Parking pass windshield policy!

their solution won't solve it (might even make it worse.) The same sorts of tricks that were used with passes can be used with stickers.

But they haven't changed anything. It's exactly the same, except the added bonus of having it on the season pass has been removed. This isn't a new system. Whatever the reason is that caused them to remove the perk, it won't be any worse next year. The system in place has been satisfactory enough, because otherwise changes would have been made in the years and years before the perk was ever offered.

*** Edited 11/20/2006 11:02:13 PM UTC by Walt***

Someone mentioned the traffic jam on the Causeway...

Assuming they are smart enough to retain the signs along the causeway that they put up the year that parking went from $5 to $6, there won't be any traffic jams next year...for the first time in about eight years.

Am I the only one here who remembers when parking was $5, and on the busiest of days there was almost never a delay going through the tollbooths? Now that parking has reached $10, those days will almost assuredly return. Much as I hate to think about it.

(Parking at a place like Cedar Point should always be "free". And believe me, those "scare quotes" are there for a reason.)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Hopefully they'll see the light someday like parks did with the pay once=ride all day thing did. Make parking FREE and add $2.50 to each ticket.

If every car has four or more people in it, CP is getting $10+.

I'm pretty sure large groups don't pay for parking or at least not much so if the parking is free, they add the $2.50 to each and every group ticket as well.

Group of 15 or more brings in $37.50, just for parking.

Do you think advertising $41.95 for admission and surprising people with a $10 parking fee at the end of causeway would bring more people in? Would $44.45 for admission and advertise the fact that parking is now "FREE" would bring in more people?

Gomez- you have the solution!

This is what would work best because the guest would be happier. I've never met one person who has a good reaction when they have to fork out $10 to park when going to Cedar Point. You basically enter the park with a sour attitude! Figure the parking amount into the admission and you won't have this problem... its all about customer service, that's what brings them back. Not Top Thrill ClothesRack.

Hopefully they'll see the light?

I just can't help but get a picture in my mind of a bunch of bumbling Three Stooges-types in the Cedar Point offices making one zany decision after another (cue the Benny Hill theme song), with the good people of PointBuzz just shaking their heads at the whole mess.

"Walt, are you saying that Cedar Point doesn't make mistakes?"

No, not at all. What I'm saying is that while we as fans can have conversations about what they should and shouldn't do, we're only doing so using a fraction of the total picture.

They review their policies every year and make adjustments as they see fit. They made a change last season to allow photography on the CP&LE and Paddlewheel Excursions. Does that mean they were wrong before and now have seen the light on that issue? Of course not. I can make plenty of arguments on how photography should be extended to a select group of other rides, but my ego isn't so large that I can't realize there are other factors at play that I'm probably not familiar with.

There will, no doubt, be policy changes that will go into effect for next season. Again, no mea culpas, no "finally starting to use the ol' brain." Reevaluating your business is good, and I suspect they've had the "free parking" discussion at least once. Who knows? Maybe someday they'll say, "hey, I think this might work for us now."

It's really easy to stand up and whine about operating calendars or how it makes total and perfect sense to offer free parking. But until you've been there and done it in the real world, you just don't know.

*** Edited 11/21/2006 12:31:42 AM UTC by Walt***

e x i t english said:
If it was the hearse, you could make a game out of it. "Here, drive this to Cedar Point. Just be careful, I don't know what's in the casket in the back, but you'll get free parking!" :)

Then, you could put a fake body in the casket and make it move while they're driving and really creep them out.

-Josh

The really kool part is that I now have a Hearse that i am using as my daily car, and will most likely be getting a parking sticker next year. :)
Though I would much prefer to have it on the pass.
Pics of my hearse:
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c356/mdcomp615/Hearse/11-5-06/

Walt - Isn't the point of discussion boards to have discussions about things? Obviously we don't know EVERYTHING that goes into a decision. If we did, we wouldn't be posting our ideas here. But, I really don't see anything wrong with people giving their own ideas on what they think a good solution to a "problem" is. Also, if our discussions were all worthless, I highly doubt CP staff would waste their time reading the forums on a regular basis (which we know they do).

I don't really see much difference in someone writing a trip report with their own impressions of the park on a certain day and someone complaining about a new policy instituted by the Point. They are things that directly affect consumers of the park and people are just voicing their concerns.

What's the big deal? Why even have this website if you don't like people surmising about things?

Here's what I don't get. At Dorney, the cost of parking is included in your season pass, and it has been as long as I can remember. Here's what their website says:

A 2007 Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom Season Pass is valid for admission to Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom ONLY on any public operating day throughout the 2007 season. Parking fees at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom are included with a 2007 Season Pass purchase.

Why is there no consistency between the parks? I'm not saying they should all be free, but why is Dorney free and the others not? Obviously checking the pass is not an issue here in PA, why in Ohio?

I hate to admit it, but it looks like Six Flags has the edge here.

Oh, and PS, Dorney's season passes are discounted until 12/31! More than a month longer than CP.

The problem with giving people something is that once they have it, it's very hard to take it away without a bunch of complaints. When stickers were the only option, people didn't complain because they never had it better.

Cedar Point does need to embrace technology and come out of the stone age. Forget about bar codes for parking, just use RFID for parking identification.

halltd said:
Isn't the point of discussion boards to have discussions about things?

That's right, but I think you missed the point of my post. Discussions are great, and that's what we're all about here. But not only has this subject produced overreactions, some are talking as if Cedar Point managers simply don't know how to operate an amusement park. It's one thing to question and discuss a policy, it's another to think there is no correct answer other than your opinion and that the reason for the policy is simply not valid. That's where my Benny Hill picture came from. :)

Based on his unwillingness to accept the PB "board members'" analysis of the situation, I think we can safely say that Walt is a freedom-hating terrorist.

Oh, and I almost forgot: ;)

I can see where my post might be construed as discussion stifling, but that was far from my intent. It just seems to me that sometimes we as fans come off as know-it-alls. Complaints and criticism make for fantastic discussion and are perfectly valid and acceptable. But there comes a point when we need to check those criticisms against the fact that we aren't involved in the internal thought process and decision making.

But discussion is good. Even when those at the park who are in charge of these policies have discussions, there are differing opinions. Nothing wrong with that here.

Walt said:
Given the volume, I can't see how the Geauga Lake solution is better than glancing at a parking sticker.

You mean except for the part where they can verify that you're the person on the pass? Fraud problem solved.

Where do I exercise my stock options. :)

That's fine, but with the way you described it, each parking pass holder's time at the booth is multiplied. With the sticker, I never even come to a stop, unless there's a car in front of me.

Would it be acceptable, as a parking pass carrier, to spend more time at the booth? You'd have to stop briefly for them to scan/check your pass, but it would take no longer than it does to get a map, etc.

If you're going to go the scan route, I don't see why it couldnt' be automated (like at a parking garage). You pull up, swipe your pass, it spits out a ticket (or not) and your pass is disabled for parking for the next hour or two.

*** Edited 11/21/2006 2:47:59 PM UTC by JuggaLotus***

Well guys.....we can spin our wheels all day here on this one, and in the end, I don't think they are going to see it the way we see it. It is clearly obvious that technology would be the best, fastest, and most affordable solution, if indeed it is fraud they are trying to prevent. As a huge Cisco IT guy.....I personally can think of a million and one ways to cheaply integrate technology into the process. Parking should work the way admission works with a pass.....it's swiped....red light, green light. One use per day. The whole transaction at the booth would take 5 seconds MAX per car. That simple. BUT....we are still unsure as to why that privlege was revoked. That's my 2 cents......still unhappy with their decision.

It would take a lot less time than having to wait for someone that is paying with cash.

Plus, they could designate(sp) a lane for pass holders.

Absolutly Crazy Horse!

There would have to be an allowance for multiple uses in one day, perhaps only one swipe per X hours, as has been suggested before.