No more Cotten Candy for 25 cents!

We had horrid service at the red garter on sat. It took 45 min to get our food(nachos and hot dogs) and when we finaly got the food, it was ice cold.

They only had 2 wait staff on the floor, and 2 people behind the bar. There was a silver tag there, but he was not doing anything to help.

I sure hope that the service gets better. I think that a lot of it has to do with the fact it was opening weekend.

Spoken like someone who isn't paying for a family to visit there.

OK, that's fair, currently it is my wife and myself.

contrary to popular belief, an "awesome experience" isn't just riding a bunch of roller coasters

I will say this; If I wanted an experience contrary to this, Jeff, I would not go to Cedar Point. An experience at Busch Gardens is very different. An experience at Disney is very different. From my perspective, this is what the CP experience is all about. Could CP do more? Of course, I agree with you there, but currently it "is what it is", and what it is is a great collection of coasters. They don't have good food, they dont have good customer service, the shows are so-so (sorry CP show lovers...the Garter crew is an exception), they dont have cotton candy for a quarter.

They need to make adjustments

Preachin' to the choir my man. As I said a couple pages ago...4 solid years with no huge ride investment...work on some beautification...work on some real "resorts"....improve the food and service.

THEN I'll go to CP for a different kind of experience, but right now it's just jammed packed with coaster "awesomeness".
*** Edited 5/16/2007 12:48:05 PM UTC by Kevinj***

Could CP do more? Of course, I agree with you there, but currently it "is what it is", and what it is is a great collection of coasters.

I think that comment should be a concern to CP management. Could a somewhat common perception that CP is a "coaster park" be limiting its audience? Could that, in addition to high prices and a bad economy, be the underlying reason for a 500,000 person attendance drop?

During the 60's, 70's, 80's and early 90's, CP wasn't known as a "coaster park". Rather, it was known as an amusement park that offered something for everyone. It was known to entertain guests with a wide variety of interests. I wonder if those 17 coasters are giving people the perception that CP has less entertainment value because it is "just for coaster riders"?

As awesome as Maverick will be, replacing a family water ride with a coaster may just reinforce that perception.

I think the comments about value are on the right track. But, in addition to food prices, I think there could be a common perception that CP is just focused on coasters, and as a result offers less value because of limited variety. Personally, I know that CP does offer variety. But, could it have branded itself too far in the direction of "America's Roller Coast" at the expense of being known for its ability to entertain everyone?

*** Edited 5/16/2007 1:42:47 PM UTC by Pete***

Jeff, I totally agree with you about the Detroit people. I read the article and watched it too. I'm saying cheaper food isn't going to bring in that family from Detroit. There are things out of CP's control in regards to economy, etc... Did they see a massive increase in attendance from Detroit last year with their lowered ticket prices and practically free cotton candy? I don't think so or they wouldn't have raised the prices again. I think they realized the Detroit people just aren't going to come for a little while, so they might as well make as much money as they can off the people that ARE coming.

I'm in the same boat as Kevin as far as my CP experience. To me, CP is an amazing collection of coasters. The park is very efficient, clean and has acceptable food (for an amusement park). I've also never had an issue with any of their employees. I always have fun there and I will continue to go back because of my great experiences there. Even without the bazillion coasters they have now, my family of five (growing up as a kid) went there every single summer. We had a TON of fun. We stayed at the campground for the entire weekend and just loved it. That's partially why I keep coming back. No one else in my family goes even though they still live in Ohio. They do, however, go to Disney every single year. They have families. The family experience to them is in Florida, not Ohio. I'm guessing when their kids are teenagers, they'll start going to CP more. The park has changed since the time period Pete brought up. We all see them removing "family" rides to put in coasters (which I love), but families don't. There's not one water ride my brothers' familes can ride now. That's why they don't go. Not because of food prices.

Personally, I have no issues with CP's direction. It fits my needs perfectly. Like others have said, if I want a "warm fuzzy experience", I'll go to Disney. If I want thrills, I'll go to CP. Obviously families are different, but the topic of this thread was the food value. I still don't think food value is what is keeping the people from Detroit away. I think what's keeping them away is out of CPs control.

In addition to what Pete said: take that time frame further back, and you'll remember that Cedar Point once was just a beach with some bath houses, and even then, was a popular destination.

And halltd, you missed the bigger picture. Myself included, we're not saying that if you add bbq chicken to the menu at 3 bucks a pop attendance is going to spike. The park needs major improvement in the food services department, among many other areas that yeah, maybe they don't affect Kevinj's park full of awesomness, but Kevin: you're one couple. There are so many more families than you, and probably very few that focus on just the rollercoasters. Cedar Point is an amusement park, not a thrill park, and until their marketing department changes that, then each of us has a valid point.

http://www.answers.com/topic/hike

Looks like to me it's the definition of an increase. And I'm pretty sure any fourth grader could do the math and figure out that prices have gone up, not down, especially in parking and for food.

It's not so simple for families to walk out of the park, hop in their car, and drive to a local restaurant. Many of you argue this, but so many of you know the area like the back of your hand...wheres the comparison?

"I don't go to Cedar Point to eat..." People who go all day have to eat sometime, right?

Cedar Point lowered ticket prices by how much? A few bucks? Wow. That sure brought in more people. Oh wait, their attendance dropped in those years too.

I'm not saying CP sucks. They are one of the best parks on Earth, and I enjoy going there very much. But the economy is on a downslide, and someone is going to have to give: either Cedar Point gets with the program, or people will just stop going. How many new rides will it take then to bring them back? My guess: zero.

As awesome as Maverick will be, replacing a family water ride with a coaster may just reinforce that perception.

It certainly does for me---especially now that the limit has been raised to 52". With WWL, even younger kids could go, provided they had a parent or other adult with them.

This is a great thread.

It appears that CP management has the problem that every company has...if an action doesn't have immediate results they think it failed. The feeling I got is that they didn't think that the lower gate price in 2006 helped with attendance. How is it possible to measure that? Who knows what attendance would have been in '06 if the price had been kept where it was in '05?

If food prices were lowered to approach reasonable, I'm certain that attendance would not immediately rise because of that change. But people's happiness would greatly increase, which may result in a greater likelihood of future visits. Same thing with a better point of sale system, IT infrastructure, etc. The problem with this is that management is always shortsighted. The reason for that is that their job is on the line today, so it's important for them to have immediate return on investment. Lower food prices is an investment, which would probably only result in future attendance benefit vs a current attendance benefit. It may or may not result in higher profit today because of increased volume. I can only assume that they've done the analysis which shows that higher food prices today results in higher profits today despite lower volume.

I'd be interested to know what management performance is measured on. Is it attendance compared to prior year? Is it EBITDA? Is it in-park spending per person? I'm willing to bet that it's EBITDA, and if so, the park will suffer because the focus will be too short term. Like everything else, pricing is a difficult balancing act, and the performance incentives are going to drive the decision making one way or the other.

Why wouldn't attendance compared to prior year be one of the the best measures of a park's success? If my park had a multi-year downward trend, I'd be freaking out - something's not right.

Im just glad the CP got new resturants and places to eat because they needed it and chica-fila is very good and i think these new additions are good ones. ( resturants i mean)

WOW my thread blew up. Mr. Potato by WT I was very mad when I received my fries. My friend had steaming out fries and when I got mine my fries were white not cooked and freezing cold like they dipped them in the friar for 1 second. I usually just get free water to stick it to them.

Well of course they were cold. Dipping fries in a friar probably results in poor quality. Dipping them in a fryer might give you better results.

;)
*** Edited 5/17/2007 3:51:08 AM UTC by mk522***
*** Edited 5/17/2007 3:51:39 AM UTC by mk522***

Or even dipping them in a fryer, that'd probably yield the best results.

Wow, my reply makes no sense now after your two edits.

*** Edited 5/17/2007 3:53:18 AM UTC by Loopy***

lol, I didn't know if I was quick enough or not. Sorry to have made you look stupid, Loopy. :)

It's alright, I usually do an OK job all on my own.

I never turn down help though. ;)

I think its just that Mr. Potato location (by WT), because I had the same results. They were hardly crispy on the outside but nearly uncooked on the inside. I still ate them, but only because I was in a hurry.

^^ Let me know if you need a hand. ;)

You'll be the first I call, you do such a thorough job at it.

The prices of food and the free drinks has made going back to holiday world a shoe in for me. I spent as much money on one meal at cedarpoint, as I spent on food all day at holiday world. Plus the free parking at Hw, opposed to the $10 parking at cp.

To me that has value.

Warriors20 said:
when I got mine my fries were white not cooked and freezing cold like they dipped them in the friar for 1 second. I usually just get free water to stick it to them.

All you have to do is take the fries back and tell them they were not cooked properly, they will give you new fries. CP has always replaced defective food with no problem at all.

I think his point was that he shouldn't have to do that, especially at a park that supposedly has high standards....just not in food services.

The prices at the point should be no suprise. But to try to claim that for that price the quality and speed of service is even ok is having very low expectations. Not to long ago CP had better quality food at a price point not as close to the top of the entertainment scale (ie less than baseball parks and concert venues). Yes it was more expensive than the real world, but certainly not this outragous.

The funny thing is that I would bet that there isn't some big conspiracy to determine the tipping point where the cost of food turns away guests. I would imagine that the pricing is as simple as this: knowing that they have a captured audience that is willing bear a high price the park knows its ceiling when it gets close to other entertainment venues. Knowing this the park sets a food percentage goal for the department and the items are set based on the cost to the park. So lets say you want a 20% food cost and the item costs 1.00 to produce (less labor and utilities and such), the price is starting at 5 bucks. Now if that is too much or too little it can be adjusted as long as the total park menu is at the goal of 20%. This consideration will allow things like meats and fresh vegies (which tend to cost more for the park to procure) to be offset by things like soda and cotton candy (which is why the holiday world decision is so darn mind boggling).

And before you all get on me with the whole, "they're a big company with a lot of money, don't you think they would be more sophisticated in their SOPs?"

The answer is no. First the amusement industry (minus the big Orlando players) are amazingly behind the rest of the world in technology implimentation. Think about the use of credit cards. Don't you think this additude also extends to other areas of the operation. Sure there are small examples here and there for each park, but overwhelmingly the industry is still a good ol boys club and they've been doin' it this way for all these years so why change what ain't broke. The thing is that it can be done so much better.

Second they don't have to be sophisticated in their analysis because just about whatever they do they will be in the black.

Thirdly there is an incentive to keep the prices high to help keep the demand at a level the department can handle. Remember that if prices are droped in favor of volume, that translates to more employees and more space needed to store the greater amount of food needed during a day at the park. I imagine that they already have a big enough problem dealing with the busiest days of the year and keeping stands stocked with things as simple as ice.

If they were really thinking about the issue they would know that they've already crossed the line. Sure we're all a bunch of oddballs out in the internet obcessing about every little detail about the park. And our rantings and ravings should be viewed knowing that we notice things that most guests don't. The real issue here is that the average park guest is starting to complain about the price. So much so that most of my aquaintences during my day do not plan to go to the park more than once every other year because of the cost. And food is a really big part of the cost of taking kids to the park. It seems a shame that the decision decision to reduce food prices has seemed to go for naught. Sure per caps would be hurt in the short, but in the long run and through proper management things, i think, would have been for the better. Instead CP follows down the same path as SFI for reduced expecations.

Sure lower food prices aren't going to raise the gate by itself, but it will keep families coming back fi they think that they are getting value for their money. So even if you demand on these outragous prices at least give me some good food.