Cedar fair now offers a "all park parking pass".
Even if none of the 12 parks have a coaster comparable to The Voyage, it still sounds like a deal to me! :)
-Tambo (who will happily shell out $420 for a family of 3)
If they start offering free soda... look out.
Jeff - Editor - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog
GregLeg said:
You're right, the out-of-market Maxx customer was probably pretty rare, but we existed. This new pass could be a VERY hard sell for, say, King's Dominion, to push on their customers.
But only customers that plan to go to other CF parks would need to purchase the platinum pass. If they only plan to go to they're home park, they would just purchase the single park pass, and single park parking pass.
And I would suspect if they're planning to go to other CF parks, they wouldn't be going for just one day, they'd make a trip out of it.
Even those customers that would only go to Cedar Point will get a deal, as the regular Cedar Point only pass went down in price, as well as a cheaper Cedar Point only parking pass.
No matter what, if you go 3-4 times to any CF park throughout the season, the cost of the pass is covered. Sure it's not giving away the gate like SF, but it's still a damn good deal!
*** Edited 8/31/2007 2:16:47 PM UTC by Mark Small***
tambo said:$140 for 12 parks compared to Holiday World's $140 for one park? Even if none of the 12 parks have a coaster comparable to The Voyage, it still sounds like a deal to me! -Tambo (who will happily shell out $420 for a family of 3)
Why? it was 299 two years ago.
Clarification, paramounts pass for four was 299
Chuck *** Edited 8/31/2007 3:17:25 PM UTC by Charles Nungester***
GregLeg said:
Yes, that's the same thing as Holiday World including parking in their ticket price, BUT Holiday World doesn't blatantly STATE it that way -- they just say "parking is free for everyone, the price to get in the gate is $X". Cedar Fair is saying "Parking is $A, admission is $B, a season pass is $C, a season pass good at the other parks is $D where D is a huge number that also includes parking even if you weren't paying $A to begin with..."
Yeah, I still prefer the upfront honestly to the 'keep quiet and sell it as a deal' approach. But more importantly:
Now, however, Busch has raised the price on the Platinum pass to a whopping $340 (at Williamsburg; it's $309 at Tampa). At THAT level, I'm not renewing, because the return is no longer worth it to me.
Busch at $340, HW at $140, HP/DW at $175, daily tix in Orlando over $70 - Gonch's pricing predictions are coming true.
The industry was underpricing itself, and the correction is coming.
But to get back on topic, $140 is a deal in every context with the sole exception of comparing it to last year's oddly low, non-Ohio pricing. I still think it's just a matter of how you look at it and I'll repeat myself:
We're not getting ripped off in 2008, we got a steal in 2007.
Yeah, it sucks compared to last year, but like Jeff pointed out it's going to effect a weird segment who buy passes outside the Ohio markets and tend to travel to many parks in a year. (see, I didn't say 'enthusiasts' :) )
My guess is that the increased sales in Ohio will more than make up for the lost random weirdos buying Maxx passes in those other markets. ;)
It's that idea that sometimes goes over the heads of people - doing better in the long run at the expense of a few customers.
So I guess I can assume this pricing really is chain-wide and will be what I'm looking at for KI passes this year?
--Dave Althoff, Jr
Jeff - Editor - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog
Charles Nungester said:
tambo said:$140 for 12 parks compared to Holiday World's $140 for one park? Even if none of the 12 parks have a coaster comparable to The Voyage, it still sounds like a deal to me! -Tambo (who will happily shell out $420 for a family of 3)Why? it was 299 two years ago.
Clarification, paramounts pass for four was 299
Chuck *** Edited 8/31/2007 3:17:25 PM UTC by Charles Nungester***
How much were Cedar Point's passes 2 years ago (including the GL option)?
- Jeff
RideMan said:
If "the industry was underpricing itself, and the correction is coming" then why is it that *my* total season pass bill is going DOWN for the second straight year? Unless, of course, the Columbus Zoo comes up with some über-expensive plan to get me unlimited rides on the Sea Dragon...--Dave Althoff, Jr
precisely why i did't buy gonch's logic...apparently they were overpriced in Ohio last year?
i liked the flexability in last years pricing structure. last October when i bought my pass i had the option of upgrading to the Maxx for an extra $10. i did this not knowing my vacation plans for the following summer and as it turns out i have yet to visit another CF park. this year i am being told that if i wish to continue to enjoy free parking and also have the same option it will cost me more then %50 over last years pass.
so in short, i liked the option of visiting more parks without the feeling that now i have to commit to visiting the other parks to get my "perceived" value out of my pass. all the while my neighboring state enjoys a discount vs last year.
Jeff - Editor - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog
RideMan said:
If "the industry was underpricing itself, and the correction is coming" then why is it that *my* total season pass bill is going DOWN for the second straight year?
Consolidation. :)
In the simplest terms - you wouldn't be getting that deal if CF hadn't bought the Paramount parks.
alfundo said:
precisely why i did't buy gonch's logic...apparently they were overpriced in Ohio last year?
Nope, they were underpriced everywhere else in the CF chain. In the intrest of uniformity, a reasonable middle point was found that should maximize Ohio sales while minimizing the losses outside of Ohio.
The Maxx pass is currently (meaning 2008) underpriced - especially in Ohio. But they couldn't go any higher outside of Ohio (look at the complaining already) and wanted to simplify and unify the pass structure.
The SF and CF passes are far and away two of the best amusement park admission deals going. No one else even comes close. They'll figure it out eventually. :)
I can see that...to a Po!nt. Then again, when does PCar get a 420' rocket.. ;)
No, I'm a firm believer that a uniform pricing policy is absurd...you can clearly charge more in certain markets than you can in others, and that doesn't even take into account the fact that park offerings vary...widely!
Gator:
No, I'm a firm believer that a uniform pricing policy is absurd...you can clearly charge more in certain markets than you can in others, and that doesn't even take into account the fact that park offerings vary...widely!
Agreed.
And I expect that the individual park pass prices will reflect that. But regardless of distance (which I expect is the argument) - the Maxx pass does get you the same thing at all the parks - access to every CF amusement and water park, free parking at those parks and all the little perks too.
There's no reason that the Maxx pass shouldn't be the same price across the chain. Individual park pass should pricing should reflect what the park has inside the gate.
Lord Gonchar said:There's no reason that the Maxx pass shouldn't be the same price across the chain.
While I *want* to agree with that, I'm left wondering how you can sell Charlotte residents on the notion that they have "equal access" to CP on par with someone in Aurora or Cincinnati. I'm not saying they DON'T have equal access, merely that the *perceived value* of said access is greatly reduced...
edit: Clearly, it's going to be a hard sell to PGA and WoF people (and maybe VF! people too) to get them to fork over THAT kind of cash for a season pass - remember, they're not just breaching the magical $100 line, they're BLASTING right through it...
Part 2: Even though the new CF/PP has LOTS more to offer in terms of parks than they did in the '06 season, my belief is that it's a VERY small minority (outside of the Ohioans) that used their passes at multiple parks. These "out of Ohio" people are seeing a MASSIVE price jump over last year...for a benefit that really is of VALUE to only a handful of us (myself included on THAT part, thankfully).
Part 3: Gonch is right, CF/PPs gave away the gate in '07 to those of us who lived outside of Ohio. Shoulda bought five years' worth of passes THEN....LOL! :)
*** Edited 8/31/2007 6:46:11 PM UTC by rollergator***
rollergator said:
While I *want* to agree with that, I'm left wondering how you can sell Charlotte residents on the notion that they have "equal access" to CP on par with someone in Aurora or Cincinnati. I'm not saying they DON'T have equal access, merely that the *perceived value* of said access is greatly reduced...edit: Clearly, it's going to be a hard sell to PGA and WoF people (and maybe VF! people too) to get them to fork over THAT kind of cash for a season pass - remember, they're not just breaching the magical $100 line, they're BLASTING right through it...
Re: Gator -
Then it might not make sense for people in those markets to buy the Maxx pass.
You're either going to find yourself near other CF parks or your not. If not, the Maxx pass is a stupid buy - go with the park specific pass instead.
All they did was price out those of us that 'play the markets' to get these pass deals. Not to sound like a broken record and throw out the 'enthusiast' word yet again, but we all know there's a very limited segment of passbuyers that really get a raw deal on this compared to last year...
...and we all know exactly who that segment is.
I think SF could learn something here. They seem to be doing the exact opposite. Pricing isn't uniform across the parks and there's no differential between local park passes and chain-wide passes.
In fact, they offer discounts for people coming a long distance to get a pass. Those 'outer market' passes are the dumbest business idea ever. We scored 2007 passes for SF at a reduced price ($45.99) because we traveled a distance to get it. That's exactly the inverse of what CF is doing with these Maxx passes in 2008.
CF pass plan > SF pass plan (business-wise, of course :) )
Part 2: Even though the new CF/PP has LOTS more to offer in terms of parks than they did in the '06 season, my belief is that it's a VERY small minority (outside of the Ohioans) that used their passes at multiple parks.
See the above response. :)
These "out of Ohio" people are seeing a MASSIVE price jump over last year...for a benefit that really is of VALUE to only a handful of us (myself included on THAT part, thankfully).
That's the pricing correction that no one but me seems to see. ;)
I'm just peeved that I can't make an "out-of-Ohio" deal (steal) like I did last year... ;)
Clearly, what you're seeing that others aren't is that for "Out of Ohio GP", the season pass to ONLY their park is going to outsell SPs by about a hundred to one...the ONE being me... ;)
So yeah...I'm all over the new Platinum pass even if I only go to CP because the water park is now included. The fact I have MiA and GL 3 hours from me and KI 4 hours away, I'm even happier and it's wiped away that feeling of being screwed over last year...and the Ohio/Michigan people WERE screwed over last year.
I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
Lord Gonchar said:
All they did was price out those of us that 'play the markets' to get these pass deals. Not to sound like a broken record and throw out the 'enthusiast' word yet again, but we all know there's a very limited segment of passbuyers that really get a raw deal on this compared to last year......and we all know exactly who that segment is.
You're right, and I'm exactly in that group, therefore I'm vocal about it. :)
But I doubt it was ONLY enthusiasts who bought, say, the Dorney or King's Dominion passes last year. Those parks aren't on top of each other like the Ohio parks are, but they ARE close enough that patrons of one could be aware of the other. Some of them might even have had passes to both Dorney and King's Dominion -- they'd be the ones who REALLY made out well under this past season's Maxx plan, and they'll still make out well under the newer system.
My only objection to the new pass, and it's admittedly a picky one, is the "included" parking. This seems especially silly at Cedar Point itself where they're pushing the resorts -- you'd think they'd want to offer an in-between pass that encourages people to go to the other Ohio parks but ALSO encourages people to stay in-site. It's just not that hard to offer a pass with a parking/no parking option (something Six Flags still hasn't grasped, either), which would offer more appeal to families and others who go in groups.
--Greg
"You seem healthy. So much for voodoo."
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