Pre-K Pass

[WoodCoasterManiac]

Why is it that Cedar Point Kings Dominion and Carowinds have a pre k pass but Kings Island doesn't?  

[Pagoda Gift Shop]

My theory would be that Kings Island already sells a lot of season passes to families with 3-5 year olds.  The loss of making all those passes "free" would need to be compensated by the amount of additional passes and business they would get by attracting families with 3-5 year olds who do not have passes.

Another theory would be that they might offer it eventually.  They do sometimes try out different concepts at different parks to see how they perform.  Although I believe most other Cedar Fair parks do offer it at this point.

 

[disco2000]

Kings Island is not hurting in that demographic, and the same cannot be said about the Planet Snoopy areas at the other CF parks that offer this pass.  There are days at KI that waiting for a Planet Snoopy ride is longer than the wait at Banshee or Diamondback.  The same cannot be said for Cedar Point, Kings Dominion, or Carowinds comparing their Planet Snoopy to their respective "big" rides.  There are times you can literally see Planet Snoopy on a favorable weather weekend at CP go an hour between a kid riding a ride - it is unbelievable unless you experience it yourself.

Given the attendance that KI gets in Planet Snoopy I doubt we will see it here anytime soon; however, if a study shows they would make up for the loss of passes currently sold in the pre-K range with new pass holders and their pre-K children, then it would happen.

Another thing to keep in mind is that surprisingly a large percentage of gold pass holders to KI have no idea of a platinum pass or that other parks offer the pre-K pass.  So with the exception of those on this forum, and those that travel and know of the other parks, the typical greater Cincinnati passholder family has no idea about the other parks.  I am amazed talking to guests in the park and how many of them are not aware Kings Island is just one of many parks owned by a company. 

Plus KI is such a season pass heavy park now, they don't really need to entice any more people to buy a pass because that is essentially what the Pre-K pass is doing - enticing families at those other parks with the offer of "hey mom and dad buy a pass and your kid under 5 gets in free."  KI doesn't need that.  Looking at how busy Planet Snoopy is at KI, they would probably lose money at KI if they offered the Pre-K pass.  For the other parks where Planet Snoopy is underutilized, those parks are willing to use the "loss leader" approach in hopes of attracting families and then hooking them in once they are old enough to need to buy a pass. 

[robintodd]

Always wondered this myself.  To me it can only drive up sales.  Parents would be more likely to get their child a pass and once they do KI has the children's birthdate and other info.  That child will cherish and hold on to that pass, it will be come a treasured key to get into Kings Island, just like Mom and Dad's pass.  Right before they turn 6 KI can send the parent's a "birthday" present by offering 50% off the child's first Gold Pass.  Once that happens you now have the gold pass in the child's name and renewing becomes expected.  To me having a physical pass becomes an incentive to give the birthday information to the park where as now, they just "try and sneak them by" if they are close.  Also you could market more toward the pre-K pass holders.  Seems like a Win-Win if marketed and done correctly.