Kennywood goes to pay-one-price admission

lake...Do you work in the industry? I was just wondering if your opinion can have any validity. :-)

Smith, you gave your opinion, but unfortunately, it is on death ears. kpjb, who does work for KP, was 100% clear on the statistics. And known in the industry as a whole, what that family does they do to protect their business, their investements, their legacy.

And to top it off, they are open and sharing, in their information to other family park owners. If they feel strongly enought about this, than hey, in their eyes its the right thing. They did this to Idlewild 12 years ago, and lets see, Idlewild had more grandparents, more little kids, and now that park has record attendance and revenue. Money is no factor if you want to do what you love. Its like the guy who loves in the trailor park, but has a $3000 big screen. Why? He love Sunday football. People will go there, they will pay the admission, and that will be the end of it.

Mr. Spock said in Star Trek II: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." If KP was a mediocre park with ho-hum fans, then so be it. But it is loved by Pittsburghers, industry people, coaster enthusiasts, and the owners. And, unfortunately, 99% of the people on this web site. *** This post was edited by Agent Johnson 4/30/2005 4:02:12 PM ****** This post was edited by Agent Johnson 4/30/2005 4:02:42 PM ***

I don't know, I thought a guest's happiness and a guest's opinion or input were very important to theme park operators. If your saying ol Kennywood doesn't like that, then I am glad I don't go there.

I think they were over cautious in this decision, and they are aware of their older clientle. If they had hoardes of people buying tickets, then they would have never phased out the ticket books, or the discouted tickets to groups, something that was not mentioned in the article, yet they have been doing over the past 5 years. They have done good.

Agent:

That would be "deaf" ears not "death"...

You are obviously a great fanboy who will not let it die. You must learn to accept that not everybody is always going to agree with you. Calling names and making up elementary chants to belittle those who disagree with you will not make you feel any better about yourself in the long run, nor will it change opinions. You seem to think that this message board is some sort of opinion game where we all keep score. I could give two craps if everybody thinks this is the greatest decision ever made in the history of amusement parks. I have my reasons for thinking otherwise and have shared them on this message board. As a result of this, I get the likes of you calling names and telling lies about me personally. It is sad that you find your self worth from a message board and feel the need to sink to such lows to make your point.

Hell I love KW myself. It would be in my top 5 parks. I think their $28 admission is cheap for those that want to ride. I am just sad to see that general admission has gone away. You and many others have pointed out, and I have acknowledged numerous times, that there were many good reasons for doing this. I'm sure I would do the same if I were in charge.

None of this changes the fact that I find it sad that some of the old charm is lost with this decision. If you are unable to see why a person might mourn a little loss of nostalgia, then I cannot reason with the likes of you. To ME, Kenneywood is all about nostalgia. In fact, of all the parks I have been to (and the list is VERY extensive), I dare to say it is the most nostalgic out there in my opinion. Trashing general admission lessons it. You may well be, and probably are, absolutely correct that my opinion is in the minority on CB. I do not base my opinion on what everybody else thinks. I do not think this admission policy change will hurt the bottom line. I’ve never said otherwise. I’m sure it will succeed. I will certainly stop by for my wooden coaster fix next time I’m in the area.

Nah, I meant Death. For someone who lives in Vegas, you are sure on the internet alot.

I have a one-year old. I don't get to the strip to often anymore... :-)

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For a 55 year old to go to the zoo and "just walk around" it costs $9. To go to Kennywood and do the same, it's $5 more. If they really like the atmosphere, the food, being with the family, riding the train with the kids... is $5 too much to pay for all that?

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I'll be 55 this year. Only 14.95?....hmmmm!!!

Plus, if you go on WTAE day, it'll be even cheaper. Word on the street has a Ride all Day for seniors at WELL under ten bucks.

I'm sorry, but I am dismayed by the new pricing. I realize not all will be. I e-mailed Kennywood about it, and I think their response is out of touch with the Pittsburgh market.
Pittsburghers are always looking for a deal, especially the older folks. KY might think they are offering a deal compared to, say, Cedar Point, but most patrons are not deciding between KY and CP; they are deciding whether or not to go to the park that day.
I think this will hurt repeat attendance during the season, but maybe I will be wrong.
I have a cousin who takes his wife and two kids to KY several times during the year, and they buy GA and only stay for a few hours, eat, play games, then leave and come back another time.
I have gone every year since I was born (age 37). Last year, to keep up that tradition, me and my pregnant wife (8 months) drove 2-plus hours from Erie, bought GA and did what we could in four hours until she couldn't take it any more. With the new pricing plan, we won't even think about driving from Erie for a short stay at KY. I'd like to keep up that tradition with my 1-year-old this year, but to pay even $38 on community day to ride the merry-go-round and train doesn't seem worth it.
Plenty of seniors, such as my late grandmother, went once a year on community day, bought GA, maybe played pastime all day, then rode the train at night. That was her only ride. KY's response was that the new senior pricing would allow grandma to ride a few "easy" rides with the kids, but I don't think they understand. My grandma wouldn't ride if you dragged her on it. She would just shake her hand and say "Oh, no. You just go on." I don't know if all grandmas are like that, but I'm sure some are content watching, and emptying her purse of dimes and quarters for us in the arcade :-). Sadly, I think this tradition will be dwindled.
Living in Erie, this is a definite topic among my friends who are from Pittsburgh. One has an 82-year-old grandma who won't even ride the merry-go-round, so she definitely won't pay the $14.95 to ride nothing.
I have never ridden much. But now that we have a 1-year-old, I'm not sure that I'll be going this year. I'm not going to be "saving" any money with the new pricing. I'll save more by not going. I hope KY knows what it's doing, but I'm afraid most Pittsburghers will say the same thing.
Also, a few years ago KY ran an ad campaign whose theme was "Come to KY for lunch, have a corn dog, some PP fries." I think that is more in line with KY tradition, and picnics, than what they are doing.
Perhaps they will weed out 10 percent of their customers, but that's 10 percent who would have spent more on food and game and souvenirs because - as no- or little-riding customers - they saved with the GA.
I don't doubt that KY did their research on this, but I can't see how it will help them, considering most of their customers I would think are provincial.
Besides community day every year, how many times has my family driven past the park and stopped for a few hours? Or the time when a fellow employee of mine wanted his going-away party at KY and we went to ride for a few hours? What about ex-Pittsburghers who drive a long distance just to hit the park for part of the day, but now have to pay full price for that? Many of these patrons will be weeded out.
KY never has offered a season pass, like other parks. (I think they should.) They have always had free parking, unlike other parks. They keep their food prices down, compared to other parks. I don't see why they must conform and discourage parents of young children and seniors. The twilight rate does parents of young children no good, since we have a bed time to abide by anyway.
If they are trying to get ride of "riff-raff" (who paid, by the way), I think they will be getting ride of more customers than they bargained for.
I don't doubt $28.75 is a deal compared to other amusement parks. I just think some Pgh'ers will decide it's a better deal to stay home or go elsewhere.
Good luck to Kennywood and its "experts."

I must go on the record with this, still stung by the drop of GA policy.

1) Fewer than 10% of patrons used the GA price. Because of that, the other 90+% of people had to stand in longer lines at the gate to get in. Would you inconvenience 90% of your customers for the sake of 10%?

I don't know why any business would risk alienating 10 percent of their customers. But, as has been said, KP must know what it is doing.

2) The average GA admission was compared to ticket sales. The average GA spent about $5 on tickets. The majority of GA's were kiddies too small for the big rides and seniors. These people now get heavy discounts to average out to about the same price as they'd spend. Kids under two enter and ride for free.

Seniors who don't ride and just want to watch the kids and hand them money for food and games do not consider going from $8 to $14.95 a "heavy discount," I'm sorry to say. Especially in frugal Pittsburgh.

3) I don't buy the thing with the pay GA just to buy some patch fries. You're telling me those fries are worth $8 GA + $3.50? They're good, but not $11.50 good. Realistically, how many people ever did that?

KPJB must completely forget that just a few years ago, the park based a radio advertising campaign on exactly this. "Come have lunch at Kennywood. Have a corn dog, some Potato Patch fries" etc.
I don't know how many people actually did that, but the no-GA policy is 180 degrees against the park's own advertising not very long ago.

4) If you can afford $8 to get in just to buy food, you have enough disposable income to afford the full price.

It would not make good business sense to say this directly to your public. Don't ever assume someone has X amount of disposable income. At least not out in the open. If you do, they'll take their disposable income down the street, for sure. I think the patron will decide exactly what is worth it, and what is not.

5) Dave -- get in after 6pm for $14. Get in after 6pm for $7.50 with an Idlewild or Sandcastle season pass.

With Kennywood closing earlier the past couple of years (10 p.m. some nights, 11 p.m. if you are lucky), the $14.95 twilight rate is more than half the full price for less than half the day (only 4 hours, weather permitting). I'm sorry, I don't see that as enough "value" to get to the park for the night.