Gordon Bombay Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 Let's just sum up the rest of this thread: KI can't do anything right Dick Kinzel kills puppies and is the embodiment of evil Food and drinks are overpriced [insert obligatory reference to Paramount Parks here] [insert reference to Q here] The apocalypse will begin if Cedar Fair doesn't listen to enthusiasts [insert SoB reference here] Let's not derail this thread any further. Stop. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted April 25, 2011 Author Share Posted April 25, 2011 Let's just sum up the rest of this thread: KI can't do anything right Dick Kinzel kills puppies and is the embodiment of evil Food and drinks are overpriced [insert obligatory reference to Paramount Parks here] [insert reference to Q here] The apocalypse will begin if Cedar Fair doesn't listen to enthusiasts [insert SoB reference here] You forgot, seasonal ride op defends FUN as if said op were paid like the Kinzels. Oh, wait... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamondback96 Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 So, according to KI, a pass pays for itself in 2 visits. Yet a 2-day pack costs the same as a regular ticket... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 Someone mentioned Coney Island. Ticket prices for pool and rides is $21.95 per person. You can also pick and choose to do only the pool or only the rides. If you go that route, the price is $11.95. Both are unchanged from last season. Parking is $7. If you have someone in your group (say a grandparent), and you are just riding the rides and not going into the pool, the grandparent needs to pay nothing to just walk around the rides side. Those prices are significantly cheaper than KI! It is truly amazing how fast ticket prices to Kings Island have skyrocketed. Ticket prices were $28.95 in 1996. You make it sound like it's news that Coney Island is cheaper than Kings Island... Or maybe it's just an excuse to talk about Coney Island again? We get it, you work(ed) there and think it's great. But to respond to this point, what Kings Island offers is more expensive to run and maintain. If you wanted to do a breakdown on operating costs alone, I think you would find that Kings Island is a much better value. Or maybe your rose tinted glasses won't let you look at that logically. I was merely pointing out how much cheaper Coney is compared to Kings Island. Is Coney the place to go for thrill rides? Absolutely not. That is why I have a Kings Island pass. Does it cost more in maintenance costs and operating costs to run Kings Island? Definitely. I`m not disputing those facts. What I am pointing out though, is that Coney does offer their pass holders across the board discounts, which I think would be a wise move for KI and Cedar Fair to do as well. Additionally, Coney offers pass holders discounts on additional tickets to bring friends in, any day of the season. You don`t see most chain parks doing that, save for on certain days when they anticipate light attendance. I am a little confused on your argument about breaking down operating costs and saying that KI offers a much better value. What does operating costs have to do with value to the customer? Yes, I might have a little bit of an allegiance to Coney, since I`ve worked there so long. But that doesn`t prevent me from looking at things with an unbiased eye. There are things that Coney does that leaves me scratching my head at times. Have you ever visited Coney before? It is not exactly the same type of park experience or value that Kings Island caters to anyway. My point in listing the prices was not just to plug Coney again, but to offer some perspective on admission prices. For those of you who have visited Coney, it has a different overall atmosphere these days than what KI has. I don`t know if saying it has a more laid back atmosphere compared to KI is completely the correct words to describe it, but there are differences between the two parks, besides the fact that KI is the big boy in town in terms of thrills. Cincinnati is actually lucky to have a big park like Kings Island and a smaller park like Coney Island in the same town. (Not to mention other small treasures like Stricker`s Grove). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterGeek101 Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 A very interesting thread. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSaturdayNite Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 @Mexican Eric Bischoff: Any chance we can get a Hitler discusses KI ticket prices vid? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InnocentRyan Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 I was merely pointing out how much cheaper Coney is compared to Kings Island. Is Coney the place to go for thrill rides? Absolutely not. That is why I have a Kings Island pass. Does it cost more in maintenance costs and operating costs to run Kings Island? Definitely. I`m not disputing those facts. What I am pointing out though, is that Coney does offer their pass holders across the board discounts, which I think would be a wise move for KI and Cedar Fair to do as well. Additionally, Coney offers pass holders discounts on additional tickets to bring friends in, any day of the season. You don`t see most chain parks doing that, save for on certain days when they anticipate light attendance. I am a little confused on your argument about breaking down operating costs and saying that KI offers a much better value. What does operating costs have to do with value to the customer? Yes, I might have a little bit of an allegiance to Coney, since I`ve worked there so long. But that doesn`t prevent me from looking at things with an unbiased eye. There are things that Coney does that leaves me scratching my head at times. Have you ever visited Coney before? It is not exactly the same type of park experience or value that Kings Island caters to anyway. My point in listing the prices was not just to plug Coney again, but to offer some perspective on admission prices. For those of you who have visited Coney, it has a different overall atmosphere these days than what KI has. I don`t know if saying it has a more laid back atmosphere compared to KI is completely the correct words to describe it, but there are differences between the two parks, besides the fact that KI is the big boy in town in terms of thrills. Cincinnati is actually lucky to have a big park like Kings Island and a smaller park like Coney Island in the same town. (Not to mention other small treasures like Stricker`s Grove). There is no denying that the differences between Coney and KI are vast and have been well documented. Operating costs have nothing to do with value to the customer. I can't build a point based on the value to the customer (as the value is varies among demographics), so I went with something that is more easily quantified and agreed upon. This goes without saying, Kings Island (or maybe more specifically Cedar Fair) is a company. Overcoming operating expenses is essential to being a successful company, so pricing based on operating expenses is reasonable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 . Don't chya wish you could completely redact anything you say or write, like Jon Kyle did to the Congressional record this past week? (if you don't know about the reference, google it) Too bad our Government doesn't have a "reply" button! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AintNutinElse2Do Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 In fairness I think we all under value what we get for the money at theme parks, especially those local to the park. Dollywood is my home park and it's prices are higher than Kings Island on admission, yet if I hadn't been able to get my season pass for $24 I probably wouldn't have one. Name me one company that gives you a better return on their investment. Parks spend so much money every year yet we only pay a small fraction to enjoy them, not to mention the economic impact a park often creates. I don't like prices going up on anything unless its a stock (which I actually don't have any just thinking that would be a good situation for a price increase), doesn't mean I think it's a bad value when it does. Now the food on the other hand. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pillsberry123 Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 In fairness I think we all under value what we get for the money at theme parks, especially those local to the park. Dollywood is my home park and it's prices are higher than Kings Island on admission, yet if I hadn't been able to get my season pass for $24 I probably wouldn't have one. Name me one company that gives you a better return on their investment. Parks spend so much money every year yet we only pay a small fraction to enjoy them, not to mention the economic impact a park often creates. I don't like prices going up on anything unless its a stock (which I actually don't have any just thinking that would be a good situation for a price increase), doesn't mean I think it's a bad value when it does. Now the food on the other hand. For season passholders, this definitely the truth. It pays for itself in a few visits, there's no parking fee per visit, and there's perks on top of it. However, I don't see how 51.99 for one visit is getting your money's worth at all, especially considering that you have to pay 12 dollar parking on top of it. We're enthusiast on here, and most of us have a season pass. However, the average family looking for something to do on Saturday may just look at the advertised price of $51.99 and say "No thanks, we'll take the kids to the park and the movies." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 In fairness I think we all under value what we get for the money at theme parks, especially those local to the park. Dollywood is my home park and it's prices are higher than Kings Island on admission, yet if I hadn't been able to get my season pass for $24 I probably wouldn't have one. Name me one company that gives you a better return on their investment. Parks spend so much money every year yet we only pay a small fraction to enjoy them, not to mention the economic impact a park often creates. I don't like prices going up on anything unless its a stock (which I actually don't have any just thinking that would be a good situation for a price increase), doesn't mean I think it's a bad value when it does. Now the food on the other hand. For season passholders, this definitely the truth. It pays for itself in a few visits, there's no parking fee per visit, and there's perks on top of it. However, I don't see how 51.99 for one visit is getting your money's worth at all, especially considering that you have to pay 12 dollar parking on top of it. We're enthusiast on here, and most of us have a season pass. However, the average family looking for something to do on Saturday may just look at the advertised price of $51.99 and say "No thanks, we'll take the kids to the park and the movies." Let's not forget 5 more bucks a head if you want to see some old school reptiles! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterGeek101 Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 I think that Kings Island raised the prices for a new ride coming soon. just maybe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 The more realistic reason, is that the state minimum wage went up from $7.30 to $7.40 this year. That sounds insignificant, but when you employ thousands of workers at minimum wage for scores of hours over a four to six month period, those two dimes can add up rather quickly! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 I think that Kings Island raised the prices for a new ride coming soon. just maybe ^ I'm sure the increased minimum wage (which, didn't Cedar Fair oppose?) had a lot to do with it. Plus, the money made by Kings Island doesn't stay at Kings Island... There are CEOs to be paid, and records to break, and investments to be made, and cash distributions to be paid (maybe). So the money made at the parks funnels into Cedar Fair's vaults, where it's re-distributed as necessary (granted, the attendance figures probably mirror the financial investments pretty closely, so parks probably end up getting back money that mirrors what they bring in... Or so I'd imagine... Look at Michigan's Adventure vs. Cedar Point as far as attendance and investment. There may be a statistically significant pattern there.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterGeek101 Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 Well, you have a point. Who knows why they raised the price tag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOF Guy Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 I personally don't consider the new price set up to be unreasonable for a number of reasons. First let me point out that a Ride & Slide ticket at Worlds of Fun (includes both dry and water park) is $56.99. I can think of few people who consider Kings Island/Boomerang Bay to be inferior to WOF/OOF. Secondly, the new price will create a higher perceived value for a KI experience. As others have already stated it makes season passes more appealing but it also makes the guest who only pays $35-$45 feel like they are getting a great deal. Third, It's $51.99 for two visits not just one. This will have a very positive impact on in-park spending. If I am only spending one day at a park I am going to eat fewer meals in the park and spend all of my time rushing from ride to ride. With a second day, I can visit the park with a slower pace and visit more games and gift shops. Fourth, many who come to the park as a result of a coupon or other discount promotion may opt to pay the full $51.99 to get a second day. Really if you think about it they haven't raised the price of a one day ticket; they've just stopped selling them at the gate. Unless you have a special coupon or other discount you have to buy a two day ticket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdawg1998 Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 It's not about the money, money, money We don't need your money, money, money We just wanna make the world dance, Forget about the Price Tag. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted April 25, 2011 Author Share Posted April 25, 2011 I personally don't consider the new price set up to be unreasonable for a number of reasons. ...Third, It's $51.99 for two visits not just one. This will have a very positive impact on in-park spending. If I am only spending one day at a park I am going to eat fewer meals in the park and spend all of my time rushing from ride to ride. With a second day, I can visit the park with a slower pace and visit more games and gift shops. Fourth, many who come to the park as a result of a coupon or other discount promotion may opt to pay the full $51.99 to get a second day. Really if you think about it they haven't raised the price of a one day ticket; they've just stopped selling them at the gate. Unless you have a special coupon or other discount you have to buy a two day ticket. The ticket you buy at the gate for $51.99 IS a one day ticket, unless I missed something...It does NOT get you two days...$51.99 gets you two days if bought online...The tickets sold at the gate are ONE DAY tickets. The more realistic reason, is that the state minimum wage went up from $7.30 to $7.40 this year. That sounds insignificant, but when you employ thousands of workers at minimum wage for scores of hours over a four to six month period, those two dimes can add up rather quickly! Two dimes? Last I checked, 10 cents is two NICKELS! Terpy, trying not to nickel and dime us to death! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlvtr Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 Honestly, I don't think the price increase — and the crossing of the $50 threshold — is as significant psychologically as some here seem to assume. Especially since with even the slightest amount of planning ahead that $50 barrier can be avoided, the effect will be minimal if non-existent. I also don't think the food prices are at a level where dropping the prices will result in higher volume and equal (or higher) revenue will result. I know that plenty of people decide to eat in the parking lot (or off-site), but I have stood in enough long lines to know that demand for the food served inside KI is still in sufficient demand, and I don't think there are nearly enough people avoiding the food to compensate for lower prices. I can count on one hand how many times I saw a family consuming food in the parking lot, or McDonald's that had been snuck inside last year at the park. Obviously I can not make a definitive statement from my extremely limited observations, but if there were really enough people avoiding the food over the price, the evidence would likely be much more prevalent. Nor do I think the park is particularly equipped to handle much greater increase in the number of people buying food at the park (again, due to the long lines I have experienced very often waiting to purchase food). Now, do I like the price of tickets, or food in the park? No, absolutely not. Nor do I think the pricing structure is the smartest way to run the park. But I don't agree that lowering prices for each would so easily make up for revenue and have a positive impact on the prices. Reducing the insanely high salary for top executives, would be a fantastic first step though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterGeek101 Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 Woa! You have a very detailed reason on this! And If you haven't already been, welcome to KIC! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted April 25, 2011 Author Share Posted April 25, 2011 Another reason not to eat in the park? Long lines? Lack of training/staffing in food service does not mean that demand is optimal for the service provided...then again, what do you expect when the CEO's attitude is "People gotta eat..." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOF Guy Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 The park's website lists the gate price for a two day ticket as $51.99. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted April 25, 2011 Author Share Posted April 25, 2011 I understand that...but it says right below that it is an ONLINE special. Call the park. I did...See what they say... Online Special Offers Pay Once, Visit Twice Any Two Days - Just $51.99 Purchase a ticket at the regular gate price of $51.99 and you get a second visit absolutely FREE. The best part is you get to choose any day for the second visitl. With this ticket each visit is less than $26. $51.99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaptorGuy Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 I don't disagree with you at all Terpy. I often wonder what's the absolute minimum the park could charge for admission and not belly up. Apparently the answer to that is ZERO! Indiana Beach charges ZERO for admission to the park! If you just want to go into Indiana Beach and walk around and do NOTHING, maybe watch that water show, or check out the couple of shops, you can do so without paying admission! That's probably being a bit far fetched, because most who go there buy the ride bands, and eat there, too! Just sayin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted April 25, 2011 Author Share Posted April 25, 2011 Cedar Point gate price: $46.99 Cedar Point Current Online Price (ends soon): $31.99 (tickets good ONLY May 14-May 31) Very....interesting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterGeek101 Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 Well, would you prefer for a large park ticket or free admission, but you have to pay for every ride? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 I understand that...but it says right below that it is an ONLINE special. Call the park. I did...See what they say... Online Special Offers Pay Once, Visit Twice Any Two Days - Just $51.99 Purchase a ticket at the regular gate price of $51.99 and you get a second visit absolutely FREE. The best part is you get to choose any day for the second visitl. With this ticket each visit is less than $26. $51.99 So are there no 1 day gate price tickets? Can I just pay the $26 for the one day? This pricing strategy leaves me with many questions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamondback96 Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 I would've figured that CP would have the highest prices... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted April 25, 2011 Author Share Posted April 25, 2011 So are there no 1 day gate price tickets? Can I just pay the $26 for the one day? This pricing strategy leaves me with many questions... The one day gate price is $51.99. The buy one day, get two is an online special. The webpage is confusing...and is going to cause problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 So are there no 1 day gate price tickets? Can I just pay the $26 for the one day? This pricing strategy leaves me with many questions... The one day gate price is $51.99. The buy one day, get two is an online special. The webpage is confusing...and is going to cause problems. But, but, but... what if I just want to go the second day, how much is that??? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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