Maximum RPM! at HRP

Wow! Just wow.

Maybe they should charge by the hour then, huh? ;)

^^I think the one missing the point is you. Price has little to do with time. Price is primarily about demand.

CP's peak demand is midafternoon---arrivals out-number departures until probably about 3PM or so. The twilight ticket doesn't start until 5 or 6, depending on when the park closes. At that point, departures are significantly higher than arrivals. But, park capacity doesn't really change, so it makes sense to try to increase demand for later hours by lowering the price then.

By all accounts, HRP is likely to be in more demand at night---you don't discount exactly the time most people want to go!

I would not be surprised to see some discounting happening, but not in entry price. Rather, I can imagine park restaurants offering deep discounts for lunch deals, 2-for-1 games before 4PM, etc. If those mid-day in-park discounts are heavily advertised, then it serves a role similar to discounting the entry price, without the obvious problems that would entail.

I also won't be surprised to see HRP adjust its hours quite a bit in or after the first season of operation.

There are some parks that charge vaguely by the hour. I thought Indiana Beach was one; you can pay for the first half, the second half, or the whole day. That may not be true anymore, or I may be thinking of a different park. *** Edited 5/8/2008 6:15:10 PM UTC by Brian Noble***

How about you get in for free, and if you enjoyed yourself there, you "Pay as you Exit" based on the amount of time you were there. Sort of like in the Little Rascals.

:)

-Tambo

*** Edited 5/8/2008 6:21:16 PM UTC by tambo***

If the park was open 3 pm - 11 pm with exactly the same pricing, would anyone complain?

So now that they added 7(!) extra operating hours they need discounts, even if you're only going to stay 3 pm - 11pm?

Maybe it's a perceived value thing. They should list the park hours as 3pm - 11pm and then add "extra bonus hours" from 10am - 3pm and from 11pm - 1am.

*** Edited 5/8/2008 6:52:58 PM UTC by ApolloAndy***

^^^I remember proposing "the IB solution" as soon as I saw it the first time, for every park. Pure freakin' genius...two ride *sessions* a day.

HRP could definitely do with a reduced-admission early-entry ticket that expires at...5-6pm. The place would be a zoo at night even if they jacked up admission prices, LOL...

edit: Andy, stop messing with my arrows. :)
*** Edited 5/8/2008 6:53:46 PM UTC by rollergator***

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rollergator said:
^^I remember proposing "the IB solution" as soon as I saw it the first time, for every park. Pure freakin' genius...two ride *sessions* a day.

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I suppose that depends on how one defines the value of a park visit. Is it in time spent at the park or in attractions experienced at the park?

In other words, is there more value in reduced admissions for less time spent or more value in a pay-per-ride scheme where you pay for what you use?

Discuss. :)

Andy: the only reason to consider alternative pricing in some way for those early hours is if the crowds do not materialize. Without enough people in the park, you can't justify keeping it open.

We may all be wrong---the place might do very well mid-day.

I have no problem with single price, at least to start. It's simple, the customers understand it, and you can resort to promotions later if you need them. You might not want to discount out of the gate, because discounting begets discounting---it just attracts cheapskates. It seems as though they've got enough buzz that they probably don't need to go that route just yet.

I don't know enough about MB to have a strong opinion about this. My gut is that the park could struggle becuase MB is a beach/golf destination. When we go to OBX, I can barely pry the rest of my extended family off the beach chairs to go *do something*. (I'm not a sit around the beach all day kind of guy.) On the other hand, MB is a big big tourist draw in season, so there are a lot of people there with money and time to spend.

It sure will be interesting.

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Spinout said:
The point is that it's open so darn long, that why not have two prices?

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You're right but in completely the wrong way. If you really wanted to offer two prices the later one should actually be more expensive if that's the one with greater demand.

Allow me to play RCT for a moment here, if I was HRP, this is what I would do (I just picked the numbers so the math is easy just pay attention to how they relate to each other):

Opening Act Ticket (Unlimited Rides from 10-7 pm): $25

Main Event Ticket (Unlimited Rides from 6-1am): $40

The Full Set Ticket (Unlimited Rides all day): $50

I would also have a standard (early times only) season pass and a VIP full day season pass too.

That way, you really push people to get there early, you give some "value" to people like Greg there who want a "discount" night ticket, and you really push the full day ticket as a huge deal (Cant get enough of Hard Rock Park, want to party all night long? Get a Main Event Ticket for the discounted price of only $25, stop by guest relations for more details.)

Win-win.

We could just use the WDW model with it's 2000+ ticket options only a math major at MIT can figure out...

Or they could just charge $50 for the day and reduce the operating hours if the morning is too slow. :)

Why does there HAVE to be different price points? Surely there are plenty of parks that don't offer such things. (all of Orlando, Six Flags, Busch parks)

Speaking of which - did anyone notice that this year BGE is $57 and the average summer day is 11 hours - and there's no discount evening admission (I don't think) and their parking is $10 for standard and $20 for preferred...

...and they seem to be doing just fine. :)

^^Its not that complicated matt. It would also be really easy to implement too, give everyone who buys a main event ticket or full set ticket a waterproof wristband, and once 7 comes around have employees at the queue entrances check for them, at least for the first 2 hours.

^Thats what I argued in my first point, but they are going to convince people to leave the beach somehow if they plan on opening at 10. Going to a Celebration City/Cedar Fair Halloween Saturday is the easiest thing to implement. *** Edited 5/8/2008 7:28:18 PM UTC by Touchdown***

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Lord Gonchar said:
Why does there HAVE to be different price points?

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This little birdy would like to suggest it's a solution hunting for a problem. Usually it's better for it to go the other way around...

Lets not forget that multiple ride sessions require an entire new model of operation, one that Kennywood had to get rid of because it was costing them too much money.

Precisely. Disney dumped the pay-per-ride model (remember those A-E ticket books?) for very similar reasons.

^Andy may be able to help you out there...

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a_hoffman50 said:
How close is this park to downtown Myrtle Beach?

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Less than 5 minutes. You exit to the right off of the strip, and the park is down about a mile on your left. It's very easy to find, because it's almost impossible to miss Led Zeppelin as your entering/exiting Myrtle beach.

I don't see why you all think HRP will struggle with attendance. Think back just a couple years to The Myrtle Beach Pavilion. Did anyone here ever visit the park when in it wasn't PACKED?

Just had to chime in and say, What was my original question? Actually I hear that Maximum RPM! has been seen in motion yet not sure if any cars are running on it.

In response to the MB pavilion questions... actually yes. I am a bit surprised by that statement. Everytime I was at the MB pavilion in my 10+ years of MB vacations the rides were basically walk on.

They did gather a nice crowd, but that was due to free admission, which HRP wont be offering. With it being a family vacation spot, thats why I don't see HRP doing great.

If you want to take a family vacation to a park, there are many to go to. But if you want a family vacation to the beach, you go the beach. Free admission parks do well. I just don't see alot of families having an extra $50/head to attend.

Don't get me wrong, I am not arguing wether it is worth it or not, I am just pondering if a family, after paying for a week of hotel, food, and all other entertainment, will also have disposable income for HRP as well?

Doesn't HRP fall into the "all other entertainment" area?