Fast Lane Plus coming to Cedar Point

Seems there's going to be an even greater charge if you want to include Top Thrill Dragster and Gatekeeper in your Fast Lane.

http://www.cedarpoint.com/things-to-do/fast-lane

Ready... Set.... GO!

I remember seeing something similar to this last year when i took my trip to Six Flags Great America. X-Flight was listed as like a Fast Pass Platinum option which was some really expensive fee. However, it was not needed because the line moved fairly well considering they were running one train once they opened and got a second on shortly thereafter.

All this means is that most of us are going to have to wait if we decide not to pick the option up for the extra 15 dollars. I however, will try to take advantage of early entry and try to at least snag an early ride.

Well I got into a very long discussion about this last year on a different forum. (eh, Josh?) I was very vocal about my opposition of Fast Lane to include writing a letter, complaining at Guest Relations, and even walking up a group of 2 official looking guys in suits and asking for a minute of their time. (I'm not normally that kind of guy, but like I said, I was, and still am, very unhappy.) Since my complaints, very early in the operating season last year, one of the specific issues with FL that I complained about was changed. Now I know I'm not directly responsible for that, but I like to think that perhaps I helped in some tiny way.

My opinion on this, and forgive me if it's been beaten to death earlier, (I'm new here,) is that it is nothing more than an easy cash grab at the expense of the most loyal customers, the season pass holders. The people who visit frequently and would be unlikely to ever use it. And with the addition of FastLane Plus, it seems they found a way to ask for even more $ under the guise of a tiered system.

The only positive thing I see from the "Plus" option is that perhaps fewer people will purchase it, meaning that the amount of people cutting the two longest lines will be slightly less.

I go back and forth on these systems. I wish they had never invented them, but I'll admit it: if I'm at a park that I likely am not going to get to go to again, and this park is very crowded, you bet your butt I'll pay the money to ride more stuff in less time. Same with staying on resort property that gives you free front of the line access for your length of stay. Of COURSE I'm going to take advantage of it.

I completely get where this is cutting the line, but the ratio of people who buy these versus the number of people who don't is, from what I can tell, pretty small. I really don't believe these passes hold up the lines all that much.

Tommytheduck said:

...forgive me if it's been beaten to death earlier...

Your instincts are strong. (and accurate)

At least the extra charge gets you unlimited rides compared to Six Flags where you were limited to a few rides even with a Platinum Flashpass like with X-Flight or had to pay $10 or $15 per ride with Gold or Platinum like with X2 and possibly Terminator Salvation.

Holy crap...they want $90 for the plus for a single person!!!?!

Now that is out of hand!

I look at the list of fast land passes and wonder just how many of those really need the fast pass lane?

While I do like getting into the park early, I would like to CP give out at least 1 or 2 skip the ride line passes (which I know they have A TON of) cards to people who buy a season pass. But overall I can't complain to much about the platinum pass because in Ohio, it's a great deal with perks at all the parks.

I'm waiting for them to offer a season pass flash pass combo deal.

Sorry, but at Great Adventure, I'd be all over it like an Eskimo carving a canoe.

RollerCoasterGod said:

Holy crap...they want $90 for the plus for a single person!!!?!

Now that is out of hand!

Isn't the point of a pay-to-cut system to be expensive enough to deter most from buying it?

Tommytheduck said:

it is nothing more than an easy cash grab at the expense of the most loyal customers, the season pass holders. The people who visit frequently and would be unlikely to ever use it.

I have to disagree with this point. The season pass holders & people who frequent the park are the ones who know what days are likely to be crowded and what days are likely to be very light. They will typically avoid the park on days when the fast lane is needed. Fast Lane is targeted at the people who have one day at the park, and want to fit everything into one day.

I loved having fastlane at KI last year. May consider it at CP this year.

I would add that passholders might be "loyal" for buying passes every year, but they're not good for the per capita spending total, that's for sure.

People often confuse the point of "loyalty programs." They aren't meant to reward loyalty. They are meant to reward (and, more importantly, generate new) spending.

You guys make me so happy. The last five replies combined are spot-on.

My contribution to this thread.

Tommytheduck said:

I was very vocal about my opposition of Fast Lane to include writing a letter, complaining at Guest Relations, and even walking up a group of 2 official looking guys in suits and asking for a minute of their time. (I'm not normally that kind of guy, but like I said, I was, and still am, very unhappy.) Since my complaints, very early in the operating season last year, one of the specific issues with FL that I complained about was changed. Now I know I'm not directly responsible for that, but I like to think that perhaps I helped in some tiny way.

Keep it up. If you feel strongly about something, please let them know (in a nice way, of course). So many people complain about stuff then say "well they ain't gonna do anything anyway." Uck! True, they may not do anything, but then at least you can say you did your bit. THEN you can keep complaining. The people who do nothing don't get to anymore. (Except it doesn't really work that way in real life, but you know what I mean).

I'm not chiming in the on pay-to-cut stuff. Oops.. I'm somewhere in the middle on that issue. Doesn't matter, it's here to stay at the corporate parks. At least Cedar Point continues good operations and implements it with the least amount pain (hear that Six Flags?)

In a pure financial sense, they only have to sell two Fast Lane Plus tickets to cancel the opinion...err, I mean, cover the revenue of a Platinum Pass buyer's entire gate for the season.

Not that pleasing everyone as well as possible doesn't matter, but it doesn't take a genius to guess which way those cards are going to fall.

---

As an aside, I wonder how many of each (season passes and Fast Lane tickets) they sell each year?

Fun said:

Isn't the point of a pay-to-cut system to be expensive enough to deter most from buying it?

Really? Now, does that make any business sense? Fast Lane and other systems are priced to maximize profits. If they don't sell enough at this year's price you will see the price go down.

In fairness though, if so many people were buying that they sold out every day or negatively impacted lines in a significant way you'd see the price go up.

It's a balancing act.

Honestly, I think Fast Lane and Flashpass systems are a good way for the parks to get back their money from losing so much to season pass holders. I buy a Platinum pass every year to Dorney, and although it is unlikely that I make trips to other parks besides Dorney, I go to Dorney at least six times a season. Plus, usually I only go for a few hours, and I don't eat or typically buy souvenirs in that time period. They've lost money just on one person. Now multiply that by the amount of season pass purchasers (especially regular passes since you have to go at least twice LESS to start getting your admission for free), and you're not going bankrupt, but you're certainly not maximizing profit. Look at Six Flags especially. The full price for the gate at Great Adventure is almost 70 dollars. A pass is 85 dollars max, and that's for the gold option. It makes no financial sense to NOT buy a pass if there is even a chance you'll go more than once to GrAdv (honestly I think they're foolish to make the passes so cheap in relation to the normal gate price). However, on a bad day, you'll be lucky to ride three rides because of the crowds. Now they probably make a bunch of the money back with their steep parking and locker policy (though the lockers can be minimized in terms of spending, but that's a whole different thing). Flash Pass is a great way to make some of that money back as well.

I do think the extra price for the Fast Lane upgrade is very steep, but a lot of people are going to feel that way and not buy it, so I don't think it will affect things that much. Even I, a person that does not hesitate to buy a pass that skips me to the front if it is a special park or occasion, would not spend 90 dollars a person just to ride two more rides first.

I really don't think you're gonna see this being too much of a holdup in the grand scheme of things. I wouldn't worry about it too much. However, if it is really offensive, I agree: Keep your inquiries and complaints heard. Enough people vocalize, and maybe something someday will be done.

Until then, I'll be the morally questionable girl sitting in the coaster car trying to restrain myself from licking the Q-bot or wrist band.

I don't have a problem with pay to cut, I've used it at several parks including Cedar Point where I have a platinum pass. Oh, not every time, certainly. But one day last year Mike Roberts and I were surprised by a larger crowd than we expected. The lines for Maverick and Millenium Force were such that we probably would have skipped. So after careful consideration we did it and had a blast, with more concentrated Millenium Force time than I've had in a long time. (Anyone remember Millenium Mania?) Was it worth 70 bucks? I justified it in the end, saying it was toward the end of the season and as a pass holder had so many "free" get-ins by then... Plus the look of envy on the faces of those in line for the Cadillacs when we blew past? Priceless. See ya, suckas!

There's two things I find heinous, though. That Cedar Point would put an uppity-up charge on their new ride is one. Carrot-dangling robbery, I'll tell ya. BTW, I wonder about TTD as an accomplice. We Fast Laned that ride, but it wasn't necessary. The line was down to the bottom of the ramp which is the merge point anyway. I know it's not like that most days, but I wonder how they arrived at that. Why not Millenium Force while they're at it? Or Maverick.
The other is that they try to trick us into buying Fast Lane in advance, on line, making it seem like we'll be really sorry if we don't. In another thread a family that will be visiting from Hawaii expressed concern over that. I replied telling them I can't remember ever hearing that they sold out. The fact that you can get em at just about every gift shop in the park all day long is telling. They ain't about to turn down a dime. But, before I rest on my advice, has anyone here ever heard of a Fast Lane sell out?
I had a friend who took her kids to Kings Island one weekday and bought Fast Lane with her online tickets for everybody. She was more than pissed to find out that most of the rides were walk on anyway, and that day they really didn't need it. I'd be interested to know how many they sell online as opposed to how many on site.