WOW - Fast Lane is getting expensive

And from that perspective the one positive I see in fastlane is that if they are making more money off people who don't want to wait the price of my season passes may not go up as quickly as it might otherwise.

JuggaLotus said:
Actually, Cedar Point is for whatever guests make them the most money.

If they determine they can make more money by jacking the one day price up to $100 and fastlane up to $200, they'll do it.

They are under no obligation to provide a working class vacation out of the goodness of their hearts. They are out to make money for shareholders in the best way possible.

Philosophically, this is true. And if Cedar Point could actually convince groups of upper middle class Brazilians to fly to Cleveland instead of Orlando, they might actually be the kind of park that charges $100/day too.

Paisley said:
No, Cedar Point is not just for the wealthy.

Bluestreaker implied that FL is not fair, because the people who can afford it get to ride more than those who can't afford it. And Bluestreaker is absolutely right - it's not fair.

My point is that by the same logic, it's also not fair that CP charges $XX.XX for admission, because some folks can't afford $XX.XX. Bluestreaker seems to be making a distinction between the two because he/she can afford one, but not the other.

I'm not trying to argue fair or not fair because life isn't fair, just pointing out that CP is not a playground for the wealthy. It's an amusement park. A park where in the past once you got through the front gates your riding experience was the same whether you had money or not. Everyone waited in line and it was drilled into our heads that line jumping would get you kicked out. Now that it is possible to cut in line if you have the money of course lots of people are unhappy about it. That will probably change over time as the memory of life before fastlane fades.

Except no one is cutting in line. You have two lines, a long line and a short line. It just costs more to use the short line. People with money to spend can always find nicer things than people who don't. Nicer hotel rooms, first class cabin on planes, even a nicer drive in a Mercedes compared to a Chevy on the same public road. That's just the way it is, I wouldn't want to live in a strict socialist society.

Paisley said:
A park where in the past once you got through the front gates your riding experience was the same whether you had money or not.

Except that you're incorrect. In the past, CP required tickets for rides, so those who paid more, got to ride more.

Pete said:
even a nicer drive in a Mercedes compared to a Chevy on the same public road.

I'll take the Corvette thats in the garage over a Mercedes on that road any day! ;)

JuggaLotus said:
Actually, Cedar Point is for whatever guests make them the most money.

If they determine they can make more money by jacking the one day price up to $100 and fastlane up to $200, they'll do it.

They are under no obligation to provide a working class vacation out of the goodness of their hearts. They are out to make money for shareholders in the best way possible.

Am I the only member at Po!ntBuzz that thinks that all posters with an ownership stake in Cedar Fair should have a disclaimer spelling that out in a signature? It would help to make sense of all the posts applauding Cedar Point for increasing shareholder wealth.

djDaemon said:

Paisley said:
A park where in the past once you got through the front gates your riding experience was the same whether you had money or not.

Except that you're incorrect. In the past, CP required tickets for rides, so those who paid more, got to ride more.

Actually he is correct, there was a time when that was true. He never stated that it has always been the pay one fee format. Try to read and comprehend a post before just quickly bashing it.

Rugrats2001 said:
Am I the only member at Po!ntBuzz that thinks that all posters with an ownership stake in Cedar Fair should have a disclaimer spelling that out in a signature? It would help to make sense of all the posts applauding Cedar Point for increasing shareholder wealth.

So do you think Cedar Fair has an obligation to the working class (or any other group of people) to be affordable to them?

FWIW, I don't own any CF units (at least not directly -- I may have a mutual fund that owns units).

Yes, Cedar Point used to require individual tickets for every ride back when my parents were kids. Most people going to the park now don't remember those days. I'm not argueing fair or not fair, just that until fastlane has been around for a long time there will be upset people. Someday waiting in line and watching someone that showed up after you get on before you will become the norm. It will be the way everyone remembers it and it won't feel like they are cutting in line anymore because everyone will become used to it. At that point I'm sure the complaining will stop.

I've reached the point that I don't really care one way or the other. I'm not going to give up my enjoyment of the park just because someone else is enjoying it "more". I've explained to my kids that for the price of a one day ticket and fastlane that's almost as much as a season pass and asked them if they think it makes more sense to have short lines one day or if they would rather go to the park 20 times in one year. They agreed that going 20 times is better.

That seems like a great way to approach it with your kids. I have never used FL at Cedar Point. Been to Kings Island twice since it was introduced and bought FL once and the other time I didn't. Bought front of line access at SFMM last summer because it was first visit (possibly the last in terms of opportunity) and was only there one day. If you think some people take FL badly, you should see how they react to being able to re-ride in the same seat at SFMM. LOL

And I definitely wouldn't look at it as someone enjoying the park "more" than I do. Different people go there and do different things. Some people like to stroll around and take in the sights and sounds. Other people like to see the shows. Some like to power ride. Big rides or smaller rides. FL just adds another way to enjoy the park differently.

Rugrats2001 said:

Am I the only member at Po!ntBuzz that thinks that all posters with an ownership stake in Cedar Fair should have a disclaimer spelling that out in a signature? It would help to make sense of all the posts applauding Cedar Point for increasing shareholder wealth.

Ok, I own zero shares.

And I neither applauded nor decried Cedar Fair's policy. Simply stated how a publicly traded company operates.

GoBucks89 said:

Rugrats2001 said:
Am I the only member at Po!ntBuzz that thinks that all posters with an ownership stake in Cedar Fair should have a disclaimer spelling that out in a signature? It would help to make sense of all the posts applauding Cedar Point for increasing shareholder wealth.

So do you think Cedar Fair has an obligation to the working class (or any other group of people) to be affordable to them?

FWIW, I don't own any CF units (at least not directly -- I may have a mutual fund that owns units).

An obligation? Of course not! An interest in maintaining a customer base that has supported Cedar Point's growth from swampland to the pinnacle of roller coaster enjoyment? I'm pretty sure the answer is 'yes'. I don't know who you (and others posting here) think the majority of Cedar Point's customers are, but I can assure you they are not CEOs of Fortune 500 companies nor are they trust fund babies. They are working class. From the legions working retail to the factory workers and anyone making a living through the sweat of their brow or the skills of their hands, they are working class, and they deserve to be treated with respect for their contributions to this nation.

Cedar Point is now, and has always been, a place where all classes can go for a day of enjoyment, excitement, and just plain fun. The price of a single day ticket is within the reach of nearly everyone, at least once a year, and should remain so as long as it is economically possible for Cedar Fair to do so.

If you price the working class out of the equation, there is no other group that will take its place, and that will be the end of Cedar Point.

Cedar Point's daily admission is an excellent value, as you say it is very affordable for working class people. Fast Lane is a premium product which not everyone wants or can afford. Doesn't change the fact that CP's regular admission ticket is one of the best values in the industry when you consider all that CP offers.

Cedar Fair has had record financial performance the past 3-4 years. In terms of profits and attendance. First quarter results for 2014 indicate that trend will continue. I think they know what they are doing.

Any time you increase prices, you will price some people out of the market. That is true of pretty much everything. Particularly entertainment which is a luxury. I agree with Pete, Cedar Point is a great value. Not everyone agrees. My father in law complained it was too expensive 25 years ago and swore in the car on the drive home he would never come back (and he never has).

I suspect that prices at Cedar Point and other amusement parks, professional sporting events, movies and concerts will continue to trend upward. Along the way, some people will be priced out of the market (or won't be able to go as often as they might otherwise want) or will just find that the value isn't there for them any more at the higher price. That isn't anything new.

I know a lot of people who have purchased Fast Lane. Many of them are what I would call working class people. And none of them were CEOs of Fortune 500 companies or trust fund babies.

Just realizing that if you ever want a good heated debate now...just mention religion, sexual orientation, politics and now (drumroll) Fast Lane. Haha!

Amazing the topics that cause such discussions. They can be fun though. Basically people don't like change or find it hard to adapt to such change, when it appears cedar fair's overall goal is to provide the best experience they can for everyone. Everyone is different and that's a good thing in my opinion.

Rugrats2001 said:
An interest in maintaining a customer base that has supported Cedar Point's growth from swampland to the pinnacle of roller coaster enjoyment? I'm pretty sure the answer is 'yes'. I don't know who you (and others posting here) think the majority of Cedar Point's customers are, but I can assure you they are not CEOs of Fortune 500 companies nor are they trust fund babies. They are working class. From the legions working retail to the factory workers and anyone making a living through the sweat of their brow or the skills of their hands, they are working class, and they deserve to be treated with respect for their contributions to this nation.

Wow, I could visualize the image of a flag waving behind you. You sure have been sucked into the "class warfare" hyperbole, and you seem to believe it. Let me tear this apart a little:

On CEO's and trust fund babies: If you believe a $50 ticket is really the exclusive domain of the super rich, one of us is extraordinarily out of touch.

On the "working class:" I don't even know what that means, but I've known some factory workers and people in the rough trades who bank some nice coin. A day at CP with their family is not out of their reach. That's a day of work at minimum wage after taxes for that $50 ticket.

On respect: What you're talking about has nothing to do with respect. You're talking about entitlement. Amusement parks are a business, not a charity. They don't owe anyone anything. They set the prices and the market decides if they're in the right spot by either showing up at the gate or not. As someone else mentioned, the results suggest they're showing up.

Rugrats2001 said:
If you price the working class out of the equation, there is no other group that will take its place, and that will be the end of Cedar Point.

This sounds familiar. It comes up every year when Disney hikes its prices.

Needless quote removed

Except that I think that Cedar Point is still an affordable vacation. My point is that it is important for the well being of Cedar Fair to make sure it continues to be affordable to its customer base, even after reasonable increases.