Geauga Lake...The Big Picture

I've been thinking. Now CF can market itself to other states such as PA, WV, Kentucky And NY. Doesn't it make sense since they will own hotels outside of each park to market something like a 3 day or weekend pass to both parks which would include a 2 night stay (1 night at each hotel). Travelers could come into aurora early friday drop off their bags and spend the day at GL and sleep at the hotel friday night. Then they could go to CP saturday, sleep there saturday night and return to the park sunday morning for the day and then drive home or make overnight reservations at the breakers or some other hotel. This scenario makes sense for someone coming from the states west of ohio. The exact opposite would work for people coming from the states east of ohio.
In the teleconfrence CF officilas said that they now have the ability to market to a larger area with the addition of this park. Being a SF season pass holder since 2001 I have met many people from PA and NY that said they haven't been to CP because the drive was just to long without make it a vacation planned kind of thing. It seems that we as Americans like things simple and easy(just my opinion), so what better than an amusment park package where you pay one price with nothing else to worry about except you gas and meal money. Heck I'm sure they could even offer a package that has meal tickets built into it....for an additional cost of course, but the simplicity of not having to worry about anything other than gas money would sell the package itself, especially for people with a family of five like mine. Another added thing that could sell a package like this is having a total of 26 coasters within an hour and a half of each other. With all the coaster enthusists and clubs out there CF could truly make Northern Ohio the coaster capital of the world, by offering them special packages like the above mentioned deals.
CF is in the business to make money and most smart business owners knows that it takes money to make money. Thus the removal of rides and tearing down a park into nothing would only end in Cf loosing money. I believe CF is thinking this way(once again my opinion) because any smart owner know that he/she can't base the product they sell on their personal likes and dislikes, but by what the people want. And if the product is good and people see value in the product for the money they spend, They will continue to come back year after year, much like my family does when we vacation on Myrtle Beach each year. We feel we get our money's worth , thus we go back. Sorry this ran so long, but I just wanted to throw out some food for thought. Remember, don't be short sighted........look at the BIG PICTURE

Yay, another Geauga Lake topic! :)

Cedar Fair already has a market in Pennsylvania, they've had one since they bought Dorney Park in 1992.

A 3 day Cedar Point-Geauga Lake package, IMO wouldn't work. The parks are almost 2 hours apart, not really the "closeness" between parks to offer something like that.

I really don't think it would work in the long run either, knowing people, if they were on vacation I don't think they would want to drive 2 hours between places, just go to places close to the area they are in. I'd imagine it would be very expensive, two hotels, two admissions CP for each person, one Geauga Lake admission for each person, it all adds up, and if it was very expensive, I don't think many people would be interested in it.

And CF has advertised in (edit - Western) NY, although not heavily. I know, since for the last 3 years, I have seen the billboards on the expressway I use to get to class everyday (well, actually I only see them for a little while since they go up in May and come down in September). *** Edited 4/8/2004 8:46:05 PM UTC by Evil Zucchini***

Evil Zucchini, where in WNY do you see CF billboards? I'm in Rochester and I've never seen billboards for ANY park; CF, SF, or otherwise.

Cedar Point has advertised here in Western PA for as long as I've lived here (I can still remember the "new this year: Iron Dragon!") commercials).

GL itself doesn't really "expand" their market much at all, but what it DOES give them is a good local park while expanding the market for Cedar Point to more of a destination resort. *** Edited 4/8/2004 9:09:07 PM UTC by GregLeg***

Ha! Those Iron Dragon commercial are the first ones I remember for CP in western PA too!

Last year, CP was featured on two extremely large billboards in the Charleston, WV area. I'm not sure if they've returned this year though.

ShaneDenmark, I'm also from Rochester and have never seen any around here, but there was one in Buffalo in 2002 I know. It was along Route 33.

There's a couple Darien Lake billboards along the Thruway too, but nothing very impressive.

I realize they have advertised in all those areas before, but now they can advertise having 26 coasters in an area thats only an hour and a half away. They wont have to do this to get their regular customers, but might do this to get people to buy a vacation package deal that might not have visited their parks before. Like I said this was all just food for thought.

Every year it's on the 33 in Buffalo. The one westbound is near the Dick Rd. entrance, and the one eastbound is right near where the 198 merges with the 33. I think I have seen them in other places in Buffalo, but I can't remember. Actually, I never knew that there were SF billboards since I have never seen one for SFDL.

Kumicman1 - enough people in Buffalo know about CP, and many go there on a trip relatively often. Many who have SFDL season passes also know about (and I know I am going to screw this acronym up) TPFKASFWOA, now Geauga Lake, due to the fact that when passes were sold, one of the biggest marketing points on the commercials was that you could use it there for free. I don't know how many people know where that park is, and took advantage of the reciprocity, but at the same time, I don't think too many cared. Many people seem to think of Geauga Lake like Darien, as "a park that could be done in 1 day, so why should I travel 3 hours to get there, when I could go to CP, and spend more time there." People here like CP, and to some extent, Hershey, since they are more of a destination, and it's just long enough for a long weekend trip. *** Edited 4/9/2004 7:58:57 PM UTC by Evil Zucchini***

Well to be honest from where you're coming from the time out of your way from cedar point to hit geauga lake first would only be a half hour to 45 minutes, that is if your taking rt 90 west bound. The whole idea I started was that you only spend one day at geauga lake anyways and two at cedar point. As for the comparison that GL is the same as DL...there's no comparison(my opinion only once again).

Now back to what I originally stated that CF would offer some kind of deal.....It's already happened. If you look at the GL website, in the hotel and lodging area you will find this deal. If you book a one night package at the GL hotel before June 12th, they will throw in free parking, free buffet breakfast, and 2 free season passes...all for $189.00. I guess I was crazy when i thought they might do something like that? Being that they have only owned the park for less than a week I think thats a pretty good market idea. I look for something to big to tie the parks together a lil more for the 2005 season....but only time will tell!!!!