Platinum Pass Renewal Conflict

Just wanted to comment about something that Cedar Fair has not thought out well at all. I won't comment about all the conflicts people have had using platinum passes at various Cedar Fair parks, as those have been mostly ironed out.

I redeemed my 2009 Cedar Point Platinum Pass at King's Island early this year with little conflict (before CP opened for the season). However, I went to CP this weekend to renew my Platinum Pass for 2010. I was quickly flagged, "Sorry sir, we cannot renew platinum passes redeemed at King's Island. You can only renew your Platinum Pass at King's Island, since that was where it was originally redeemed."

I cannot believe how poorly this was thought out. It's simple. There should be one Cedar Fair Platinum Pass, and it should be able to be redeemed, renewed, and used at all Cedar Fair parks interchangeably.

I had to buy a new Cedar Point Platinum Pass in order to get the discount perks this weekend, fill out the forms, and I'll have the hassle of redeeming my pass next season. Worst of all, this cycle will likely repeat next year, as King's Island opens before Cedar Point.

I have come to realize that beside the coasters, Cedar Fair doesnt know what to do with technology.

I have a KI pass too. I hope they have this fixed.

Yeah, we ran into this problem too. Luckily mine was bought and processed at CP, but the other in our group had a KI pass. They make you purchase a CP pass again, and it has to be processed yet again next year. Which means most likely kings island again.

WIth that said, I just swiped my pass, my card and signed the receipt and I was out of there.

Forgive me for not being as informed as I should be about this, but what is the difference between renewing and getting a new pass this year? Is this the year where they are supposed to be letting you keep the same cards and renew without getting a new picture? I purchased a new pass over the weekend and didn't really notice anything different between the renewals and the new ones, but I wasn't really paying attention.

Ralph, the pricing & benefits (coupons, VIP jacket) were the same whether you were buying new or renewing. The difference (and I experienced it too, as my platinum pass was processed at a different park and we decided to "renew" yesterday,) was that if your platinum pass was processed at another park, you had to fill out paperwork as though you were getting a "new" pass, then you'll have to come back in the spring for your picture (even though it already exists in the system.)

In my opinion, if you have a platinum pass from any Cedar Fair park, it should be renewable at any Cedar Fair park. Hopefully, Cedar Fair will see this thread, realize what a waste of time it is for everyone involved, and make the appropriate changes.

I hope they work this bug out! We bought our passes this year at Cedarpoint and went to Kings Island on opening day. We had to process them there to get in. Then we wanted them to say Cedarpoint so my one son and I changed them, but my other wanted to keep Kings Island! I know that each year there is always something to make it a bit of a headache to process our passes, so I can't wait to see what happens now!

Ralph Wiggum said:
Forgive me for not being as informed as I should be about this, but what is the difference between renewing and getting a new pass this year? Is this the year where they are supposed to be letting you keep the same cards and renew without getting a new picture? I purchased a new pass over the weekend and didn't really notice anything different between the renewals and the new ones, but I wasn't really paying attention.

Ralph, to answer your question, yes you get to keep your same card from this year. I renewed my families passes on Saturday. It was a nice smooth transaction. We bought them from CP and re-newed them at CP. I was in and out in minutes. The guy asked if I was buying new or renewing. I said renew. He swiped the cards and PRESTO, I was done.

I was another who bought my pass at Cedar Point and ended up processing at Kings Island. Later in the season I went to pass processing and switched my pass for a CP pass. I hang on to my old passes and wanted to have a CP one.

I had no problem renewing my CP pass. If they can switch you to a CP pass with no problem, why can't they reactivate a pass from a different park.

Does anyone know what the rate is now for the pass renew and how much it will be for a new pass holder?

http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/admission/season_passes/index.cfm

I stood in line with a friend that was renewing there pass for next year, and there seems to be a buch of confusion and disapointment about the way they are doing the whole pass thing.

First off, people were saying that they were dissapointed that they had to come back in the spring and wait in another line to get it processed. Why can't they just take your money and renew the pass right then and there, without having to deal with the hassle of getting it processed next spring.

2,nd...People were upset because they were planning on going to kings island before cedarpoint next year, and that the are going to have to exchange it for a kings island pass in the spring.

Seems to me that cedarpoint is going to lose credit for a lot of passes if a bunch of people show up at kings island next year and want to exchange the cp pass for a KI pass.

This is one of the reasons that I just get my pass at kings island every year. Less confusion.

Actually, for 2009 you could just show your CP pass purchase receipt at KI and they would let you in the park. We wanted to go to KI before we got our passes processed at CP because KI opened earlier in the year.

Not sure if this is how KI will handle it for 2010.

Back in April when they said that we could get our passes processed at another park they only said they would prefer we did it at the park of purchase. No where did they say that it would affect the renewals at the end of the season. They have a pass that is called Cedar Fair Platinum pass and should have that printed on the cards no matter what park its from.

Passes should be easy and affordable and not such a hassle. I hope they decide to fix this. Until then I am seriously thinking about not renewing at all due to their lack of thinking and caring for the customer.

See, there's the problem...

2010 platinum passes just went on sale, and if you bought before today, the price was $140 for new or renewal. That said, Kings Island was closed this weekend, so it's only natural that I would visit Cedar Point, and that I would want to buy my new pass while I can get it for $140 instead of $150 today or $160 after November 13.

But because last year I had to process my pass at Kings Island, I have a Kings Island pass for 2009. So I couldn't just renew, I had to stand in the longer line to fill out paperwork and receive a voucher instead of standing in the short line to renew the existing card. And now I see that the season pass center will open for business on May 16 next year? That means the odds are extremely good that I will be in exactly the same situation I was in this year, processing my pass at Kings Island on Opening Day because the Cedar Point pass processing center isn't even open yet. Furthermore, it probably means even more paperwork, as I'll probably have to fill out at Kings Island the exact same paperwork that I just filled out at Cedar Point. That little admonition on the web page that, "Platinum Passholders are encouraged to process their Pass at the original park of purchase" is kind of pointless if they are going to make that impossible for people who want to visit another park early season. I can't renew at Kings Island and get the deal I got at Cedar Point, and if I buy at Cedar Point, I can't do processing until after Kings Island opens for the season.

I realize that Cedar Fair is obsessed with paperwork. But this is getting to be ridiculous. The information needed for my Cedar Point pass can be retrieved from their admissions computer with a scan of my Kings Island pass. I already know that I'm going to end up with a Kings Island pass again next year, and odds are that because I have a voucher from Cedar Point, they are probably not going to renew my existing Kings Island pass, but rather issue me a new one.

You know something? I don't care what park name is on my pass, so long as when I get to the gate the thing works. Why does it make such a difference to them whether my pass says Cedar Point or Kings Island on it? This isn't brain surgery; you would think they would have this process all worked out by now.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

^Exactly the right course of action. Its billed as the Cedar Fair Platinum pass and that is exactly how it should be maintained. Take away the park name on them and put Cedar Fair. When it comes time to renew it and its scanned at the park you are purchasing the renewal the computer keeps the record that it was purchased there. Easy fix so the park isn't down $140-50 bucks and keeps the customer happy and ready for 2010 without further action needed. Cedar Fair card that can be used at the eligible parks but without the hassle of where you bought it at in the first place.

I have a KI Gold Pass, but I want a Platinum Pass for next year. Do I get the renewal discount if I upgrade passes? Thanks!!!

As best I can tell, this is still not an IT issue. The accounting as it revolves around season passes is completely broken at the corporate level. That's really what it comes down to. There is no "Ohio plan" and they can't figure out how to do the accounting between kingdoms (no pun intended).

They know where each platinum pass was originally purchased. They know where each renewal was made. They know every time a pass is scanned, and which park it's scanned at. What other information do they need?

No additional forms, unnecessary pictures, or spring trips for processing should be required. Does it really matter how they account for passes, or how broken accounting is at the corporate level? All the necessary information is there. They can sort it out behind the scenes.

I just don't get the logic of inconveniencing their best passholders, requiring unnecessary trips, redundant forms and extra pictures. Remember, the people affected by this policy are those who attend multiple parks, typically traveling to at least one other park in an early non-peak month (before their home park pass office is open.) Those are probably the chain's biggest supporters, and arguably one of the most underrated marketing tools (word of mouth goes a long way - and that's a sword that cuts both ways, positive and negative.)

Happened to me too, filled out a form, lets see if anything comes from it. Stupid really, and the reason they arent taking pictures of new passholders is because they dont want any confusion when/if they try to get in for the rest of 09 with their new 10 pass.