Free WiFi at the point next year!

If lines are long, no matter what friends I'm with, I'm going to be checking Facebook and surfing the web on my phone more to break up the boredom. Or even if we haven't run out of things to talk about in line, we're likely to stumble upon some bit of trivia that needs to be settled via Google (back in the day, we'd either shrug it off as unimportant or go back and forth for a while and whoever was the most insistent eventually 'wins'; but with smartphones, those arguments are a lot shorter).

And if our group splits up, there could be multiple rounds of texting to meet up again. Taking pictures eats up the battery too. And did you see that video So-n-so-erson posted the other day? Here, let me show it to you during our 90 minute wait.

Lastly, even if you just have your phone with you and don't use it, if cell service is poor, the phone will be constantly trying to search for a signal, which will drain the battery as well. Same with trying to latch on to weak wifi signals around the park.

If I decided to take my phone into the park I usually keep it on airplane mode to save battery (stops searching for signals, wifi, etc...). It prolongs battery life. Just switch it back over to service when I need to send a text, check a sports score, browse social media, etc. My phone (iPhone 6) usually won't dip below 70% with this method regardless of how long I stay at the park.

Dead Sexeh said:

What do people do at a park that drains their phone batteries so much that they need a charging station?

I obviously can't speak for everyone, but taking photos and HD video can take quite a toll on my battery. But I just carry a portable battery charger with me in those cases. I can recharge my phone while I'm walking around.

Also, why would you bring an iPad to an amusement park?

Who here said they're bringing their iPad with them?

I'll give you an idea of my battery life. I'm on 24 hours of standby and almost 8 hours of usage, and I still have 55%

I usually charge it every day and a half, but even then if I throw it on low power mode, I can stretch the battery even further.

I'm sure many more people will be participating in the Tweet ups now... *Sigh*

I'm just waiting to see who's down for Netflix and Chill in the queue lines haha

Surprised he hasn't used Yik Yak for marketing at all either, it has quite a network on point.

Dead Sexeh said:

What do people do at a park that drains their phone batteries so much that they need a charging station?

I just text people while I'm at the park. Sometimes I'll turn my mobile data on because I'm anxious to see what my sports teams are doing. Other than that, I just stick to texting all day.

IMO, I see offering 'free' WiFi being a much larger safety hazard. I've seen enough people having phones out at the wrong times( on a ride), or leaning into restricted areas for a photo opp. It also has the potential to lengthen wait times, even more, as people won't be paying attention (as to move forward and keep line moving). Yes, this also has great potential for non-riders, to help pass their time if they choose. I do have my phone with me while in park. I use it for texting, pictures, and to occasionally check time or weather...when I'm NOT in line. It's fully charged before entering for the day, and will get re-charged if necessary, when we go for a break in car or hotel room. Maybe I'm the minority, but I go with my daughter( and others) to talk, have fun, and relax. Not being so attached to my electronic devise is sometimes very relaxing! She doesn't even take hers into the park-amazing for a young adult! When we enter those gates, we want as little 'baggage' as possible! I'm willing to venture 2016 gate prices are increasing due to Valrvan, this would get that increase set in stone. Again, all IMO.

I have been waiting to see this topic for a long time now.

I'm not one of those people attached to my phone all day, especially at CP. However, I am still very excited about this because I get so annoyed when I'm trying to view the weather radar at CP and it won't load properly on my phone due to crappy internet connection.

You have high hopes for the new wifi service.
If it's even remotely like the 'free' wifi at the resorts... Get your credit cards ready.

If it's anything like Kings Island's WiFi, it'll be great. The free wifi dosen't mess with anything mentioned above, and it's great because I don't always have good reception.

Janeen Harris said:

IMO, I see offering 'free' WiFi being a much larger safety hazard.

You should come see WDW then, because none of your concerns are valid, and in fact device usage is a part of Disney's plan to optimize the park experience.

In addition, it is nice to see Cedar Fair embrace technology as a company. Under Kinzel, how many years did it take before they installed something as basic as a modern POS. Anyone remember those old cash registers from the 70s?

From things like WiFi to other projects like the virtual reality test with Mack, the company under Ouimet is showing that it understands that technology should be leveraged to improve the guest experience and the bottom line.

Just as with Disney, I would bet that installing park-wide WiFi is more than providing a convenience to guests, it will be used to for many other things to improve the experience and for in park marketing down the road.

^ Pete, what did you mean by POS? I'm bad with abbreviations.

Point Of Sale=Cash Register/Terminals

Depending on what you're talking about, it could also stand for: Piece Of....I forget the last word :)

Seconding what Pete said. Under Ouimet the company seems to have a much better understanding of how to enhance the customer experience.

I think it's great... As a solo visitor I've found not everyone appreciates conversation from Random-Weird-Guy-In-Line... Gives me something extra to do if my line-neighbours aren't the talky type...

chris9ty said:

I'm interested in the FunPix details.

There was a little information on the analyst call last week. Ouimet said:

"The buildout of free Wi-Fi and mobile applications at our parks will also allow us to benefit from new initiatives within our long term growth strategy. This includes FunPix our new digital entertainment platform which will be offered in our five largest parks next year. We want to create an environment where digital photos became an intrinsic part of the overall park experience. Our new platform will allow our guests to instantly share memory digitally with friends and families creating an engagement that extends before, during and after their park visit."