Whining about pay-per-ride attractions is lame
Cedar point has the right idea other parks are ripping us off
carowinds and the swings deal still p*sses me off LIKE PGA COULDN'T BUY A NEW ONE The last year it was there my son had just gotten tall enough for it and now he's too big for the kiddie version in animation station so not only am I missing a ride so is he
And if there is a ppr going in where PKI is removing king cobra there's really going to be an uproar losing a coaster to get something you have to pay extra to do after paying to get in
-----------------
JOHN
-----------------
Does CCI know how to make a bad coaster?
-----------------
I get the feeling there's a conspiracy over at King's Island to remove anything that has "K" or "C" in its initials.
From what I understand, the Sling shot at PKI is being built where the King Cobra's helix once stood. These sling shots do not take up that much room. And sources say that something in 2003 is going in where KC was. Maybe the sling shot is not going in the area where the KC's helix is, but more off to the side near AE. From the drop off area it may look like the ride is being installed where the helix was. For example; When I see Drop Zone from the drop off area, it looks like it's in front of the skycoaster, but when I move to the parking lot gates on the south entrance Drop Zone is on the right of the PPR.
See this is called forced perspective. So next time some of you guys see the sling shot at PKI try and move around the road in front of the park to see if it "moves".
-----------------
Bill Yost of Cincinnati, Ohio: Where we KNOW the Bengals suck!
http://www.small-business-webs.com/pkizone
Pay-per-ride attractions are a wave of the future unfortunatley, it's been hinted at on coaster shows for years. These things are just to good for parks to resist, too much extra money to be made. But believe me, if people weren't taking the bait, parks wouldn't be adding them, bottom line.
I simply walk on by, waving at those with the extra funds to pay for these things, they seem to be having fun, the park rakes in the extra cash and it seems to me everybody is happy. No park is forcing anyone to dig in their pockets(though it's annoying when they call out at me), *someone* will do it willingly.
When are people going to get their heads out of .... um, the clouds and realize that parks want your MONEY. Not your silly notions of park history, what's right or fair. If fair is what you want, skip the themers and support the smaller parks. But if you need to be thrilled every 5 minutes, be prepared to pay for it.
-----------------
Have you ever considered that maybe it's not the park that's the problem, but YOU?
The vast majority of these rides have such small capacity that you'd never put one in a park for any other reason. I've stood in line for these kinds of rides at IAAPA when they were free, and gave up after an hour because the line simply doesn't move.
It's not any wave of the future, it's away to get supplemental revenue out of a small amount of space.
-----------------
Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"
Fierce Pancake said:
It's sad to see Six Flags, originally a pioneer of the pay one price system, resort to this tactic. No sense of history, those current guys...
Even though they do advertise in their history as the first, there were many parks before SFOT that charged one price for everything. Luna Park (Cleveland) comes to mind as well as some other parks.
-----------------
Off with the trims!
My fellow Americans; Let's Roll!
Woodencoaster.com
I can see where they would want to charge because of capacity...but the rides should have been designed to hold more passengers in the first place instead of making them low capacity and call them pay-per-ride attractions.
I personally think it is total BS. You go to a park, pay $40+ to get in...so much for parking...food is outrageous...gas prices are high in the summer...hotels rip you off unless you stay at a motel 8 with cockroaches...then you see alot of rides that you have to pay extra for.
I think it is BS and if they keep raising prices and adding pay-per-ride attractions most family's will only be able to take one vacation that summer...and it would be one amusement park. I really think the prices are getting out of hand.
-----------------
"Villain-Once You Drop, The Fun Don't Stop!"~SFWoA Rules In 2002~With SFWoA ANYTHING Is Possible!
The rides simply charge more because they give the perception that they're better, more thrilling, or something you wouldn't normally get to ride or do at an amusement, and the capacity is so low, like others have said that it wouldn't even be logical to have them open and for people to wait in line. I think there would be a lot more complaining with that than having to pay extra for it. That's what I see from them, plus the park can get extra money for something you really would want to ride and be able to ride for free. As long as they don't or wouldn't potentially replace a normal ride, I'm all for them.
-----------------
Danny
What is being discussed here among "enthusiasts" and their diverse opinions is but a mere image of how things are thought in general. Some people feel strongly that the parks are ripping them-off with more PPRs and they feel with each years increase in ticket/food/parking prices it just shouldn't be that way.
I am on the other side of the coin, and am wondering if people actually think things-out in a rational manner and not just in subjective emotionally thoughts. I have seen it previously stated that the majority of people posting here and on other coaster/park boards have season passes for the most part. I would be interested in seeing how many people whom quote $40/day entrance fees have season passes. The bottom-line here is the bottom-line.
The corporate parks as well as the indep. parks look to the bottom-line. Some parks find a way to assist the bottom-line is have customer satisfaction and extra-perks at the top of the list. Other parks look to offer the customer an enjoyable time while attempting to maximize the dollars spent with the dollars recvd.
This is just the way of the world. Sure one could say "look at Holiday World, etc." Yes, they do a great job at what they are focused to do. Does Paramount do any less of a "good" job at what they do? They report to a parent corporation which reports to shareholders, bondholders, and creditors. If they aren't doing their job, then they wold not be in business. (I realize Six Flags could be hoisted-up with their debt structure, but that is another discussion).
Step-back and think about what you are saying about moaning about PPRs and the cost of admission. Do you have season passes to a majority of the parks you visit? Can you put those entertainment dollars to better use for a summers worth of enjoyment? Could you not just "have fun" at the park without letting a pay-per-ride get to you?
Sure it is fine to vent and have your own opinion. Nothing wrong with that. But when your opinion hampers your quality if life and takes-away from your enjoyment, it is time to take a second look at that particular opinion.
What would really work is to give season pass holders a couple of free rides on upcharge attractions. I have to complain too, after all that hype about 13 new ride and attractions coming to PGA, half of them were cheap shows and goofy walk around characters. Out of the seven rides, 4 of them were up charge attractions.
Wife: Hey honey, I heard Great America is adding "13!" new rides and attractions this year. Why don't we take the kids?
Husband: Sure, it'll be a great time for the whole family.
(Later at Great America)
Husband: Dang, $38 bucks for each of us! They gonna' give me some new loafers too?
Wife: Roger, just give them the money!
Husband: Fine, here you are, ten (gives her a ten), twenty (gives her another ten), two hundred (closes his eyes and pulls out one more ten and a little chump change).
Ticket man: What is this?
Husband: Hey, don't act like you don't want it.
Ticket man: Whatever.
Wife: Roger, I don't understand why you have to be to cheap.
Husband: Because I'm still driven a tin can home to a cardboard box. Now lets quit talken' and ride somethin'. Kids, daddy is gonna' show ya his favorite ride when he was in college.............. Wait a minute! What's this rubber thingy? Where's the Skyhawk?
Ride Operator #1: Welcome Sir to the Arrow Bungee. Would you like to take a bounce on one of our trampolines?
Husband: There is no way I'm payin' $8 to jump on some trampoline? If I wanted to bounce around, I'd be home with my wife on my mattress.
Ride Operator #1: Suit yourself. Say, you should try the Xtreme Skyflyer. That would a test for your screams.
Wife: Come on Roger, lets go check that out.
Husband: Its gotta' be better than this piece of junk.
Ride Operator #2: Are you ready to face your fears on the ultimate flight, the Xtreme Skyflyer?!!
Husband: Don't look too "X"treme to me. How much to take a swing on this thing man?
Ride Operator #2: That will be $39.99 for the three of you.
Husband: Ha, ha, that was a good one! You're jokin' right?
Ride Operator #2: Look fellow, if you're gonna' face your fears then you gotta' open your wallet!
Husband: Well if you're gonna' yell in my face, at least get a breath mint, ya ole badger.
Wife: You know, how about we try the new go-karts instead? What's it called, Blue Thunder?
Ride Operator #2: Yeah, it down that walkway, thru the Arbor Tunnel and past are "superb climbing challenge, The Wall."
Husband: Yeah, like I'm gonna' pay $10 bucks to climbs some big hunk of doo doo comin' out of the ground. Lets just head for the go-karts?
Ride Operator #2: Suit yourself.
Husband: What? $8 bucks for a spin around on some go-karts? In my day...
Ride Operator #3: In your day the karts were still running on neutral. Now, would you like a ride?
Husband: No, I'm going to get my self a hot dog and see if I can find something that doesn't cost an arm and a leg to ride.
Hot Dog Man: Welcome to Frank's, home of the franks, can I take your order?
Husband: Yeah, can I have one hot dog please?
Hot Dog Man: Sure, that'll be $2.00 man.
Husband: Here you go, and can I have some mustard with that too?
Hot Dog Man: That'll be another 75 cents please?
Husband: Ok! That's it! I have had enough with the extra charging! I am taking the next way out of here, just hope I don't have to buy a ticket for that too.
~~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~~~
Flying Dutchman. I think he was being sarcastic.
Anyway, most of these PPR attractions take up little space and its really not an issue because most are of a type that you wont find as a free ride no matter where you go.
If you dont want to foot the extra cash, just keep on walking past it.
-----------------
Im going to grab a cold one! WHAT? Walk to my computer! WHAT? Turn the thing on! WHAT? Log on to Coasterbuzz! WHAT? I said log on to Coasterbuzz!! WHAT?WHAT?WHAT?
PPRs are a good way for the park to bring in some extra money, and as noted, the capacity issue would quickly overwhelm the rides if the were included in POP. I think you'll also find more of these types of attractions in non-park locations, driving down the proce parks will ask for the rides. A friend from Philly told me Dorney's Skyscraper was down to $10 at the end of the season, (which is more along the lines of what I might consider to be a "nominal" upcharge...;)). But you can always "walk on by". Old Town has a nice coaster Windstorm (FLCC had an event there today), a SlingShot (my legs are STILL shaking, 365' in a hamster ball), and the world's tallest skycoaster, at 300'. And a Skyscraping experience can really release a TON of adrenaline (did my first one last night on Katanga, located on I-drive at a putt-putt, it WON'T be the last)...WOW!
All that being said, an "upcharge" should not replace existing POP rides, they should be added to the park's line-up. And where MOST of these attractions require very little space, I don't think that's necessarily true of the skycoasters. And as I have noticed many times, I hate seeing flat rides closed so that the upcharges can be fully staffed....they really don't bring people in until dark for the most part anyway. But it seems to me that if you're gonna pay for them ,and staff them, the cost is already incurred, so a lower price and a longer operating cycle would just bring in more riders...and these things are ADDICTIVE. (Still not so sure I would trust a bungee...but I can apparently be talked into anything!!!)
I have a few questions.
1) How much do the thrill ride up-charge attractions cost to build?
2) How many employees do they take to operate?
3) Are there dead times when no one is paying to ride these rides, or are they usually full throughout the day?
If the rides are such low capacity, and require maintenance costs and employee salaries to operate, how long before the park reaches the break-even level with the ride?
Do anyone actually go to a park specifically to ride one of these (who wouldn't normally go to the park)? That is, do the rides themselves bring in extra customers? If so, do they have to expend advertising resources strictly for that ride to accomplish that goal?
The trampoline and climbing wall are cheap to build, take up very little space and require little maintenance, so they make sense to add to a park's lineup. However, do these other attrations actually make much money for the park?
StarCoasters said:
I agree with everything you said, except in cases were rides are REMOVED so that PPR's can be put in. That really gets to me. For example, last year Carowinds sent their classic swings ride (a favorite of MANY people in this area) to PGA and they repleased it with a REALLY lame zipline ride that costs like 8 bucks. I'm fine with PPR's, but don't remove older attractions to put them in.-------------
|| Jonathan Hawkins ||
http://www.starcoasters.com
http://www.thrillspot.com
I agree with you on that one. Those swings were one of the coolest flat rides at that park, and now Top Gun Training zip lines are there.
-----------------
"Enjoy your record-breaking ride on Millennium Force"
My question would be how many of you have written the parks which you feel are making incorrect ride decisions? Also, your friends and the "regular visitors" which you think feel the same way you do.
While there is no guarantee of a response by a company when yo write to them with your concerns and interests, at least it was a step made by yourself/your friends/others.
You must be logged in to post
