Parks that DON'T offer season passes

I got to thinking one day after looking at the page for my local park, Canobie Lake, and noticed they don't offer season passes. "Why not?" I wondered. For cying out loud, my local tiny ski area even offers them. I can understand why a park like Kenobles doesn't do it. It would ruin the atmosphere of the park. But Canobie is a POP park.

Go figure.

Places like Canobie and Kennywood dont want to become babysitter parks, and since (lets just admit it here, its great for us but) season passes are a drain on a park's income smaller parks dont like to offer them. Im amazed that little Canobie (and my beloved first coaster the Yankee Cannonball) actually survived Six Flags setting up shop, that I wouldnt want them to make any choices that might put the park in jeopardy.

Knoebels is another park that marches to a different drummer. Those, however, who want to make frequent visits to go on a few rides or just to enjoy the park atmosphere, benefit from the park's free admission and low pay-per-ride prices.

I don't believe that Knoebels is in any danger of becoming a babysitter park because of its out of the way location but season passes would upset the park's unusual pricing system.

Smaller parks don't want to do it because there isn't much demand for it.

I get sick of this babysitting thing. Everywhere you go, they babysit you. You go to the show, and they babysit you. You go to to a freakin restaurant, and your waiter, and waitress babysits you. You go to school, and they babysit you. Go to a carnival, and they babysit you. Give me a break!!

Stop it by saying babysit! It's moronic! I come to the amusement park to go on the rides, not to be watched by some people. I don't know what park you go to. Maybe, you go to the babysitting park. Join a nursery than. Even the little 5 year olds still want on the God darn rides!!

Smaller parks don't have to do it because their gate isn't 60 dollars to begin with and then have to do something to APEAR TO GIVE VALUE to themselves.

A average family could visit Kennywood, Knoebels as others like it a couple of times a year without having a season pass be cheaper than just those one or two visits

Touchdown, the YC was yoyr FIRST coaster too? Way cool!

I don't see anything involving season passes on Lakeside's or Waldameer's sites. These parks are two more smaller parks that are relatively inexpensive and which don't want the problems that season passes can bring.

Well, it was just something that hit me last night while looking over the Canobie page.I figured it might be at least a nice little conversation.

What vare some parks that you'd don't visit often but would visit MORE if they had a season pass?

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Hopman said:
Touchdown, the YC was yoyr FIRST coaster too? Way cool!

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Yup at the tender age of 3 (a height limit was impossed the year after so I couldnt ride it again until I was 5.) Long live the Cannonball, the most airtime per feet of track of any wood coaster out there!

I didn't ride it until I was in Jr. High. End of every year, the band and chorus did a trip to Canobie for the evening. I only live about 50 min away to the north.

Last time I rode the thing was about 5 years ago. When I went to CP and rode the Blue Streak, it felt familiar. One day, I did a cross ref on RCDB and found out that they were both PTC/Schmeck designed coasters.

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Spinout said:
I get sick of this babysitting thing.

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You COMPLETELY misunderstand what we mean when we talk about how parks like Kennywood don't want to be "babysitting services". Perhaps a better term is "daycare", but the point is the same.

Kennywood, for example, doesn't have a season pass partially because they're on a major busline served directly by the city. The fear is that parents would buy their children season passes and then send the kiddies off to the park every day while they're at work, turning the park into a hangout for unattended minors.

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Hopman said:
What vare some parks that you'd don't visit often but would visit MORE if they had a season pass?

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It doesn't apply much since we moved to Ohio, but I said many times Kennywood would have gotten so much more from us if they offered season passes.

At the time the gate was $28 and we usually visited twice a year.

If they offered a season pass we'd have probably visited twice a month (based on the fact that we hit Dorney 15-20 times each year when we lived in Allentown).

Even at $100 and just something simple like a drink for everyone with each visit and they'd have gotten around $500 from us. Instead they go two visits and probably half that.

It makes sense though, I might not want to visit the park that much if it became a babysitting service and then it had the reverse effect.

I don't doubt most parks know their market, audience and such. My loss as a coaster dork.

Memphis Kiddie does not have season passes. Sure, you can laugh, but those darn tickets get costly over a summer when you got two kids, that need (NEED!!!! WILL DIE IF THEY DON'T!!!!!) get 'one more ride on the 'Little Dipper'. :)

I figure i did 8 summers in a row at Kiddie Park at about 500-1000 bucks a summer. (I never spent that much at 6Flags or Cedar Point come to think of it.)

Why is it Lake compounce offers seasonpasses but KW does'nt? I always use my LC seasonpass at KW they let me in for half price with it.I haven't heard it being a problem at the Lake and they offer free softdrinks. So it can work at smaller parks.

Most of the seashore parks don't offer them. Morey's it the exception but at around $300 for a season pass (if you are under 25), you have to visit a lot for it to be worth it. I guess most of those parks don't offer them because they are more resort type parks than parks people regularly visit but most don't even offer a POP option.

Ajrides, I think (as has been said before) it's because Kennywood is on a major bus route, so it would be very easy for it to turn into a daily hangout (like a mall) for teens and other unruly people with too much time on their hands. In turn, that would detract from the atmosphere and make people who will actually spend money go away.

That brings up the question, will EG do away with season passes once it is totally out of the Six Flags system. This park is in the heart of a major city.

DLk (My suggested acronym for the unFlagged western NY park -- to avoid confusion with Disneyland) will probably keep season passes -- this park is out away from the urban areas.

Some small parks do have season passes. DG, CLP (assuming it opens) and IP are three small PA parks that do.

It's definitely possible they may do away with it. It depends on the type of atmosphere that they're trying to promote.

Or, to be guest-friendly, they could "grandfather" previous passholders and allow them to renew, but not off new season passes. This way it takes care of the "but I had one last year" crowd.

If the season passes go at EG, hopefully the Six Flags food and drink pricing will go as well. Maybe this will happen even if they keep the season passes. As for parking, how about cutting that charge back as well to a more typical level?

Camden Park offers season passes. ;) I am considering getting one just so I can keep up my flyer skills/addiction. ;)

-Tina