Coaster Con Details Released!
--George H
Certain victory.
Insurance companies stink! ;)
four days admission SFGAm: $90 (cost of season pass)
four days parking SFGAm: $40 (or more; that's an old number. Or, possibly less: I can't find the parking pass price at sixflags.com)
two ride/golf-all-day tix at A-M-A: $40
two day ticket to Mt. Olympus: $48
That's a total of $218. You add in four dinners, two lunches, and three continental breakfasts, and $257 seems like a pretty good deal to me. The value for a season pass-holder is considerably less, but even so, you're paying $232 for $130 admission and parking (assuming you have some other park's pass); the meals ought to be worth $100.
It's not cheap, but it's not highway robbery either.
(Full disclosure: I'm not a member of ACE, and I'm not going to Con.) *** Edited 4/6/2005 8:13:29 PM UTC by Brian Noble***
But I have both - and am only getting a discount of $25? Sorry...that's a joke. Perhaps they left off a digit...like a "1" between the "$" and the "2"...
--George H
RavenTTD said:
The ironic thing is that at the Dells the entire season will be ERT except for the con's ERT.
Ain't that the truth. I think I nailed down about 30 laps on Avalanche that evening I met you there. :) Didn't wait a single time. Now, what other brand new coaster can you do that on, on a Friday night? How about on a Saturday, because I nailed down another 30 or so laps in a similar fashion during the day :) This was also during the height of the season!
I hate to see the wait for the woodies over at Mt Olympus during Con, seeing all the coasters run one train operation and are extremely slow to load...
Certain victory.
RavenTTD said:
The ironic thing is that at the Dells the entire season will be ERT except for the con's ERT.
Exactly why I'm skipping the Dells portion of the con.
I recall seeing posts almost every year for the past few years complaining about the costs. Yes it is a lot of $$ but when you think about every last thing that is involved and included it's probably not that bad.
I'll agree, those of us that are season pass holders get the short end of the stick but I still feel like it's worth it.
The parks costs, including liability insurance, are substantial and have risen dramatically in the past few years. Given their bottom line, SF is not going to give anything away here. In the past some parks may have been willing to write off some of the costs as "good PR" but I think they figure the demand is there, they need to make a buck or two, so they're going to do just that.
One of the entities I do web design for is an asphalt speedway at a fairgrounds. They use the same "family"of liability insurance that amusement and theme parks use. That insurance has risen 350% in the past 3 years. And that's with nothing other than a couple minor claims.
The convention space at the Lincolnshire resort is also very expensive I'm sure. EVERYTHING at that resort hotel is expensive.
And face it gang, I believe we're also paying the way for some of the ACE staff to attend just as almost any organization does. I don't want to politicize anything in that regard.
I would venture to guess that the price we're paying this season will be a fraction of the Con at Disney next year and there will be less total coasters to ride next year. Yes it's Disney, I understand that.
In 2007 the Con moves on to PKI which I'm sure will be higher than this years also.
As someone else said, the days of a cheaper CoasterCon are gone. Part of that is caused by our demands for more ERT, to be fed, and to have more things included in the price. The bottom line may be that if you want to be treated special-You pay for it.
"Heavily medicated for your safety!"
Like a huge difference?
Like a 'work around it if you can' difference?
We'll be in the Dells for three days. Obviously we'll swing by all the parks/coasters, but we also want to just hang and even check out the cheeseball tourist crap.
It just so happens that by total coincedence, we'll probably be there the same three days as CoasterCon.
Should I try to change plans before its too late? Will it really make that big of a difference in my Dells experience?
Brad G said:
As someone else said, the days of a cheaper CoasterCon are gone. Part of that is caused by our demands for more ERT, to be fed, and to have more things included in the price. The bottom line may be that if you want to be treated special-You pay for it.
That's a good point. Some of the Florida parks over VIP services like Busch Gardens and Universal. You pay at LEAST a hundred bucks for one day of special treatment. The thing with the price for me is I don't want to pay that much for an event that I would probably only attend for one day, two tops. I live in the area and would love to go, but can't get that many week days off.
Now, prices could go down if people cut down on the gravy guzzling and demands for ERT that they feel they deserve. ;)
To Lord G. Reschedule if you still can. Most of the time you will get virtual ERT on the Mt Olympus rides as well as the Timber Falls one. With that many people coming into town and the low capacity of the rides (they never needed to design these coasters for higher capacity. Avalance has three cars, for God's sake) you will be looking at hour to two hour lines for all the coasters. *** Edited 4/6/2005 9:26:04 PM UTC by Kick The Sky***
mOOSH
Just by looking at me you can tell I *enjoy* the meals, but meh, I can eat at home. The real *benefits* of a Con, to me at least, are in the ERTs and the meet-and-greet opportunities that can take place ANYWHERE...used to be at SRM, now Solace seems to be THE Spring event. Sure, makes for a more crowded Solace event (as noted in that thread), but some of us aren't necessarily anti-social, and would just like a good place to meet up.
Ya think they'd be willing to give up $100 to take the meals off the itinerary? Didn't think so...;)
Lord Gonchar said:Should I try to change plans before its too late? Will it really make that big of a difference in my Dells experience?
Here's totally off the wall prediction. I'll say there won't be more than 300 extra folks at any one time in the Dells.
I know we aren't supposed to speculate about crowds on here (Sorry Jeff). That's just a gut feeling prediction on my part.
"Heavily medicated for your safety!"
edit: I forgot about Dive to Atlantis. That ride is super slow. Even with no people in the park I waited forever for it. That credit is something you all will have to earn during con. *** Edited 4/7/2005 1:22:34 AM UTC by RavenTTD***
Kick The Sky said:
but after seeing the price tag and the fact that this event is mostly occuring over weekdays, I think I will pass.
The Con has been the week after Father's Day for many years, not sure why it should come as a surprise to anyone.
Life is something that happens when you can't get to sleep.
--Fran Lebowitz
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