services if they're going to be open. I really to appreciate the effort that is taking on their part. Hopefully the shareholders call tomorrow has some decent news.

James Parker jr said:

The other parks in the chain are meaningless.

Big Dorney Park fan, are ya?

I love Demon Drop and their top 3 is fine, but CF has told you what they think of Dorney, WoF, ValleyFair in the last 10 years. I wish those parks mattered to the chain, I try to get to Dorney every couple of years.

Cartwright said:

Even if 2021 is still modified, Cedar Fair is not "finished". And those parks will open in 2021. No need to cause internet panic.

If those 4 parks don't open at all in 2021, the chain will either be the target of an unfriendly merger and/or no longer exist as presently constructed in 2022. It's up to Ontario, Virginia, the Carolinas and California. Things are getting worse in a lot of places right now, I'm not confident that it gets better over fall and winter. I hope it does of course. Wonderland is my home park and I won't be there at all this season, and Knotts was spectacular. After Cedar Fair rebuffed Six Flags I think we all breathed a sigh of relief, now the future looks just as bad, if not significantly worse.

Going to try and grab the reins and get this to a positive note of some sort.

I agree that food locations may be limited but I am curious what this tricks and treat will look like. Will they be having special food? Will this be something more along the lines of Mickey's not so scary Halloween party? More family friendly than traditional?

I hold nothing against the traditional Halloween weekends because it's a huge dollar maker for Cedar Point and Cedar Fair overall, I'm just not a fan for that stuff, but I always have been curious to see what they could do other than that very targeted event that they normally do. Maybe we'll get to see what they're capable of this year.

I know I've seen talk about it before but prior to the current Halloween weekends did they ever have a more tamed down October season that looked kind of like what they're talking about?

Knotts is not entirely closed, they are currently running a very successful food and merchandise event https://www.knotts.com/play/events/taste-of-knotts

I get the reduced hours, but 12-8? Why not 2-10? That way we get some night rides in, plus the park looks so much better all lit up, with more of a Halloween feel.

The lights will be on. End of september sunset is 7:05pm, end of october sunset is 6:25pm. The riding may not be in the darkness, but twilight with all the parks nightime illumination on.

I actually enjoy a good sunset ride. Gives everything a nice glow. Especially when the rides light up and the clouds are light over Sandusky bay. Just enough to get that beautiful pink/red.

James Parker jr said:

I love Demon Drop and their top 3 is fine, but CF has told you what they think of Dorney, WoF, ValleyFair in the last 10 years. I wish those parks mattered to the chain, I try to get to Dorney every couple of years.

Those parks serve their purpose and do very well for the chain. If it were practical for them to expand them to Cedar Point/Kings Island/Carowinds style parks, they would.

I believe Michigan's Adventure is actually their most profitable park. Not that it brings in the highest amount, but the profit margin is the best. It serves the market it is in very well.

I have family who vacation in that area and it's a staple stop for them. It's far enough north that it gets a lot of the lakeside vacationers from a good chunk of the Michigan shoreline, I once heard someone compare Michigan lakeside to Mediterranean vacation homes and I think there's a good bit of Truth to that. I think it's genius that they have the water park there plus some roller coasters. It's definitely a different caliber but I agree with the fact that it's placed well.

Going to be the first fall season in 17 years that I won't be scaring people. I knew it was coming, but still sucks to see it made official.

Not shocked at all by this announcement. Glad it's this over nothing. But I doubt I will attend personally.

As for 2021. I see all parks reopened. There will be more knowledge, maybe a vaccine making it's rounds. Maybe more effective treatments. 2021 will look different and I see all parks open even if they are still operating with reduced capacity.

Besides, 2021 isn't an election year. So this will obviously all disappear ;)

If things aren't "under control" by park season in 2021 it would probably be easy to argue that keeping businesses closed is pointless and I would expect a lot of lawsuits if the governors try to prevent them from opening a second year in a row. Operations may not be normal but I don't think individuals or corporations are going to just sit back keep their businesses closed for a second year without a fight.

The longer we have to live amongst the virus the better we will be at finding ways to adapt to get things to a level of new normal. Think about March and April. It’s not that the virus is under control right now. It’s that we have adapted and found ways to live with it we didn’t have then.

James Parker jr said:

Kings Dominion and Carowinds confirm no 2020 operation. If they can't operate in 2021 either and the Ohio parks have to use band aid ops along with Knotts and Wonderland staying closed, Cedar Fair is finished. Awful. The other parks in the chain are meaningless.

Cedar Fair has $300 million in cash in the bank, and can tap another $360 million. They'll be fine.