Colonel_SoB_fan Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 http://screamscape.c...ews.htm#General General News - (5/13/10) Could a major theme park chain be considering offering new included benefits like Free Parking and/or Free Soda? Apparently one of them is thinking about it apparently, because one of our readers was asked to take a survey this past week that pitched just such a concept. No names were given to even give a clue as to who it may be, but I'd wager it was either Cedar Fair, Six Flags, or PARC Management, with SeaWorld Parks in a very distant fourth. How great it would be if Cedar Fair Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamondback96 Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 It'll propbably end up being Six Flags, because we all know that CF would never do that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 I filled out a KI questionnaire a year or two ago and it asked what I thought of free drinks, free parking, and a meal deal. I have only seen the meal deal at the park since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBru Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 Kings Island and Cedar Point's admission prices are pretty low at the moment, so I wouldn't mind seeing them tack on a few extra dollars to the price and throw in free soft drinks. It's funny how a small park (like Holiday World) can have such a large impact on the decisions that major companies make for their large parks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KI FANATIC 37 Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 Yes, this would be very nice but I highly doubt this will ever happen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DropZone99 Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 Cedar Fair.... Yeah right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 Wouldn't be the smartest business decision if you ask me. There's a lot of margin to be made on those drinks... a LOT of margin... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldiesmann Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 Just because Holiday World does it doesn't mean it'll work for the large chains. HW has a lot less overhead - no corporate salaries, no "sister" parks to share profits with, no big-wig executives to pay... Plus, considering that they're in the middle of nowhere and advertising opportunities are limited in that part of the country, I'm sure Pepsi is quite happy for the advertising, especially since RC is a competitor in that area (they have a bottling plant in Evansville). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 RC a competitor to Pepsi in Santa Claus? Like everywhere else, Pepsi's major competitor in Santa Claus is located in Atlanta, Georgia. And the specifics of soda companies' deals with amusement parks are very closely held secrets. I think most would be stunned if they had any idea how those deals work. Suffice it to say that at most universities, the soda companies PAY to be the exclusive vendor AND supply the product to the university (or an affiliate thereof) either free of any charge or for a stunningly low price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedarPointer Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 I doubt this will ever happen. Maybe they'll bring the unlimited drink wristbands back (I miss those!), but I can never see just free soda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBru Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 It's not really free, though. They would add $3 or so to the general admission price, and then serve "free" drinks. Therefore, a guest (like me) who wouldn't have spent $4 on a small soda at the park, would now be paying an extra $3 that the park never would have received, before. Plus, it's a GREAT advertising strategy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaddie Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 It's not really free, though. They would add $3 or so to the general admission price, and then serve "free" drinks. Therefore, a guest (like me) who wouldn't have spent $4 on a small soda at the park, would now be paying an extra $3 that the park never would have received, before. Plus, it's a GREAT advertising strategy. I agree, it is not free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplehaze Posted May 23, 2010 Share Posted May 23, 2010 As BoddaH1994 said, there is a massive margin on the beverages in the park. Yesterday I saw countless guests carrying around the large cups. At 10 bucks a crack and 2 dollar refills. WOWsers! I hate the high prices of food, merch and drinks at the park. But has anyone ever sit and thought of the operating cost of a park such as KI? I mean the insurance alone is massive then you have employee wages to pay out. Imagine the electric bill alone. I always try to remember that it is a business. They are not there to go bankrupt. Make money or get out of dodge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptor Posted May 23, 2010 Share Posted May 23, 2010 I wonder how much higher a season pass would be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster_junky Posted May 23, 2010 Share Posted May 23, 2010 that would be pretty awesome if they had an add on to your season pass for parking, just with unlimited free drinks, i could see it being somewhere around $50, but i think it would take off pretty well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTCO Posted May 23, 2010 Share Posted May 23, 2010 If they ever did that. Knowing my mom, she would make us get a drink or two every time we go. Our average visit time per year is around 45. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted May 23, 2010 Share Posted May 23, 2010 Wait a minute, cowpersons. Remember, last year they offered, for a VERY limited time, unlimited drink wristbands. They were quickly discontinued, I presume because of guest abuse (one guest buys a wrist band, gets a drink and shares it with everyone with them, with or without cups...). I see this as all or nothing. Either everyone will get the perk (and help to pay for it) or nobody will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted May 23, 2010 Share Posted May 23, 2010 Do they still offer the free refill wristbands for groups? Last week I was at the park on Friday, and saw some high school aged kids with what appeared to be park issued wristbands on their wrists. They were not height wristbands, and I`m not sure what they were for exactly. I don`t see Cedar Fair adopting a free drinks policy anytime in the future. I think they still would generate more revenue if they lowered the price of the soft drinks. Yes, their margin per unit sold would be lower, but they would more than make up for it in the increased volume. It all goes back to the supply and demand curve from Econ 101. Profit maximization does not necessarily mean charging a higher and higher price for an item. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pillsberry123 Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 ^ Exactly CoastersRZ, Cedar Fair doesn't seem to realize that there's more to making money than just jacking up the price. Their leverage stops somewhere, and when it gets to the point that pop machines cost 4 bucks is where it stops. We've always packed a cooler in the car and walk to the car whenever we want a drink. It's a little walking, but it's worth it. Cedar Fair needs to realize that walking up to a food stand in one of their parks makes the customers feel like they're turning yourself into the police or paying a parking ticket... it's something that you want to avoid at all costs. When you're at an amusement park, you're not hungry all day, but there isn't a single moment when you wouldn't kill for a Coke or Sprite. If drinks weren't so expensive then walking up to a food stand wouldn't seem so taboo, which would increase food sales as well. Heck, I'm not even asking for free drinks. I'm just asking for reasonable priced drinks. This isn't only at Cedar Fair parks either, it's everywhere! We ate a Frisch's today and the orange juice I drank costs $2.75! I could buy a jug for that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldiesmann Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 RC a competitor to Pepsi in Santa Claus? Like everywhere else, Pepsi's major competitor in Santa Claus is located in Atlanta, Georgia. I said they were a competitor, not the major competitor. I just figured RC was more of a competitor in that area than they would be elsewhere given that there's a bottling plant an hour away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedarPointer Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 Do they still offer the free refill wristbands for groups? Last week I was at the park on Friday, and saw some high school aged kids with what appeared to be park issued wristbands on their wrists. They were not height wristbands, and I`m not sure what they were for exactly. Yes, groups do still get the wristbands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentiallyCoaster Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 My school didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 They are offered to groups, for a price. They are not free. Groups can choose to buy them. Or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster_junky Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 ^when my school participates in math and science days, they get the unlimited drink wristbands, i rarely, if ever, use it, while the rest of my group is chugging down drinks. i much prefer (the already free) ice water anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DropZone99 Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 I'd LOVE free drinks (even if it meant higher prices) ONLY if the former Paramount Parks switched to Pepsi though. If they kept it as Coke, than I would not like free drinks at all. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplehaze Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 KI has free drinks this year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel_SoB_fan Posted May 25, 2010 Author Share Posted May 25, 2010 ^ No this is just a rumor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 They do have free water... Terpy, who just HAD to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplehaze Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 HA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster_junky Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 They do have free water... Terpy, who just HAD to ... and how amazingly cold and refreshing it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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