Magic Springs will offer free soft drinks and sunscreen

If I go back to CT. I'll probably skip SFNE but not Compounce and Canobie. The rides were about the only thing good at the place IMHO.

Chuck

I just want to mention that THIS http://rcdb.com/id3312.htm

...justifies the price increases at the park more than the drinks do....probably even moreso among 'buzzers than the local people who actually support the park annually, LOL.

You make an excellent point, Mr. Gonchar however, let's step beside the whole money aspect of it all...

I'm sure most of you guys have been to Holiday World where they have the same concept. Now, (since I know you all do this and it's not just me!) you get off... say, The Voyage, and you grab a quick drink from one of their drink areas without the commitment of not only waiting in line to purchase a 20 or 32oz drink, but keeping track of it. Can you attach a value to that? So the fact that you can drink what you want, however much you want, is well worth it in my book.

Ryan

Arthur, you have great expectations for LC because of its location? You mean behind an elevator-testing facility?:)

Unlike Holiday World, LC uses the sample-size cups like when they are trying to get you to test a new product. It's hardly a large cup that you can carry around for a long period. The admission in 2004 was also fairly steep for what was included (it was at least $35), and that didn't include parking.

There really aren't that many rides either that appeal to the thrill-seeker (I was there before Thunder and Lightning--S&S Swings). Since the Top-Spin with the excellent program got relocated to Kennywood the year before, that didn't leave LC with many thrill-rides besides Boulder-Dash and Wildcat (which was fairly tame). The boomerang was definitely a been-there-the-day-before (at SFNE) and done-that-one-too-many-times kind of ride.

Downtime (S&S drop tower) would actually have been a little bit more exciting had they put in more than one tower and made it much higher. The wait for it just didn't justify the lackluster payoff. Ghost Hunt (the Sally darkride shooter) is in desparate need of four-seat cars as the line was really long for it, but I do remember it being fun.

So did I hate the park? No. I really enjoyed the scenic view from the Chairlift ride (and it's a good twenty-minute or more ride). It's also nice that they've kept some of the classic flats such as the Rotor and Enterprise. The log-flume was pretty decent as well. The only thing I didn't get a chance to sample was their waterpark, as we had a six-hour drive back to Maryland, and it was mobbed.

Boulder Dash wasgreat in 2004, but after reading one trip report on here and also talking to some New England locals, it sounds like the ride went way downhill in quality and got very rough. Luckily, they are retracking it in two-stages.

Would I skip LC if I went back? Probably not. Hopefully, the waterpark will be expanded by then, and I'll get to give it a try on a weekday when it's not so crowded. I've also read about those spinning-coaster rumors over by the white-water-rapids ride and that would be cool as well. But if I had to make a choice? Come on, just look at my screen-name:)

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The logic seems to be that people are more satisfied paying more all at once, then paying less in increments. (which defies every other 'cost' thread we've ever had around here)

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I think the logic is: "There are parks we like, and parks we don't."

Alternatively the logic could be "Actual cash I notice. Other things less so." That's why casino's have chips, stores want you to carry credit cards, etc. Then, it's just a number, not a stack of tangible bills.

For what it's worth, I'm in your camp. The bottom line is the part that matters to me. Odd for a pinko commie hippie liberal, isn't it?

By location, I mean the huge population within day trip radius of the park. In the future there will probably be more thrill rides in the park as well as additional family oriented attractions.. Look at KW which has a good collection of such rides while remaining a family-friendly park. Maybe a Disk-O, a Power Surge, and/or Hawk would take care of this concern. For now, however, more emphasis is on the waterpark and capacity matters and yes, Ghost Hunt may soon be getting 4 passenger cars. Once the waterpark expansion is completed and the spinning coaster is added, bigger things might be coming especially as attendance reaches and passes the million mark.

Back in the 1980s who would have expected KW to add a big, record-breaking steel coaster? That was the kind of thing that you expected from CP. LC will very likely go for bigger things once the attendance level justifies it. That should happen maybe 5 years or so from now.

Free soft drinks and killer 80's music........that's my dream park! ;)

Bodda hit the nail on the head for me. I'm willing to pay more NOT to stand in food lines. I cannot tolerate waitng 10-15 minutes to get a stupid drink. This is not an uncommon practice at many a park.

The convienience of pouring stations is worth the extra dime.

...of course this is not how they will market it!

I realy enjoy drinking what I want, when I want it, and how much. Waiting in line to buy a $7.99 sovenir cup full of atleast 64 oz. of soda that I have to cary around with me ( or strapped to my belt ) that gets warm in the sun in less than a half hour, just to line up for more soda? Sorry Gonchar. Don't see your point.

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Gator:
I just want to mention that THIS http://rcdb.com/id3312.htm

...justifies the price increases at the park more than the drinks do...

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Yeah, last year's three and five dollar increase.

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JRS:
Bodda hit the nail on the head for me. I'm willing to pay more NOT to stand in food lines. I cannot tolerate waitng 10-15 minutes to get a stupid drink. This is not an uncommon practice at many a park.

The convienience of pouring stations is worth the extra dime.

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I see it another way. Now I'm serving myself. So in addition to being forced to pay in advance for drinks, I also have do it myself. Not that big of a deal, admittedly, but still kind of funny when you think about it.

They've taken away a service, made it mandatory to pay for, make you do it yourself and then save on that labor too.

Yes, sometimes you wait 10 minutes for a drink at a big park, but not always...or even often in my experience. On the flip side, I still saw the drink locations get crowded at LC and HW where you kind of have to wait for everyone to get moving before you can get a drink. Not ten minute waits, but certainly waits for a drink.

I guess it's a general difference in philosophy. Free drinks don't seem to offer me any benefits.

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LG:

I see it another way. Now I'm serving myself. So in addition to being forced to pay in advance for drinks, I also have do it myself. Not that big of a deal, admittedly, but still kind of funny when you think about it.

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At most SF parks I've visited, the service (from my experience) has been so awful I'd much rather just serve myself. Walk up, grab a cup, fill it up, and go. Also, I don't like a lot of ice in my drink (which is usually how those all day SF souvenir cups are served with very little actual drink).

ATMs save the banks big bucks by eliminating labor. And people will pay fees to use them rather than wait in line for a teller.

Ever notice how many people HW needs to staff the Oases? Compare that to window service. Self-serve drinks have to be a gold mine.

Probably not a big deal, but I bet a place like HW sees a lot fewer dehydration cases at First Aid compared to the places that charge for each cup served.

Gonch, if I'm not mistaken, HW has a stated policy that abuse of the soft drink policy can result in ejection from the park. Now that you're on record stating your intention, expect Paula, Will and Pat to follow you around all day. :)

LOL, BogeyMon. I would love nothing more than to spend the day with Paula & The Kochs at HW. How cool would that be!?

But that's another point. If the drinks are free, how can I abuse that?

"We're sorry sir, we have to ask you to leave, you've been drinking too much soda."

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thrillerman:
At most SF parks I've visited, the service (from my experience) has been so awful I'd much rather just serve myself. Walk up, grab a cup, fill it up, and go. Also, I don't like a lot of ice in my drink (which is usually how those all day SF souvenir cups are served with very little actual drink).

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Why does it always go back to SF? Let's pretend they don't exist for the remainder of this thread. What this really is is a comparison between the three parks that currently offer free drinks and the rest. Every park that makes you pay for drinks doesn't have crap service or long lines. In fact, most don't.

(As far as the ice goes, just ask them to put less in - they will.)

Brian, thank you for this: "The bottom line is the part that matters to me. Odd for a pinko commie hippie liberal, isn't it?"

I mean, we haven't even formally *met*.... ;)

Oh, and I needed to comment on these, from Our Lord:

"I see it another way. Now I'm serving myself. So in addition to being forced to pay in advance for drinks, I also have do it myself. Not that big of a deal, admittedly, but still kind of funny when you think about it."

See, I look at it as rather than having to spend ten minutes of my valuable TIME waiting in a line to have a pretty girl smile at me (that's nice, OK, you got a point there) - to get my soda...sorry, got distracted there for a sec... :). Under this new and improved drink technology, I get to get my soda NOW...when I want it most! :)

I'll even give you a *wash* on the money, since I did in fact pay for that first soda or maybe even two in increased admission. I saved my TIME...and that IS nice for me.

They've taken away a service, made it mandatory to pay for, make you do it yourself and then save on that labor too.

^That is why it's a genius move for them *business-wise*....then they get to MARKET the "free" drinks to boot....you should be behind this 1,000%.

/Hugs the sobbing Gonch in the corner... ;)

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I bet a place like HW sees a lot fewer dehydration cases at First Aid compared to the places that charge for each cup served.

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Doubtful. Putting caffeine into water turns it into a diuretic. Sugar isn't much help, either. You want to stay hydrated, you want to be drinking water.
*** This post was edited by Brian Noble 3/31/2007 1:59:44 PM ***

^Not true, even with the caffine and sodium (which is actually a good thing on a hot day to replenish) you end up drinking an isotonic solution, which adds more fluid to your body which is a good thing.

As far as the "abuse of soft drinks" policy is concerned at HW, I believe thay are referring to things such as repeatedly wasting drinks, deliberately spilling drinks, dousing other guests with them, or littering the place with cups. I don't see them concerned about how many drinks you get so long as you actually consume them.

My dietitian ex-wife would beg to differ. Caffeine in the amounts found in soda is most certainly counterproductive in terms of keeping you hydrated.

Sorry Touchdown, but I'm going with my wife on this one. And, as far as she's concerned, caffeinated sodas are diuretics. She could be wrong, but she's the practicing physician with an M.D.

*** This post was edited by Brian Noble 3/31/2007 2:48:09 PM ***