New ticketing system?

The new blog mentions something about a new ticketing system. Anyone know what they might be talking about?

Peace, Mikey

I'm sure it has something to do with the chain wide season pass.

The company as a whole is trying to deploy Paramount Park's Gate Central system, which is a real-time online system that allows them to have a snap shot at any instant of how many people are in the parks, how many tickets have been sold, etc. Obviously this kind of standardization also makes the inter-park pass usage a lot easier as well.

If you've been to Kings Island the last few years, you've seen Gate Central.

That's got to be a complex system to set up, between the four different gates plus linking to the other parks.

I would imagine a fiber optic backbone would help with the data flow, especially if they would actually install POS systems in shops and such, but, we all know with the current execs, that's probably asking for a little too much technology spending in one off-season.

Wouldn't really be as hard as you suggest.

I can see this system making long lines at first, just to get in the park.

BlueStreak64 said:
I would imagine a fiber optic backbone would help with the data flow, especially if they would actually install POS systems in shops and such, but, we all know with the current execs, that's probably asking for a little too much technology spending in one off-season.

When I was at Los Gatos in the fall, they were struggling with a clunky cash register. The person working there appologized and said they are getting all new registers with a new POS system for 2008. Who knows if that will happen, but at least that was rumored last year.

The corporate VP for IT is from Paramount Parks, so with all my complaining about their inability to retain talent from that company, at least they kept one where it really counts.

In terms of data flowing around, at any individual park the data being transmitted isn't any more extreme than what a typical average Web site gets. You don't need fiber for that. That system is most likely limited or enabled by its architecture, which I don't know that much about. I work with systems that talk to a number of different third parties and accept data from dozens of others, and honestly the connectivity is the easy part.

Pete said:
When I was at Los Gatos in the fall, they were struggling with a clunky cash register. The person working there appologized and said they are getting all new registers with a new POS system for 2008. Who knows if that will happen, but at least that was rumored last year.

That person was probably my roommate, as he was the supervisor at Los Gatos. That's what he told me as well on numerous occasions, but I wouldn't bet on it. I think the system at the gate is as extensive as we'll see. At least, for this summer.

ChrisC. said:
I can see this system making long lines at first, just to get in the park.

If they get some high speed credit card processing system installed at the ticket booths, those lines should move much faster. I've found that the biggest hold up at the booths is that it takes forever to process a credit card because they use a dial up system.

I think the actual turnstiles should move faster because my understanding is that any kind of ticket/pass can go through any gate, eliminating the mass confusion that season passes go one place and tickets go another. It seems so simple, and there is pretty clear signage, but most people seem unable to figure it out.

Will this change the season pass admittance? I'm not sure about KI, but at CP don't you have to sign something if CP is not your home park?

Yes, that is correct. In the past few years, non-CP passes, with the exception of Geauga Lake passes, have had to sign in at Guest Services. My understanding is, that with the new system, any Platinum Pass can be scanned at any turnstile.

Thanx jeff and others,

That helped. I understand now. That sounds awesome for the higher ups to be able to get any park attendance at any time.

Peace, Mikey

P.S. 99 days, woohoo!

Yea - that way Jack Falfas will know when to go around like a douche and send some staff home!

While this system will definitely make things easier, I think they've already had crude ways of knowing how many people are in the park at any given time. It's not complex arithmetic.

CP reminds me of my grandma, who got a VCR (those tape things) in 2000.

I have to share a story I heard post-acquisition. It's third hand, so who knows if it's true or not.

Before or around the time of the sale, Dick Kinzel was allegedly walking around with one of the GM's or executives from Paramount Parks. In the course of the conversation, they were talking about attendance data. Kinzel proudly said that he gets a report on his desk every week with the total break down of attendance at the various parks. The exec or GM busts out his Blackberry, and says, "Here's what all of our parks are doing right now, so far today."

Like I said, the story could be embellished a little, but it sounds pretty realistic.

What's the over under on what year DK upgraded to Windows 98?

Dick Kinzel always said he tries to run the company as a mom and pop operation as much as possible.

Ok, so he's got a warehouse next to his office for his computer....gotcha.

Anybody over bump into him while he's running to the operators office with his punchcards of the latest Per-Cap numbers and send all his cards flying out of order?

Oh, that's what he was carrying? I figured they were the recent shipment of treasury notes for our wages that Ben Franklin had signed the paper for last month. Guess I need to pay more attention to the paper trails.

By the way, has anyone here ever heard of something called the...internet? I think its something used to transmit data almost instantly. And they say it does it across the world! Evidently there's also something called a local area network. Anyone?