Soak city

3snoH un=l said:

It's not okay to share a fastlane wristband but it's okay to bring your own booze and mind your own business?

FL access (and just ride access in general) is a limited resource, so sharing it with others who haven't paid for it reduces access for those that have.

Someone sneaking vodka into the park doesn't deprive other patrons of anything.

But it deprives the park of money.

The ONLY business decision CF has made in the past several years that I am totally against is the implementation of FL. As far as I am concerned, cutting is cutting, no matter which line you're in or what you paid to do it. There are many ways CF could make that cash without resorting to such a system. The only reason I started going back so much is because they raised the prices to the levels that I told myself they would need to reach in order for me to go back. Plus, when I usually go, the park is slow enough where it makes me giggle to see someone using a FL+ pass and the line is only on the stairs for GK or when I get in line for TTD at the same time as a FL+ user and I am able to get to the ramp before them. Or even better, when people buy FL+ in advance and TTD or Maverick aren't running. I shake my head and with my inside voice, thank them for their donation towards the new ride at CP. I actually like the system at Dollyworld. You pay $25 to rent a machine that allows you to wait as long as the line is before you can ride without standing in line. A week ago, at Kings Island, they were letting all FL users into the the station before letting the regular guests in. One time, there were 22 people in FL line for Diamondback and they let all of them in first. I see that happen again, I won't be going to their parks anymore.

The difference is that people stealing Fastlane are using a service. People would have to steal beer or liqour from the bar for that to be the same, not bringing your own.

That said, I'm heading over there soon, I'll get to the bottom of the booze. :)

Thabto said:

But it deprives the park of money.

A completely inconsequential amount, but yes, I understand that.

What I don't understand is why some people care so much about the park being deprived of such an inconsequential amount of money.

I'd join the Fast Lane / sneaking booze into the park debate but I'm hung up on the fact that a swim up bar at an outdoor water park has"regulars".

Every dollar counts. No matter how insignificant, it negatively impacts the bottom line. And I'm sure it's not just the group in question doing that, if there are more sneaking it outside food and drinks, that amount can add up quickly.

djDaemon said:

TwistedWicker77 said:

...I also believe that outside food AND drink is prohibited.

This is true, but why do you care?

I just care that the park enforces their rules with congruence. If they want to let the bubbles "regulars" in and bring some drinks, I hope I can bring my food and drink too without being stopped. Even if they don't enforce this rule at all that's no problem to me as long as people are drinking responsibly. My concern ends there.

Thabto said:

Every dollar counts. No matter how insignificant, it negatively impacts the bottom line. And I'm sure it's not just the group in question doing that, if there are more sneaking it outside food and drinks, that amount can add up quickly.

Nonsense. Cedar Fair has annual revenue over $1 billion. A tiny percentage of folks sneaking in booze likely doesn't even add up to a rounding error at that scale. First of all, there's hardly any serious drinking going on at the parks (illicit or otherwise), and whatever illicit booze is sneaked in is countered by the 1,000% markup on the booze the park sells to the morally pure among us.

But even if we assume that there's a significant loss of revenue due to that type of behavior, unless you own an absolute crapton of shares, folks sneaking booze in does not impact you in any way.

It doesn't matter if they make tens or billions in revenue each year, it still isn't right to bring in your own food or drinks. If it's too expensive for those people, then perhaps they should take their business elsewhere. I give a damn because I like and support the company.

I agree that it's not right to do that. But again, why do you care about something that has absolutely nothing to do with you?

I mean, the park cares far less about you than you do about it, which is why I find this whole conversation and that viewpoint so fascinating. If you end up unemployed and on food stamps, the park is not going to lower admission price so that you can still ride Raptor. They're not going to suddenly price concessions lower if I lose my job and end up taking one making half what I do now, and therefore unable to afford fries and Coke.

This is not to say that I think it's OK that folks are sneaking in booze or whatever. It's just that I don't get why any of you care. It has nothing to do with you. No one is cutting in front of you in line. No one is stealing the last hot dog that you had your eye on. They're not making counterfeit FL wristbands and making your wait longer. They're bringing in their own booze. Unless they're puking on your shoes, it literally could not have less to do with you.

I'd bring my own beer into Soak City inside a cooler as well, what they sell there is never cold enough.

djDaemon said:

This is not to say that I think it's OK that folks are sneaking in booze or whatever.

You're making it sound like you do. I don't see why else you would be defending this. There are policies in place that state outside food and beverages are prohibited, just like all other entertainment venues. I don't see why it matters to you if we care or not about this. This is pretty much stealing from the company. If they don't like the prices or quality of what's offered at the park, then they should go somewhere else. If they want to go to a good bar, then they should go to Thirsty Pony.

Bringing your own food or drink inside the parks is stealing now because of a company policy against it? That is flat out ridiculous. Heck, they sell gum at Cedar Point as well so I guess bringing that in ones purse is stealing since you are depriving the company of money as one should buy the gum there. What about sunscreen? We bring that all the time yet they sell it inside the park - yep, deprived the company of money once again so its stealing. Sunglasses - nope, don't bring your own as they sell them there or its stealing. T-Shirts, nah gotta buy an official CP T-shirt as they sell them there.

As soon as one can equate theft and stealing to a company policy - such as the one CP has about no outside food or drink allowed inside of the park where would it stop. That is one heck of a slippery slope right there.

Thabto said:
You're making it sound like you do. I don't see why else you would be defending this.

...

This is pretty much stealing from the company.

I'm not defending the practice, I just see it as none of my business, seeing as how it has absolutely nothing to do with me. And "pretty much" stealing is not stealing.

And really, my biggest issue isn't so much that anyone would be bothered by this (though I'd suggest if you're bothered by this, you need a few more hobbies). My issue is that anyone would be so bothered by this that they'd snitch someone out for doing this.

I'm just going to agree to disagree.

Some one explain this one, how can you buy a warm draft beer from the bubbles swim up bar for $ 9.98.But when I went to cedar point,I noticed you could get the some draft beer in the same cup for $ 8.29.Then when I went to famous daves recently I noticed that the for a tall cold draft beer for $ 6.29.How can cedar point charge 3 different price all for a draft bud light? Can some one please explain how works.

I think there was a time you could bring your own picnic basket to tables inside the park. We have gone out to our car to eat a sandwich, the park "lost" money on us. I have a hard time justifying paying the prices they command for junk food when we could have an amazing meal somewhere else for the same amount of money. If we're going to eat there it'll be either Famous Dave's or Tomo Hibachi or even Perkins. Tomo Hibachi is up there in price enough it can't be a regular occurrence.

I'd probably look the other way either taking turns with a Fastlane wristband or bringing in booze. Maybe I'd complain about it on here later. Honestly, maybe if the markup wasn't so much people wouldn't have the incentive. How much are drinks at Bubbles? If a tropical drink is $15 or more instead of $6-10 depending, then I can see why and perhaps be jealous of those people for thinking ahead.

Zoug68 said:

Plus, those losers are taking up space that bar patrons might like to use.

There are lounge chairs exclusively for customers of a swim-up bar?

When I was there on Sunday, all of the lounge chairs were being used.

So customers of the park can't use lounge chairs unless they buy alcohol?

Some people are just making it seem like CP and SC are a strict based piece of land, where if anything brought in from "the outside world" is frowned upon, and consequentially stealing.

Oops I put my $4 bottle of sunblock on while at the beach last week instead of paying $12 for it at the gift shop. Call the police!

CeeJay7 said:
Some one explain this one, how can you buy a warm draft beer from the bubbles swim up bar for $ 9.98.But when I went to cedar point,I noticed you could get the some draft beer in the same cup for $ 8.29.Then when I went to famous daves recently I noticed that the for a tall cold draft beer for $ 6.29.How can cedar point charge 3 different price all for a draft bud light? Can some one please explain how works.

Now this is a real discussion we should be having.