What else will be new for 2010?,other than STR

Drink wristbands work at other parks without problems so I don't see why it can't work at Cedar Point. Heck, if a park can give away drinks for free then I think Cedar Point can pull off a drink wristband even if it means some people are cheating the system. Even though I do not consider it to be cheating at all.

About the discounted food on slow days in the park... Some of you mentioned that it'd be too much of a hassle changing food prices because CP's registers are archaic. Well, there are always work arounds...

How about this? Advertise this well around the park at the beginning and end of the season...

Cedar Point concession gift cards. $25 CP gift card for $15, $50 CP gift card for $25, $100 CP gift card for $40. It'd scan like a credit card. Valid on food and drinks only in May, June, & September.

Or something simple like that... I'd bite at those prices, and that'd be money CP would get from me that I wouldn't spend otherwise. If you didn't exhaust the gift cards in one trip, that'd encourage you to come back for another trip in the low-attendance months. Another problem solved. Guests who want better value are happy. Another problem solved. Guests who don't care about CP's high prices continue to pay them, so no unecessary losses there.

These would only be valid for the 2010 season and CLEARLY marked, so if you don't use them, you lose them. So, more profit for CP for all the people that forget to use their remaining balances or lose the cards.

CP is just failing to come up with any simple, brilliant promotions like this.

All good ideas, but once again not possible until Cedar Point invests in a modern point-of-sale system for all of it's food and retail locations.

I want the taco stand open by the swings open more.

Apparently CP already sells gift cards that work at most concession stands? What more technologically would they need to make that work?

That taco stand does have some pretty great food. It's about the only non-franchise food I like at the park, aside from the classic french fries.

Group Sales is offering All you care to drink wristbands this season. http://www.cedarpoint.com/_upload/pdf/2010_large_group_catering.pdf

I don't see why the park can't find a way to make the wristbands work. I think they gave up on it too fast. Everything doesn't have to be a hit overnight, sometimes it takes a few adjustments and a bit of time for things to catch on.

I believe the Taco stand you guys are talking about is Los Gatos. They have the best Burritos! Its my favorite food in the park.

Well, there is the posibility that you may see a "new" engine operating on the CP & LE Railroad this season.

^ I like it.

How does Disney have their food and drink plans set up?

99er said:
Drink wristbands work at other parks without problems so I don't see why it can't work at Cedar Point. Heck, if a park can give away drinks for free then I think Cedar Point can pull off a drink wristband even if it means some people are cheating the system. Even though I do not consider it to be cheating at all.

There is a simple solution for this to cut down on the cheapskates that try to abuse the system:

1) Use a normal size cup (NOT medicine cup size) that actually holds at least 16 ounces so you don't make people think they need to get 5-6 cups at a time to quench their thirst. It doesn't have to be the really large size but say something like 16 or 20 oz.

2) For the wristband, only give out 1 (or maybe 2 max) cups per each wristband actually on the wrist of a different person (1 wristband per person) per visit to the food/drink counter, so if they want to get more than 1 cup (or maybe 2 max) they will have to go back through the line of people again. (Have this policy clearly posted at the counter and where the wristbands are sold so there are no questions for the cheapskates who try to just buy 1 wristband for a group of 12 people).

skiboi007 said:
2) For the wristband, only give out 1 (or maybe 2 max) cups per each wristband actually on the wrist of a different person (1 wristband per person) per visit to the food/drink counter, so if they want to get more than 1 cup (or maybe 2 max) they will have to go back through the line of people again.

And how exactly does that work when there is no line?

They could avoid all that nonsense, and the labor cost, by simply having self-serve soda stations (i.e. free soda w/admission). Not that I expect that will happen until Dick is gone.

Sorry guys, I'm actually with CP in that I don't like the concept of unlimited drink wrist bands because of abuse. Anyone with a brain is going to buy 1 per group or family.

I'd like the concept of a drink pass though that would simply be punched. 5 20oz drinks (soda or classic Icees) for $10 (and better deals if you buy more). Feel free to share the passes with family, friends, or groups. The people smart enough to plan out the passes were probably the ones getting the free water anyway.

Make the drink passes valid the entire 2010 season too...again, to get people to come back for future visits with unused passes.

Programs like this would be how I, a season passholder, would spend money in the park again. I'm guilty of being a passholder that spends virtually no money in the park, as I don't see the value. It'd make sense that most season passholders are also driven by value, so this would be a way to increase spending per person and indirectly increase attendance.

I think with the dip in average spending at the park per customer last year, they will come out with something as in effort to increase this number this year. At least, that's what I hope a company with a struggling financial situation would try to do.

djDaemon said:
They could avoid all that nonsense, and the labor cost, by simply having self-serve soda stations (i.e. free soda w/admission). Not that I expect that will happen until Dick is gone.

I like that model much more.

Raise admission by 10 bucks and make fountain drinks free. Even if its not self serve, I think they see an increase in profits.

Well, that's what Holiday World did, correct? Added a few dollars (whatever they calculated each guest spent on soda on average) to the price of admission, and guests get "free" soda. The park loses nothing in the way of revenue (and may actually gain some), and the guest comes away feeling as if they got a good deal.

Beech bend park has gone to free soft drinks this year as well.

I was just going through some of the construction photos and noticed they were building a ride photo building. I wonder where the photo will be taken? After one of the drops I'm assuming.

Ok ,what is going on the main midway,there digging again,looking at the webcam,any ideas?