PKI to restrict some rides to Gold Pass Holders
Here's more detailed information on what will happen. At least both coasters won't close early on the same night, but I don't see a point in this as neither usually have over a 30 minute wait at night.
From www.pki.com:
"GOLD PASS TWILIGHT RIDE TIMES! -- NEW IN 2002! This new addition to the Gold Pass exclusive ride times lineup allows Gold Passholders to stick around for approximately 2 hours of evening ride time on one of your favorite "beastly" attractions! Twilight Ride Times Schedule for April & May:
APRIL 6, 13, 20, and 27..........................SON OF BEAST The Son of Beast queue line will close to the general public at approximately 7:30 pm and re-open to Gold Passholders for 2 hours of exclusive ride time.
MAY 4, 11, 18, and 25............................BEAST The Beast queue line will close to the general public at approximately 7:30 pm and re-open to Gold Passholders for 2 hours of exclusive ride time."
*** This post was edited by Koaster King on 3/23/2002. ***
I'm opposed to anything that creates 2 classes of patrons during regular park hours. This includes ERT, selling FastPasses or just about anything else that does this. ERT outside regular park hours is fine. Fast Passes that are included in the admission price are fine if the system is run well. (Not all are run well) During regular park hours, access to rides should be equal to all. The only exception is some minor variation to accomadate the handicapped. Creating multiple classes of customers is both wrong and poor public relations. Any attempt at soothing ruffled feathers is going to do little to change the fact that people who paid for their admission will feel cheated.
Someone said that they will post it at the gate when a ride is shutdown to the public for ERT so that makes it OK. I guess whoever said that has never driven 200 miles to a park and then discovered a sign that says the ride they most wanted to ride is closed. After you've spent 4 hours on the road to get to the park, you aren't going to feel like just turning and going back home, but you will feel at least disappointed if not outright cheated.
Someone also said that the public isn't going to the park to ride a specific coaster. The increase in attendance experienced by parks with new coasters shows that the public does go to ride specific rides.
I think the reasoning is that they expect to have a 1.5 or so hour wait time at the 7:30 when they close the queue.
If the queue time is that long, then every person gets to ride, and the ERT will start on time.
If they close the line at park closing time, then they will have to either turn people away that have been waiting and stop giving rides when the park closes or delay the ERT. Either way people will be upset.
In a practical way, PKI is making the right choice. Its either upset GP over the ride closing without them getting a ride after they have been waiting, or a very delayed session of ERT and upset passholders. You can't make everyone happy, but their decision is the best compromise.
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Xcelerator-
0-82 in 2.3 seconds! =Wow!
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It's March, but the Madness is over in Mudville, Mighty U-D has struck out...
If you can't laugh at yourself, at least stop laughing at ME!
It's only for a few nights, jeez!
The park promises NOTHING to the GP except an enjoyable day with a couple of rides. If a park promises every ride to be open and etc. etc., it'd be faced with maintenance problems where they actually have to CLOSE the ride. Hence the sign, "We apologize but due to technical difficulties, Hypersonic XLC will not be operating today." Do you simply turn away from the park just because of XLC? I wouldn't.
If the John Doe doesn't like it, he can ask for a refund and simply leave.
You're making this a big fuss over nothing.
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The Jet Coaster ROARS!
Will Johansson, Webmaster of Xtreme Paramount Parks
http://xpp.coasterbuzz.com/
*** This post was edited by The Jet Coaster on 3/24/2002. ***
Jim Fisher,
your post sums it all up. thanks.
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seek first to understand
then to be understood
Well since the "GP" aren't stupid, they should know well enough to call ahead and make sure everything will be open and what will be closed. Am I the only person that does this? I call any park from SFKK to WDW to do this.
Honestly your only losting what an hour? If the queue closes at 730 then it could be 10 before the ERT starts. You just gotta read inbetween the lines
If I offended you sorry.
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If the shoe fits, find another one.
Jet Coaster:
When you advertise the hell out of a ride, you are making a promise to the public. You are describing the product that you are selling. Advertise a car with a 6 cylinder engine and then deliever one with a 4, and you are committing fraud. Obviously we cannot apply the same standards to amusement parks. Rides do break down. However, advertise a ride heavily as Hypersonic was last year and then have it open less than half the time; and you are going to irritate your customers. PKD has wised up on this and is making it clear this year that Hypersonic is closed until further notice. Last year on the phone by the way they would only say that they were making no promises.
From a PR stand point most people don't call ahead. Maybe they aren't as smart as you are. Or maybe most people just don't frequent roller coaster web sites. Whatever the case, it's very poor public relations to disappoint them. It's also very poor PR to tell them that some other group is more important, and we are restricting this ride to them.
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Danny
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If the shoe fits, find another one.
I need to look at the specific info, but I had thought that somebody had posted that anybody who buys a season pass this year/currently will be getting the "Gold" pass upgrade for free, and this promo runs into May, which would parallel the ERT times/days.
Paramount is attempting to maximize their season pass sales this spring, and realize the crowd flows and heavy days will be beyond their Goldpass extras with respect to the ERT days. They are in some respects taking a chance on the April/May day paying crowd not getting upset, but more than that word-of-mouth being minimal with respect to negative statements.
Now, here are a few things to ponder: For those who think this is just plain wrong and gives-us "2 classes", will you be bad-mouthing this decision when you speak to others. Are you a season passholder of PKI (I am wondering how many gold pass holders there are vs. normal passholders), who would not be impacted? How many times do you plan on buying one day passes to PKI in April and May?
I remember the discussions about the SFWOA policy of their fastlane/pass/etc. implementation and how that was considered by some to be wrong that people could pay to get something others could not for free. This is the way of the world, people. Have any of you ever read the speech Bill Gates gave a few years ago to a graduating class? Reality hits people at different times, and with different viewpoints. Why make hundreds of different cars with a wide range in pricing? After-all it is just transportation, and why should some people be able to buy safer and more comfortable vehicles than others? Why should some people be allowed to buy more expensive homes in a particular city/region and allow their kids to go to a school system which has better test scores/better athletics/better facilities/other? Having seen things on both sides of the economic scale, it isn't about money/what you have, it is about enjoying life with what you have, and making the choices to live within your means as well as be a good and honest person.
This will stand or fall with the overall impact on revenue and positive/negative impacts it may have on current/potential goldpass purchasers and daily ticket purchases in April and May. You can be sure they have statistical breakdowns of previous years with relation to revenues of daily ticket buyers in April/May and amounts spent on food/items/PPRs and how that expounds for the summer months, and they will look at those and overlay with this year's patterns/revenues to see how things went, and they can always adjust things if needed.
*** This post was edited by carpediem on 3/24/2002. ***
Jim Fisher:
Where do I see that PKD promised me that it'd be up and running? I was only promised that the ride, if ridden, would be one of the most exhilarating rides, ever.
Parks do not promise uptime, as do most web servers don't promise 100% uptime.
Yes I know classing people are really bad, but you've got to realize, we've been doing it for years as humans.
Once again, SHOW ME WHERE PKD promised me more than 50% uptime on Hypersonic XLC.
My god, this thread is getting out of control; have you guys NOTICED it's only for a FEW nights. It's not like its for the whole year.
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The Jet Coaster ROARS!
Will Johansson, Webmaster of Xtreme Paramount Parks
http://xpp.coasterbuzz.com/
Anyone who stated its only a few nights sums it up. Big whoop, one ride every saturday in april and may will close an hour and a half early. Plus its not at peak time or anything.
Bill,
The whole 'added cost' argument can also be applied to older parks. Remember, a lot of the older parks don't offer a POP and have guest pay by ride. Of course, the rides don't cost $30 to ride, but then again, they aren't as extreme IMO either and have greater capacity. Those parks also don't offer a 'gate price' either so while they can be compared, they also have many difference.
I think some of the crazy 'benefits' like Fast Lane could easily back fire soon if parks don't operate them correctly. Hopefully the whole ride reservation system will be a thing of the past soon.
-Sean (who has been know to wait 6 hours for rides before and didn't care) F.
Whether it was one Saturday or every Saturday, it's an issue of whether it is right or wrong, not the volume of the rightness or wrongess.
For those who seem to be defending the right for PKI to close a marquee ride down early to some at the park, it might seem fine because, heck, the season is still young. You'll be back. Well, guess what? That means you are an annual passholder, so you get the ERT perk during park hours anyway. But to the tourist who will be at PKI just once this season -- maybe it's the first time, maybe it's the last time -- it's obviously an issue.
Again. The park (for that matter, any business) is well aware of the possible pros and cons of setting business practices as well as focusing on certain segments of their overall market. I have no idea what there overall attempt is aiming-at here, but I am sure they are attempting to maximize their season pass purchases in the spring. Having all season passes upgraded to gold would point toward that (For the record, I think we paid for our gold upgrade last fall, when they had free family parking and a few other offers, not sure though).
The park has implemented revenue generating possibilities for them that were not in place previously. For better(it appears there are more on this side) or for worse(there are bound to be some on this side, but how many will actually be upset, is unknown).
There are probably other things at work here as well. I would not be surprised to see the park having coupons/other offers in conjunction with this current promo. Human nature says there will be some people who get a "deal" will be o.k. with the potential for them to not get that last ride of the night. There will be some whom feel slighted, but isn't that with just about everything in life? A business is making a business decision here, and they hope to make more money with that decision. I hope they do.
The Jet Coaster said:
Jim Fisher:
Where do I see that PKD promised me that it'd be up and running? I was only promised that the ride, if ridden, would be one of the most exhilarating rides, ever.
Response: Mass advertising implies that it is an offerred attraction. The add said come ride Hypersonic, not come see if it happens to be open. To have Hypersonic available as little as it was is going to make a lot of people angry. Last year I personally witnessed large groups of people who were very angry. This was in part due to the fact that the park did not manage the situation well. Obviously, Paramount management has recognized this problem, and has decided to close the ride until it can operate properly. From a park management stand point, would you want your park to be known to the public as the park where the rides don't work? These labels can stick a long time. Last year, I had to explain to a number of people that FOF wasn't painful any more.
Parks do not promise uptime, as do most web servers don't promise 100% uptime.
Response: But would you stay with a web server that had 50% down time?
Yes I know classing people are really bad, but you've got to realize, we've been doing it for years as humans.
Response: Yea. Hitler was good at that. Seriously, it creates serious PR problems. That's why ERTs are always before or after regular hours. I hate getting up early enough to drive 2 hours for a 7 AM ERT, but I still feel it is far preferable to doing ERT during regular park hours.
Once again, SHOW ME WHERE PKD promised me more than 50% uptime on Hypersonic XLC.
Response: From a legal stand point, if you advertise it, you are supposed to have it available. In retail merchandise., there are numerous laws about this requirement. From an amusement ride viewpoint it's bad business. I think that most park owners including Paramount would agree with me on that it is bad business to advertise a ride that doesn't operate.
My god, this thread is getting out of control; have you guys NOTICED it's only for a FEW nights. It's not like its for the whole year.
Response: All depends on what nights you are there.-----------------
The Jet Coaster ROARS!
Will Johansson, Webmaster of Xtreme Paramount Parks
http://xpp.coasterbuzz.com/
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