No Fast Lane Passes for Cedar Fair Parks 2020....Why?

Cedar Fair will not sell Fast Lane passes this 2020 season however, they will honor previous purchases.

https://www.cedarpoint.com/blog/info-you-need-to-know

So this is a good news bad news scenario as it relates to me personally. First, spending nearly a grand for an all season fast pass isn’t a purchase taken lightly by any means however, knowing I intend to hit up all cedar fair parks some multiple weekends all the way through 2021, I was able to more than justify. As they say, time is money.. Anyways upon getting word of the Florida parks reopening early June, I was fortunate to go ahead and buy an all season fast lane plus that works at ALL parks. The fact it works at ALL parks is something I’m not sure I’ve heard of another chain doing. I literally thought cedar fair had lost their minds in a good way and frankly had this gut feeling that they wouldn’t have this ‘forever’ and/or would greatly limit the total number of these all season all park fast passes.

While at the reopening at SeaWorld, we met some fellow enthusiasts with one of them actually starting work at CP right after their Florida trip (they were awesome people btw). When I mentioned I took the plunge and bought the all season all park fast lane pass, he told me how lucky I was because CP just canceled fast pass purchases for the season. I literally got my purchase in probably only a couple days before they canceled the option to purchase. So on one hand, I feel like I purchased the equivalent of willy wonka’s golden ticket. On the other hand and here’s the bad news...I didn’t buy it for my partner at that time but intended to when I got more info about cedar fair reopenings and felt more comfortable financially spending that amount of money again. Those Road trips to Florida parks especially when you loop in universal can get pretty expensive in a hurry!

Anyways and maybe I’m naive but I can’t understand the ‘why’ in all this. If they’re going to honor previous purchases that means theY plan on keeping the fast lane system up and running and staffed. Maybe they’ll reduce the number of rides they’re offering but I don’t see them not staffing rides the rides that had completely separate and existing fast lane queues. I can see them canceling fast lane pass for rides where the fast lane went through the exit line (this was the case for Tigris at BGT we experienced during reopening) Again I just don’t understand the why especially considering the cash generator that Fast passes generate for parks.

Lastly, I wish they could just make some exceptions like in my case; hear me out really quick... One perk as platinum pass holders for SeaWorld parks that we had no idea of was re-riding. You can choose to remain on the ride if for one run if you like. I honestly can’t believe this exists! And we wish we knew about it at BGT the day before and only found out when we Bee-lined it for Mako upon the park opening and kind of flipped when we saw these 3 guys remaining on the ride front row (we couldn’t wait to try mako; it was our most anticipated coaster of our 7 park florida trip). Station attendant said ‘they are platinum pass holders’ and we were like ‘no freaking way?! This is a thing?!’ Anyways so when we were talking with the fellow enthusiasts recognized us from BGT the day earlier and we got to talking while waiting in line. We asked if they wanted to ride with us on Mako and they did (We’re all symptom free and wearing masks and outside in Florida summer heat and humidity...risk factor extremely low if not non-existent) When we got back to the station, we told the attendants we wanted a reride. The two enthusiasts were gold pass holders that do not have the reride perk however, I told the station attendant ‘what does it matter? Those seats will be empty if they don’t ride.’ The attendant and multiple attendants later in the day all agreed and let them ride with us.

So here’s my point and why I think Cedar Fair should make an exception at least for two people. I’m gonna elect to use my fast pass on these two upcoming trips at Kings Island and Cedar Point for their reopening weekends. I’m looking at you Orion, Diamondback, mystic timbers, SteVe, Maverick, MF, and Top Thrill. I’ve got a fast pass but my partner doesn’t however, why send me out ‘solo’ in a 2-4 person wide car? Assuming she’s in a long line and I’m in a fast lane, there’s no guarantee we end up getting on the same train. So in effect you decrease rider throughput in a time where you’re already at half rider capacity at best. Again, the whole policy just doesn’t make sense to me....

TL:DR

Make a policy exception for me because I don't know why park operations had to change during a global pandemic.

I didn’t suggest it being just applicable to me. I’m not a rules for thee but not for me kind of guy. Was simply trying to highlight the fact that those seats will just go empty. Cedar fair could have easily allowed to sell a companion type fast pass for one other individual (Id be fine with daily) with literally no skin off their backs and more coin in their pockets.

That's a pretty narrow corner case for them to create a specific pass for it. I'm sure they're happy with the granularity offered by the passes in the same way that they don't offer a "3 visit ticket" for people who don't want to pay for a SP but want to visit more than once.

I don't know why they stopped selling them, but I don't think the burden is on them to fix the fact that you bought one instead of two.

Also, SteVe <barf>.

Fair point, and didn’t realize abbreviating steel vengeance to SteVe would illicit a mild throw up reaction..

Airlines are going to start packing planes full this week with no social distancing requirements. That’s an enclosed space (albeit with filtered ventilation) vs wide open in the summer heat and humidity (unless a dark ride in AC) CDC guidelines state that unless you’ve been in contact with a confirmed Covid case within 6’ with no mask for at least 15 minutes, you do not have to quarantine.

if you can ride in an aluminum cigar box at 30K + feet in close quarters, you should be allowed to do so on the ground in the Outside open air and high summer heat and humidity with masks and already prescreened guests coming into the park. Makes no sense other than keeping lawyers at bay at best,..

SVen, please. Maggie and Millie and 'Rick and SVen.

🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

S&S SFOG said:

if you can ride in an aluminum cigar box at 30K + feet in close quarters, you should be allowed to do so on the ground in the Outside open air and high summer heat and humidity with masks and already prescreened guests coming into the park.

And how many people are going to be flocking to engage in air travel?

I don't think this is a "lowest common denominator" or "at least it's not ____" kind of thing. Air travel is an extreme risk but is much more of a necessity than amusement parks. It's not like allowing air travel means that everything short of air travel is perfectly safe. That said, as discussed before, IF cutting Fast Pass is a corona virus mitigation strategy, I don't really understand how it's supposed to help.

I see it more of the fact that operations are going to be changed, altered, and limited so much already this season that there is no point in throwing something else at it as well. And if park capacity is already fairly limited, in theory, it won't be all that needed.

Well some of us may not have much in the way of a better option and guess what, air travel is increasing. Where it was at less than 5% less than same time last year, it’s now at 20% and growing. I’ve already planned on road tripping vs flying, and have done so for the Florida park reopenings. Cedar point at 11 hours away ain’t a good option and at my young and healthy age will take the risk going through the various screening procedures. We’re also booked to fly to energylandia/krakow for thanksgiving week and along with phantasialand and Europa park..should I take a boat instead?

The truth is the revised Fast lane policy does nothing for ‘safety’ as they still accommodate previous purchases. One could argue that you actually make it more of a safety case by not permitting someone who will spend less time in a crowded queue line vs a shortened one. Pretty much the definition of what they call ‘Viral Loading’

Love how topics deviate to blame here. Always have. Love it.

But I believe the question he was asking had nothing to do with what concessions could be made for his situation, but rather trying to pinpoint Cedar Fair’s logic, not his logic.

I could be wrong, but from working with people all day on a daily basis, people are bitter and angry in general lately. I think the continuation of Fast Lane sales through the season would be pushing your luck during a time like this. All guests really need to be locked into following the same protocols for an even playing field to prevent anything less than a “Best Day Ever” experience, which I am sure they will already have a hard time achieving this season. The odds are truly stacked against them on this business model in 2020.

But I also don’t see a situation in which Cedar Fair would be willing to refund previously purchased Fast Lane products with a cash flow situation like they have now.

I guess the logical answer is the simplest here in my mind:

”Count our Blessings, honor the Fast Lane passes already sold, keep that revenue and cut our losses on selling anymore the rest of the 2020 season to create as fair of an environment as possible for all guests.”

S&S SFOG said:

So here’s my point and why I think Cedar Fair should make an exception at least for two people.

S&S SFOG said:

Well some of us may not have much in the way of a better option and guess what, air travel is increasing.

Increasing isn't the word I would use but yeah, I guess you could say that. They are filling more seats on the planes they currently have but aren't adding more planes because there still isn't a need. My sister with 25 years seniority at United only is able to be reserve right now because they don't have a need and is likely going to be furloughed in October. They used 4,000 Flight Attendants in June and estimate for September they will need 6,000...out of 25,000. So I'm sure my sister wouldn't say its increasing, at least not enough.

S&S SFOG said:

I’ve got a fast pass but my partner doesn’t however, why send me out ‘solo’ in a 2-4 person wide car? Assuming she’s in a long line and I’m in a fast lane, there’s no guarantee we end up getting on the same train.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this. You imagine going to the park with a friend, seeing a long line, and saying, "Well, I have my fastpass - see ya later, sucker!"? Surely the thing to do in this situation is not to use the fastpass and wait in line with her.

That being the case, I would be asking Cedar Fair for a full or partial refund. (If I were the sort of person to buy a fastpass, which - I'm not going down that road again.) And I get it, it'll make you sad that you can't skip lines this year. In the scheme of sad things that have happened in the world in the last four months, that's real, I suppose, but pretty small.

If Cedar Fair didn't give you a refund - that's a legit complaint.

I don't think Cedar Fair will give a refund because the Fastlane will also be good for the entire 2021 season. If it's a single use, the solution is to save it to next year. If it's the all-season, well, you can either wait in line with your wife and save the Fastlane for next year. Or you can say "later, honey" and make her wait in the standby line while you zoom past her and marathon Mine Ride and Corkscrew.

I see it no differently than if I had purchased the all season Fastlane but then went with a friend to the park on a crowded Saturday where Fastlane was sold out by the time we got there and I have to decide whether or not to Fastlane solo or skip out and wait in the lines with my friend. Except the park won't be crowded. And there's a pandemic.

There is an outside chance that they will refund it if you ask. If that's an option, it might be worth considering.

No one knows what next year will be like regarding Covid. For all we know, what we have now will carry over into next year. If I had paid for a Season FastLane, the promise of next year would not be enough. As I said, I have no intention of going to Cedar Point this year, and I live less than 1 hour away. I would be asking for a refund as well.

IMHO, a request for refund should be honored during the 2020 season, especially before the holder uses it. But in 2021, I think it is too late.

Jeff said:

And how many people are going to be flocking to engage in air travel?

You'd be surprised.... Load factors are quite strong in some cases on certain routes. Here in CLE, the flights are quite full to/from Florida. Airlines are adding capacity back (larger aircraft, more frequency) to meet the demand.

Yeah. Airlines were already scheduling increases in flights, and in many cases had to add even more flights on top of that to meet demand. I don’t rule out some degree of reversal, but we aren’t there yet.

I wouldn't be surprised. See 99er's comments above about the actual number of flight attendants being scheduled.