Leland Wykoff Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingom is reported to be the next recipient of a "Dinosaurs Alive!" attraction, to open in 2012: http://southwhitehall.patch.com/article ... osaur-park Interesting to note Dorney Park is adding this exhibit, in part, to qualify for student field trips and school visits. This could help account for why Cedar Fair is adding this attraction at so many locations. The news of this addition came about due to zoning issues being taken up by the South Whitehall township commissioners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast1979 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Sometimes I feel like Cedar Fair's business plan is as easy as CP....copy paste. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Very interesting note about student field trips. That is one way to get group sales up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creed Bratton Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I noticed the field trips thing was part of the marketing at Cedar Point this past weekend. I have yet to even visit DA at KI, DA at any of the other parks that it is going to is not making me want to visit the other parks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thekidd33 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Which, quite frankly, is fine with them. The DA attractions aren't meant to appeal to thrill seekers or to draw platinum pass holders away from their home parks. It's to increase family visits and draw more school groups to the park. Families spend more money then thrill seekers and these attractions offer a chance for a quick ROI. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 The big issue I have with both the WindSeekers, Dinosaurs Alive! and the renaming of our water park, is the parks are losing some of their local flavor, identity and sense of place. The parks are losing their unique identity and become almost carbon copies of each other. Sure, there are some economies of replicating something that is tried and true.. And yes, DA! did debut first at Kings Island. But as is often the case when eating at fast food restaurants, there is not much in the design of the architecture or interior finishing/decorating that leads to any indication of where the restaurant is located. You could be in the middle of Ohio or the middle of Georgia and have no clue based on the architecture... Now, off of my rant. Its good to see that Cedar Fair is continuing to invest in its parks... And if any one doubted the success of DA at KI, the fact that it is being added to at least three other CF parks for next year (Dorney, CP, and KD) proves that it was a big hit and money maker at KI. One that will likely be around for a long time... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 But people didn't complain about lost individuality when every single park got an Action Zone, or a Drop Zone: Stunt Tower. I don't recall a fuss about The Italian Job being duplicated three times, or two Flight of Fears. There were also four Top Guns, and while the rides were different, the argument that it's all about keeping local, unique "identity" would seem to indicate that it's the name repitition that's the core of the problem anyway, since that's where the identity is drawn from. I mean, maybe the complaints were around back then and I didn't realize it, but still it's a good question.. I think one of the thought processes back then might've been, "So what if there are two more Italian Jobs? They're six hours in either direction, and don't influence the existence or popularity of ours." But now, it's as if duplicated attractions are personally offensive, and that if another park has a Dinosaurs Alive, ours is somehow less valuable or entertaining (but, to whom?). I also notice it's always the duplicated (and not the duplicators) who have the problem... Walt Disney World fans were ****ed when Disneyland got a Tower of Terror - Disneyland fans were delighted. So, if Cedar Point had gotten Dinosaurs Alive, and then it was transferred to Kings Island, would we be complaining about lost uniqueness? CoastersRZ, I totally, absolutely feel what you feel and agree with what you said. I'm just playing devil's advocate and asking questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingsrattler Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 It has been done ever since the "2nd Kings Island" was built. All you have to do is walk up to the entrance of Kings Dominion, and you will notice a Paris inspired tower that was duplicated from the success that Kings Island's had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 We can debate the merits of these things all we want, but they're obviously getting the results they want to be spreading them around like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaiderFTW Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 I can partially see CoastersRZ's point, because it does seem like doing this sort of thing saps the personality of each park. On the other hand, it's cool that Cedar Fair is trying to unify the parks. My only issue is that they're trying to unify all the parks... by giving us all the same upcharge? Granted, WindSeekers are also being installed chainwide, but the upcharge being spread around seems kinda... I don't know, cheap. Maybe I don't know business, but it seems less tacky to just install a cool, cheap ride at all the parks. If Dorney needed the group sales, then they should have been the first to get DA, in my opinion. If any of the other parks needed it, then they should have gotten it, too... which is why I'm a little confused/irritated that DA's coming to Cedar Point, because I can't tell you how many times I've been stuck in line with 5.8 million schoolkids wearing the same shirt. (Same for KI this year, but that could also be related to our DA.) It seems more logical to add this to the smaller parks of the chain (Valleyfair, Dorney, Worlds of Fun, etc.) to boost profits, rather than make it a chainwide addition. But that's just me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avatar Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 The Dinosaurs Alive was pitched to Kings Island due to a few scenarios falling into place (right time and place). Kings Island management was the ones who drove the Dinosaur Park into existence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RingMaster Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Hopefully they add to it and keep it fresh, else they risk driving it into extinction... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avatar Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Kings Island has said repeatedly that DA is a long term investment and they plan to add to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingsrattler Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Kings Island has said repeatedly that DA is a long term investment and they plan to add to it. I only think this has been said on this forum 20+ times, but we still get the same responses from the same people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avatar Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 OK then my words. Every-time I have talked to someone from Kings Island they are very proud and pleased with how Dinosaur Alive has been going for them. They seem to have taken great pride of its success and they are not about to let it fade away but rather look for ways to improve it and to generate more interest opportunities. Knowing the pride they have for it I look forward to seeing what they come up with to make it better, I have absolutely no doubt they will. none. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RingMaster Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Hey now. I have never said I didn't like DA!. I think I said I LOVED the attraction somewhere on this here forum. I was just cracking an extinction joke for good fun. Maybe they could install a petting zoo with baby dinosaurs and turning it into a miniature amusement park in and of itself... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheKlockster Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 DinosaursAlive& DinosaursAlive& DinosaursAlive& DinosaursAlive& DinosaursAlive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Not to be confused with the Fun & Only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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