Cedar Point releases 2025 calendar with some pretty major differences

[BoddaH1994]

https://www.cedarpoint.com/calendar-and-hours
 

Note that they’re closed Tuesday and Wednesdays in the early season. Plus 8:00 closes into June and starting again August 18.

This is less days and operating hours for Cedar Point’s season pass holders.

It should be noted that Kings Island has not yet released their 2025 calendar. 
 

Now more than ever, the wise financial decision is to wait until you see what you’re getting before you fork out your hard-earned money. 

[disco2000]

This will help them achieve their goal of being "comfortably crowded"

[TombRaiderFTW]

Love this new era for the industry, where the biggest seasonal park operator is operating under the notion that selling a season pass means only vaguely selling access to a theme park. Don't worry about the fine print. You'll receive what experiences and availability they determined is financially good for them during yesterday's meeting, effective immediately, integrity be darned.

Heaven forbid any kind of stink gets raised about a ride being quietly removed so people don't notice until passes are bought and it's a dirt pile.

Edited December 17, 2024 by IndyGuy4KI
Removed: You’re obviously ignorant to the importance and the history of Coney. 

[Orion-XL200]

November 1st returns to the calendar...which is good....as of now, no bonus weekend. 

[KIghostguy]

Cedar Point was closed those same Tuesdays and Wednesdays in May this year (and I think 2023 as well). 

[coastergoblin]

17 minutes ago, TombRaiderFTW said:

Where is the idea that outsiders are making these calls coming from? I was under the impression that the leadership team of the new Six Flags was entirely made up of legacy Six Flags and (especially) legacy Cedar Fair execs.

I should have clarified members of these teams are external hires. There are still plenty of good people from both SIX and CF who are doing their best to resist some of these changes, but at the end of the day they are a business and have their hands tied to be within a budget. 

There are teams that are being led now by people with next to no industry knowledge, who come from retail, logistics, or just general sales, who are now making decisions that impact the guest experience at these parks. They view this business as no different than say an Applebees, they are just here to make sure the sheet doesn’t have a lot of red to it, and are quick to make cuts that directly impact the guest experience because they aren’t familiar with the product.

Like these people learned in school and in former roles at other companies, it’s all about the bottom line, and are more interested in protecting the experience of shareholders over guests.

[CoastersRZ]

And eventually if places cater exclusively to shareholders, things do not end well for those companies.  All the local Applebee`s by my house have disappeared.  I remember, way back in the day when Cedar Point closed at 11pm every day of the week in the month of July.

[Orion-XL200]

The loss of 11 pm closes on Fridays in the summer really stinks.

[Winterfestguy]

Maybe this is why park hours have been shortened (and likely more park shortened hours or rides not running to come this season). With a 25% pay decrease and having to pay for a dorm, not worth while to relocate to work at the park.

Cedar Point cuts pay

 

By Justin Dietz
Special to the Register

Jan 15, 2025 3:00 PM

Editor’s note: Justin Dietz is a Register correspondent representing cpfoodblog.com and @funfoodblog on X.

SANDUSKY — Some Cedar Point employees will be experiencing a 25% drop in pay for the upcoming season.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Cedar Point struggled to find employees when the park began to reopen.

At that point, the park increased payroll by offering to hire new employees at $20 per hour, something it promoted substantially. Pay consisted of $15 per hour plus an added $5-per-hour bonus that later became known as legacy pay.

Some other seasonal employees who have worked at the park for years also received the pay increase.

While pay for new hires at Cedar Point continued to fall post-COVID, employees hired under the legacy pay structure have continued to receive the hourly bonus if they returned each year up through the 2024 season.

This month, however, returning employees hired under legacy pay have been notified that the $5-per-hour pay bump is going away.

The Register has received several messages from employees that Six Flags, the new parent company following the 2024 merger, has cut employees' pay effective immediately. Employees are now expected to return to work at their base hourly pay.

Since most of the 5,000 summer jobs at Cedar Point are considered seasonal, those employees do not earn overtime pay. Seasonal employees who chose to stay at Cedar Point dorms also pay roughly $300 to $500 per month for accommodations.

Due to already low local staffing levels, Cedar Point relies heavily on the J-1 Visa program to hire seasonal help to staff the park. Hiring international workers allows the park to avoid paying taxes on their wages. In addition, since foreign workers have to be sponsored, it is much harder for them to leave the job once they have arrived. J-1 workers also pay their sponsor a fee to work in the U.S.

[Tr0y]

These cheap $150 gold passes are starting to rear its ugly head. 

[DonHelbig]

The guest experience will suffer at Cedar Point and other Six Flags parks because of the pay cuts for seasonal associates. These are the people that bring the parks to life every operating day and deliver the experience, not those sitting in the corporate office in Charlotte. The season pass price should be higher but that wouldn't have made a difference in what the associates will be paid this year.