Cedar Fair Season Pass Confusion

So, Cedar Fair has been getting on my nerves. I live in Cincy and want a Platinum pass for next year as I will be in Columbus most of the year, and will visit CP and KI. Easy right? no. I plan to go to CP this fall, and I read that last year with a Platinum pass you get to go to CP the rest of the season. Being in Cincy, It is easier to get a KI pass and use it at CP, so I call KI and ask, "If i get a KI pass, can I use it at CP this rest of the season", to which I get a quick "no". Ok, that sucks. I go online to buy a CP pass, which I'll get processed at KI, but alas if you process it at KI, it becomes a KI pass. Damn. So then I decide I'll just process my pass at CP when I go up there. I call to ask CP if I get the rest of 2008 on my 2009 pass, and I get, "No, you get 1 day at the park, and that 1 day is ONLY the day you buy a pass". Ok.. so I ask her, "What if I buy my pass online today, do I have to drive up and use it TODAY?". As you might expect, I get a "Yes". So basically, if you buy a pass on a non-operating day, you don't even get a free one-day ticket.

In one year it went from the rest of that fall, and the next year.... to not even one free day. I understand pinching pennies, but they raise the price of a platinum pass AND reduce the most inticing aspect of getting one before say... April of next year! Bad marketing in my opinion. They also don't explain that very clearly on any advertisements.

Shame CF, shame.

Dan you have gotten some misinformation or confused here are the facts:

Any Platinum Pass from Any CF park is good at all CF parks for admission and parking

Any other SP from a CF park (ie gold, normal) is not good at any CF park but the one you bought it at.

In the past CP has not allowed your next year pass to be good at all during that seasons operating window so one day is new, I know KI does things differently (and may still do I dont know) but Ill just throw that out there, just so you know.

Also, if you want to get the most out of the free day, may I suggest getting it at CP the day you go there, KI has a really good online deal right now for Haunt tickets check it out, I believe the tickets may be as low as $20. I know it sucks, but look at it like this, after this year this will not be a problem for you so long as you keep buying CF passes.

I had this problem earlier in the year. I needed to upgrade a Cedar Point pass to Platinum Pass so I could visit Kings Island. The only way I could do this is driving hours out the way and upgrade only at Cedar Point.

Cedar Fair needs to join the 21st century...

^Actually that would occur at the AB parks too heres the way to look at it, you can get a CF Platinum Pass or you can get a CP SP. Kings Island as part of CF, recoginzes and honors the CF PP, but getting them to honor the CP SP is like getting them to honor SFKK, its a different park.

Besides why in the world did you not get the PP in the first place? It has parking, ERT and Soak City included. Even if I could not visit another CF park besides CP, it would still be worth it to me.

I was going compare what they say on their websites but Cedar Point's is down at the moment. On Kings Island's it says, "Photo ID card must be processed at Kings Island."

^^Because it was my friend who got that pass and he thought he would only visit Cedar Point a couple times. But still it should be easier to upgrade a pass.

LOL, I wanted a CF pass for next year, and tried to buy one (and get it processed) at VF since I was up visiting Spongebob anyway (and getting Renegade, which was QUITE good). Alas, no SPs available for next year at VF just yet. I thought CF was slow at getting integrated when they bought Geauga (and I'm saying nothing about the fiascos at Knotts' Solaces past, LOL)...they really haven't figured out squat about running a CHAIN. Paramount understood the meaning of "chain" so much better...even SF often has a variety of implementations (such as parking passes, SP barcodes, SP stickers, window clings, hang-tags, etc. just to PARK your car...LOL). But once chain-wide CF passes for '09 go on sale in some parks, doesn't it make sense to have them at ALL parks...and since they're all priced the same, shouldn't they all come with the same benefits? Apparently not! ;)

I just see no reason to buy a Platinum pass anytime early. Why not get it next spring? This is the first time in probably 10yrs I havent seen KI do anything special for buying a season pass early, especially the most expensive pass available.

^Why buy a CF Platnium Pass early?

Because if you renew your pass before 11/2 you can get it for $140.00 which is $20 off the full price

^Not to mention the admission to VF for that day (Sunday evening Labor Day) since I had no CF pass for '08. I've had a few CF and a few PP passes over the years, but knew travel was going to be limited this summer and VF turned out the only CF visit I've made this year (might get to Dorney Friday pre-PPP). And unless they're available at Dorney, I'd have to get one mailed to me what with the nearest park being Carowinds. I wouldn't have even asked had I not known about other CF parks having '09 passes available *right* before leaving for WI/MN.

Looks like you're in luck if you go to Dorney for pre-PPP. 2009 passes are available at Dorney now.

Cedar Point Platinum is $150 now, and I don't see that increasing by next year. Plus, I won't be visiting CP until October, meaning if I want to get a free pass for a day, I have to purchase the pass on that day. It's just very inconvenient. How is it any trouble to give me a one day pass for any day? If anything, this discourages me from buying a pass now rather than inticing me.

But it will be increasing next year. It's $150 until 11/2, then it goes up to $160. Renewals are $140, and also increasing to $160 after 11/2.

(11/2 is the cutoff if purchased at CP, not sure when the discount ends at Kings Island)

I'm not sure I'm following the issue with this. Unless my understanding is wrong, you aren't buying a Cedar Fair Platinum Pass. You would be buying a Cedar Point Platinum Pass, a Kings Island Platinum Pass, a Dorney Park Platinum Pass, etc.

The pass belongs to the home park and the extra perk is that you get to use it at that park's sister parks within the chain. So I can understand why they are not mixing the incentives offered by each park.

And as far as the CP incentive for a day pass to the park, I guess that makes sense to me, too. The purchase is for a season pass for the next operating year. The only reason to offer the day pass is so you give a little bonus for driving to the park to make the purchase. I don't see why they have to make that valid for any day you choose.

I guess I am of the mind if the incentives aren't pleasing to you, then by all means wait until spring. It will just cost you a little more for the pass. But I personally don't see anything wrong with what is being offered.

Kings Island is offering the same thing as well. If you'd rather go there, then you can. You can only get the free admission if you don't already have a season pass. And I think it needs to be used the day of the purchace. (I'm not 100% certain about that though)

Mark Small said:
But it will be increasing next year. It's $150 until 11/2, then it goes up to $160. Renewals are $140, and also increasing to $160 after 11/2.

Glad I caught that. I guess I will have to renew mine during one of my 2 remaining trips to CP.

When looking at the Cedar Point season pass website, in bold print it states ALL SALES FINAL. NO REFUNDS. In past years, you could get a refund on an unused season pass certificate. Has this policy changed?

I don't remember that CP has ever allowed you to visit for the rest of the season if you buy your pass early. KI yes, CP no.

I had my certificate for my CP platinum pass all winter, and I was concerned that when I visited KD in the spring ('round Easter) that I wouldn't have a valid pass. I was informed that the 07 pass was still valid thru the last day of March 08. I also found out that if I'd had my certificate with me at KD I could've had it processed as a Platinum Pass, but it would then turn into a KD Platinum Pass.

So, because I wanted a CP pass, I used my 07 season pass at KD, drove up to CP in April to have my 08 pass processed so I could go to KI when they opened.

I was also told (in the spring) that any "perks" at KI could also be obtained by showing my CP pass. (Like ride nights, bring a friend, double rides, cookouts, etc) I never had the chance to test it out though.

And no, they don't make it easy for us. After 1 whole year there still seems to be a lot of questions and misunderstandings, doesn't there?

A Platinum Pass from any CF park is eligible for any benefits that any park in the chain offers. They attempted to convey this feature in the Platinum Pass Benefits Guide.

Yeah, but there is a difference between the benefits the passes provide and the incentives that the parks offer to get you to buy from their park. I was under the impression the confusion here was related to those "early bird specials" and I think those are park specific.