Dick's best quote ever

It was built last winter. It's behind the marketing building, which is behind Scrambler and Matterhorn.

I had the (dis)pleasure of watching it go up all summer long last year. While it looks like a nice building, I think it would look even better across the street from Castaway Bay. And yes, Cedar Fair owns almost every plot of land on either side of the Causeway on the mainland, including all but one or two of the entire area between the Causeway and the Waterworks on the east side. They also own the lot across from Castaway Bay, which I believe includes the small field just a ways back from the road.

And you know their corporate office was once in the building in Sandusky next to the ferry dock. The Cedar Point building is still there; I forget what is in it now.

Maybe they should have moved back there...close to the park, but not TOO close.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I know the area across from Castaway but I think all the available land up the Causeway will be reserved for future hotel expansion. Why take up land that can MAKE money with a building that would not?

The area they put the building was for all intents and purposes useless. The food warehouse has to remain on the Peninsula so that there is easy access to it throughout the day. An employee cafeteria needs to remain on the Peninsula. I don't know what else they would have put on the footprint.

Now, sure, the building being there on property could result in "micromanaging" but if that is the way Dick and others operate then moving it over to the mainland isn't going to change anything. The fact of the matter is that Dick isn't out and about THAT much. I worked there for four years. Back when Cedar Fair only owned 4 parks I only saw Dick once every week or two. Now that he has greater responsibility I suspect it has cut down more than that.

Bottom line is Dick can micromanage any of the parks from anywhere.

Well I suspect the people who now have to park on the other side of Blue Streak could think of a good use for that land.

wahoo skipper said:
Bottom line is Dick can micromanage any of the parks from anywhere.

Especially with the help of family and friends ;)

Are they saving money on building taxes by having the office inside the park?

They do not own the land near Louies bar. It is for sale, but I highley doubt that it will ever be sold to cedar point.

During the offseason I suspect all the administrative staff can park at the Breakers East parking lot. During the season they might have to walk from the Marina lot but that doesn't seem all that bad other than on days of bad weather.

I'm not very familar with the tax structure the company is subject to. And, if I remember right didn't Sandusky grant some type of incentive for Cedar Fair to keep their offices in Sandusky? Wasn't that the issue when they were floating the (false) idea that they might move their offices elsewhere?

No, the Sandusky Register invented the idea that because Paramount Parks had offices in Charlotte, they might just arbitrarily move there. That was never the case.

When Magnum was built:

"we showed a bottom line of $10 million"

Today they're losing money. There's progress!!!

Cedar Point is not losing money. CP has been in the black ever since 1956 or so, fyi. In 1990, the admission was $20.95. Magnum was 1 year old. Not sure what the gate is now, but it has more than doubled with the same 3 million guests. Now re-do the math.

The price has more than doubled since 1990.

It's something like $43.00.

$21 in 1990 is about $35 in today's dollars. Admission (regular gate, assuming you pay it) is $45. So for ten bucks more, you're getting Mean Streak, Snake River, Raptor, Mantis, Power Tower, Camp Snoopy, Millennium Force, Wicked Twister, Dragster, maXair, Skyhawk and Maverick.

The gate is the one thing they've generally gotten right, and should probably be higher if it weren't for the required sensitivity to the poor ass markets of Detroit and Cleveland.

I agree on that fact. They consistently price their gate and even season passes at a great balance. Now parking...but really, it is in line with the entertainment industry in general, and a little lower than average for a large park. I don't know how much higher the gate price would be even without Cleveland and Detroit bringing downward price pressure, but I don't think it would be more than $5 more than it currently is.

What is the gate REALLY at Cedar Point? About $32-$35, isn't it? I'm guessing that's about what their admission per-cap probably is, maybe less if you factor in passholders. Funny you should mention parking...did you hear that Disney and Universal are both going to $14 in Orlando? Now there are3 two parks that really ought to switch to "free" parking, Disney especially.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

True, but the gate has always been discounted from list---even as a kid we used to go on group tickets as a youth group, or we'd get our tickets at AAA in advance.

Disney will never switch to "free" parking, because it's "free" for onsite resort guests, but not free for "day guests"---this is a conscious marketing effort to play up the value of the All-Mouse Experience. My understanding is that keeping RevPAR up is more important than a marginal increase in park attendance, because the Resorts side of P&R has a better margin.

Agent Johnson said:
Cedar Point is not losing money. CP has been in the black ever since 1956 or so, fyi. In 1990, the admission was $20.95. Magnum was 1 year old. Not sure what the gate is now, but it has more than doubled with the same 3 million guests. Now re-do the math.

Kinzel's quote was referring to Cedar Fair and so was mine. I'm not privy to the park by park numbers.

Disney parking is pricey, but I believe if you pay for one lot, you are covered the rest of the day. If you stay at a resort, parking is free at any lot, which is a great perk.

RideMan said:
What is the gate REALLY at Cedar Point? About $32-$35, isn't it? I'm guessing that's about what their admission per-cap probably is, maybe less if you factor in passholders.

Wouldn't it be much less if the per cap at the park is hovering just under $40? Those per cap numbers include admission, don't they?

I wouldn't think so. I mean, I would read that to mean no one spends any money inside the park.