Beech Bend Goes "Free Drinks" in 2010

Anti-post of the year. How is baby formed?

T: Bear
But presumably you're subsidizing the lost income as well, not just the raw materials.

Edit: Arrows got messed up.

Free drinks is always a good thing. That's how I justify the costs for Holiwood Nights. ;) Whatever I spend in travel costs I make up for it big time and THEN some in Gatorade, water, Sierra Mist, and Pepsi. ;)

Matt, I agree with you. I am not a coffee person either but they get all the free coffee they want at my work as well. The soda drinkers are left out in the cold so to speak.

I always bring plenty from home but still......;)

Andy, true. But it doesn't appear that people are having a hard time with Holiday World making up that income elsewhere.

I just don't see people being that picky to go through a park and calculate what they shouldn't have to pay for because they're not using it. If they are, I'd seriously tell them to go home, and on the way there stop off and get a life.

"Free" and "x% discount/off" are powerful marketing words for a lot of folks. If I sold something for $40, I could probably sell more of that same exact thing if I told folks that same thing was $50 but selling for $40 or even $42 because folks would think they were getting a deal. And if I was looking to reduce my price a little to bring in more business, I would probably be better off keeping the price the same and giving them something "free" instead that costs about the same amount as my planned price reduction. "Free" and "sale" appeal to a lot of folks.

I drink water only (preferably tap) so free drinks are of no interest to me. But the fact that a business offered free drinks wouldn't make me more or less likely to go there. And I wouldn't view it as missing out on something or paying for something I wasn't getting. If you look closely at just about anything (unless it is truly ala carte which is pretty rare), you likely are paying for something which you are not using/getting.

It's all in the perceived value anyway. Doesn't matter where or if the cost is rolled into admission or something else. If the park parton feels they are getting a good value for the cost of their day at the park (total costs) then not only will they be back but they'll tell their family and friends.

Next time I go to Six Flags, I'm going to demand half price admission since I never set foot in Bugs Bunny land or see any shows!

Even better, Andy, walk up to some family pushing a stroller and them tell you're tired of subsidizing their kid's rides!

Next thing you know. somebody will come up with something radical like pay as you go. ;)

I suppose the parks offering free drinks did some calculating and figured they might be a labor offset in there as well. Or maybe they didn't sell as many chicken fingers because the lines were too long with people wanting only drinks. Who knows?