Parking... the hidden expense

Does anyone know of somewhere you can get a coupon or discount for parking? 10 dollars for a car with 2 people seems extreme. Does the getaway packet have any parking discounts?

I know of no coupons. However, for $150, you can get a season pass with parking included.

After 3 trips, it nearly pays for itself:

3 x ($43 + $5) = $144

You also get early entry and discounts on various things.

I guess its only expensive when compared to my driveway.

Go to a Tigers or Indians game and you're going to pay (at least) 10-15 bucks for parking. 4 hours of parking. You can't return to your car, and if you did forget anything, you are SOL.

At Cedar Point, you pay 10 for parking, 10-14 hours, depending on the day, and you can return to your car as much as you need. Heck, you can even drive away, get cheap(er) food and drive back.

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

Its this amazing thing called a Platinum Pass, it gets you free admission to all CF parks (including CP and Soak City) and free parking as well ;).

Ooh, platinum... Shiny... ;)

I like shiny things :)

If you eat at Famous Daves you can get your parking reimbursed. Just give that pink parking ticket to your server when you pay your bill. Now you might be thinking that's not really saving anything since I had to buy food, but most people spend more on food in the park anyway. So why not have a meal there and get your parking paid.

JuggaLotus said:

Go to a Tigers or Indians game and you're going to pay (at least) 10-15 bucks for parking. 4 hours of parking. You can't return to your car, and if you did forget anything, you are SOL.

Go to a Steelers game and see what you pay for gold lot parking where

the best tailgaiting is. At least 70 bucks and sometimes upwards of 100.

If you look at competing properties, Cedar Point's parking price can be considered very competitive, and perhaps even low. Universal, as well as the Florida DIsney parks charged $11 a day on my last visit. I think I've read that Six Flags charges even more.

Yes, $10 is expensive, but when many competing properties charge at least $10, it doesn't seem so bad. Not all of us are lucky enough to have Holiday World or Kennywood as their home parks.

In addition to having a Platinum Pass, I believe you can get free parking by staying at a Cedar Point resort.

I just wish they did with food what they do with parking, and have prices on par with DIsney.

-Sam

It's not exactly a hidden expense. You know you have to park your car, and if you expect it to be free then you've been living under a rock.

Avalanche Sam said:

I think I've read that Six Flags charges even more.

Last I heard, Six Flags up in Gurnee is charging $25. That's $15 more then I paid at the Indians game last week.

There was parking at the Tiger game Monday anywhere between $5 and $15. $5 being in various lots a few blocks away $15 being in a parking garage next to the stadium. Parking at the Palace is either $15 or $20. Places charge so much because they can. Cedar Point especially can charge it because you have no other place to park. I'm surprised they don't charge more.

The Famous Dave's parking discount is one of the best deals on property. I think they have a minimum purchase, but getting the $10 off makes it one of the cheapest real meals you can have on the peninsula. The food is great too!

Last Indians game I went to I paid $5 to park at the National City tower. Of course it's a ways to walk but just think of all get to see on your way there, street "musicians", beggars, ticket scalpers, etc.

A trick I use to keep the ticket guys away is when they ask, "Who needs tickets?" I say, "Mine are better than anything you got" "What you got?" I say, "Club seats." Hee. Last time I did that my daughter started to say, "Dad, we don't have club seats." I told her, "Be quiet and did you notice he didn't say anything after that."

Sorry for the hijack.