Geauga Lake Just Raised The Parking Price!

When VF raised the locker prices for WWC the week after Memorial Day the park was entering the busiet time of the summer. These parking price increases were added at the beginning of the off season which make it look worse when the crowds are lighter. People are going to see the abuse of capitalism with this action and a sign of gouging people especially people who have visited the park earlier in the season.

---

spewey said:
And, of course, the park could then advertise "Now with Free Parking!" and look like good guys. Or at least until people buy their tickets ...

---

Here I have to disagree. People kinda expect the *admission price* to be kinda steep. Heck, look at ALL their costs, even CartmanLand ended up with thousands of guests...;)

But I think the PERCEPTION that is important to change is the *nickel and dime mentality*, where customers feel like they're getting charged for everything but the fresh air, landscaping, or checking out the hotties...some of the best things in life ARE still free...;)

Parking for most *events* IS downtown, that's where most stadiums are. Parking is scarce and, well, more expensive. Amusement parks (or theme parks, LOL), are different that they aren't NORMALLY in the middle of town, and land is relatively cheap.

Personally, I think they'd ALL be better off charging you once and including your soda (pop) and parking along with your ticket. They could even ADVERTISE it and give it a cool name (moniker for you old-timers, LOL)....POP, or Pay-One-Price. Some stuff just ages SO gracefully....I'm just not one of 'em.

Knott's went up too, and yes, I was just at VF and parking is higher than what is posted on their brochures, so I am guessing it is chain wide.

To those who said "its just a buck, deal" I would question if they shop at WalMart for the convience, speed of checkout, neat orderly shelves and friendly and available help or, if they shop at WalMart because they can save a buck. How many times do we drive out of our way to save a nickel on gas when filling up? How many crazy, sometimes illegal turns, at intersections do people make to save just a penny a gallon at a cheaper, less convient station. Personally I find spending a dollar more for the same parking lot to be a little disappointing. Like Walt said bring back row markers, even malls have those. How about a parking tram? Disney charges 8 dollars, has a far more effecient parking and traffic system, trams, resort buses, monorails. Universal is 8 and has one of the best design stacked parking lot I've ever seen.

---

CPJ said:
To those who said "its just a buck, deal" I would question if they shop at WalMart for the convience, speed of checkout, neat orderly shelves and friendly and available help or, if they shop at WalMart because they can save a buck. How many times do we drive out of our way to save a nickel on gas when filling up? How many crazy, sometimes illegal turns, at intersections do people make to save just a penny a gallon at a cheaper, less convient station.

---

Since I'm of the "it's a buck, deal" persuation, I'll gladly reply. :)

1. I don't shop at Wal-Mart, I usually shop at Target. I like the less crowded store, neater setup in general and I feel their 'brand" items are of superior quality and design. Even though I could save more than a few bucks at Wal-Mart, it's not even an option in my mind.

2. Don't do the gas thing either. In fact, there was a thread earlier in the summer where the topic of gas prices and travel expenses came up and I gave my standard "get over a few bucks" tirade. My example being something along the lines of a worst case scenario trip where gas is 50 cents per gallon higher this year than last, your vehicle getting 17mpg and the total drive being 1000 miles.

Difference in price between the two trips?

Under $30.

If gas went up another 50 cents a gallon next year and I had a gas guzzler pumping out only 17 miles a gallon and I wanted to take the same 1000 mile amusement park trip as this year, the difference in price would be under $30 for next year's trip.

Seems incredibly absurd to worry about $30 of additional expense over thew course of a 1000 mile amusement park trip to me. Same with everyday life.

If you drive the "standard" 12,000 miles a year and you still have a gas guzzler that only pulls 17mpg, and gas is 50 cents more a gallon this year than last - your total additional cost for this year over last is $350 - not even a dollar a day. Drving the extra distance for gas not only uses more gas (holy ironic!) but doesn't add up financially. Say you save a whole 5 cents over what I pay per gallon by going out of your way. Not even factoring the extra mileage to save that 5 cents, you still pay an additional $315 over last year's prices vs my $350. You'd be going out of your way to save a grand total of $35 over the course of an entire year! And all of this is based on a car getting only 17mpg. Trust me, most people's cars here do much better - making the savings even less. It's ridiculous.

I can't think of a single time I've ever gone out of my way for a lower gas price. There's exactly 2 places our car gets filled. The gas station closest to our house and the one closest to work - end of list.

(sorry, the gas thing really gets under my skin :) )

So more to the point - no, I don't incovenience myself or force myself to go somewhere I hate just to save a few bucks. The same way I think the parking price thing is a non-issue for my family of 4.

Old price for 3 adult admissions (my son is 2) and parking: $112.85

New Price for 3 adult admissions (my son is still two) and parking: $113.85

How can I possibly feel affected by that?

*** Edited 9/15/2004 3:36:44 AM UTC by Lord Gonchar***

Dang gonchar, you're such a republican ;)

He's a Bush lover! Besides he forgets how dependence almost all goods and services are affected by gas prices. The difference in a tankload of gas may not amount to much but the cost of heating homes and bussiness, running gas powered machine, airline ticket, shipping goods & service increases the overall cost of goods and services and causes massive inflation like in the 1970s gas crunch. Since Bush is pals with OPEC we can expect much higher gas prices, much higher health care costs, more well paying jobs going overseas because of Bush's tax breaks for moving jobs out of this country and much more poverty if he gets reelected!! *** Edited 9/15/2004 6:18:25 AM UTC by Pink Floyd Fanatic***

Let's not turn this into a political debate, there are plenty of people on BOTH sides of the aisle who seem to want to screw over the common man and disguise it in a cloak of "compassion" and "caring."

---

Pink Floyd Fanatic said:
People are going to see the abuse of capitalism with this action and a sign of gouging people especially people who have visited the park earlier in the season.

---

While there is no question that the parks are price gouging, it is most certainly NOT an abuse of capitalism. See, capitalism as a principle cannot be abused in a free society. You HAVE a choice not to pay the extra fee for the locker storage. Just as you did with the Pepsi machines. If you don't like the parking fee, go to another park!!! You HAVE that option. What's that? You want to ride those Rolley-Coasters? Is it worth the extra 1$? Or the extra quarter if you're bringing 3 friends with you? (My appologies to any friendless, or... umm... socially challenged? people I may have offended with my insensitive presumption that we all have 3 people willing to spend a day at an amusement park with us. ;) )

Yes we're getting hosed on the parking fees at parks. Be it 8, 9, 10, or 13 dollars, it's obviously a reliable stream of revenue for the park. And I think the most important part of the parking issue is that it does encourage carpooling. If Parking was wrapped in your admission, many people would take 2 or 3 cars instead of 1. Then we might have to have that discussion about certain parks running out of space...

But back on point. Look at the total cost of the trip. If it costs $148.80 (Lord Gonchar's figures) for 4 people to spend a day at the park, are you willing/able to spend the $37.20/person for a day of fun? Or would you be better off spending it doing something else? Me? I'll spend the extra twent-five cents. I'm sure I've blown a quarter doing dumber things. ;)

I agree with getting back on point, if you wanna discuss politics, go to the RCT forum.

Still don't know how gonch's post became political, as I'm sure Antuan was eluding to other posts on here:).

And just for the record, while I do spout off on clearly conservative tirades when it comes to financial issues and big business and capitalism or whatnot, that's honestly one of the few areas I lean so far right.

Those of you who've met me know I look anything but conservative and if you've read most of my posts you've probably caught on that I'm also an atheist who is pro-choice and thinks it's a complete hypocrisy that the government's drugs are legal while much safer recreational drugs are not (read between the lines on that last one :) )

Just wanted to clear that up. While I'm more than willing to play the "conservative bad guy" on the forums, don't get the impresion that I'm some fat cat in a suit yukking it up about how I have all the money - that's not the case at all :)

With that out of the way, let's follow Tekno's suggestion on this one. Back to the parking price debate. Political discussions are currently being tolerated in this RCT thread. If you want to talk politics, get there soon - who knows how long it'll go before it gets closed. :)

---

punk inc said:
While there is no question that the parks are price gouging, it is most certainly NOT an abuse of capitalism. See, capitalism as a principle cannot be abused in a free society. You HAVE a choice not to pay the extra fee for the locker storage. Just as you did with the Pepsi machines. If you don't like the parking fee, go to another park!!! You HAVE that option. What's that? You want to ride those Rolley-Coasters? Is it worth the extra 1$? Or the extra quarter if you're bringing 3 friends with you?

---

That pretty much sums it up and I couldn't agree more.

Someone mentioned that the parking prices were advertised in the brochure. I think it is false advertising when you raise the parking price above the advertised price in the middle of the season especially just before the end of the season when the crowds are lighter. If they want to raise it so bad why don't they wait until next year when it is a brand new season? A dollar is no big deal but it is more the idea behind it. If $8 was too low now why not charge the whole $9 last May? It wouldn't look as bad by starting at the beginning of this season instead of changing the advertised price during mid-season. Pluse tha park had their chance to make more of the money they crave so much instad of waiting until September to raise parking prices. When visiting a park parking is a neccesity(sp?) but not locker rentals. You can visit a park without renting a locker just store you things in your car but you can't in most cases visit a park without parking in the parking lot at the park.

it's not false advertising because it says prices (dates/times, too) may change at any time w/o notice.