Fast Lane

In my opinion, they should just let them sell out at the normal price instead of jacking a few non-Saturday days up just because they have other specials going on. I don't think the answer is raising the price whenever they think they are going to have a busy day. The better answer is setting a maximum number of passes sold at the normal price and just letting them sell out if it happens to happen. Again, just my opinion.

Otherwise, I see this constantly jumping up whenever they see a "busy" day coming up. I don't think that is a good solution long-term.

Also, a little warning would have been nice, I guess. Just annoying when the price is one thing in the morning and something else in the afternoon -- simply because they've edited the fine print to include days that weren't included before.

- John...

This sort of dynamic pricing - which is seen everywhere, from baseball games to movie tickets and beyond - is long overdue, in my opinion.

If it bothers you, simply pretend they're offering discounted admission on slower days.

I agree. It's a good way to limit its impact on those busy days. It was a long time coming and will benefit those not purchasing FL as well. All in all, I think they're getting a pretty good handle on how it works and it will only continue to improve. And anybody could've gotten them cheaper at the beginning of the season to use later. It was offered and I'm sure someone who will be there that week only spent $30 on their FL pass. And I be this is in there somewhere as well:
*Price subject to change
I didn't get a warning today when gas was 50 cents more a gallon then yesterday.

I disagree, they are not raising the price to limit impact, they are raising prices to maximize impact. They probably know they can hit , or come very close, to the maximum number of passes available that day at the higher price. It's just simple supply and demand economics, it is not done to appease those who think Fast Lane is making their wait longer.

I'm not opposed to "dynamic pricing" necessarily. I'm opposed to changing what is being advertised at the last minute. I don't think they should be raising prices the day before they are to be used.

Also, comparing this to gas prices seems a bit odd. You know that those price fluctuate normally, so it isn't the same thing at all. If you want to come a little closer to that analogy, it is more like seeing a price on the sign, pulling into the station, putting the hose in your car, and then seeing the per-gallon price change just before you pull the lever to put it in. Any, again, even that isn't a good analogy -- because you KNEW that they were about to go up soon anyhow because it is an already fluctuating price as it is.

If you are going to do a "dynamic pricing" system, then advertise it as such. That's all I was saying.

- John...

On a side note, I don't quite get your movie tickets analogy either. If your theaters have that, it must be pretty limited -- as I've never seen it anywhere else. If a movie is out in it's first week and is popular, then it sells out. I don't see theaters often jacking the price the first week because they know it will be a popular movie.

Sure, we might see a discounted movie months after release just before it leaves the theater. But that isn't the same thing as jumping the price the first week just because you know it will be a popular movie.

So, I don't see this being used commonly for movies as you've suggested...

- John...

JohnMI said:
I'm opposed to changing what is being advertised at the last minute.

The park has no obligation to keep prices static, in the same way my local grocer is under no obligation to keep the price of a gallon of milk static.

Also, comparing this to gas prices seems a bit odd. You know that those price fluctuate normally, so it isn't the same thing at all.

No, it's absolutely the same thing. As demand increases, so does the price. I'd say "this is Econ 101 stuff", but that would be an insult to Econ 101.

...because you KNEW that they were about to go up soon anyhow because it is an already fluctuating price as it is.

OK, so now you know that various admission prices (gate, parking, Fast Lane, etc.) fluctuate with demand. Problem solved!

JohnMI said:
On a side note, I don't quite get your movie tickets analogy either.

You've never gone to a matinee? You should - same new release, a fraction of the cost, and often times, fewer people in the theater.

JohnMI said:
I'm not opposed to "dynamic pricing" necessarily. I'm opposed to changing what is being advertised at the last minute. I don't think they should be raising prices the day before they are to be used.

Also, comparing this to gas prices seems a bit odd. You know that those price fluctuate normally, so it isn't the same thing at all. - John...

The difference between the dynamic pricing of Fast Lane versus gasoline is that you are conditioned to the gas pricing. From experience you know when the price will go up so you try to by it before that happens. In the case of FL, since this is its first year we don't know for sure what they are going to do with its pricing. But I would bet that you have now learned that July 4th week next year will see a price jump - the conditioning has already started.

They've raised FL prices already this year. If you're on this website, as an enthusiast, you should've known this was a possibility. And bought your passes at the beginning of the season to use this week for a lower price. That would've been easier than me buying gas at a cheaper price to use now.

djDaemon said:
The park has no obligation to keep prices static,

I didn't say that they did.

in the same way my local grocer is under no obligation to keep the price of a gallon of milk static.

Yes and no. If a local grocer advertises a price, they actually do need to keep it static. Also, to be clear, most grocery stores, if they think they might run out of milk that day, do NOT jack the prices up because of this. They simply let them sell out and say that they will have more tomorrow.

No, it's absolutely the same thing. As demand increases, so does the price. I'd say "this is Econ 101 stuff", but that would be an insult to Econ 101.

Econ 101 would teach you that gas prices are not purely a supply and demand priced item. Other factors are clearly involved (which explains why certain geographic areas may have higher prices through the area -- even if demand has not changed). It's a resource that people need to have in many cases -- not a luxury item. It also fluctuates constantly. So, I still think it is a poor comparison to FL prices.

OK, so now you know that various admission prices (gate, parking, Fast Lane, etc.) fluctuate with demand. Problem solved!

Again, my issue is that I think CP should advertise it this way if that is their plan. Looking at their web site, I would argue that NO, you still do NOT know that prices fluctuate with demand. They don't seem to indicate that at all. And THAT was my complaint.

Again, I'm not opposed to such a system -- I'm opposed to note advertising it as such a system.

You've never gone to a matinee? You should - same new release, a fraction of the cost, and often times, fewer people in the theater.

Again, not the same thing. Your example being like the CP situation would mean that the theater sees that a movie is going to be popular and therefore increases their normal prices for that opening period because it looks like it will sell out. This is very rarely done. Having different prices for NORMAL, ONGOING, KNOWN periods with less traffic is not the same as making on-the-fly price adjustments based on expected traffic the next day.

Again, they can do it all they want -- I just think that they should be clear and advertise it that way. They advertising makes it look like "this is the price, if we get busy, we'll sell out." But that isn't what they are doing. Instead, they are going "this is the price right now, but if we get busy, we'll increase the price as we get closer."

How that is advertised affects how people decide to buy tickets. I simply think that they should advertise it as they are implementing it. That doesn't seem like too much to ask to me.

- John...

Shades said:
The difference between the dynamic pricing of Fast Lane versus gasoline is that you are conditioned to the gas pricing. From experience you know when the price will go up so you try to by it before that happens.

Correct - because gas is advertised this way and everyone knows that is how it works. CP is NOT advertising their FL prices that way. I simply think that they should advertise it as a "dynamic pricing" system if that is how they are going to run it.

- John...

vwhoward said:
They've raised FL prices already this year. If you're on this website, as an enthusiast, you should've known this was a possibility. And bought your passes at the beginning of the season to use this week for a lower price. That would've been easier than me buying gas at a cheaper price to use now.

I joined this site looking for info on the FL system only a week or so ago. Therefore, no, I didn't know.

Also, to note it, lots of people cannot plan their specific day-trip to CP at the beginning of the season. Since, unlike normal tickets, FL tickets are tied to a specific day, I think you are asking a bit much to expect someone -- even if they DID know about the fluctuating prices (which I didn't) -- to be able to buy their specific-day FL tickets at the beginning of the season.

If they were open-ended tickets like the normal tickets, I might agree with you a bit more.

- John...

JohnMI said:
...if they think they might run out of milk that day, do NOT jack the prices up because of this.

You keep coming back to this, and I have no idea why. CP didn't raise FL prices because they thought they might run out. They raised prices because they are safely presuming demand will be much higher.

Looking at their web site, I would argue that NO, you still do NOT know that prices fluctuate with demand. They don't seem to indicate that at all.

In line with Shades' spot-on response, when gas demand rises (around summer holidays), gas prices go up. As Shades pointed out, you're conditioned to this phenomenon, so you accept it as inevitable in a supply-demand economy. That you're not accustomed to this behavior at CP doesn't mean the park is wrong to implement it.

For example, I drove by a gas station the other day, and the price was $3.579/gallon. When I filled up the next day, it was $3.559/gallon. They were under no obligation to warn me of the price change, because I understand that the price now isn't the price tomorrow/yesterday/2 years from now.

Gas stations have never, in my lifetime, advertised that their prices are subject to change. They simply change them as they see fit.

Again, I'm not opposed to such a system -- I'm opposed to note advertising it as such a system.

I agree that there should be a tiny asterisked note saying something to the effect of "prices are subject to change". But really, they do advertise that Saturdays cost more, so any reasonable person would assume that demand influences the price.

Having different prices for NORMAL, ONGOING, KNOWN periods with less traffic is not the same as making on-the-fly price adjustments based on expected traffic the next day.

Again, this goes back to Shades' point about you not being accustomed to dynamic pricing at CP. You accept that because there is lower demand for matinee movies, ticket prices are lower. You're upset because you aren't yet accustomed to the same behavior at CP. But that doesn't mean the two entities aren't doing the same thing, essentially - adjusting prices based on demand.

Of course I'm not "accustomed" to dynamic pricing at CP -- because they DIDN'T DO IT BEFORE THIS WEEK. Correct -- I am upset because I'm not accustomed to something that they JUST STARTED DOING WITHOUT NOTICE. I simply stated that I think they should make this clear to the public. Had I KNOWN that they adjust prices based on demand (outside of Saturdays like they already state), then I might have made a different purchasing decision. I simply think it would be a common courtesy for them to make that clear.

But, whatever. We can agree to disagree. People aren't "used to it" because they haven't been doing it. They have print that explains that they do it on Saturdays. That does not mean that "any reasonable person would assume" that they adjust prices based on demand for other days! In general, if they are going to just say that they increase prices on Saturday, then I would argue that "any reasonable person would actually assume" that the prices are pretty static except for Saturdays when they go up to another static price. Not that they suddenly adjust it throughout the week the day before busy days based on expected demand.

I just think it is poorly detailed is all. I think that they need more than just the asterisks you suggest (i.e. something more than "prices subject to change." I think they should flat out state right there next to the pricing -- like they were doing just for Saturdays -- that they plan to adjust pricing on-the-fly based on expected demand.

Just my opinion, of course, that that would be the right way to do it.

But, whatever. Sorry to walk into the clique and complain. I'll show myself out... Sheesh.

- John...

Just checked Cedar Points website, today is listed in gray so that means they are sold out of Fast Lane wristbands. Now is that just for online purchase or in the park as well?

JohnMI said:
Of course I'm not "accustomed" to dynamic pricing at CP -- because they DIDN'T DO IT BEFORE THIS WEEK. Correct -- I am upset because I'm not accustomed to something that they JUST STARTED DOING WITHOUT NOTICE.

JohnMI said:
In general, if they are going to just say that they increase prices on Saturday, then I would argue that "any reasonable person would actually assume" that the prices are pretty static except for Saturdays when they go up to another static price.

Actually, they've already raised pricing on FL since it started. It hasn't been around for more than a few months and its already gone up and the multi sale discounts have decreased as well. Since this is new to everybody, at least at CP, any reasonable person can assume there will be adjustments.

Everyone has opinions on here about what is right. The passes are available to everyone who wishes to get them. IMO ranting and raving does no good, just wait in line and deal with it. If your really unhappy spend less at the park and buy the pass. I've been reading all these posts online about how much they are, which there not if you have 4 people. Through August they have tues-thurs tickets into the park for 36.99, then get the fast pass and your at about 77-87.

As I see it you can buy a car with zero options or fully loaded...

Here are your options people

1) buy a regular ticket and wait in line, complain, and be unhappy. Then give fast passes users dirty looks and call them names.

2) buy a regular ticket plus fast pass, have an awesome time, get yelled at and deal with it, ride everything 3+ times.

3) stay home and post online about your experiences and what CP should do... Recommended for most of the whiners on here!

I went on the 19th of june this year which was a Tuesday. Thinking it wouldn't be crowded because of the 95 degree temps, and it being a tuesday. I was WAY wrong. It was just too dang hot to stand in line for an hour and a half. I bought fast lane after standing in line for dragster for about 5 minutes. Maverick is the best fast lane line. It goes right under the station and up the steps. There were barely any fast lane user at all. Millennium had the coolest fast lane line. It went under the station and to the side of the hill, then up the front end of the station. Dragster has the worst one, it lets out at the ramp, and it was so hot. No one really got mad or gave dirty looks, except on skyhawk. You literally cut in front. I only go once a year, and wasn't going to buy FL, until it got too hot. All in all, FL is a great thing, especially on a hot day,

Hey, first time poster here. I came here to see how the new service was going before I go to the park soon. I will probably be using FL simply for the sake of riding as much as possible, but I had an interesting thought that I didn't see talked about. I saw some pics of the wristbands on Twitter and they look like the disposable wristbands you get at concerts if you are drinking, so my question is, do they have anything else on them that distinguishes their use from a forged copy? i.e., barcodes, changing colors, changing pictures? From what I saw it would be pretty easy to make your own. Not that I'm for that, but I would think they would do something to prevent that.

The park changes the color of the wristbands every day. The wristbands are also dated.