Cedar Point Hour Cuts?

Last year and years previous, I remember the park being open 10am - 11pm through all of july and i think all of august as well. Was attendence bad enough to cut the park hours? Just curious for the changes to the operating schedule.

I've never heard nor seen attendance problems at CP.
Now, if you would've said Geauga Lake closing at 9pm, I would be inclined to believe that. *** Edited 5/2/2006 8:40:58 PM UTC by FLYINGSCOOTER***

Yes, the steady decrease in attendance was apparently enough to cut hours back to 10 to 10. :(

It will be interesting to see how this works out.

Recall that (one major) reason that Cedar Point started closing at 11pm was because of traffic problems at closing time. With the laser show at 10:00pm, everybody stayed until the show ended at 10:30, then all left at once, Disney-style, creating a huge traffic jam on the three lanes of road leading away from the park.

My guess is that either (a) fewer people are staying for the laser show, or (b) they have finally worked out how to move more vehicles off the peninsula in less time. Perhaps a combination of both.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

A lot of parks have cut back hours this year, BGE is only open till 9 most summer days. I remember back in the day when the park was open till midnight on a daily basis :(

I think they are just cutting another corner to save a little cash.

I've always gone early June my whole life and never seen a close time other than 10. How long a period during the season did they close at 11?

From late June-mid August it used to close at 11 Sun-Fri and midnight Sat.

Cedar Point measures everything. They could tell you the cost of everything and number of people in the park every hour. If it doesn't make sense to be open, why bother?

Of course, I think that bit them in the ass for Friday Halloweekend nights the year before last. They were only open until 11, and the crowds were tiny. My going theory is that five hours in the park didn't appear to be a good value, regardless of whether or not anyone actually stayed until midnight (I rarely did).

Remember when the park used to close at Midnight on the weekends? Or am I dreaming?

I apologize for the following. I am a bit tired and my thinking is scattered. My business degree education is about to come spewing forth.. lol ;)

Anyway, I would guess that the Hour cut has more to do with Business then traffic or attendance.

Being that CP cut the gate price and food prices this year I would think that they could save a boatload of cash by getting the employees out of the park one hour earlier.

The probably had a statician or economist or accountant or whoever do a study which showed that a very high percentage of people would still pay the suggested $40 ticket price even if the park closed an hour earlier.

so,,, lower the ticket price to $40 and seniors to $10. Attendance goes up. Lower Food prices and quite possible attendance will go up.

So increased attendance minus one hour of pay per employee per day might balance out the reduced ticket prices.

I am thinking that there is what, 400 employees in the park at time of close? (I have no idea) so 400 employees * 1 hour * 60 days * $6.25 an hour = $150,000. That would make up for 30,000 $5.00 reduced ticket prices in just 60 days. Sure, they may only be a day or two of attendance figures, but it is something.

who knows

I wish they would open an hour later then cut back on closing time if they need to limit hours, night time at a park is the best time of the day.

Back in the late 80's and early 90's it was open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays from late June through mid August. It was a beautiful thing. You could get in line for Magnum at 11:59. The latest I ever got off of it was at 12:45am. Sometimes the ride-ops would complain about their late hours. I remember one crew back in 89 or 90 that was talking to a group that worked on Avalanche Run. They commented on how they could have shut that ride down at 6:00pm.

The only drawback to riding that late was the walk. If you weren't parked in the back lot it was a long haul back to the front parking lot! :)

A little of topic but I had to think about what BGE meant when I saw it a couple posts up... Okay, now back to what everybody is talking about.

Unless I'm mistaken, I think 6 Flags Great Adventure actually extended some of thier summer Saturday nights till 11 PM. During July and August it traditionally closed at 10 PM.

I was pleased to see this.

As long as this doesn't affect the 5am registraton time for Coastermania, and it still goes til 2am. Like all normal coaster events.

Im pretty sure coastermania is only going till midnight this year?. At least thats what i thought I read on the flyer. However it won't ruin the day for me. I can't wait though, its only one month away!. *** Edited 5/3/2006 2:03:54 AM UTC by SFDLdan***

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Touchdown said:
I wish they would open an hour later then cut back on closing time if they need to limit hours, night time at a park is the best time of the day.

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And it's also the more expensive time for the park. Don't have all of those lights sucking up electricity during daylight hours.

*** Edited 5/3/2006 2:04:42 AM UTC by SLFAKE***

SFA is acually lengthening.

Last year they were usually only open till 9. Not they are open till 10 in the summer.

Having always been someone who likes getting at the parks in the afternoon, and stay still closing, I don't care for the later closing, but the lower food prices make up for it (plus it's open late for Halloweekends, when it is most important).