News: 2007 Season Passes on sale September 22

Yep Yep.

Well if none of the rest of us matter, at least we have Jeff on our side. Maybe he can use his persuasiveness to talk to someone that'll listen and see if something can be done about this.

Again, we're not asking for it to go back to what it was this year. We're just asking for a compromise where you can add additional parks for $10 each or at least allow us to purchase additional stickers for a discounted rate. It'd be nice if they just decided to go back to what they did this year but I don't see that happening.

I've read all 5 pages, and I can see some very passionate responses, but let's use some logic.

Why would CP want this change?

1) Fraud, it seems to me that making a reasonable copy of this years pass, for parking reasons, is quite easy, and you can't tell me the booth operator really looks at it closely.

2) Operator mistakes. It would seem that a nice bright big sticker on the window is easier to see then my hand holding a card with a picture, two P's, a J, S, and P and the CP logo, it's just a lot of clutter.

3) Greed. I don't think it was the motivation, but it can certainly be argued that CP knows it can increase profit here.

Three simple reasons I can see why they would make the change. Do I like it? No, I like choice. Will it affect me? No, I usually take the same car with the family anyways, and I won't buy the GL parking, as I only go 1-2 times a year anyways. I do think CP should look at moving ticket prices to 44.95, and drop parking to $0, but I don't think someone has put together a good enough justification on it. Maybe I'll spend a few moments and think about it more carefully.

Loopy said:
Well if none of the rest of us matter, at least we have Jeff on our side. Maybe he can use his persuasiveness to talk to someone that'll listen and see if something can be done about this.

I have already emailed several people at the park about this thread and they definately know about it. Now whether they do anything is different.

As far as fraud, that can easily be eliminated by parking employees taking more time to look at a person's pass. I totally agree with you, I cannot count the number of times that I have just flashed my pass and rolled right through the parking entrance. On accident, I once flashed last years pass and they let me in.

However, this can be nullified. Have each employee actually take the pass and look at it closely. They could even get a card swiper up there, though that would cost some money.

Bottom line is this, fraud can be quickly dealt with. Don't punish the 99% of us who do obey the rules and have really enjoyed the current system.

Ok, I know it's a double post, but I want it to be seperate. I did some quick (and admittidly inaccurate) calculations. I used the average daily attendence from 2005 of 21,380 people per day. Assuming everyone paid full price (which we all know isn't true, but the difference in numbers is what is important) CP brings in $854,131 at $39.95 per person. If we assume 3 people per car, excluding hotels, so this number is high, CP brings in $64,140 in parking revenue, for a daily total of $918,217. Now, if we take the same attendence, charge 44.95, but free parking, CP brings in $961,031.

I might be an IT guy, but it seems rather clear to me. I will simply ask this, if you were CP last summer, would you lower the gate price, and advertise as such, or whack the parking fee, and advertise that? Oh, and this doesn't include the labor cost, which would be minor, what 500-600 a day?

Ok, feel free to rip it to shreds.

Removing the parking fee is not nearly as marketable as the gate price, in my opinion.

I would agree, but then we all hear Holiday World with free parking and pop, I wonder what the daily take is from Pepsi sales. It must be more than 50K.

Hmmm...maybe I should jetski to CP next year...or maybe all the Pointbuzzers can chip in a buy a bus so we can all get into the park cheap! :) Seriously though, I agree with the majority that thinks eliminating the parking pass on the season pass wasn't a good idea. I for one go to CP about 8 times a year and a Michigander like me sure as heck doesn't drive the 3 1/2 hours there and 3 1/2 hours back in my own car everytime. I'm sure I'm not the only one that lives that far away and takes different cars all the time either. Also, fraud is a lame excuse for eliminating parking on the pass. Maybe CF should hire some people that can read a pass. Also, if fraud was an issue, why has this option been around for 6 years?

I really don't agree with taking away the GL/CP parking pass. What is CF thinking? I'm sure most CP 2 park/combo pass holders that have a parking pass just go to GL because of that pass. Like most people, GL is a 2-3 hour park for me and I don't stay there all day. I personally don't think it will be worth the $9 + 1 1/2 hours extra in gas $ to get there next year unless I have more then 2 or 3 people going. If I was CP, I'd hate to see the attendence numbers at GL next year.

Regarding fraud, anyone who would go through the trouble to create a fake season pass will go through the trouble to create a fake sticker (that's probably easier anyway; they're probably rejoicing at the news.)

If fraud is the reason for the change, I think they'll be awfully disappointed with its effectiveness in thwarting the bad guys.

I realize those passes get cluttered with icons for everything, but they should be less so this year. JCC should be it now. Maybe the CP and CF passes will look completely different from each other. They should or you'd think they would. In any case, CP could do better with a season pass design that is easily distinguishable between CFM and CFM+ and CP with and without parking to make it easier for the parking attendant to read.

Every time I have gone this season I have probably not spent more than 5 seconds with a parking attendant. They look at my pass real good and look at me and that is it. I still have a hard time believing in the fraud arguement. If anything a sticker is less secure than a pass with your picture on it. Maybe they should change them to only be on the season passes and then for a certain extra fee you can have it applied to all the season passes in one household.

The thing about parking is that no one, and I mean zero guests, find any value in parking. You don't get anything for your money that you want. When you buy a ticket to the park, you get rides, shows and the amusement park experience.

People moan and complain when they pay for parking, or a parking pass. And why shouldn't they? It's worthless. Having it on the pass, especially with the various combinations of upgrades, actually created a little bit of value where the was absolutely none before. Now we're back in that situation, and it sucks.

You know, something just occurred to me.

The combo passes have a little icon on them denoting that they are also good for Soak City. However, no one ever looks at them, they just get scanned.

So, why bother? Just in case the scanners fail? How often has that happened?

It's not like it will scan though if you haven't added Soak City on... I think it's just an indicator.

Jeff I liked the way you summed it up and I couldn't have said it better.

Even besides all this parking pass crap I am still ticked off. This year and for the last few years prior my $85-$90 pass also got me in the gates of the other core Cedar Fair parks and I took advantage of that many times. I always used it at MiAdv and even used it at Dorney Park. Now for the same money (even a little more) I only get CP?!? What another load of something smelly.

To me, this just keeps getting worse.

You're absolutely right... In an essence, there was a price increase as well.

A regular Cedar Point season pass used to get you into all the other CF parks? Now in 2007, you have to buy a special pass? WOW!! I actually didn't know that.

Granted, Six Flags isn't doing all that well financially, but they seem to have their season pass thing down pat.

Gotta chime in. Before they put parking on the season pass, I didn't bother with a sticker because we have two vehicles and which one we took (the truck or the car) was dependent upon how many people were going. As most who have complained have said, it wasn't worth spending the extra money if I wasn't going to get my money's worth OUT of the sticker.

So...being a season pass holder and renewing via mail, how do I get a parking sticker if it must be placed on the windshield by an employee?? Will I have to pay for parking the first time, then wait in a long line for someone to put a sticker on my car? Or do you show the certificate at the toll booth to get the sticker?

Hopefully Cedar Point and CF will see the err of their ways in this matter and rethink their current parking pass policy for 07, which as of now has upset several people, myself included.

I can only put it the way I've heard it so many times relating to other issues. I know it sucks, but if you don't like what they're doing, you have to vote with your dollars.

It's the only way to let a company know that you, as the consumer, doesn't like their policies and/or practices.

People have been doing it to Geauga Lake now for a few years. :)

I think you're right exit. And, from the sounds of it, CP is going to be feeling it next year. Lucky for them, though, the addition of Maverick might offset the loss of annual park and parking passholders.