2012 Gold Passes for $69.99 this fall

[jcgoble3]

From KI's Facebook page:

2011 Gold season passes go on sale September 3 at the park for the fall price of just $69.99! All new season passholders will receive one (1) free visit on a public operating day this fall. Current season passholders that renew before October 31 will enjoy unlimited admission to Kings Island on public operating days this fall.

EDIT 8/31/2011: Changed title to reflect new year of discussion.

[bkroz]

From KI's Facebook page:

2011 Gold season passes go on sale September 3 at the park for the fall price of just $69.99! All new season passholders will receive one (1) free visit on a public operating day this fall. Current season passholders that renew before October 31 will enjoy unlimited admission to Kings Island on public operating days this fall.

So, those who already possess season passes for the 2010 season & chose to renew for 2011 will be able to visit the park on all remaining public operating days in the 2010 season? What a steal!

(What they forget to mention is, those who have a 2010 season pass and chose not to renew for 2011 can still visit on any public operating day in 2010, too!)

[The Interpreter]

Hey, don't knock it.

Back in 2006, when Cedar Fair took over, if you RENEWED your season pass before the season was over, you got ONE visit to the park....and could no longer go to the legacy Paramount Parks AT ALL the rest of that season. Never mind your old season pass had BOUGHT you that privilege, which you LOST by renewing. And PR back then argued with customers that that was not the case, just as they now try to diss or dismiss customers who claim difficulty using their Kings Island Platinum Pass at other Cedar Fair parks.

Terpy, whose Platinum Pass, much to his pleasant surprise, gave him no issues at Dorney Park Friday...

[Cormaster]

wow I was gonna say... it sounded like me who doesn't plan on renewing will not be able to visit Halloween Haunt, in which we are planning a trip out currently to do so.

[The Interpreter]

Your 2010 gold pass includes Halloween Haunt...it was marketed as including it...

[markr]

Hey, don't knock it.

Back in 2006, when Cedar Fair took over, if you RENEWED your season pass before the season was over, you got ONE visit to the park....and could no longer go to the legacy Paramount Parks AT ALL the rest of that season. Never mind your old season pass had BOUGHT you that privilege, which you LOST by renewing. And PR back then argued with customers that that was not the case, just as they now try to diss or dismiss customers who claim difficulty using their Kings Island Platinum Pass at other Cedar Fair parks.

Terpy, whose Platinum Pass, much to his pleasant surprise, gave him no issues at Dorney Park Friday...

I will have to disagree with you, Terpie, based upon my experience in 2006. I renewed my Paramount Kings Island Pass for the Cedar Fair Platinum Pass and had no trouble visiting the rest of the 2006 season. They didn't issue the actual pass until Spring 2007. Until then, they gave me a card made out of cardboard as a recall which I used for the fall of 2006 for admission.

[The Interpreter]

You can disagree all you want, but I know what happened to me and others. That "card" was NOT accepted for admission at the other Paramount Parks....and I was specifically told I could use it once and once only at Kings Island. I know what happened to me, while watching others, with Cedar Fair legacy park passes get free admission to the Paramount Parks they had not even paid to get into, while I could no longer get in Wonderland and Kings Dominion, which I HAD paid to get into...

Some people were allowed to keep and use their 2006 pass, while others, like me, had to surrender it to renew, then found themselves losing privileges. You probably were among the lucky group to be allowed to retain their 2006 pass.

I even started a thread here about the unfairness of the entire situation.

http://www.KICentral...ss&fromsearch=1

To be fair, it was remedied in future years, but that year was a mess.

[Cormaster]

One thing they need to tweak a bit is the ability to upgrade... why is it that this year for instance even though I initially purchased my passes on-line, I have to actually go to the park to upgrade to platinum passes? This kinda sucked for me as far as Cedar Point went. I really did want the ERT, and the 2 day passes I bought were only a savings of $10 as opposed to upgrading...however I simply just didn't make it out to Kings Island, and it's NOT on the way to Cedar Point, and the gas just wasn't worth it!

Seriously its the on-line age... why can't i just upgrade on-line?

[The Interpreter]

Cedar Fair is not a company that has kept up to date with most things online. Paramount Parks they are not. Heck, one of the first things the company did was take Blackberries away from ex-Paramount Parks execs, derisively calling them 'playtoys.'

They did start a 5@5 thing on Facebook...how's that going?

[markr]

From reviewing your old thread from 2007, Terpie, its my understanding that if you renewed your pass in 2007 for the Cedar Fair Maxx Pass as it was called then at KI, you did get unlimited admission to KI for the rest of the 2006 season but had to wait until 2007 for the rest of the Cedar Fair parks, including the old Paramount parks. Am I understanding correctly?

[The Interpreter]

You are. I had a Carowinds pass that year, since most of my Kings Island management friends, including Mr. Fisher, were then there, as were (and are) my beloved Eagles.

I was allowed ONE visit to Kings Island with my Maxx pass during 2006. And I remember it well....

Before I renewed, I could go to ALL the Paramount Parks an unlimited number of times. Does that make any sense? No. Did anyone at Cedar Fair care? Apparently, no.

[windshawne]

I still have my 2006 pki pass-I know others who had to surrender them.

[The Interpreter]

It is the ONLY year I have no Paramount Parks pass...as I was required to surrender my 2006 pass to get my 2007. Meanwhile, others were not. That conversion year was a major fiasco in many ways.

[windshawne]

It is the ONLY year I have no Paramount Parks pass...as I was required to surrender my 2006 pass to get my 2007. Meanwhile, others were not. That conversion year was a major fiasco in many ways.

I remember the problems well, believe me. I guess it depended on who processed your pass whether you could keep it or not.

[The Interpreter]

In any event, most of the problems are fixed. Now, if next year I can actually get into Carowinds two days in a row without virtually being accused of theft, I will be doing well (and so will Cedar Fair).

[windshawne]

In any event, most of the problems are fixed. Now, if next year I can actually get into Carowinds two days in a row without virtually being accused of theft, I will be doing well (and so will Cedar Fair).

What? You're kidding me...

[The Interpreter]

Nope. Second weekend of the year...went Saturday, no problems. Sunday morning at 9:15 I was accused of already having entered the park that day (it was a systems problem). They called person after person trying to get authority to let me in. After 20 minutes of this, I left, went to Atlanta and spent my six cents at a park that appreciated it....

[windshawne]

Nope. Second weekend of the year...went Saturday, no problems. Sunday morning at 9:15 I was accused of already having entered the park that day (it was a systems problem). They called person after person trying to get authority to let me in. After 20 minutes of this, I left, went to Atlanta and spent my six cents at a park that appreciated it....

Sigh. Disgusting. That would have left an extremely bitter taste in my mouth.

[markr]

You are. I had a Carowinds pass that year, since most of my Kings Island management friends, including Mr. Fisher, were then there, as were (and are) my beloved Eagles.

I was allowed ONE visit to Kings Island with my Maxx pass during 2006. And I remember it well....

Before I renewed, I could go to ALL the Paramount Parks an unlimited number of times. Does that make any sense? No. Did anyone at Cedar Fair care? Apparently, no.

I see, sorry about the misunderstanding. In 2006 I renewed my pass for a Maxx Pass at KI and, of course, got unlimited access to Kings Island. I didn't go to any of the other Paramount parks as I really only used my Paramount KI pass at KI-only went to one other Paramount Park and that was Kings Dominion back in 1995. However, I agree with you that its not right to deny you access to the other old Paramount parks if you desired to travel to those parks since that was what you were paying for in the first place.

[The Interpreter]

I just find it incredibly interesting that after Dick Kinzel preached and preached about 'pricing integrity' and made fun of Paramount Parks season pass pricing (Cedar Fair tried to do away with gold passes and to charge all passholders for parking, which failed, utterly), that they are now selling gold passes at Kings Island for as little as $69.99.

Meanwhile, over at Al Weber's Six Flags, pass prices have increased and 2011 regular season pass parking passes are good only at the park where purchased.

Strange times, these.

[KIfan1980]

That would have left an extremely bitter taste in my mouth.

I think it has left a bitter taste in his. As it would mine also.

On the pass deal - while I like it, I have to wonder whether it is a good deal from a business sense? Getting guaranteed $ is good, getting $ early is good, but at what cost? How many Platinum Pass upgrades do they miss out on (I'm assuming like last year that the PP is not discounted), how many Gold Pass customers really need this incentive to renew?

[homestar92]

So this is my first post ever here, as I just recently acquired a love for roller coasters when my girlfriend forcibly dragged me on FoF earlier this summer.

But anyway, does a drop in Gold Pass price usually coincide with a drop in Platinum Pass price. Because next summer I plan on going South, so I may possibly hit up Carowinds and Kings Dominion, and then I'll likely be going up to Cedar Point with my girlfriend's family. Not to mention numerous trips to KI. Would the extra $90 be worthwhile for the *possibility* of going to all these parks, and is the price likely to drop?

[The Interpreter]

Parking at the other parks will cost you $10 or so each place. And a mere two visits elsewhere will pay the difference. Assuming, of course, that Cedar Fair's Platinum Passes for 2011 include parking at all the parks. Six Flags passes no longer do...not even their regular parking passes do...

In the past, Cedar Fair has not dropped pass prices once announced, only increased them...though they did later include free parking on passes sold as non-gold passes at first, in their early Paramount Parks days.

Terpy, choosing his words very, very carefully

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

I'm glad, they are allowing me into the park 1 time on a 2011 Gold Pass. They originally told me on the phone I would not be able to.

[The Interpreter]

Meanwhile, a 2011 Six Flags pass is good at all Six Flags parks in 2010...*

* except Kentucky Kingdom, of course, of course.

[bkroz]

Meanwhile, a 2011 Six Flags pass is good at all Six Flags parks in 2010...*

* except Kentucky Kingdom, of course, of course.

I think that Cedar Fair needs to unify its pass systems. I don't understand why every park doesn't have a "season's pass," a "gold pass," and a "platinum pass." It just makes sense to me:

Season Pass: Admission at chosen park.

Gold Pass: Admission + Benefits at chosen park.

Platinum Pass: Admission + Benefits at all Cedar Fair parks.

Perhaps they could even be Bronze, Silver, and Gold passes, respectively. But every park has something different, with the Plantinum Pass being the only unifier between all parks.

• Cedar Point only has a Season Pass, so unless you buy a Platinum Pass, you do not get parking or benefits there.
  
• Dorney Park also has only a Season Pass, but it includes benefits & parking (thus making it equivalent to a Kings Island Gold Pass and not a Kings Island Season Pass).
  
• Kings Dominion has a "Value Pass," "VIP Pass" and "Platinum Pass," that are exactly equivalent to Kings Island's Season, Gold, & Platinum hierarchy.
  
• At Knott's, not even a Platinum Pass will get you into Haunt, but Carowind's Halloween event (a hard ticket event, like Knott's) is included with all passes except "Silver" (the equivalent of Kings Island's "Season Pass.")
  

Pretty much what I'm saying is, I don't understand why all the parks don't conform to one system. Silver, Gold Platinum. Season, Platinum. Value, VIP, Platinum... Whatever they chose. It would be cheaper and more efficient to just print thousands of "androgynous" laminated cards labeled "Season Pass" than to have Season Passes, Silver Passes, Value Passes, Fun Passes, etc. all providing the same service.

[The Interpreter]

To be fair, Dorney's regular level season pass, which includes parking, costs far more than Kings Island's gold pass...

[Flat Freak]

So for 2010, regular passes were $100, and platinum were $160. I did not foresee a trip to any other CF parks this year, so I bought a regular + parking for $140 for myself and a regular for $100 for the kid (we bought them later in the summer).

Can I buy 2011 golds for $69.99 now, and pay the difference to upgrade to platinum later (as we will definitely be going to CP next summer at least two days)?

[KIfan1980]

Pretty much what I'm saying is, I don't understand why all the parks don't conform to one system. Silver, Gold Platinum. Season, Platinum. Value, VIP, Platinum... Whatever they chose. It would be cheaper and more efficient to just print thousands of "androgynous" laminated cards labeled "Season Pass" than to have Season Passes, Silver Passes, Value Passes, Fun Passes, etc. all providing the same service.

I was thinking about this earlier this season and was guessing that this has to be a legacy issue, but also one that is not easy to undo in a financially attractive fashion for CF. Imagine how the two scenarios would play out at CP and KI.

• No Gold Pass at KI. Current KI Gold Pass member would have to drop to Season or upgrade to Platinum. How many would just walk away or if a family buy one platinum (for parking) and rest just the regular pass? Would this increase revenue or decrease it?
• Add Gold Pass to CP. Current CP Platinum Pass holder could drop to Gold. Would this increase revenue or decrease it?

To standardize, I think they'd have to do it with a significant re-shuffling of pricing and benefits.

[The Interpreter]

So for 2010, regular passes were $100, and platinum were $160. I did not foresee a trip to any other CF parks this year, so I bought a regular + parking for $140 for myself and a regular for $100 for the kid (we bought them later in the summer).

Can I buy 2011 golds for $69.99 now, and pay the difference to upgrade to platinum later (as we will definitely be going to CP next summer at least two days)?

Yes, you can, but you will pay the prevailing price for Platinum at the time, minus a credit for what you have already paid. Assuming, of course, that Platinum is still offered at that time, and has the same benefits. Given what Six Flags has done/is doing/is planning for next year (there, I hope I have not said too much), I'd not bet the farm that current Cedar Fair offerings will be the same six months from now...

You also can only upgrade to Platinum at the same park where you have the existing pass...to avoid obvious situations where people decide to upgrade only when visiting the second park...