What is up with the increase in the Platinum Pass?

XS NightClub said:
I think we will se a lower renewal rate early next year.

The current 2014 passes are including a visit in 2013, approx value $34

They are advertising 'best rate of the year' it's still 2013.

Holiday shopping will begin after the regular season ends.

NEXT year, 2014, I would expect a renewal rate special based on how well the passes have sold already.

That will not happen.

So to the thousands of people that renewed in the fall... "Sorry, thanks for giving us your money interest-free several months early... if only you would have waited to give us your money, the price would go down." Doesn't work that way.

Just so everyone is aware, CP has changed the way they do their free 2013 visit promotion, so that existing season pass holders can't give the ticket to family or friends.

If you buy a new 2014 season pass now, you must redeem it immediately, and then your pass will scan once in 2013.

Does the one free scan include parking? Also, does the promotion only work if bought online?

Six Flags still does sell yearly passes. I just paid $74.95 for mine at Six Flags over Texas yesterday. You can also do the monthly thing. They've gone to generic cards like Cedar Fair without your photo on them.

It's a neat idea. Being able to pay just for a few months that you're using the pass would be pretty neat.

I can't see Cedar Fair allowing people to only pay (for example)$15/month for a few months with unlimited access. It doesn't make any sense from a business standpoint.

Where did $15/month come from? Of course that makes no sense at that price point.

However, starting ~$60/month (pay as you go), it starts to make more sense for the park and guests. The park could advertise that for only $10 more than regular admission, you can have access to the park for an entire month. Maybe that gets some folks who normally visit once a year to visit twice, spending more money in the park in the process.

I, of course, was only guessing using the Six Flags formula. Say for example, stretching a platinum pass into a platinum membership at the current price...at $180 over the entire year would be $15 a month. One would have to take a year contract on the membership before cancelling as well.

As I said, using Six Flags as an example, and pure speculation on the other hand. That's how I was viewing it.

Ah, I see.

I would think this has to be priced park-by-park, to account for the various operating schedules.

CP2013 said:

XS NightClub said:
I think we will se a lower renewal rate early next year.

The current 2014 passes are including a visit in 2013, approx value $34

They are advertising 'best rate of the year' it's still 2013.

Holiday shopping will begin after the regular season ends.

NEXT year, 2014, I would expect a renewal rate special based on how well the passes have sold already.

That will not happen.

So to the thousands of people that renewed in the fall... "Sorry, thanks for giving us your money interest-free several months early... if only you would have waited to give us your money, the price would go down." Doesn't work that way.

Yeah, you're right. That whole Christmas Holiday shopping thing that plays out every year, where companies run 'Best price of the season' promos and sales -
Yeah, they would NEVER ever drop the price lower after that.... "Doesn't work that way."

I think the entire membership idea is about retention. I can see a mandatory one year membership with monthly renewals automatically charged to your credit card. The monthly charges will continue until stopped by the guest after the year is up. It's easier to get someone to continue with their pass if they have to do nothing rather than consciously renewing it every year.

^^

XS, your analogy is wrong. For CF "Christmas" is the last operating day of NEXT season, not Opening Day. A 2014 pass does not lose value until near the end of the 2014 season. By then, CF will be selling 2015 passes.