The Interpreter Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Anyone else notice that the menus in the Festhaus have been replaced by LCD screens? They show rotating screens of advertisements for the food items as well as the prices, but it does make me worry because they could be used as a tool to raise prices easily... what I mean is, food could be more expensive on a busy day than a slow day when they know they'll do a certain volume. Wow, when did this happen? They still had the regular menus on opening weekend. And I agree with DeLorean, that would be extremely rotten if they raised prices on busier days. Hopefully KI has enough integrity not to do that. We should have a daily KICentral Festhaus price watch! When Mr. Kinzel speaks of pricing integrity, he means lack of discounting, and that the stated price is the price and you won't find a lower one on the side of a Coke can or a flyer at Burger King or Wendy's...then, when business tanks, pricing integrity quickly goes out the window. Two things: * LCD prices can be lowered as easily as raised. * It is not THAT difficult to change the menu prices even when they were signs...programming the computer registers probably takes longer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XGatorHead 8904 Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 You're absolutely right, however I think that you're thinking along the lines that CF did when they first purchased the park, which is a mentality they've retracted. Although SP people spend less in the park, they do go, and they go often, and there are a lot of them. There's still a lot of money to be made from SP people. I'm willing to bet that you'll see SP people have more opportunities to spend money at the park in the future. I wouldn't say they've retracted that completely. If they had, they would have made their food prices more attractive to the visitors, or at least offer a better deal for SP holders than what they currently do. Sure, they have they gold pass meal deals, which CF continued on from the Paramount days, but for anyone less than a group of four these are not ideal. Plus take into consideration that the May and July meal deals are at BB. It makes sense for July, that's a hot month, there will be lots of people there, but May? BB is only open 8 days out of the park's 18 operating days for the month. I agree that there is a lot of money to be made from the SP holders. They're not a lost cause. KI's made a lot from me since I've been one. And I would be willing to continue giving them money in the event of three things: lower food prices, better quality food and better service at the food stands. I'll even settle for two of the three. Now the $5 Skyflyer rides on Sundays this summer are a great idea. I've walked by and seen $5 specials before, but now I know exactly when I can get that deal. What a great way for them to get more money from SP holders, I know I will probably take advantage of that a couple times this year myself. It will be interesting to see what else CF has in store for us to spend our money on, especially since the biggest gripe the SP holders I know have is the food prices. I think that Cedar Fair is learning that the Paramount Parks are not in Cedar Fair markets, were not developed as Cedar Fair parks, and, if operated as Cedar Fair parks as Cedar Fair has typically run them, do not do as well in season pass sales or per caps as Paramount Parks did with them. Imagine that...Paramount Parks had a clue...too bad most of the people at Paramount Parks who could have told them that and helped them with it were summarily dismissed or allowed to leave by Cedar Fair. But never fear, Mr. Kinzel has a plan...and time...for now. Exactly. Mr. Kinzel himself even admitted they underestimated the power of season passes. Many good people were lost, in one way or another, in the transition to CF. But unfortunately that's sometimes what happens during ownership changes, and they are now forced to, in many ways, learn for themselves how the public works at this and other former Paramount properties. Hopefully they're fast learners. There are some signs that they are, and other areas that still need work, but it's still early in CF's reign. Let's all give them some time for now. In the meantime, I'll be enjoying the fine dining ambience of the parking lot this summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 * LCD prices can be lowered as easily as raised. * It is not THAT difficult to change the menu prices even when they were signs...programming the computer registers probably takes longer! smile.gif My apprehension was more that they could raiser the prices between 11am and 1pm and again from 4pm to 6pm... lunch and dinner hours. If they had a system for it, they could change the prices with the click of a mouse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Coca-Cola tried this for a short while with Coke machines...an experiment that was, if memory serves, abandoned....the machines adjusted prices based on ambient temperatures and demand... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Yep, but you have to remember thing things such as Sling Shot and Skyflyer adjust throughout the day based on attendance so it does happen at KI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIBeast Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 I mean... I'm with anyone who says that KI or any amusement park should lower their food prices, but if you look at other similar parks, Ki's pricing is simply in line with theirs. Buy food and a drink at a Reds game then we'll talk business. Plus, whenever I eat and get a drink, it ends up being right around $15, which is roughly what I'd spend at a place like Applebee's with tip included. I can see where it really hits the pocketbook if you're purchasing for your family, but for an individual is not THAT bad... Then again, it's the quality for what you are paying for that people are upset about. If I was buying an $8 hamburger for $10, not bad. If I'm buying a $2 hamburger and paying $10, then I think it's not worth it at all. And therein lies the problem...quality of the food. And I agree that their pricing is right in line with most other amusement parks. On the other hand, I understand that Kennywood has good food at good prices, so there's always an exception to the rule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WooferBearATL Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 I mean... I'm with anyone who says that KI or any amusement park should lower their food prices, but if you look at other similar parks, Ki's pricing is simply in line with theirs. Buy food and a drink at a Reds game then we'll talk business. Plus, whenever I eat and get a drink, it ends up being right around $15, which is roughly what I'd spend at a place like Applebee's with tip included. I can see where it really hits the pocketbook if you're purchasing for your family, but for an individual is not THAT bad... Then again, it's the quality for what you are paying for that people are upset about. If I was buying an $8 hamburger for $10, not bad. If I'm buying a $2 hamburger and paying $10, then I think it's not worth it at all. And therein lies the problem...quality of the food. And I agree that their pricing is right in line with most other amusement parks. On the other hand, I understand that Kennywood has good food at good prices, so there's always an exception to the rule. In actuality, two amusement park chains seem to be the exception to the rule. I would think that chains with the impact of Disney, Universal, Busch and such can pretty much set the rule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 I will go out on a limb right now and predict that, if the Apollo deal goes through, food prices will increase more than they otherwise would have, quality of the food in the park will probably also improve, but staffing levels may well decrease, causing increased service times...and about the same per caps foodwise as Cedar Fair was getting. Price. Quality. Service. All THREE matter. Most managements focus on two of the three to the virtual total exclusion of the third. Cedar Fair, particularly at Kings Island, seemed to not have emphasized any of the three from the customers' standpoint, and the result was droves of people leaving the park to eat in the parking lot or at surrounding restaurants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 I've said from the beginning that if the prices were cut in half, three times as many people would eat at the park. I'm not trying to get that statistically proven or dis-proven, but the idea remains... If a burger cost $5.00 instead of $8.00+, at least twice as many people would save time and money by staying in the park to eat. Another thing that we could really use is more eating space. I find that unless you're in the Festhaus, you're forced to resort to the collection of five or six picnic tables next to each service window. Kings Dominion, in comparison, had well-shaded, well-maintained groves to eat in throughout the park. It should be noted, of course, that we have no need for extra eating-areas unless the prices decrease. If there's no one eating, there's no need for shaded picnic areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 And, by forgetting about Rivertown Junction, you have just proven a point. They have so outpriced themselves for the quality delivered that one just tends to forget about the place. Midway Market, no gastric delight, is still far better than Rivertown Junction, and a better value. There is also the Backyard Barbecue, but the hours for it were strange, and it certainly was not promoted much... Kings Island has long needed a full service sit down restaurant (since the one above the admissions gate closed). I don't see it coming any time soon, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedarPointer Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 I really, really hope that the Backyard BBQ will continue. It was, without a doubt, some of the best food I've seen at a CF park. Real cheddar cheese, very good potato salad, unlimited soft drinks, good burgers (in my opinion), good chicken- just all-around good food. I really hope to see it continue! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 And the price was very reasonable, especially with a gold or platinum pass.... I hope it did well for them. Heaven knows they could have promoted it far more than they did. I almost think it was some kind of experiment... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedarPointer Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 I think it would have been a great idea to give a special deal (50% off, buy one get one, etc) to first-time gold/platinum buyers, because, I think most passholders who didn't go, didn't go because they thought the food would be poor quality, old, or some other reason not to go. Another honorable thing I noticed is that they held it even on less-crowded days. We went once when there were about 10 people there for it. It was far better service than I've ever seen at any of the other KI restaurants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted December 21, 2009 Author Share Posted December 21, 2009 Can't believe this topic is still alive over a year later.. CRAZY! I had no idea they were displaying the screen electronically, but I don't think they would try to jack the price up on busy days, as SOMEONE would notice and if the news got ahold of the info KI food service would look very bad. I agree that lowering the prices would likely increase the demand for food, but KI sets those prices for a reason. They must maximize their total revenue by charging ridiculously high prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browntggrr Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 The food pricing is terrible. But KI, by far, is not alone. As I have mentioned before, being a Browns season ticket holder the food beverage prices are crazy expensive at the stadium. I did call to complain/ question the Browns about the pricing, and I was startled by the response. They simply said that the prices are looked at every year. The cost is always looked at every year. Not only the cost of the food itself, but the cost of staffing, training, licensing, disposal, and most importantly, cleaning. The more people that eat and use the facilities, the more it costs any company. It really does s^(k, but it is what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcc Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 Go to Dollywood, then complain about KI's food prices We bought 1 pizza (pep & cheese) and drinks for our family of five. Price? $70 Quality? Bleh...We bought pizza and drinks at La Rosa's at KI for around $30. And I actually like La Rosa's pizza. Bought a fajita at Dollywood...it was $9. Can't compare that to anything at KI, since there are no fajita stands, but yeah. You get my drift. For the most part, we try not to eat in any park, but sometimes it's inevitable. I can say this, KI workers are much more kind when you ask for a free cup of water. I had some pretty nasty looks at Dollywood when I asked for just a cup of ice. And this is one of many reasons why KI is our home park. It's the furthest of the few parks we have close by (Dollywood, Camden Park and Kentucky Kingdom), but the workers and atmosphere make the extra miles worthwhile. I do love Dollywood, but I really feel as though it is a park geared more towards sightseers (shoppers) than riders. So many shops, you HAVE to walk through some just to get through the park. I'm getting off topic lol, but let's just say it could be worse. And I must say, I'm quite thankful for Rivertown Junction. We have enjoyed many meals there this year. It's an excellent place to eat when you have picky eaters...plus it's not that expensive. All you can eat/drink AND dessert. And it's air conditioned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 You must have gone to a completely different Dollywood than the one I go to. I have never had any food item at Dollywood that wasn't superb, nor have I encountered the type of food pricing you speak of... And if I had, I would not buy at such ridiculous prices. If the quality was bleh, I'd ask for the food service manager immediately, and I am sure they'd make it right. Dollywood is known for, among many other things, its food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcc Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 You must have gone to a completely different Dollywood than the one I go to. I have never had any food item at Dollywood that wasn't superb, nor have I encountered the type of food pricing you speak of... And if I had, I would not buy at such ridiculous prices. If the quality was bleh, I'd ask for the food service manager immediately, and I am sure they'd make it right. Dollywood is known for, among many other things, its food. The fajita was awesome, but I do think for one and no drink..it was a bit overpriced. It was located on a stand near the cave thing. As for the pizza, that was bought down around the kid area. We were floored when they told us the price. We usually do not eat on that end, and stay up around the Blazing Fury area restaurants. It was a whole pizza, but still. We went there with $500 (we were in TN for my Grandfather's funeral and took the kids as a getaway from the mourning) and came out with $0. Just bought our tickets ($230 for one admission) dinner, some snacks and played a few games. We generally avoid the PF/Gatlinburg area due to expenses. It's the taxes there that get ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 rumblings rumblings food service changes pricing changes ...reception....lost.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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