Will gas prices have a impact on the parks?

I think the point here is why do the prices increase this time of year every year? Obviously to stick it to the consumer. Sure, with increased demand the price will go up...just basic economics..however the profits of these oil companies are already billions per quarter.

Do they really need to jack up the prices? Of course they do..if they didn't then shareholders would be poed and their stock prices would fall. Total B.S. but pretty true.

I think an extra $10 a week on gas is a tough nut to swallow for a lot of people. I own a business where I need my truck and it costs $76 to fill it but I write it off so it doesn't affect me as much.

Many people blame the prices on a lack of refining capacity. Makes sense, but my question is, do the oil companies really WANT to build more refineries?

Using the Lord Gonchar school of business approach I could argue that they really don't want more refineries. They're making record profits (not sure of margins) with these limited refining capabilities. They're able to make more by selling less.

The difference between this and amusement parks is that even though many consumers complain, most of us NEED the gasoline. We can conserve and reduce the amount we use, but we still need it at the end of the day (for now). That means that you'll pay, like it or not.

So people get pissed at the big oil companies. But they're good at pointing their fingers at other people. Don't blame us, the cost of a barrel is through the roof. Don't blame us, it's those environmentalist wackos fault for not letting us drill in ANWAR. Don't blame us, those damn enviros won't let us build new refineries. Don't blame us, the government makes more $ per gallon than we do. Always blame someone else and they have plenty of people who will jump to their protection.

All the while the price of diesel stays relatively stable. Hmmm?

Don't know where I was going with this, just food for thought stuff I guess. But get used to it, the price of refined oil products will not go back down. There'll be peaks and valleys, but the average will be a steady increase.

So if gas prices are going to affect your visits to amusement parks this year, when do you think it's going to get better? They'll most likely be the same price or higher next year and the next and the next. If you want to go to the park and you can afford it, then go. If you can't, then plan accordingly and save up so that you can go next year or the year after that.

Half the Problem is a Law that was passed during the Clinton Administration that requires Gas that is sold in many US Cities to be "Reformulated". Unfortunately to make nthis kind of Fuel the Refineries have to SHUT DOWN their Refineries to "Retool" in order to make this Gas. Unable to Produce Gasoline, the Price Skyrockets! I would strongly urge a REPEAL of this law. Before the law was passed gas prices would only go up about 15 to 25 cents a gallon each spring, no the increases approach 50 cents to $1.00! (The Clinton Administration said it would only6 cost 5 cents extra at most!) The Oil Companies reap huge profits from it which is why it isn't repealed.

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So if gas prices are going to affect your visits to amusement parks this year, when do you think it's going to get better? They'll most likely be the same price or higher next year and the next and the next.

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Yep. I almost brought that up myself.

This is something like the third or fourth straight year that this topic has come up. Each time people say it will affect travel. When it hit $2 - oh no, people can't go anywhere. Same when it hit $2.50. And now here we are three years later at $3 with people saying the same thing.

If it really does affect travel plans, then after the past three years who is left traveling? Weren't those people affected by the little year-to-year increase already supposed to have stopped or limited their travel a few years ago?

I love all the of the stupid conspiracy theories, especially the one about the "Clinton administration" (which signed bills passed by a Republican congress, no less).

Wall Street, analysts and other smart people have a pretty simple explanation for the gas prices: Increased demand. That couldn't possibly have anything to do with the enormous vehicles being driven by single drivers commuting every day, could it?

Nah, that's crazy talk.

It's a pain but it's not really affecting my current plans.

Luckily my car is pretty decent on gas, so I can't complain.

-Tina

If gas prices continue to rise, just spend less in the park. Smuggle in your food !!. By a season pass and go to many parks. Buy the refillable drink cups and pay just for the refills. Play less games. There are many ways to offset the higher price of gas and still enjoy going to the park.

And as a last note, buy Oil Company stocks. The capital gains and dividends will more than compensate you for the higher gas prices. The five or six big oil companies collectivley made over $100 billion in after-tax profit last year. They can well afford to build more refineries, but they wont because the price of gas will come down and they wont make as much money. We are being screwed!!. Only the oil companies can come up with all sorts of excuses for the poor production planning and make higher profits because of it.

Okay, i'm finaly chiming in. The price of gas just might mean that people will seek out parks, coasters, and avdentures closer to home. They might, if they live in CT, head up to SFNE or Canobie Lake instead of driving out to CP or KW. Heck, they just might take the train to NYC.

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RatherGoodBear said:

The media gets hysterical over this when there's nothing else to get hysterical over.

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Maybe I'm a spend-crazy idiot but I rarely look at the price of gas when I put it in my car. I see the needle hovering around "E" and I go to a gas station. Not like it's something I can avoid buying. And since I fill up at any point after the gauge reads 1/4 or less, I don't even think about how much the tank cost opposed to last time I filled up. Nine times out of ten, the only time I really know that gas prices are rising is when the media makes a big deal about it.

Gas prices are higher than they once were but I still think gas is a relative bargain. The cost of a gallon of milk is between $3.00 and $3.50. The cost of gas is still slightly below that. Milk comes from cows that are easy to find and easy to get to- they wander fenced-in fields above the Earth's surface. Gas has to be found miles beneath the Earth's surface and once it's found, it still has to be tapped and brought to the surface for refinement. Sounds like a great deal to me. People really need to chill about the price of gas and put it into perspective.

And if you want to blame someone of some thing, blame China. They have more cars than ever before, so it stands to reason they're creating a demand that was never there before. And it's not like it's a conspiracy or anything, it's just a matter of them needing more gas and the oil companies being greedy. They see a reason for an increase in prices and they over-compensate.

Here's a sugestion for anyone worried about the cost of gas and how it may effect their vacation plans.

A friend of mine did this last summer to offset the cost of gas.
He worked his off-days as a day laborer making about 100.00 a day. He did this for one month, making about 800.00. That extra money made a tight spending vacation into and great vacation with no worries.

Just a thought, for what it's worth.

I think part of the fears about gas prices stems back to the economy right now as well. Peoples jobs are not as secure as they used to be, and medical insurance is at a all time high as well. The cost of living has shot way up, and the rate of pay has been at a standstill or has risin very little. The only exception is minnimum wage, but even that is sad.

That in mind, some people are cutting back on other things like trips and even going out to eat and of course gas as well.

Just a side note here...

I just filled a school bus up with gas on friday, it was just under a 1/4 tank of gas in it already and it still took $250 worth of gas to fill it. We will be lucky if that last's a week. Crazy.....

Here in Florida the effects of Gas Prices may be offset by a Longer Summer Vacation! Thanks to one Ms Sherrie Sturner (The Founder of Saveoursummers.org) Summer Vacation will be two weeks longer this year. This group ngot a Law Passed that mandates that the School Year may not begin until two weeks before Labor Day. (It's a "One Shot" Deal as next year the Schools will get out in the beginning of June instead of the end of May.) With our luck some Media Official will blame Higher Gas Prices on this!

Definition of irony: a person who goes into a convenience store complaining about paying $3.00 for a gallon of gas, then willingly forks over $1.39 for a 20 ounce bottle of water. (Cost $8.90 per gallon at that price).

^LOL, I had that same thought years ago regarding people complaining about gas when they'd spend 3.50 for a 12 oz coffee at Starbucks.

Buy yourself an Entertainment Book with an Entertainment card at www.entertainment.com and save all kinds of money on things you will need when you travel to amusement parks, such as food, hotels, and even some attractions. Trust me when I say I have already paid for my Entertainment Book about 8-10 times overs with the savings I have had from it. That more than offsets the price of the book and may even offset the upswing in gas prices too. I know that I have saved about $200 in hotel stays alone already and I havent even gotten into the swing of traveling yet.

That's a good idea, even if you're not worried about the price of gas affecting your travel plans. I should look into that.

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FLYINGSCOOTER said:
^LOL, I had that same thought years ago regarding people complaining about gas when they'd spend 3.50 for a 12 oz coffee at Starbucks.

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Yea... but you don't go filling your tank up with 15 gallons of Starbucks every week!

I was just going to say the same thing dawgbyte. As I stated earlier we have a dairy farm so I know a little about the cost of milk. I won't really get into it unless you guys are interested but I buy a gallon of milk once a week so 4.00 or whatever isn't bad. However by mom works a half hour away and buys about 2 tanks of gas a week for her taurus. The difference of gas is you have to buy it gallons at a time, I don't know anyone who buys 20 gallons of milk.

So it's not about the price, it's about the amount people use.

(which is kinda what Jeff said in a roundabout sort of way :) )

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DawgByte II said:

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FLYINGSCOOTER said:
^LOL, I had that same thought years ago regarding people complaining about gas when they'd spend 3.50 for a 12 oz coffee at Starbucks.

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Yea... but you don't go filling your tank up with 15 gallons of Starbucks every week!

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I wish I only used 15 gallons a week of gas.
:)