Return of Christmas In The Park

I was thinking again how great it would be to walk down a snow covered midway. Something I have done only a handful of times. Then I realized that with Castaway Bay coming next winter, and a handful of other Indoor Parks coming down the line I think in 4 or 5 years we could see a Christmas event in the park. The new indoor parks could have shuttles going to and from the park. Having more people taking long weekends and staying at these indoor parks, may make for a better turnout for a winter event.

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Dan Haverlock
Magnum: 2440
TTD Rollbacks 4
TTD Complete Laps 73
"get a job man!"

I don't think it would be that popular because it's still "unsafe" to operate rides in those conditions and people would come to the park thinking "Ooooh! I'll get to ride %RIDE NAME HERE%" and they'll be disapointed.

However, there is a good chance that it would happen.
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"What's wrong with the offseason? It's when the fun stuff happens!" - Annonymous Cedar Point Employee

They could open Disaster Transport;)

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Millennium Force is MY baby.
Where would we be without CP?:)

It would be cool, but people would be having fits about the rides being down half the time. It was REALLY annoying to work at the Point and hear "When's the Dragster going to be back up?" "I want a refund! Nothing's running!" "Don't we get a discount? I mean, the best rides are down." I swear, being part of the admissions crew when the rides are down is just plain... plain... well, not good. And I'm sure lots of the other crews-- and the guests, too-- wouldn't enjoy the situation.
*** This post was edited by Lea 12/10/2003 7:19:20 PM ***

Well, the admission should be cheap in winter, and only open on weekends. Just an idea. The CP& LE could be open too, because trains are Christmassy.

Also, people should have common sense to know that they can't ride TTd when it's 32 degrees outside.

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Millennium Force is MY baby.
Where would we be without CP?:)

*** This post was edited by MF310 12/10/2003 7:45:19 PM ***

Sure, except that folks typically check their brains at the gate, and that's the part where the common sense lives.

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It's not war, famine, or pestilence; it's only downtime.

We could bring skis and hop on the track and....;)

I really would like to see a Christmas event come to the park once more. The thought of walking down a snow covered midway is something I would love to expirence, just to be in the park in the offseason for that matter.

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Final 2003 Stats: Trips: 37
Top Thrill Dragster: 17
Magnum XL-200: 85 (last train of the year in 6-1)
*** This post was edited by fat chris 12/10/2003 9:00:46 PM ***

Rides were never open during the short lived X-Mas event except for the carousel.

As far as the train goes.. Have you ever been on Perimeter Road during the winter?? The wind is not kind. I think the wind chill factor would keep people off the ride.

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June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100
VertiGo Rides - 82
*** This post was edited by Red Garter Rob 12/11/2003 7:59:15 AM ***

I didnt make it to the first christmas in the park. What was it like?

.. cold ..

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June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100
VertiGo Rides - 82

Christmas in the Park suffered more from the fact that people didn't want to drive 2 hours to Cedar Point for a gift shop, a cup of hot chocolate, and a spin on the carousel than it did from the weather. I think the event failed because there wasn't enough to do to make it worth driving there unless you were a local.

Jeff and I were just talking about this very topic the other day. With Sandusky's winter potential, I think the market could support "Christmas in the Park" in the future.

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Walt Schmidt
Virtual Midway
*** This post was edited by Gemini 12/11/2003 6:44:30 AM ***

Well, I don't think advertisign in the park guides, and TV and Radio ads that rides will be close except for the carousel or something like that. Granted you may still get the people who think Amusement park, tall rides, only to forget it's actually the middle of winter and 2 degrees outside.

I'm sure the train would be no problem if they made some plexiglass doors for the cars. To me, that would be the reason why you wouldn't want to use the train unless you know the event will be a hit.

I would gladly pay $30 just to see a million lights strung around everywhere. Use some custom made lights. Take Raptor for instance. Make a series of lights that would look like a train going down the hill. Or at least one car of a train. Buy a cup of hot chocolate (hopefully not warm chocolate like every other place has) maybe watch a couple of shows. Maybe have old man winter walking around.

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- Chris -

Great idea Chris.. but the ROI for such a project would be HUGE.

Lighting systems tend to add up and I don't honetly think there would be enough demand for it, outside of locals.

Granted it has been done in other places such as The Toledo Zoo but those places have something to seriously offer during the winter months. I don't see Cedar Point, even with the train running (which would cost a small fortune to reto-fit those trains with plex) having enough of a draw to justify millions of lights around the park.

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June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100
VertiGo Rides - 82

Silver Dollar City is putting on an event with 4 million lights this year, plus seven rides including two coasters. The weather there is on the cold side this week, 30's and 40's for a high.

I don't think weather is an issue, especially since most people in CP's primary market area are used to cold winters. The new indoor water parks should bring enough visitors to the area to make a winter event possible at CP. Imagine how nice the train ride would be if the route was extensively decorated for the holidays?

My idea of a CP holiday event would be to open the main midway and the Frontier Trail. Run the Carousel, Sky Ride, Blue Streak, Cedar Downs, Cadillac Cars, Matterhorn, Power Tower, Millennium Force, Iron Dragon and the CP&LE RR.

Turn the train into an extensively themed "North Pole Express".

Put extensive decorations and lights all over the Frontier Trail and turn the shops into holiday shops. Put reindeer in the petting farm and have a nearby "Santa Shop" for pictures with Santa. Have a holiday show at the Red Garter, and sell hot spiced wine and Christmas Ale.

Decorate the Main Midway also, but probably a little less than the trail.

Promote the event as extensively as Halloweekends, and have joint marketing with the indoor waterparks, even the competing ones. Allow season passholders to use their passes, the idea is to get bodies in the park to spend money.

I think in a couple years they could really make this work.

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I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.

Another thing people are forgetting is staffing.

Alot of the rides you have mentioned Pete won't run in the bitter cold that is more common to CP winters than the current year so far.

As for the shops and Red Garter and such, there is an important fact. Most buildings in Cedar Point do not have any heat of any kind.

You can see the cost of this starting to rise REAL fast.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see it but from a bussiness standpoint, it doesn't make sense at this point in time.

P.S. Who gets to play Santa if this ever happens again??? :)
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June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100
VertiGo Rides - 82
*** This post was edited by Red Garter Rob 12/11/2003 11:09:47 AM ***

Lack of heat in buildings (and restrooms) does present a problem.

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Walt Schmidt
Virtual Midway

Red Garter Rob said:
P.S. Who gets to play Santa if this ever happens again??? :)

Think about that one Rob. Who at the park is big and jolly? Ok, just big;)

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Snow? We don't need no freaking snow!

*on the sarcastic side* They could always turn Disaster Transport into "Santa's Wild Ride" and have Santa's new high-fangled motorized sleigh malfunction. "Welcome to the North Pole!... Put your hands in the air as your lap bar releases..."

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Rides 2001
Guest Services 2002
www.veronicaspreciousgifts.com

It would be mighty cold riding Millenium Force in < 32 degree weather ;)

It would also probably be too windy most of the time to run the SkyRide.

Santa's wild ride sounds interesting ;)

If you took a poll of the 300+ full time employees that work at the park if they want to see a Christmas event again I bet you would be able to count on one hand who would be in favor of it.

They all work hard enough during a season that is already too long. Let them have a few weeks with their families for crying out loud.

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"You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world...but it requires people to make the dreams a reality."