Something new....

The Paramount Parks were absolutely the right thing to do. It's not like that opportunity presents itself more than once every couple of decades. There is a lot of question about whether or not they paid too much, but it was an ideal way to grow the company quickly.

Buying Geauga Lake, a failing business for reasons beyond Six Flags' poor decisions, was a bad idea.

With a family of four on a day trip, it isn't hard to spend at least $500-600 in a day. Imagine what happens to that number for the families that are staying at one of the resorts. Families are where the money is, and your target should always be where the money is.

Still, if you go towards the family route the season pass sales will then start to go gown if only family rides are put in. The majority of guests want tall, fast, steep, and unique never built coasters. There is no problem with what they are doing now. Roller coasters are the PRIMARY attraction and reason for people going to cedar point. If they stop putting in record breaking rides, attendance would begin to be local people only. There are other parks that offer more family thrills throughout the United States. Cedar Point is the best for 1 reason only, its thrill rides. It's what the park is all about. I can't see people coming from all over the country and world for a brand new family coaster or family section of the park. Even with Planet Snoopy they still primarally advertize Maverick for 2008, even though it is 1 year old. There is a reason for that.

I know how happy you all would be if another coaster as thrilling as Iron Dragon is put in. It would be a disaster for CP and is not something they are going to do. If any coaster is build in the near future it will be the tallest and fastest of its kind. There best bet even though the coaster wars are pretty much over is to regain the tallest and fastest. People would flock to the park just as they did MF, and TTD.

Except for one thing, look at attendance numbers for 2003 compared to, say, 2000, 1996, or 1994. Attendance has been on a pretty normal decline over the past 6 or so years. Do you think its any coincidence that that time frame is when the mindset was completely on higher, faster, records, records, records? As for being number one, that should have changed a few years ago, at least. But Amusement Today pollsters are primarily from the midwest, from a breakdown that I've seen (don't remember where, but I do remember that a majority are within the larger CP advertising bubble), so you could say that the vote is slightly tilted CP's way in the first place. Sure, there's a lot to be said about the impact of a worsening economy, but the "Build it and they will come" mentality simply does not work, plain and simple. If you want one reason why, its because it happened far too quickly in such a short amount of time. It was 11 years from Magnum to Millennium, but only 3 to Top Thrill Dragster. Taller, faster, and record breaking only appeal to so many people, and as much as you don't want to realize it, these aren't the majority that Cedar Point truly wants to attract. As much as they emphasize their thrills, the focus is (should be) on the family, because that is where the money is.

And actually, I would be happy if they added a smaller coaster like Iron Dragon, and if you market it right, it could be a big advertising potential. Its not just the product, but how you sell the product as well. You could have the best product on the market in the world, but if you don't market it right, who's going to care? Unfortunately, most that read this won't get the family point, won't get the marketing point, and won't understand that it isn't about roller coasters, and breaking more records that really matters, because the readers are roller coaster enthusiasts. Of course, I'm an enthusiast as well, but I know to look beyond bigger, faster, more steel than anything else. For me, now its about the business side; the coasters are just an afterthought, a way to further the business.

Jeff, I agree 100% with that. The Paramount Parks were a great acquisition (so happy Wonderland has been shown some love this year!), it's the price paid that is questionable. The family attractions (not "kiddie" attractions), that everyone can enjoy, help bring in those that are going to spend money in the park.

Without families that are pushing up per cap. spending (unlike most enthusiasts), where does the cash flow come from to keep adding attractions to the park? A failing park (revenue-wise) can only last so long in a chain (see GL).

Finally, as for comments in regards to extreme coasters bringing people in, with the economy now, they no longer do. I've cut my 2-3 Cedar Point trips down to just 1 this year (6 hr drive). I know I'm not alone (just look around these forums). Enthusiasts from around North America (and the world) are no longer filling the hotel rooms as they once did. Diversifying the coaster/ride selection at Cedar Point is a great way to get locals/day-trippers in to help keep the park going during slowing economic times.

TopThrillChris said:
Cedar Point is the best for 1 reason only, its thrill rides. It's what the park is all about.

Best of what, and what does that have to do with being a successful business? When you get to the size and scale of Cedar Point, sitting in the middle of two depressed markets, you damn well better appeal to the broadest possible audience.

They allegedly get this in the bigger picture. They keep saying how the Paramount Parks diversified the company across a number of different markets, so no one could tank because of weather or regional economies. Well, how about diversifying as much as possible for the audience within the market? I might argue that the product is there, but the message is not.

BlueStreak64 said:
For me, now its about the business side; the coasters are just an afterthought, a way to further the business.

Seriously? Business is more entertaining than a rollercoaster to you? Really?

In a lot of ways, yes. I find the stock market as much of a thrill as riding a roller coaster at times (and I don't even have real money invested, I'm testing myself out on a virtual no-cash site). If you really care about Cedar Point as a business, you can't have a one track mind on the coasters, you simply can't. If you can't pull back and think about what else needs to happen besides riding coasters, and having the biggest, fastest one out there, you aren't going to succeed. I love roller coasters, but there is a lot of good discussion that goes on here about the purely business side of CP/CF, which is a big reason I am still drawn to post here. I haven't looked at many other threads that don't deal with the business side of things in close to a year.

Rather than start a new topic for this i thought id dig this thread up. Does anyone know whats going on with the section of midway thats been tore up back by the frontiertown 3point challenge?

http://img63772.pictiger.com/images/16236679/

They might be adding pavers to the area instead of the normal concrete, but it's odd that they would do something to the area during the season. Unless it's the 500 ft triple looping woodie we are all waiting for!!! ;)

Didn't they have trees planted in those spots by the picnic tables?

<Sarcasm>Couldn't you have taken the picture any closer?</sarcasm>

A shot from farther away would give us a better idea of exactly where these are.