Has cool summer depression slowed ticket sales at Cedar Point?

I have heard and read that folks are having depression issues due to this summer not being hot and sunny enough for them. Has there been a slump in ticket sales this year? Or, at least at the water park areas?

No. Last summer was worse and it still drew in high numbers. I think it's because there is no new major attraction this year to draw in crowds. Last year GK only caused a spike in crowds. Comparing this years crowd to last year's isn't really a fair comparison. Compare it to the years before a new coaster was added.

However I am willing to bet Soak City has had a slump in guests this year.

I'm sure there has been busier seasons but every time I have tried to go in the last month, they have been packed! People reserve rooms in Sandusky and plan ahead for their trips. A little cool weather or rain won't stop them from having their fun. :-)

I think the cooler weather makes standing in line 100 times more comfortable. If anything the weather has been perfect for riding!

I'd rather go to an amusement park when it is cloudy and 70 than sunny and 90. The cooler weather is much more comfortable.

Yes, this. It's 92 an humid every day in the summer where I live, and it can be brutal at the parks. Looking forward to "winter" when it's jacket weather.

Yeah, I have to go with Pete on that. You stay warm enough walking around a park all day to make 70 feel fantastic. I skip SFoT all summer because standing outside in 100+ degree heat sucks.

I also agree that hot days at any amusement park are miserable. If we are spending an entire day at CP we will usually hit Soak City for a while if it is too hot. At Disney, there have been numerous days where we hit the parks for a few hours in the AM and then head back to the resort pool until early evening.

As far as attendance goes this year at CP, it seems to me the past few weeks have seen an increase in crowd levels. Last Saturday might have been the busiest I have seen it all year - including the 4th. This really surprised me as there was a steady rain all and into the early afternoon. Perhaps people are trying to squeeze a tad bit more fun out of summer as school is but a few weeks away now.

Pete said:
I'd rather go to an amusement park when it is cloudy and 70 than sunny and 90. The cooler weather is much more comfortable.

This times a million.

Even 80 degrees feels hot when you're out on the midways.

It seems like it's been plenty busy this year to me. I don't think I've been there on a truly slow day yet. We haven't even been on Maverick because every time we've been to the park the line has been about an hour and we've only gotten one or two chance rides for Millennium Force so far without major waits.

According to the latest report of earnings, attendance is down 1% for the entire Cedar Fair chain.

Yes, I also avoid the extremely hot days in favor of 70-80 degrees when possible.

I wouldn't call 1% "down". If it was 10% or more, then I think that would be cause for concern.

Maybe Cedar Fair should start a promotion next summer with all their parks. Lower the admission price by $5 bucks and I bet everyone will be flocking to the gates.

The cooler temps were always the big draw for me and my friends to Halloweekends. I'm not sure how many of you were around back in "the day" when these weekends started...trust me, it was nothing like the grand spectacle it is today.

It was just so incredible to walk around the park in comfortable weather instead of hot and sticky.

Disney trip booked for early March...not August.

:)

There's a reason for that.

Thabto said:
I wouldn't call 1% "down". If it was 10% or more, then I think that would be cause for concern.

Actually as big of a company as Cedar Fair is, if attendance dropped 10% there would be huge problems. A whole percentage point is a significant dip.

If you guys read the article you would know that 1% is from Cedar Point being closed a whole weekend, Valleyfair partially closing because of a flood and several schools going farther into the summer due to the brutal winter. If you take away those three unusual events, attendance would probably be just right.

Earlier this summer gas went up quite a bit for a few weeks there and for people with a tight budget and a long drive to get to a park that could have made a difference between going or putting it off until later. That might have had an effect more than the weather.

Shawn Meyer said:
Maybe Cedar Fair should start a promotion next summer with all their parks. Lower the admission price by $5 bucks and I bet everyone will be flocking to the gates.

Just no..and not everything involves attendance. Attendance down 1%, but profits are down quite a bit with a large increase in operating costs.

See SIX. Big drop in attendance, but maintained pricing integrity (something CF has just thrown out the window this season it seems), but per caps up 11% and with it earnings..

Attendance is not everything

Operating costs increased 7 million, much of it due to more entertainment and an enhanced guest experience. Smart in my opinion because they are focusing on long term repeat visits instead of the cheap penny pinching of the Kinzel era. Plus, this is hardly a large increase in my opinion. EBITDA is only down 3 million but revenue is up.

I think it was a good performance and I think the company has excellent management with Ouimet and his team. You sound very negative which I think is unwarranted.