Six Flags Announces Nation's Best Theme Park VIP Program

^^^ Gonch, you're looking at the passes that only work for 1 park each. The price you listed for Cedar Point was for a Maxx Pass, and you were comparing that to a HW pass, which is only for 1 park--HW.

I'm quickly browsing here - has anyone mentioned if you get rid of the parking fee you also don't have to pay people to collect said fee?

If you have to pay 8 people an average of 4 hours a day to sit a collect parking lot fees at $7/hr that's like....a lot of money after a while.

And really if parking is free does the amount of cars in the lot really increase that much? Seems ridiculous to me to think it would really go up that much, if HW can handle why couldn't the average SF park?

I mean if common sense and the price of gas isn't a deterrent to bring more than one car, I'm not sure the cost to park your car would be that big a deal either.... *** Edited 3/20/2007 6:23:22 PM UTC by matt.*** *** Edited 3/20/2007 6:23:41 PM UTC by matt.***

rablat5 - I'm not following, man. I listed the chain-wide CF pass in the original post. In the second post, I listed single-park passes. (SF doesn't offer that, but rather I assumed use at only one park)

*** Edited 3/20/2007 6:25:14 PM UTC by Lord Gonchar***

I think the point he's trying to make is even with a MAXX pass the price to visit PER PARK is cheaper.

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millrace said:

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indyandrew said:

So HW charges $2.00 less then KK, has half as many rides. HW charges $4.00 less then CP, for the love of god CP! If you dont think you pay for "free" parking and soda then you are lost. The bottom line is always the bottom line, you get what you pay for. Their is no free soda or parking, your paying for it.

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Nice try but you forgot to add in the parking and soda cost to Cedar Point, Kentucky Kingdom, etc.

For instance:

Cedar Point:

Admission: 41.95

Parking: $9 (?)

Soda: $2.00 (at least for EACH)

So that is a minimum of $52.85 compared to Holiday World's $37.95 (assuming no discount coupons for either).

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How a point as simple as mine could be lost on someone is beyoned me. Their is no such thing as a free lunch! Useing your numbers HW charges $15.00 less then CP, HW has 3 rollercoasters, 19 total rides. CP on the other hand 17 rollercoasters and 68 rides, for $15.00 more then HW. Where is the value at HW? Why does a park 4x + smaller then CP charge 75% of the price of CP? Because YOU are paying for the "free" parking and soda. The guests who think otherwise are like rubes(sp) at a carnival, waiting for their money to be taken. HW is their to make money the same as SF, they market "free" parking and soda because the rubes buy it.

You guys are totaly missing the point though. Look at my last post.

Indyandrew:

What is the matter with you? I was just pointing out that you didn't use a fair price comparison!

I saw it crazyhorse, and I agree. People hanging out or parking just to park. *** Edited 3/20/2007 6:40:15 PM UTC by P18***

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they'd just hear the free parking lie and line up like little lemmings

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Oh stop it with that! What else should they say to get the point across that the guests won't have to open their wallets more than once? Just because someone is bothered by pulling out their wallet twice doesn't mean that a) they don't understand what they are paying for and b) that they are a lemming. Also, Gator made a good point regarding value of guest time.

Sounds like you would like to pay as you go for everything. I'll bet you even charged guests for the restroom in your RCT parks (even though I'd pay $100 for the privelege of visiting a real life Gonch land). ;)

People really go to a place like HW or KG just to hang out in the "free" parking lot? And people bring *extra* vehicles just because a park DOESN'T charge to, ummm, park? REALLY?

Man, and I thought *I* needed to get a life... ;)

Camden Park missed out on a huge marketing opportunity when they eliminated the pay toilets. :)

Gonch, I was basically saying to compare apples to apples.

Match season passes to comparable season passes--since you originally mentioned HW's pass vs. CF's multi-park pass.

For some reason, the single park passes (at the non-chain or small chain parks) seem to cost similar or more than the large chain, multi-park passes (CF & SF).

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P18 said:
People hanging out or parking just to park.

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lololollololololollolololololololololololol

Do we really have folks on Coasterbuzz working this hard to make stuff up to justify charging people to park?

Even if this did become a serious problem (it wouldn't) the major parks already have security guys riding around in vans ready to take care of it.

Even if parking were free it's still private property.

"SFGAdv - $89 ($45 parking) = $134"

Bingo! We have a winner.

Like my mom used to always say, it all evens out in the wash. *** Edited 3/20/2007 6:56:28 PM UTC by DWeaver***

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millrace said:
With your "parking added onto admission" example, I still come out ahead since I don't bring little beepers with me to the parks!

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Another argument for the single, traveling enthusiast not representing the average, casual family parkgoer. ;)

Some are forgetting the INCLUDED or Free standard and how it works for both parks and guest alike.

For the park it means they get that two dollar drink fee from everyone. Even if that person is only there for two hours and doesn't drink a thing. If there is a 3 dollars in the addmission price to cover lot maintence and security of the Parking, They get it from EVERYONE, Not just the car owner/driver. If there is 5 dollars in the gate fee covering the waterpark. They get it from EVERYONE even if that person never goes to the waterpark.

For the Guest tho, They say Im thirsty and grab a free drink, Or drink that cost them two dollars to begin with. But a hour later when IM THIRSTY AGAIN, They aren't hit with the $3 drink fee. It's already paid for. I don't get thirsty/Upset over the price of things and the service (Which is now machines in most parks)

Chuck

Hey! I usually bring a wife! :)

And I am pretty casual. I have never had a season pass to any park. I never lived close enough to one that I would want to go to often enough to make the pass worthwhile.

We did it all the time.

Had a bunch of friends go to cedarpoint, they park the cars at my house and everyone piles into my van.

Since I had the parking pass, everyone left the cars somewhere else, and there were 3 less cars in the parking lot.

I am not trying to "justify" the parking fee, but do you think it does not cost anything to keep the parking lot in decent condition? I am all for being charged a few bucks(maybe $3-$5) to park as long as I can park my car in a safe, well lit spot. Buisness have costs to cover, but $10-$15 is just crazy. Out of all the parks I have been to, I have only seen a security guard driving around maybe once or twice.

It has stopped me many times from going to geauga lake after a visit to cedarpoint. I can't justify paying all that money for parking just to go and spend an hour or two in the park.

All that I am saying, is that people are more likley to drive together, rather than sepeate when they go to the park if they charge for parking....thus, less congestion. And most important, it keeps out all the trouble makers/ theft. That's just one of the many reasons that I think parks should charge something.

"I am not trying to "justify" the parking fee, but do you think it does not cost anything to keep the parking lot in decent condition?"

Man, is this really so difficult? Nobody here is suggesting that it doesn't take money to maintain a parking lot, the point is that in some cases some parks may be just as well or better off just shifting the parking fee into the general admission price.

I also don't understand how free parking somehow attracts trouble makers and theft. The parking lot is still private property, so that hasn't changed. And if I were the sort of person who planned on breaking into cars or something in an amusement park parking lot, I'm not sure $5 at a tollboth is going to stop me. *** Edited 3/20/2007 7:39:38 PM UTC by matt.***

What about a $15 toll booth? That didn't stop one from being robbed last year. Imagine if parking had been free that day... LOL

The reasoning behind the fee is not important, but the fact that automated toll booths seem to be yet *another* wave of the theme park future, leads me to believe that it isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Where there is a buck, there is a way! ;)