Update: 2006 Season Preview

The 2006 Cedar Point Season Preview has been posted. It includes a lot of great information from Cedar Point as well as a list of what's new for 2006.

http://www.pointbuzz.com/2006preview.htm

GOOD JOB WALT!

That new Fright Zone sounds great!

WOW.

It looks like 2006 is going to be a WONDERFUL season at the Point. Lower prices on several food items, MORE food items, new games and shops and lower ticket prices. I am genuinely proud to support that park as much as I do because I think they have made a ton of very, very good improvements.

I think that at the end of the day, all parks are in business to make money, but I am finding Cedar Point distancing themselves further away from the people who set out for only that goal. I am constantly being reassured of how much this park cares about their patrons and I have felt happy to be a part of it. Go Cedar Point! :)

(I think it's weird I'm usually one of the more grumpy posters here, but seeing that list of new additions really brought a smile to my face. I think they are becoming a very well-rounded, family-fun-based park.)

Don't forget to add the track move along with the large amount of work done to Judy K.! ;)

Nice update...:)

*** Edited 4/26/2006 1:03:33 AM UTC by cp&le rr guy***

how much did they lower the 20oz pepsis too?

Thanks a lot Walt. All my questions about 2006 are answered.

I thought I was excited about this season before, but I had no idea!

-I'm glad to see that Judy K. was refurbished. She certainly deserved it!
-The new foods throughout the park should make for some great meals.
-I can't wait to see what they've done for "Hot Summer Lights!"
-The new full-time employee name tags are a little bit less professional than I would have thought. I think I liked the old ones better.
-The new lighting package in Frontiertown should be exciting.
-Hmm... I wonder why Thunder Canyon's queue line has been re-worked... ;)
-4 rides for ERT!
-Skyhawk!

And so much more! I can't wait for this season to start! :)

Great Preview Walt.

I'm sooo anxious for this season to begin!!
And it always seems like the last 10 days are the longest.:)

glwwk46 said:
how much did they lower the 20oz pepsis too?

They probably raised them mid-way through last season so that this season they could "lower" the price to the old price. ;)

"New storage bins at major rides for loose"

Is this good or bad? This will solve a few problems with loose articles, but on the other side of things is capacity.

"Monty Jasper to Assistant General Manager"

Is he still the maintenance guy?

"Many, many lower priced items, including lower prices on hot dogs, meal baskets, cotton candy, 20oz Pepsi, 32oz soft drinks, pizza, ice cream novelties, and more."

If lower means a good $0.50 or more off of these then this is the biggest news of the season. Sure Skyhawk is great, that 2007 Project is interesting, but this is an amusement park LOWERING its food prices and admission prices. That's unheard of!

The improvements in the food sound great as well.

There are a lot more improvements this season than normal and they're all good, very good. WWL being gone is the only disappointing thing this season. *** Edited 4/26/2006 4:11:33 AM UTC by Gomez***

Two things:

The preview mentioned lower prices for Rip Cord, but the website still has the same prices. Do you think that is just something they have just not got around to yet? Little close to the start of the season to not have the prices correct on the site, right?

And in the Historic Millstones, it didn’t mention it being Rip Cords 10th Anniversary along with Mantis. Or do you not count it being that it opened mid season?

Gomez said:
"New storage bins at major rides for loose"

Is this good or bad? This will solve a few problems with loose articles, but on the other side of things is capacity.

In terms of the loose articles, this is very good. CP's system is very efficient, I've never heard reports of stolen items (due to their way of allocating one bin per train or however they do it).

I went on a school field trip to a Six Flags in Chicago (Great America, I think) and there were 3 girls in our group alone that had purses stolen out of the bins (completely unrelated occasions). One of them was returned to Lost and Found, but completely emptied, the other two were gone.

I'm looking forward to the new Fright Zone along with everyone else. If you look at the HalloWeekends section of the site they already have a brief description of it, sounds cool!

*** Edited 4/26/2006 5:12:59 AM UTC by GeeForce***

CP is doing some really good things. During most of the years I've been going to CP they were always a place which made guests feel like the park wanted them to have a good time, not just take their money. People were happy and the park developed a good reputation.

I've felt that in the last few years they have gotten away from that a little, in the efforts to raise per cap spending and increase shareholder value it almost seemed like they were more interested in taking your money and cutting costs, rather than putting the guest experience first.

From what I've seen for 2006, I think CP may be back to what made them great in the first place. It could be that 25 cent cotton candy, fair admission prices and a renewed attention to putting the guest experience ahead of taking a guest's last dime will do more for the park in the future than two 25 million dollar coasters did in the past.

Now if only they'd raise wahes for the employees. They're the ones that REALLY make the park work! Imagine the midways not being kept up as well, or the restrooms smelling like _____. Without all the hardworking guys & gals, you'd be DISGUSTED with CP!

Upping the pay by .50 an hour for seasonals may have helped things more than cutting daily admission by 5 bucks. That, and being more selective on who gets hired.

MrScott

Couldn't they do both? Seemingly, the combination of happier workers who provide a higher quality of customer service with lower admissions would be a pretty nice one-two punch.

And if 20oz Pepsi's are $2, I can live with that. They are typically $1.10 + deposit around here, and I wouldn't have a problem paying an $0.80 premium to be able to snag one while in line. Hopefully they don't price them at $2.50, or anything that's not a whole dollar amount. Personally, I'd rather pay $3.00 than $2.50, simply for the convenience of not having to worry about loose change.

*** Edited 4/26/2006 12:40:15 PM UTC by Disney Mike***

Walt..Great Job dude!

Who else thinks Macaroni's should have stayed the Creepy Kooky Pizza Buffet!! That was very cool last year and I could see that theme drawing people all season..A way to keep Halloweekends in the people's mind all season....
*** Edited 4/26/2006 1:29:20 PM UTC by Jeffrey Spartan***

I bet Thunder Canyon's queue is changing for "Project 2007", probably made room for a large wall to go up ;) *** Edited 4/26/2006 2:58:15 PM UTC by ThrillRider***