Valleyfair!
Does anyone know when Valleyfair would have a reasonable chance at a new coaster? I've figured the reason they seem to take so long at getting new thrill rides is that there isn't really any competition in the Twin Cities area, but is two years a crazy guess? The park needs a CCI or an invert to be considered something more substantial then a regional park.
And BTW yes I do realize that we just got Power Tower and I am greatful for the addition
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Randy Hutchinson
You build it, I'll ride it
And BTW yes I do realize that we just got Power Tower and I am greatful for the addition
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Randy Hutchinson
You build it, I'll ride it
I think you nailed it on the head, Randy. That part about competition is right on. If they can maintain attendance, they won't build.
In mid-November, you'll understand where I get this from, but for any capital expenditure in said park chain, they do things purely on the prospect of return on investment (ROI), and not to set records or boost their egos. They are treated to a certain degree as individual business units. Amusement parks are not, after all, philanthropic organizations, even though they're about nothing but fun for us.
Valleyfair and Worlds of Fun both did about a million visitors last year, which is still very much a "regional" attraction. If either park will build a new ride, the management has to calculate how many people they need to attract to the park and what their per capita spending will be. Contrary to popular belief, each park does have its own budget to work with, and capital expenditure is granted when they can prove the ROI will pay for the new attraction in a short term.
Let me use a real life example, then we'll do a hypothetical at Valleyfair. Millennium Force cost $25 million to build, while Breakers Express cost about $15 million to build. For the new ride, they had to research to figure that they could attract a certain number of visits at a certain cost of admission. They had to figure that those people would spend a certain amount on souveniers, food, and perhaps accomodations. The interesting thing is that they have said it would take more than a year to pay this one off. The hotel was probably paid for by the end of the year. In that case they knew it would cost a certain amount per room, and after operating expenses would cost a certain amount to pay off the room. Given their 100% booked on-point hotels, they knew they could have similar success.
Now to Valleyfair. Let's say they want to build a $5 million CCI (that's the going price for a good mid-sized ride). To calculate the ROI, they projec 栀漀眀 洀愀渀礀 瀀攀漀瀀氀攀 眀椀氀氀 瘀椀猀椀琀 昀漀爀 琀栀攀 渀攀眀 爀椀搀攀Ⰰ 眀栀愀琀 最愀琀攀 愀搀洀椀猀猀椀漀渀 椀猀 爀攀焀甀椀爀攀搀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 栀漀眀 洀甀挀栀 琀栀攀 愀瘀攀爀愀最攀 最甀攀猀琀 眀椀氀氀 猀瀀攀渀搀⸀ 圀栀攀渀 琀栀攀 渀甀洀戀攀爀猀 戀愀氀愀渀挀攀Ⰰ 琀栀攀礀 最攀琀 琀漀 戀甀椀氀搀 琀栀攀 爀椀搀攀⸀ 䤀琀✀猀 樀甀猀琀 愀 猀椀洀瀀氀攀 戀甀猀椀渀攀猀猀 瀀爀椀渀挀椀瀀氀攀 昀漀爀 琀栀攀 洀漀猀琀 瀀愀爀琀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀伀昀 挀漀甀爀猀攀Ⰰ 戀礀 渀漀琀 戀甀椀氀搀椀渀最 昀漀爀 愀 礀攀愀爀Ⰰ 猀漀洀攀 漀昀 琀栀愀琀 礀攀愀爀✀猀 挀愀猀栀 挀愀渀 戀攀 猀愀瘀攀搀 昀漀爀 愀 挀愀瀀 攀砀 琀栀攀 渀攀砀琀 礀攀愀爀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 琀栀愀琀 眀椀氀氀 栀攀氀瀀 愀 最爀攀愀琀 搀攀愀氀⸀ 吀栀攀椀爀 瀀氀愀渀渀椀渀最 挀礀挀氀攀 眀漀爀欀猀 漀渀 愀 琀栀爀攀攀 礀攀愀爀 挀礀挀氀攀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 氀愀猀琀 礀攀愀爀 戀攀椀渀最 漀瀀攀渀 琀漀 挀栀愀渀最攀⸀ 圀栀愀琀 攀瘀攀爀 琀栀攀礀✀氀氀 搀漀 椀渀 ㈀ 愀渀搀 ㈀ ㈀ 栀愀猀 愀氀爀攀愀搀礀 戀攀攀渀 搀攀挀椀搀攀搀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀ⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀ 㰀戀爀㸀䨀攀昀昀 㰀戀爀㸀圀攀戀洀愀猀琀攀爀⼀䄀搀洀椀渀 ⴀ 䌀漀愀猀琀攀爀䈀甀稀稀⸀挀漀洀 㰀戀爀㸀ഀഀഀ ⨀⨀⨀ 吀栀椀猀 瀀漀猀琀 眀愀猀 攀搀椀琀攀搀 戀礀 䨀攀昀昀 漀渀 ⼀㐀⼀㈀ ⸀ ⨀⨀⨀
In mid-November, you'll understand where I get this from, but for any capital expenditure in said park chain, they do things purely on the prospect of return on investment (ROI), and not to set records or boost their egos. They are treated to a certain degree as individual business units. Amusement parks are not, after all, philanthropic organizations, even though they're about nothing but fun for us.
Valleyfair and Worlds of Fun both did about a million visitors last year, which is still very much a "regional" attraction. If either park will build a new ride, the management has to calculate how many people they need to attract to the park and what their per capita spending will be. Contrary to popular belief, each park does have its own budget to work with, and capital expenditure is granted when they can prove the ROI will pay for the new attraction in a short term.
Let me use a real life example, then we'll do a hypothetical at Valleyfair. Millennium Force cost $25 million to build, while Breakers Express cost about $15 million to build. For the new ride, they had to research to figure that they could attract a certain number of visits at a certain cost of admission. They had to figure that those people would spend a certain amount on souveniers, food, and perhaps accomodations. The interesting thing is that they have said it would take more than a year to pay this one off. The hotel was probably paid for by the end of the year. In that case they knew it would cost a certain amount per room, and after operating expenses would cost a certain amount to pay off the room. Given their 100% booked on-point hotels, they knew they could have similar success.
Now to Valleyfair. Let's say they want to build a $5 million CCI (that's the going price for a good mid-sized ride). To calculate the ROI, they projec 栀漀眀 洀愀渀礀 瀀攀漀瀀氀攀 眀椀氀氀 瘀椀猀椀琀 昀漀爀 琀栀攀 渀攀眀 爀椀搀攀Ⰰ 眀栀愀琀 最愀琀攀 愀搀洀椀猀猀椀漀渀 椀猀 爀攀焀甀椀爀攀搀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 栀漀眀 洀甀挀栀 琀栀攀 愀瘀攀爀愀最攀 最甀攀猀琀 眀椀氀氀 猀瀀攀渀搀⸀ 圀栀攀渀 琀栀攀 渀甀洀戀攀爀猀 戀愀氀愀渀挀攀Ⰰ 琀栀攀礀 最攀琀 琀漀 戀甀椀氀搀 琀栀攀 爀椀搀攀⸀ 䤀琀✀猀 樀甀猀琀 愀 猀椀洀瀀氀攀 戀甀猀椀渀攀猀猀 瀀爀椀渀挀椀瀀氀攀 昀漀爀 琀栀攀 洀漀猀琀 瀀愀爀琀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀伀昀 挀漀甀爀猀攀Ⰰ 戀礀 渀漀琀 戀甀椀氀搀椀渀最 昀漀爀 愀 礀攀愀爀Ⰰ 猀漀洀攀 漀昀 琀栀愀琀 礀攀愀爀✀猀 挀愀猀栀 挀愀渀 戀攀 猀愀瘀攀搀 昀漀爀 愀 挀愀瀀 攀砀 琀栀攀 渀攀砀琀 礀攀愀爀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 琀栀愀琀 眀椀氀氀 栀攀氀瀀 愀 最爀攀愀琀 搀攀愀氀⸀ 吀栀攀椀爀 瀀氀愀渀渀椀渀最 挀礀挀氀攀 眀漀爀欀猀 漀渀 愀 琀栀爀攀攀 礀攀愀爀 挀礀挀氀攀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 氀愀猀琀 礀攀愀爀 戀攀椀渀最 漀瀀攀渀 琀漀 挀栀愀渀最攀⸀ 圀栀愀琀 攀瘀攀爀 琀栀攀礀✀氀氀 搀漀 椀渀 ㈀ 愀渀搀 ㈀ ㈀ 栀愀猀 愀氀爀攀愀搀礀 戀攀攀渀 搀攀挀椀搀攀搀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀ⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀ 㰀戀爀㸀䨀攀昀昀 㰀戀爀㸀圀攀戀洀愀猀琀攀爀⼀䄀搀洀椀渀 ⴀ 䌀漀愀猀琀攀爀䈀甀稀稀⸀挀漀洀 㰀戀爀㸀ഀഀഀ ⨀⨀⨀ 吀栀椀猀 瀀漀猀琀 眀愀猀 攀搀椀琀攀搀 戀礀 䨀攀昀昀 漀渀 ⼀㐀⼀㈀ ⸀ ⨀⨀⨀
I read an interview with Kinzel several years ago about Cedar Fair and the various parks. He honestly said that it is difficult to rationalize large capital rides for Valleyfair because they have so little effect on attendance. The quote was something like "we can spend money and put in something great and get a little over one million people, or we can spend nothing and get a little over one million people." That makes an awful lot of sense to me.
*** This post was edited by Tim on 10/4/2000. ***
I can agree with that statement, but I know that people in this area get perturbed if nothing big is done after a few years. Valleyfair! will maintain its attendance as long as something is done every few years. People up here are fairly patient, but if nothing is done after a while we get mad. Power Tower should suffice people in the Upper Midwest for a few years. After that they start to get antsy for something new. I'm definetly not complaining with what Cedar Fair has done over the last few years (Mad Mouse and Wild Thing) and I think people here will be willing to wait for two to three years for something else.
I'd be interested to read the article with Kinzel's quote in there.
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Randy Hutchinson
You build it, I'll ride it *** This post was edited by RandyHutchinson on 10/4/2000. ***
I'd be interested to read the article with Kinzel's quote in there.
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Randy Hutchinson
You build it, I'll ride it *** This post was edited by RandyHutchinson on 10/4/2000. ***
I can understand the reasoning behind not investing too much in this park given the lack of competition. However, it would be awesome if this fine park got at least one, or better yet, two new coasters. I was there Labor Day weekend and was very impressed. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed the coasters they have very much. We were able to ride all of them multiple times with little wait. But we did wonder when/if they would be getting anything new soon. I agree with you completely Randy that even the addition of an inverted would greatly enhance this already good park.
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"Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious." - Brendan Gill
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"Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious." - Brendan Gill
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