Will gas prices have a impact on the parks?

According to the local news, gas prices will reach $4 by sometime this summer. Not that I believe everything that is said on the news, but gas is already $3.20 out by me. It went up over 30 cents in a week! I believe they said it has something to do with the refinery's keeping up with the demand. I say, why don't they just build another refinery. I did a simple google search and had no problem finding info about this.

Here...http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/26/news/economy/gas_prices/index.htm

And here...www.philly.com/inquirer/business/20070424_Is__4_gas_heading_down_the_highway_.html

"And Crazy Horse, I totally disagree that most of the people these days are driving SUVs and Minivans. The small/er car is definitely making a comeback."

Exactly...The small car is making a comeback because of gas prices. If you look around, there are more suv's and mini vans than there are small cars. I drive a truck at work, and I notice this quite a bit when I am driving around. *** Edited 5/3/2007 11:47:52 PM UTC by crazy horse***

According to the research I did, you could've picked up gas between $2.99-$3.19 at five places in your township today. I think what's important to emphasize is in the CNN article is that it stated that it could hit $4-a-gallon in some places--like New England and the Northern midwest--which is where you live of course.

I think I definitely fall into the Lord Gonchar way of thinking when it comes to gas prices. It's a vacation, what are you going to do? I'm not going to miss Maverick, Griffon, or The Flying Turns because of gas prices. I've already got three other people chipping in for gas for a week-long trip that includes KW, GL, CP, and PKI, so right there I'm not worried.

Traveling down to the south for Griffon, I already know that the gas prices will be dirt-cheap, so with my Protege5, I might need to fill up twice--round trip. Gas prices in PA tend to be similarly cheap (although not as cheap as VA), so again, not worried about going to Knoebels.

The only trip I know will be expensive will be to Great Adventure--and it won't be because of gas. Gas is usually pretty cheap in NJ and you don't have to fill it yourself--because you can't! No, it's all the stupid tolls that get you on the way from Maryland (where I live) and in Delaware (the Jersey Turnpike is cheap).

"...do you think this will impact the parks at all?"

Well with gas prices as high as they are it keeps me from visiting SFMM.

Oh, wait....

...never mind ;-)

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Richard Bannister said:
$4/gallon for gas is still less than it cost in this country five years ago. In short, it won't affect my plans much.

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Public trans doesn't suck in your country (or in Europe in general) like here... Except for the El in Chicago. It's the greatest ;)

Oh and yeah, I refuse to pay more than 4 bucks a gallon unless I absolutely have to. Unfortunately for we're only ~15 cents away from that mark here in Chicago's beautiful Lincoln Park. For me it's just not worth when I could either walk or take the train.
*** Edited 5/4/2007 11:29:36 AM UTC by rOLLocOASt***

And thats what I said...

I said that gas "could" hit $4 by summer.

Intimin fan said "According to the research I did, you could've picked up gas between $2.99-$3.19 at five places in your township today."

I did pay $319 for gas....close enough to $3.20 for me. If it can go up that much in a day, what makes you think it will not keep going up?

Sure people will think it's a vacation what are you going to do? But it will also start to bend decisions on where and how far people are willing to drive as well. Remember, I am not talking about the coaster entuseists(sp), I am talking about the average family of 4. It would coast a family of 4 over $2000 to visit say...cedarpoint for 5 days. And thats not even counting gas. For that amount of money, you may as well fly into disney and stay for a week. That would only cost you $1600 plus airfare.

My retirement stock portfolio includes Disney, Cedar Fair and Six Flags, but these are token feel-good stocks. The high-power performance component of my portfolio is a collection of energy stocks which includes several oil and gas producers, fuel retailers, pipelines, and electric utilities. Consumption keeps growing, prices and profits keep rising. Keep on trucking everyone -- I want to retire to Disneyworld!

I'm not going to dismiss the possibility that high gas prices prevent some from traveling, but I think the fact that the media constantly brings it up makes it seem like it's a bigger factor in travel plans than it actually is.

Why would it cost $2,000 for a family of four to stay at Cedar Point for five days? Unless they're ignorant, everyone will have a season pass, (or at least money saving coupons, if available). So already, they're getting in for free everyday after the first.

Unless they're really picky, they won't be staying at Hotel Breakers for those five days. There are plenty of motels/hotels that can be had for a lot less money.

Let's say they find a motel/hotel for $80 a night. That's $400 plus whatever room tax is for those five days. So let's average that at $15 a day. Still, we're only up to $475.

The basic pass is $109.95 a person which comes to $439.95. So we are up to $914.95. Parking is $10 a day, so let's add another $50 on top. $964.95.

And unless the family of four was eating at CP morning, lunch, and dinner everyday, I can't see the food bill making up the difference to make the $2,000 amount that you quoted.

All of the motels and hotels are relatively close to CP, so there will be little money spent on gas for that week. One tank should do it.

The only way your numbers would make sense is if the family of four was staying "Lord Gonchar"-style and was staying at Hotel Breakers for $100 and up everynight.

Since Gonch is being lazy, let's do the math on my vacation this summer.

Approximately 2100 miles driving

Approximately 20 mpg

105 gallons of gas

Gas cost me $2.89/gal yesterday x 105 = $303.45

Gas at $4.00/gal x 105 = $420

That is a difference of $116.55 / 3 people

That comes to $38.85 per person on an 8 day trip or less than 5 bucks a day.

I think we would still make the trip.

You guys make me so proud. :)

I am pretty bothered by these gas companies but sadly I don't think we are being gouged as bad as people think. I think we're just pissed that our dependency on oil is catching up with us. I wouldn't worry too much either I know someone who is a chemical engineer for exxon and he told me expect around 310 on Memorial Day then about 285 as a national average throughout the summer. He said the only way he see's it even hitting 3.30 as a national average would be a disaster.

I'm actually more worried about our dairy farm though. No matter how little gas rises when it does it hurts everyone. One example is our haybine which we cut hay with in the summer. We have no choice but to use it and it costs about 325 bucks a day with prices where they are now. Its a gas guzzler but we need our hay in for profits. Bottom line it hurts everyone. *** Edited 5/4/2007 11:29:13 PM UTC by OP AWESOME***

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Alan T. said:
Gas cost me $2.89/gal yesterday

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You suck ;)

But if you took a look at what gas SHOULD be compared to where it MAY be, then you'll truly see the difference of what you're paying

$2.15 is a more acceptable level, and where gas prices should be hovering (if not, lower).

$4.00 is the realty of where it could go if they keep finding new & re-used excuses to raise prices.

105 gallons = $225.75
105 gallons = $420.00
Difference = $194.25

Prices of $2.15 weren't all that long ago. In January, prices in Detroit (of all cities) were as low as $1.85, so $2.15 isn't that unforseen for a summer-level, actually.

The difference of nearly $200 for a trip is quite a bit out of the average middle-class American. It's $200 that can be used for a season-pass family of 4 in most parks. It's an amount that can be used for an entire day-trip somewhere including entry fee, parking, and food.

It definately has an impact...

...just remember, gas prices rising not only has an impact on our wallets at the gas station, but EVERYWHERE else, as anything that requires the need for gas (ie: supplies delievered, food delievered, running equipment, supplying heat)... will adjust their own costs accordingly so they're not losing out either, which passes their additional cost to the consumer.

Won't affect us much. All it means is a few more picnic lunches and less eating at restaurants.

Cold cut sandwiches: 2.00 at most apiece.
.50 for coke in cans
.50 bag o chips.
3.00 versus 10.00 apiece at Applebees (for example)

Usually having 4 people, that's 28.00 for all of us, X2 that 56.00 and that's my make-up for add'l gas cost for one trip. *** Edited 5/5/2007 6:29:51 PM UTC by FLYINGSCOOTER***

Only a few weeks ago, there was an article in our paper where the "experts" felt that gas prices would stabilize around $3.00 this summer. They were probably the same experts who said gas would be $5.00 or more after Katrina.

Again it's a question of perception. The media gets hysterical over this when there's nothing else to get hysterical over. Then it suddenly goes away when some pseudo-celebrity dies or shaves their head.

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crazy horse said:
With gas prices now hitting the $3 mark per gallon, do you think this will impact the parks at all?

Not only for the average park goer, but for all the peolple that have rv's and like to camp at the parks. I can't emagine what it would cost to haul a trailer or rv long distance.

What are your thoughts on this?

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I think it might be ECOMAGINE

my bad extra post. *** Edited 5/6/2007 3:55:16 AM UTC by Audioslaved***

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RatherGoodBear said:Again it's a question of perception. The media gets hysterical over this when there's nothing else to get hysterical over. Then it suddenly goes away when some pseudo-celebrity dies or shaves their head.

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Are you trying to say that Paris Hilton is going to shave her head?

;)

I think we are forgetting that many families live on a budget. The price of gas doesn't just effect the trip itself. Say gets to and stays at $4 a gallon. Earlier someone had calculated that as $7 difference per tank of gas. Doesn't seem like much for one tank right?

But when you fill up every week at $7 more that equals $364 a year per car. That of course is assuming only one fill up per week. My household also has two cars. So we are talking $728 a year.

Will that $700 make me visit amusement parks any less? Hell no. But I'm an enthusiast. The "average" family will be effected if their budget doesn't allow for the extra $700.

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Alan T. said:
Since Gonch is being lazy...

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Not lazy. Just over it.

I vented about this way back in February. And the last paragraph is already becoming true. :)