Is Cedar Point Halloweekends in trouble?

I love Cedar Point just as much as the next guy. Since I was born in 1986, I haven’t missed a year. However…

Kings Dominion is open Saturday 10:30 to midnight, Sunday until 10pm.

Canada’s Wonderland is open every night Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until midnight.

Carowinds is open every night for the Haunt until midnight, and until 1am the last two Saturday’s in October.

Kings Island is open for the Haunt on two Thursday’s this year (although from the website it looks like this evenings was cancelled), plus they are open until midnight for October 11th and the 18th.

Knotts Berry Farm is open for the Haunt on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday’s all until 1am, and until 2am Friday and Saturday.

Even ValleyFair is open on the 14th and 15th during the week, and each Sunday until Midnight.

From what I remember in the past few years, all of the above parks have expanded on their hours.

Cedar Point has basically the same operating hours it has always kept for Halloweekends. Are we past the Golden Years at the park? Everyone else seems to be in the process of expanding Halloween themed hours, Cedar Point has stayed the same. Has the death of Detroit, the ailing of Toledo, failing of Cleveland, and no more rubber in Akron led to a slow death for Cedar Point? They can’t just pick up the park and move.

Guess I post this after being there for two of the three Friday night Halloweekends when the park was basically empty.

Best guess at low attendance on Fridays is the fact its a weekday so after work it's all day. Also, Halloweekends isn't exactly a family oriented deal which cuts down on the crowds especially at night, and in October it can get down right cold already!

I think Cedar Point's choice of operating hours for halloweekends is based off staffing issues more than anything. Cedar Point is the only park in the company that relies heavily on college students for their staffing needs. Most college students drive in for the weekend which definitely limits the operating hours of the park. The park also closes earlier than the other parks on sundays because of the fact that most of the staff (college students for ride operations anyway) have to drive back to school for monday. Not enough staffing = cutbacks on hours. All of the other parks rely on the people around their general area for employment. Since most of their employees live closer to the parks, they can work weekdays and stay longer on the weekends.

My conspiracy theory. Lots of hotel rooms to fill. Less hours open + wanting to enjoy everything = overnight stays in resorts. Maybe not a conspiracy. A business strategy.

I have to agree it is staffing issues unlike the other parks which have locals to work at them.

I was at wonderland last sunday. It was deader than CP was on a Friday.

Can't say I loved having to pay to get in. Loved having a platinum pass and still being required to pay for parking less...

ejh1701 said:
Even ValleyFair is open on the 14th and 15th during the week, and each Sunday until Midnight.

On Wednesday the 14th and Thursday the 15th, Valleyscare is open because schools in Minnesota are out.

It's all about location and staffing.

Cedar Point is thirty minutes from pretty much nothing and nobody, (Sorry, North Coasters, I don't mean it like that...) but within a couple of hours of Detroit, Toledo, Columbus, Cleveland, heck even Youngstown and Pittsburgh.

It's fine for the main season, when you can get good weather and take a day or two for the trip. But for an after-work visit, or Sunday night before work and school, it's just too long of a drive for a lot of people. Better to go to the local park instead.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I can definitely see that argument about staffing issues for the set hours that Cedar Point has. Yes they are at least an hour from Toledo and Cleveland, 2 from Detroit.However, what is the reason for the expanded hours at Kings Dominion and DorneyPark (which I forgot to include in my orginal post, they have expanded hours as well)? This past summer when I visited both parks, they seemed to be generally in the middle of nowhere. So how do they achieve their staffing issues?I don't know. Its just sad to see the park so empty on Friday and Sundays when Halloweekends, in my personal opinion, is the BEST time to visit Cedar Point.

Comparing what CP does to the other parks in the chain doesn't make any sense in terms of operational issues around hours and dates. None of the other parks are an hour plus from a major metro, nor do any of them have hotels (the Knott's hotel not withstanding). They're not open later on Sundays because there won't be enough bodies there late to justify being open.

ejh1701 said:
Its just sad to see the park so empty on Friday and Sundays when Halloweekends, in my personal opinion, is the BEST time to visit Cedar Point.

I agree that Halloweekends is the best time of the year to visit CP, but speak for yourself - I love it when I go out for the weekend and the place is empty on Friday night and you have a 30 minute max wait time for everything. Doesn't make me sad at all... quite the opposite.

^^^ I guess you have to remember that carowinds, knotts, and other more south parks are in a slightly warmer climate, so they would have longer hours because it's not so darn chilly like it is up here....

No way is Halloweekends in trouble at the Point. I was just there Saturday 10th and it was packed. All the years going up, I have never seen it that busy. Dragster, Maverick, Mille, were 1hr45min to 2hrs plus. Toy factory at one time was 2.5hrs. Pizza Patio by Raptor took us 30 some minutes to get a slice of pizza. Magnums que line was out into the midway almost to the other side by the fence, with all the ques opened up inside. So its not attendance thats keeping them from expanding hours, atleast on Saturdays. I think its that Cedar Point isn't close enough too a major metro area. No one has time during the week, with schools in, people working, theres just no time besides the weekends.

I would have to venture a guess that the difference of October in Ohio versus October in California or even Virginia has something to do with it.

No need for the doom and gloom, I think Dave nailed it already. The parks that have been expanding hours are located in pretty major metro areas (yes, even Dorney and Dominion) and are not 1+ hours away from a major city.

If they had to rely on Erie County for their staffing THEN Cedar Point would be in trouble.

Without dorm rooms Cedar Point would not be what it is. If Kinzel actually cared about the seasonal workforce (one of his greatest resources) then he would invest some money in the housing facilities (and other amenities) and make working at Cedar Point THE summer job of choice for college students.

But, his ignorance has got him this far.

“The park managers know their parks the best and I don’t want to interfere with them. I like to think we are here for support if they need it.” -- Dick Kinzel

Couldn't wait to post that link, right? :)

Told you it wouldn't take long.

I saw that on the Dick Kinzel twitter.

You guys do realize he was referring to Disney, Six Flags and Busch, right?