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

It seems this same area gets dug up every year. They are probably just replacing the concrete or maybe it's a footer for the new 500 ft Inverted Looping wood coaster

djDaemon said:
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.

What gate price increase will people tolerate? Discounted price per Holiday World's website is $37.95. Cedar Point's web price is $45.99. Comparing the two parks there is no way, even with free drinks and free parking and 1 incredible coaster and 2 really good coasters at HW, that CP is only a better park by $8. I agree with the opinion of some of the folks on CoasterBuzz - CP's gate price is underpriced compared to other parks. So if it is already underpriced and they are struggling to get people in, how do you raise the price even more? At some point the shock value of the gate price will overwhelm any feeling of getting a good deal. I just don't know where that threshold is.

I don't really know if this could work, but Disney has those self serve soft drink locations at the resorts and water parks. They could charge like $15.00 for a souvenir cup and have a bar code on it. When the bar code is scanned at the drink station, it fills the cup up. Maybe have a limit of 3-4 refills a day. I don't know if it is the best idea but sure would be a great perk to the cups. Maybe a special with the platinum pass too. If it is scanned, you fill a cup up with the beverage (limit 1-2 a day). I think the souvenir cups are like 8.99 + 4 refills (are refills $.99 on the souvenir cups?) 14.00 + they make an extra dollar + it is self serve.

Shades, I'd wager you could raise the gate at CP by $4, and so long as that increase were offset by experience-improving things like free soda and less expensive, higher quality food (not talking gourmet here, but something edible would be an awesome start), I think over the course of 2-3 years, the park might see attendance stabilize, even while adding a new coaster "only" every 5-7 years (filling the in-between years with smaller, family/experience-enhancing type improvements). Of course, this is just an uninformed amateur's opinion, so it's no more valid than any one of Kinzel's ideas.

People want value, and if you look at the movie industry, people are willing to pay a relatively high price ($25/person for 2 hours of 3-D entertainment, for example) for something if they think it's worth it. Give the guest an experience that "feels" like a value, even if that experience costs them the same as it did before. Personally, I'd be happy to pay an extra $15 for my Platinum Pass if it included free, all-you-can-drink soda access throughout the season, and I doubt I spend half that per season on soda now.

Here's the thing to remember with going to free pop, each cup costs pennies to produce.

So raise the gate by even 5 bucks. The only ones you will lose money on are the people who were already buying 4 and 5 drinks a visit.

On all the people who at most would buy 1 drink per visit or worse, would split a large amongst 5 or 6 people, you'll be making money. Even if they get 2 or 3 drinks each, thats what, 10 cents worth of product?

Of course, this doesn't fit into the Per Cap spending model of economics.

The other issue, and this is speculation on my part, is that the departments are too separated and Food Service wouldn't want to give up a large chunk of their profit to Admissions. So there may be some bit of rooster blocking going on there amongst the division managers keeping this from going forward.

I am always amazed how many people I come across in my fairly well to do suburb that say the CP admission is expensive and have not taken their children there. Yet these same people pay $40 and sometimes much more for a sporting event numerous times a year. I'm not knocking the sports as I attend the games too. Both charge the same high prices for food. The sports last 2 or 3 hours. At CP most days you can be there 12 hours. I explain that CP is really a good value compared to the sports. Plus, at CP you can pack your own food if you wish and eat it on the grounds. You can't do that at an Indians, Cavaliers or Browns game.

As for the digging on the midway, it's probably just replacement of bad concrete. They do it every year. Last year they replaced an area very close to where they are digging now.

It's my (and many others') contention, Clevelandkid, that if CP offered a good value once in the park, over time the overall perception of value would increase for many people, despite the increased admission.

And next time those people complain about the admission cost, point them to one of the many discounts available.

The discounts are pretty easy to find. Usually they are on Pepsi cans plus some grocery stores have them. CP often sends out coupons in the coupon mailer. We get a stack of coupons at work every year.

Has anyone seen any reviews or public reaction to the parks you guys mentioned early, going to a free drink policy, with a hike in admission?

Since there are already test subject out there, I wonder what their admission did last year.

Just because I drink a ton of pop I would be all for it, then again, I would be all for a 600 footer ;)

Well Holiday World seems to be doing just fine with their attendance. I don't see a hike in admission being very noticeable at all if at the same time you are advertising 'FREE DRINKS for EVERYONE!'. At the same time I would drop parking down by 2 or 3 bucks. I would think those alone being pushed would be enough to take eyes off of the $6 increase in the gate.

Heck, hike admission by 10 bucks and go to a "Free Parking and Free Drinks" model. And ADVERTISE THE HELL OUT OF IT!!!!

Just hike it $30 and throw in free food!!! ;)

JuggaLotus said:
Heck, hike admission by 10 bucks and go to a "Free Parking and Free Drinks" model. And ADVERTISE THE HELL OUT OF IT!!!!

Yeah, that family of five paying $50 more for 'free' parking and a days worth of soda will be so excited...

Not.

Speaking of discounts.

http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/fun/blog/index.cfm

Rugrats2001 said:

Yeah, that family of five paying $50 more for 'free' parking and a days worth of soda will be so excited...

Not.

Actually, you'd be surprised. When you get the word out that something is "Free", most are quite willing to overlook the actual cost.

I was just reading that. I wonder what the chances are of a promotion in the next year or two reading "Come to Cedar Point between X and X and receive free soda and water all day, that's right FREE!!!"

It would cost the park the same as lowering ticket prices 33% and give them a chance to evaluate a trial.

Why do a free trial when Holiday World has already done a 10 year study on it?

Gonch's study is a couple years old, but I doubt the numbers have really changed all that much.

I wonder what free soda + more expensive admission will do to season pass prices, and if they can raise season pass prices enough to maintain demand while making up for the reduced revenue from passholders not buying drinks all season?

Even if the free drinks were at Soak City. It could maybe make it higher in attendance. I think it could really bring up the rundown water park.

Soak City is not rundown. It has pretty good attendance every summer and it seems to be climbing in the past few years.