No free ticket offer for PLATINUM passes?

Also when their guests are complaining, that is telling them that what they don't like. . It is better as a business to have a complaint rather than someone just not renewing a pass. If people just don't renew, it could be for a bunch of reasons. with a complaint, they know why.

I used to do the renewal, get the free ticket, and give it to my friend who would be buying a ticket otherwise. It is obviously a better business move to switch to this system. They make the money on the people who would more than likely be there with or without the free ticket.

bholcomb said:
Because they can either A) get admission for your friend or B) have one less person in line that day. Either way, CP wins.

Sometimes I like to win also. It feels good.

Don't play the lotto. The odds are against you.

I think we can come up with better discussion than "because they can." We can all agree they can place restrictions on the free ticket, but there's also room for talking about why they might not offer it.

Count me as one who finds it odd that the free ticket offer is limited. I'm not sure what it is about a new Cedar Point pass where it needs an additional offer not available to renewals and Platinum Passes.

Walt, thank you. It frustrates me as much as it does you to see such pointless responses as that, especially from the more frequent posters...

I've discussed this trend particularly in the other 2011 Platinum Pass thread, but Cedar Point's promotions often aren't brilliant or advertised properly, and this is another example. The free ticket should be offered on Platinum and renewals as well for a variety of reasons.

I believe I see the narrow vision of CP's promotional team here: Why give away a free ticket to those that likely already see the value in a season pass (that will be renewing or upgrading to Platinum)?

As it has already been said, the people that are given the free tickets (from the people that renew) are often those that wouldn't have visited the park without them anyway, yet it provides the same great catch for renewing or upgrading to Platinum.

If there was a free ticket with the purchase of a renewal, I would have already purchased my 2011 Platinum Pass, as my 2 friends and I (who currently have a Platinum Pass) would like to bring a few other friends with us, to create a fun new trip (bringing new people to the park can really change things up and create awesome trips). However, these friends are the type that have NEVER been to an amusement park, and they have no desire to spend the money over a trip to the bar or whatever (they don't know what they're missing). But, they're always game for anything free...

Well, my friends and I haven't renewed yet, and believe it or not, we're now thinking of possibly taking a year "off." I hope I can still convince them to renew, but this is the perfect example of why leaving renewals out of the free ticket offer can result in missed sales. I guarantee there are many other people in the same types of situations.

In my situation, what did Cedar Point have to lose? They could have just had 3 new guests in their park (that wouldn't be there otherwise) that love the place and want to return every year...and maybe even get Platinum Passes themselves in the future to go with us...

By the way, I may be stating the obvious here, but if you want a free ticket and only want a regular season pass, there's an easy work around if you already have a season pass... Don't renew; just buy a new season pass! This is what I did in 2008 when they WERE offering a free ticket with the purchase of a Platinum Pass. Then, I gave the free ticket to my Dad, who also wouldn't have gone without it as well.

the ffej man said:
Never mind. It dosen't matter. I'm not going into it with you. I forgot that you are an intelectual giant and you have nothing else to do but post negativly to posters you don't like. so I am done and you can go pretend that you are the supreme overloard Sheldon Cooper.

First off, I hope we aren't confused as the same person on these boards, but don't be too offended by DJ's posts. If he only posted negatively to posters he didn't like, I think that'd include every poster here. Just his style...his reputation to live up to? ;)

Thanks ffej. We will have to get together next year at cp and the ffej's will finally meet. The point may never be the same again!!!

I think in most cases they would make more money giving the free ticket away. If they gave the ticket away, I would take one of my friends and give it to them. That is one more person who is in the park that wouldn't have been there if it weren't for the free ticket. Then they have the chance to sell him/her 4 dollar drinks and 9 dollar meals. They wouldn't have made that money if that guest didn't come.

Ffej said:
As it has already been said, the people that are given the free tickets (from the people that renew) are often those that wouldn't have visited the park without them anyway

I keep hearing this, and indeed this seems to be one of the main arguments for giving a free pass with a season pass. But I have to ask, where's that "statistic" coming from?

And seriously, your repetitive ad hominem nonsense is probably as annoying to me as my super-hella-jerkiness is to you. :)

Ffej said:
I believe I see the narrow vision of CP's promotional team here: Why give away a free ticket to those that likely already see the value in a season pass (that will be renewing or upgrading to Platinum)?

As it has already been said, the people that are given the free tickets (from the people that renew) are often those that wouldn't have visited the park without them anyway, yet it provides the same great catch for renewing or upgrading to Platinum.

Except that the evidence the one year they did this was that people were getting their ticket, and then selling it for less than the price of admission. I have a feeling that played into Cedar Point's decision to change the plan. If people are buying the ticket anyway, then they might as well be buying it from them rather than the guy who just bought a season pass.

Now, what percentage of the "free ticket receivers" made up this group as opposed to the "wouldn't have gone anyway" group, I'm not sure.

Can I go to CP, bbuy the season pass, get my free ticket - then sometime next yr upgrade to a platinum pass?

would that make sense?

Depends on whether or not CP charges more than just the difference in price between the Regular and Platinum Pass. If, for example, you buy a Regular Pass now (at $100), and upgrade to a Platinum Pass next year, you'll pay a $10 premium (passes no longer on sale at that point), plus any upgrade cost (if one exists).

So, buying now & upgrading later would mean that "free" ticket is actually costing you at least $10. If CP charges, say, $20 to upgrade your regular pass ($10 for the difference in price + $10 "fee"), then that "free" ticket is actually $20.

So, I suppose if the extra time & energy spent doing that is worth saving $20 over the course of several months, go for it.

what about if I get a season pass in October and then upgrade to a platinum a week or two later? would I have to go back to the park to upgrade or can I upgrade online?

From everythiung I can find I would just have to pay the difference in price between a season pass and a platinum to upgrade.

Just wondering if it would be worth taking a quick trip to CP in October or just wait till next year. I do plan on buying the platinum pass for my family/

I have no idea how the upgrade process works, so I'm no help there.

But remember - if you're not local to CP, then that impacts the value equation, considering you're planning a special trip. For example, it costs me about $25-30 in gas alone (don't forget to include about $0.20/mile "wear & tear" on your vehicle) for a round-trip.

JuggaLotus said:
Except that the evidence the one year they did this was that people were getting their ticket, and then selling it for less than the price of admission. I have a feeling that played into Cedar Point's decision to change the plan. If people are buying the ticket anyway, then they might as well be buying it from them rather than the guy who just bought a season pass.

Now, what percentage of the "free ticket receivers" made up this group as opposed to the "wouldn't have gone anyway" group, I'm not sure.

I thought of this as well, but it's not hard to out-smart the free ticket resellers with a different approach. How about this? When you purchase a 2011 pass of any type, you get 1 free admission that same day, with a simple hand stamp. That way, the people CP is targeting (those that buy a season pass that don't currently have one) will get a stamp on their hand to enter the park for their free visit that day when buying their 2011 pass.

What about renewals that already have a pass? They must have their friend or family member with them at the time they wait in line to buy their 2011 pass, and they will receive the stamp for entry that day. This would nearly eliminate any free ticket reselling.

The steps to resell the free stamp would be to convince a stranger to wait in line with you at the season pass center, which would be awkward & hard to get a stranger to do.

OR....they could offer an alternate choice bonus for renewals like a CP VIP jacket! ;)

Ffej said:
I thought of this as well, but it's not hard to out-smart the free ticket resellers with a different approach.

But this only works under the assumption that CP feels such a promotion is worth all the hassle. It seems they don't.

Ffej said:
OR....they could offer an alternate choice bonus for renewals like a CP VIP jacket! ;)

I have one of those. I don't think I even wore it the day I got it. It was crap.

I'm GUESSING that we don't get free tickets with Platinum Passes because more often than with season passes, Platinum Passes are renewals/returning customers.

Lets say that 60% of platinum passes are renewals/returning customers/upgrades from season passes but only 40% of season passes are renewals/returning customers.

That would mean, more often than not, if you give a free ticket to a platinum passholder they are already getting in for free this year and will sell the ticket. It would also mean just the opposite for season pass purchasers... more often than not they are NOT already getting in for free this year and will use the ticket themselves.

djDaemon, wow I can see you haven't grown up yet. Still making an ass out of yourself on a freaking Cedar Point Forum! Get over yourself, say what you need to say, get to the point, and then move on...instead of sitting here critiquing everything somebody says. Trolling much? If you don't agree with what other people have to say, get over it and move on because not everyone is going to agree on a specific opinion! Geeze, out of everyone, I think you're the oldest and you should know better by now LOL!

AAAANYWAYS! I agree with the statement made before that it is a smart business decision to give a free one day pass/ticket for season pass holders and NOT Platinum pass holders because of all the perks regular season pass holders are missing out on! Example: Regular Season Pass holder comes to Cedar Point, has to pay for parking, full prices for drinks and food everywhere, and full prices for Challenge Park attractions...Along with the person they happen to give the free ticket to!