Are enthusiasts cheap?

This was a question from the Coasterbuzz podcast, and I was wondering what everyone thinks.

I usually don't spend money at the park for food, games, and what not. I do get the season pass, but I don't go to a far away park to get it cheaper. I do travel somewhat every year. I'm always hitting up Disney World, and parks like Six Flags Over Georgia.

I go to a lot of carnivals (6 or 7 maybe), and there's another waterpark I go to. So, I am cheap in regards to amusement stuff. I spend enough, but there is just so much to go around.

I want to go to Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags America, and the Ohio State Fair more than I did last year (Carnivals and my own park.) I guess it all depends on what you spend money. I'm not a clothes person like some people are. I'm also not into really fancy dining. My heart is in amusement parks, carnivals, and some water parks.

So, what do you spend?

We go more often and travel farther but spend less each time we are there.

Well, I'd go more IF I had the $$$$. Heck, i'd love to do a swing through PA and NJ and hit Kenoble's KW, and SFGA, plus hit the Cyclone at Coney on the way home. Alas, I don't have the $.

They should be.

The cheaper you are the more parks you can hit. I try everything to make my trips cheaper. I'll drive 5 hours there and back to go to a park just so I don't have to pay for a hotel.

Enthusiasts are on a budget to get the most out of their hobby.

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Acoustic Viscosity said:
Enthusiasts are on a budget to get the most out of their hobby.

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That was my reasoning.

But sometimes I think enthusiasts (due to those travel and budgetary habits) are out of touch with what things at the parks should and do cost.

I'm not sure if I'm cheap or a 18 y/o on a tight budget before starting college?

I would gladly buy a lot food, gifts, etc. if the money was there. It's either find a cheap way to go to the park or don't go at all.

I can only speak for myself though.

Read any thread about amusement parks on a message board that isn't dedicated to parks and you'll pretty much hear the same complaints you hear here.

Lines are too long, it's too crowded, everything's too expensive, etc. I don't think enthusiasts are really out of touch, we're just more informed (in theory) so we're louder about our opinions.

There's a huge untapped market of people who don't go to parks at all (not just to parks in that certain chain we like to talk about so much) because they just know the experience will be unsavory. It's an industry-wide thing. Of course for many people there's nothing the industry could do to change that but that's not everyone. *** Edited 3/30/2007 8:59:59 PM UTC by matt.***

I think enthusiasts try to find ways to cut the costs so they can go more often. I wouldn't call that cheap. We certainly don't stiff a waitperson to save money. That would be cheap. We will have a cooler in the back seat full of cold drinks bought at a grocery store to save paying big bucks on the trip to the park and as leaving the park. Cheap? We call it smart.

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Acoustic Viscosity said:
Enthusiasts are on a budget to get the most out of their hobby.

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Indeed. I work firmly on the basis that all rooms look the same when you're asleep :)

^Smell's a different story.

^*Normal people* do that too. Look at all of the families out in the parking lot having lunch out of the back of their minivan.

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*Normal people* do that too.

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Just the cheap ones. ;)

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Acoustic Viscosity said:
Enthusiasts are on a budget to get the most out of their hobby.

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Post of the year!

Id say Im cheap. If I plan a week long 9 park Trip I pack a couple meals worth, Throw the grill and cooler in and save some money that way.

I still don't miss the luxuries at some parks. I eat at Potato Patch at least once every visit. Even did it at Compounce and Idlewild. I ate a Steak dinner at CP in the restaurant next to Raptor (Silver Dollar Cafe?)

I think theres a difference in being cheap and being smart and having a plan. Cheap means you won't come off nothing no matter what. Smart means you have some drinks in the car if it's convienient to do so.

Chuck, who don't think any of us could visit parks 20+ times every year and buy all our food and drinks and what souvineers we wanted every time. A Event is a perfect example. HWN includes Drinks, Three meals and ert sessions.

Chuck

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Chuck, who don't think any of us could visit parks 20+ times every year and buy all our food and drinks and what souvineers we wanted every time.

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Chuck needs to travel with Gonch. ;)

20 parks a year? Not quite in our case. (14,24,20,21,22,10) over the past six seasons respectively. Close enough on the average.

Food and drink? Everytime. I've never packed food or drink or left a park to eat...ever. Obviously I might eat outside the park before or after our visit, but I've never left a park to get food or drink and returned.

Souvenirs? Often, but not always. Usually 'trip' souvenirs more than park souvenirs. And then usually crap the kids want.

And we're not even close to making 'Jeremy' money. ;)

Gonch, you live such a lavish life. ;)

"Just the cheap ones."

Or, maybe the ones who can barely afford to take their family to the park for 1 day a year. I know my parents were on a tight budget at times when we were growing up, and our yearly day trip to a local park was one of the best things we did all summer.

Not everyone is swimming in cash and able to drop $60 into a Flash Pass or park food and souveniers, even if they wanted to.

It's also probably healthier to pack a lunch than to eat the greasy garbage from the park.

*** Edited 3/30/2007 10:05:04 PM UTC by rablat5***

All Im saying is why pay a lot more than you have too. We shared a room with five people for PPP. Ate one meal plus the pizza and bought a couple drinks durring the day. Also rode 4 in the van and split the fuel bill.

if each of us drove, got our own room ect it would have been far and I do mean far more expensive. We also did Fright night and Idlewild that weekend and bought the Kennywood ticket at Giant Eagle saving 5 bucks and used that for prefered parking.
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Acoustic Viscosity said:
Gonch, you live such a lavish life.

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Hehe.

I prefer the word 'convenient', but lavish sounds better.

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All Im saying is why pay a lot more than you have too. We shared a room with five people for PPP. Ate one meal plus the pizza and bought a couple drinks durring the day. Also rode 4 in the van and split the fuel bill.

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My family is four. Who am I going to split the cost of gas, hotel and such with?

"Sorry kids we can't go on a trip this year because you can't cover your end of things" ;)

I'm with Gonch I have always gone to the parks with the budget that I am going to buy 4 meals a day. 2 for my wife and 2 for myself. I budget $10-$15 a meal to be safe. I go expecting it to be expensive. Any extra snacks come out of whatever extra money we set aside for Misc. spending. The only time I have ever left the park to eat in the car is when I used to go with my Church Youth group in Jr. High and High School, but that was a rule set by the adults for everyone.