Camp Snoopy a mistake?
Thrill ride = single teens, thirtysomethings and enthusiasts purchasing one ticket or pass and spending about $32 in the park. Large capital investment, lower return on investment.
Family attraction = 3.2 admissions or passes (average family size) and spending $102.40 (3.2 * $32). Low capital investment, much larger ROI.
Have I mentioned amusement parks are businesses, not charities?
If Mr. Freeze was a better ride than Boomerang, why were people waiting in line to ride it again?
Unless WOF and Valleyfair's markets experience phenomenal growth, their attendance will remain relatively flat with less frequent capital investment. You might not like that, and I wouldn't either if it was my home park, but when you're the only game in town, that's what you do to run a successful business.
Let's explore ROI again, shall we? Because Cedar Fair doesn't like to carry excessive debt for long periods of time, the first move is to figure out how you're going to pay for the ride in a year or two.
In the case of Talon, Dorney has to generate $12 million (or whatever it was) in the next year or two through a combination of increased attendance and higher per capita in-park spending. I don't think Dorney has maxed out at 1.4 million visitors per year, but let's assume they get another 100,000 guests for each year at $30 admission each. There's $6 million... you're half way there. Now get every guest to spend five or six dollars more in the park and your ride is paid for.
Each park has to do this on its own... other parks don't pay for each other's rides. How do I know? Just wait for a little interview with a very important person next week during IAAPA...
So how do you pay for a $25 million Millennium Force? Well, when you've got a number of different revenue streams to depend on in addition to admission and per capita spending, including a few thousnad high-margin hotel rooms tha 礀漀甀 挀愀渀 挀漀甀渀琀 漀渀 戀攀椀渀最 戀漀漀欀攀搀Ⰰ 椀琀✀猀 渀漀琀 琀栀愀琀 栀愀爀搀⸀ 䴀愀欀攀 渀漀 洀椀猀琀愀欀攀 愀戀漀甀琀 椀琀Ⰰ 琀栀攀礀 漀眀渀 䈀爀攀愀欀攀爀猀 吀漀眀攀爀 愀渀搀 䈀爀攀愀欀攀爀猀 䔀砀瀀爀攀猀猀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀ⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀ 㰀戀爀㸀䨀攀昀昀 㰀戀爀㸀圀攀戀洀愀猀琀攀爀⼀䄀搀洀椀渀 ⴀ 䌀漀愀猀琀攀爀䈀甀稀稀⸀挀漀洀