Tricks and Treats Preparations

[BoddaH1994]

It’s starting to get exciting!

[chuck norris]

Also saw skyline was decorated in a coronavirus theme. Great touch!



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[brenthodge]

Interesting seeing this come together. It’s starting to make sense why they’ve been consistently going a different direction with haunt decor these past few years (no massive grave keeper set right at the entry, much less gore in the decor, scare zones like pumpkin eater that do double duty as “fall decor” during the day. I think they’ve been heading toward a more family friendly feel for a while. I think HAUNT will return, but if this is successful, I could see it returning as well. (The amount of effort in this leads me to believe it was in the works regardless and not just a “corona stop gap” I’d love to see more of this and even some easy ride overlays like on Adventure Express and such to start supplementing the mazes (and maybe fewer, better ones of those). 

[PKIDelirium]

I don't see any trucks.

[SnakePlissken]

First of all where is the trucks? I don't see any? Do you mean food trucks? I love food trucks? Second I think International Street and its Day of the Dead theme last year and from the looks of it this year, was a step back from prior years. I see why they want to tone it down and cater more towards all ages but I prefer a more adult event. There is plenty of parks that do a more family style event if one wants that. Like Dollywood, Holiday World and Hershey Park.

[BoddaH1994]

10 hours ago, SnakePlissken said:

First of all where is the trucks? I don't see any? Do you mean food trucks? I love food trucks? Second I think International Street and its Day of the Dead theme last year and from the looks of it this year, was a step back from prior years. I see why they want to tone it down and cater more towards all ages but I prefer a more adult event. There is plenty of parks that do a more family style event if one wants that. Like Dollywood, Holiday World and Hershey Park.

All the trucks were in the parking lot!

I think the decor on I-Street is pretty darn similar to last year. Plus, let’s not forget that the event is a few weeks away so this likely isn’t the final product. The new stages look pretty cool though. 

[chuck norris]

All the trucks were in the parking lot!
I think the decor on I-Street is pretty darn similar to last year. Plus, let’s not forget that the event is a few weeks away so this likely isn’t the final product. The new stages look pretty cool though. 

When were the trucks in the parking lot??

Is this whole thread a typo??
When is (was) a food truck event this year???


https://www.visitkingsisland.com/play/events/tricks-and-treats-fall-fest


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[BoddaH1994]

1 hour ago, chuck norris said:

When were the trucks in the parking lot??

Is this whole thread a typo??
When is (was) a food truck event this year???


https://www.visitkingsisland.com/play/events/tricks-and-treats-fall-fest


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It was a typo in the topic title on my end. Read “Trucks and Treats” until I corrected it. 

[chuck norris]

It was a typo in the topic title on my end. Read “Trucks and Treats” until I corrected it. 

Bummer.
I was WAY more excited for food trucks than fall decor.


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[super7]

This is the right direction to go.  While the gore and death images all over is a turn on for a certain market, the more moderate Halloween decorations throughout the park (with contained scare attractions in the future) will attract everyone to the park.  I think Cedar Fair is realizing that the trill market is limited (they are regurgitating the same customers) and they are drawing in new customers with family events (Carnivale, Winterfest).   

Hopefully it is the end of the flame throwers in the fountains forever.    

[RogueFoxPaws]

15 minutes ago, super7 said:

Hopefully it is the end of the flame throwers in the fountains forever.    

The flamethrowers scared me last year.  I wasn’t expecting them and nearly jumped out of my skin.  LOL  No more “spicy spooky time.”

But all the decorations so far look lovely!!  I can’t wait to be back up there again soon!

[super7]

1 minute ago, RogueFoxPaws said:

The flamethrowers scared me last year.  I wasn’t expecting them and nearly jumped out of my skin.  LOL  No more “spicy spooky time.”

But all the decorations so far look lovely!!  I can’t wait to be back up there again soon!

The reason i hate them is because you can't sit by the fountain on I Street at night without randomly being startled by them.  They take away of the best places in the park to sit and chill, just for a random decoration that people walk by and notice for a few seconds.

[SnakePlissken]

The fountain flamethrowers makes King's Island Haunt unique and it wouldn't be the same without them. Same goes for the glowing Tower with eyes at the top. Taking out the flamethrowers would be like removing the frozen water in the fountain during Winterfest. Its a tradition I never want to see changed. Also toning down the Haunt and making it more family friendly will absolutely not attract everybody. It will make the people wanting the more adult Haunt, the Fearfest style Haunt go look elsewhere.

[Rivertown Rider]

On 9/12/2020 at 7:36 PM, BoddaH1994 said:

It’s starting to get exciting!

The large amount of barrels is interesting.  Could we be seeing a hint of the return of Spinning Barrels?

[brenthodge]

11 hours ago, SnakePlissken said:

The fountain flamethrowers makes King's Island Haunt unique and it wouldn't be the same without them. Same goes for the glowing Tower with eyes at the top. Taking out the flamethrowers would be like removing the frozen water in the fountain during Winterfest. Its a tradition I never want to see changed. Also toning down the Haunt and making it more family friendly will absolutely not attract everybody. It will make the people wanting the more adult Haunt, the Fearfest style Haunt go look elsewhere.

Ok. It’s been a tradition for a few years. You act like the flame throwers have been there for decades. That being said, I like the idea of them. I just think the are poorly executed. Random trusses with pipes and propane tanks look bad in the day. Maybe if the flame fountains were in big urns or something it would look less tacky. I still think it was a miss when they “redid” I street that they didn’t do a major upgrade to show systems that allowed for buried propane and chiller lines so it looked tidier during the day for events like haunt and WF. Also I don’t see them toning down HAUNT during haunt, just being smarter and more resourceful using the decor and making it look better and be more family friendly during the day to drive broader attendance. I think a family of 4 during the day May be a more lucrative demographic to them than a couple of teenagers till 1 am going through mazes. It’s about driving dollars. 

 

14 hours ago, super7 said:

The reason i hate them is because you can't sit by the fountain on I Street at night without randomly being startled by them.  They take away of the best places in the park to sit and chill, just for a random decoration that people walk by and notice for a few seconds.

Sounds like they achieved their purpose then. HAUNT is all about jumps and scares, not about relaxing spots to sit and meditate. 

[standbyme]

1 hour ago, brenthodge said:

I think a family of 4 during the day may be a more lucrative demographic to them than a couple of teenagers till 1 am going through mazes. It’s about driving dollars. 

Especially if it’s a teenager with a season pass who is not spending money on souvenirs since they are there every night...which in turn adds to the crowd...which in turn makes said family wonder if it’s worth the heartache of fighting the crowd. (I know...beating a dead horse.)

[SnakePlissken]

1 hour ago, standbyme said:

Especially if it’s a teenager with a season pass who is not spending money on souvenirs since they are there every night...which in turn adds to the crowd...which in turn makes said family wonder if it’s worth the heartache of fighting the crowd. (I know...beating a dead horse.)

The no reentry policy during Haunt makes it hard to buy souvenirs.

[standbyme]

7 minutes ago, SnakePlissken said:

The no reentry policy during Haunt makes it hard to buy souvenirs.

My family doesn’t seem to have a problem.

[brenthodge]

6 hours ago, standbyme said:

Especially if it’s a teenager with a season pass who is not spending money on souvenirs since they are there every night...which in turn adds to the crowd...which in turn makes said family wonder if it’s worth the heartache of fighting the crowd. (I know...beating a dead horse.)

Right. Pass holders are a valuable customer segment , but have to realize they often COST more than they MAKE. It’s a balancing act keeping them happy, returning and SPENDING but also not having them flood the park, inflate crowds and create a bad guest experience (read “I’m not spending any more money HERE”) for people paying hate admission. 

[BoddaH1994]

1 hour ago, brenthodge said:

Right. Pass holders are a valuable customer segment , but have to realize they often COST more than they MAKE. It’s a balancing act keeping them happy, returning and SPENDING but also not having them flood the park, inflate crowds and create a bad guest experience (read “I’m not spending any more money HERE”) for people paying hate admission. 

If pass holders often cost more than they spend then they wouldn’t continue the season pass program. 

[standbyme]

20 minutes ago, BoddaH1994 said:

If pass holders often cost more than they spend then they wouldn’t continue the season pass program. 

I agree that you are probably right...but I also wonder sometimes if the park doesn't fall into the same mentality that I find where I work when I question something that doesn't seem logical...I get a reply "Because that's the way we've always done it".

[brenthodge]

1 hour ago, standbyme said:

I agree that you are probably right...but I also wonder sometimes if the park doesn't fall into the same mentality that I find where I work when I question something that doesn't seem logical...I get a reply "Because that's the way we've always done it".

Totally agree, and they do make money off of them, but not the same way as the “immediate positive cash flow” as the gate purchasers. We AP guests are like a slow drip IV of cash (why the push the payment plan so much) and the family of 4 that buys tickets for a day, eats 2 meals in the park, snacks, games and souvenirs is like the jolt of caffeine. You couldn’t survive well with just one or the other, but for APs to feel like they should “call the shots” is silly. The park is (I feel) developing a well-balanced approach to driving repeat visits, increasing in-park spending, and maximizing Capitol investments that are impressive to the general public. 

[super7]

The fact that there is no re entry for the previous events is proof that it attracts the wrong demographic.   Fact is also that families spend more than teenagers and young adults. 

[BoddaH1994]

1 hour ago, brenthodge said:

Totally agree, and they do make money off of them, but not the same way as the “immediate positive cash flow” as the gate purchasers. We AP guests are like a slow drip IV of cash (why the push the payment plan so much) and the family of 4 that buys tickets for a day, eats 2 meals in the park, snacks, games and souvenirs is like the jolt of caffeine. You couldn’t survive well with just one or the other, but for APs to feel like they should “call the shots” is silly. The park is (I feel) developing a well-balanced approach to driving repeat visits, increasing in-park spending, and maximizing Capitol investments that are impressive to the general public. 
 

The money from season pass sales and peripherals are realized over time from an accountancy standpoint. There is less cash flow per visit, but typically more over the coarse of a season. That is why people are upsold passes, especially in the late season. You don’t see huge drives for Disney and Uni’s AP programs but the same isn’t true. 

[brenthodge]

1 hour ago, BoddaH1994 said:

The money from season pass sales and peripherals are realized over time from an accountancy standpoint. There is less cash flow per visit, but typically more over the coarse of a season. That is why people are upsold passes, especially in the late season. You don’t see huge drives for Disney and Uni’s AP programs but the same isn’t true. 

Isn't that basically what I said? And DisneyLAND does rely on APs a lot more than WDW. Many think to the detriment of the park. They have upped the cost and added the restrictions over the past year (not that those matter as much now, but...) but they still provide a source of lower, steady income. Sorry if I didn't phrase my initial statement well. I wasn't implying APs don't add to the bottom line, its just as you said at a longer term level. Thats why Im glad they are looking for a mixed portfolio of ways to bring guests back again.

[BoddaH1994]

1 hour ago, brenthodge said:

Isn't that basically what I said? And DisneyLAND does rely on APs a lot more than WDW. Many think to the detriment of the park. They have upped the cost and added the restrictions over the past year (not that those matter as much now, but...) but they still provide a source of lower, steady income. Sorry if I didn't phrase my initial statement well. I wasn't implying APs don't add to the bottom line, its just as you said at a longer term level. Thats why Im glad they are looking for a mixed portfolio of ways to bring guests back again.

No, you’re good. I was essentially agreeing with what you had to say. The technical side of things make more sense than the direction this thread was going: $100 then you’re a drag on the system. 
 

So from their standpoint, if you buy a ticket for $60, it is a $60 visit. If you have a season pass it’s 5 visits at $20 each. Most other costs are sunk, so they don’t care (from this standpoint) how many times you visit. Your value is $100, no matter how many times you visit. An individual visit is worth $60, no matter how many times they visit (in this case 1 [maybe 2 for a 2 day ticket]).  Of course, they can amortize this stuff however they want, but the basic economics work this way. 
 

Same with all season dining. That’s a draw down account. So your money goes into an account and when you use it the location is credited for its costs. Thats why it doesn’t matter which park you buy it from if you have a Platinum plan. Anything left over is pure profit. Cost on food is roughly $7 per meal. Actually if you get a receipt it tells you exactly how much was drawn from the account. That’s why it has a total tendered for a seemly random amount, like $7.42, even if the retail price is $16.00.  Granted, there are some people that come out ahead, but the truth is if they end up with a $30 margin on the thing at the end of the year they made more on you than they would with your typical behaviors in the park. 
 

So, as stated above, there is a lot of “right here, right now” cash for individual tickets and group sales, but there’s also a fair amount of money involved in season passes.  Again, there’s a good reason why they’re trying to sell them to you.