Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread

[Comeagain?]

The park used to offer a $1 per hour bonus if workers completed the contracted summer schedule. From what I hear, they got rid of this perk.

 

Perhaps more incentives like this would help.

 

This year the park has loosened its grooming guidelines, and is now allowing facial hair and tattoos.

 

We've found that when we did bonuses and when did didn't do bonuses, we saw no change. It wasn't something that made people any more likely to want to stay or go.

[kenban]

Part time employees at seasonal theme parks are not required to be paid overtime. So Cedar Point can have employees work 70+ hour weeks and it’s all at the same low pay.

 

I talked to some ride ops while I was waiting on maintenance last Friday. From what I heard they are scheduling most employees for open to close and 7 days a week. They were told more people are scheduled to start over the next three weeks as more colleges start their summer break. The individuals I spoke with had no idea where anything was located and had not even been able to ride most of the attractions since they have had no days off.

 

I have a hard time finding any faults with employees working those kinds of brutal hours. The park is just in desperate need of more employees. There really is no easy answer. But even though the closed food and drink stands mean longer walks and hunting for something which is open, most do not have long lines due to how few people are at the park. The real problems have been in the fall during Halloweekends. Last year the park was just as badly understaffed as it is now except the weekends in October are the busiest of the year.

[christianscoasters]

I always get a good laugh when someone says this generation is too lazy to get a job and that’s why places are understaffed. Where are all of these lazy, unemployed young people hiding? Seriously... WHERE ARE THEY? Because I can’t think of a single millennial that I know who is unemployed because they want to be. Most are working 1-2 jobs as it is, with low pay. Also, where is someone supposed to get motivated to work a minimum wage, or barely above, summer job with no overtime and no benefits (like healthcare,) especially when the cost of college can be $25-40k per year?! What’s the point of working yourself to death if you will have nothing to show for it? And I haven’t even talked about basic living expenses yet.

 

The staffing issue definitely sucks. I feel bad for the employees working so many hours. Hopefully when more internationals arrive and also when minors get out of school, things will be better.

 

Also, I rode SV tonight. Roughly a 15-20 minute wait. The trim definitely slowed us down a lot. The drop off of the MCBR was more like strong floater air in the front, as opposed to ejector. But the rest of the ride felt the same as before. Seriously, no difference at all. I’m not at all worried about the trim anymore.

[CP Maverick]

Currently a ride op at SFMM and am paid $12/hr. It’s so great! And they don’t care how much overtime you have so I’ve already gotten a few hours of overtime at $18/hr. Not complaining at all!

Ohio Department of Agriculture is in charge of all Fairs and Amusement properties. The Dept of Ag has no overtime requirement. This also applies to Movie Theaters and Arcades.

 

Maybe that $1 per hour bonus needs to be inflated the way minimum wage has been inflated. At $6/hr +1 is a >15% bonus, and at $9/hr +1 its a <10% bonus. It's not as attractive. Maybe bump the bonuses to $1.50?

 

And for those that say they aren't offering them. I've heard they still offer the bonuses for May and Sept/Oct.

 

But yes, more incentives could help attract some of those locals away from the other businesses in the area.

[MidwestThemeParks]

Call me an old man, but I've got to believe it's just this generation of youth being lazy and/or believing that they are "too good" for that kind of work.

 

Back in my day, I worked at Six Flags Great Adventure from 15-21 years old in 1998-2003 for $5.15-8.25 an hour and was thankful for the job.

 

As a member of “this generation” I feel the people I know are for the most part not lazy and are too busy to be working a job that doesn’t allow for part-time scheduling (as it sounds like CP doesn’t like scheduling shorter shifts). Maybe if CP would allow for some part time scheduling they wouldn’t have as many staffing issues. Besides, I wouldn’t want the people I know and consider to be lazy making my food or being in charge of a roller coaster.

 

I always get a good laugh when someone says this generation is too lazy to get a job and that’s why places are understaffed. Where are all of these lazy, unemployed young people hiding? Seriously... WHERE ARE THEY? Because I can’t think of a single millennial that I know who is unemployed because they want to be. Most are working 1-2 jobs as it is, with low pay. Also, where is someone supposed to get motivated to work a minimum wage, or barely above, summer job with no overtime and no benefits (like healthcare,) especially when the cost of college can be $25-40k per year?! What’s the point of working yourself to death if you will have nothing to show for it? And I haven’t even talked about basic living expenses yet.

 

[DirkFunk]

I always get a good laugh when someone says this generation is too lazy to get a job and that’s why places are understaffed. Where are all of these lazy, unemployed young people hiding? Seriously... WHERE ARE THEY? Because I can’t think of a single millennial that I know who is unemployed because they want to be. Most are working 1-2 jobs as it is, with low pay. Also, where is someone supposed to get motivated to work a minimum wage, or barely above, summer job with no overtime and no benefits (like healthcare,) especially when the cost of college can be $25-40k per year?! What’s the point of working yourself to death if you will have nothing to show for it? And I haven’t even talked about basic living expenses yet.

 

http://www.parkscope.net/2018/01/how-is-theme-park-labor-market-formed.html

 

And kids? Turns out that the 16-24 demographic have gone from 72.4% 3rd Quarter labor force participation in 1987 to 57.8% Q3 2017. That drop is even greater in the traditionally lower averages for employment of students (57.8% to 39.7%). The number of kids who have been rated as not wanting to participate in the labor market has almost doubled since 1997. And since the labor statistics are really awesome to break down, we can see that while both 16-19 and 20-24 year old age groups have seen increases in non-participation, it's actually the 20-24 year olds that are choosing to not work at a greater rate than teenagers since 1977.

 

It isn't that kids are lazy IMO, it's that they're hitting increased class loads and taking the advice of adults around them to do things like take classes during the summer to speed up graduation. If you want a more educated and skilled workforce, you need to have those people be trained, and that's what is happening. Theme park employment is basically entry level, non-skilled employment.

 

(I know this has been said before but like, the stats bear out the praxis. At this point to believe "kids are just lazy" is an anti-intellectual stance akin to believing the world is flat. It's bad. Don't be a flat earther.)

 

The simple fact is this: if the labor market is shrinking and there are fewer people available than there are jobs, you need to pay people more money to work. What's happening instead during the short term is that chains like Cedar Fair are pushing the government to increase the number of visa workers with the intent of bringing in internationals employees rather than push up wages to be competitive. This will only make things worse in the long term for the Spring/Halloween seasons as these people return to classes in their respective countries.

[coasterbill]

There is a percentage of those people who are getting unemployment benefits for not working. I get some need disability benefits, but there are many who could work a 20 hour week to help alleviate the park but the park doesn't seem to schedule 3-5 hour long shifts.

 

Even if that describes half the people on unemployment (no way it does, but let's go with that). Those extra 750 people could easily solve all of the park's staffing problems. And that's JUST IN SANDUSKY.

 

Call me an old man, but I've got to believe it's just this generation of youth being lazy and/or believing that they are "too good" for that kind of work.

 

Back in my day, I worked at Six Flags Great Adventure from 15-21 years old in 1998-2003 for $5.15-8.25 an hour and was thankful for the job.

 

"Back in my day". You're 35.

 

Again... Sandusky has an unusually high unemployment rate. Why aren't those people applying? Why do people blame the "youth" for thinking they're too good for those jobs while there are approximately 1,500 unemployed adults in Sandusky who (in most cases) aren't applying for those jobs either?

 

Honestly, it's hard work. Unless you have a passion for the industry, why would you work at Cedar Point when you could work much more stable hours in the heat / air conditioning in retail on Milan Rd? If you were on the Steel Vengeance crew this year (as an example), you probably wouldn't be able to get 8 hours of sleep a night even if your apartment was under the station and all you did was sleep, shower, eat and work. Forget the fact that it's not and they need to get off point in most cases and that (it turns out) people sometimes want to have a life and socialize with other human beings.

 

Plus, you're on your feet all day in temperatures ranging from 40 to 100 degrees depending on the day, bending over constantly (which can't be good for your back) to check restraints and you have to deal with the public which might honestly be the worst part of the job.

 

I know plenty of people are going to come in and preach about how their jobs are harder / equally hard... but you're also probably not getting paid minimum wage and (again) these people could make the same amount of money working in one of the (many) big box stores on Milan Rd.

 

You have to love what you to do take that job over a job at Target paying basically the same thing. The people I know that work at Cedar Point are honestly some of the hardest working people I know. I can see why it's hard for them to fill those positions, but let's not act like young people are the only ones who don't want to work these jobs.

[southpuddle]

Part of the appeal - at least to me when I was working at Cedar Point from 2006-2010 - were the long hours. I knew more than likely I’d only find part time work for the summer anywhere else, so while I wasn’t making much (I think my last year base rate was $8.50, but as a Team Leader in rides I was making like $8.75 LOL) the 60-70 hour work weeks made it worth my while. And I mean my love for roller coasters sweetened the pot as well.

[Philrad71]

It isn't that kids are lazy IMO, it's that they're hitting increased class loads and taking the advice of adults around them to do things like take classes during the summer to speed up graduation. If you want a more educated and skilled workforce, you need to have those people be trained, and that's what is happening. Theme park employment is basically entry level, non-skilled employment.

 

That and if the kids play sports. Is is just me, or does it seem crazy the amount of time, $$ and parental dedication it takes when their kids play sports?

 

I grew up in a very small town where we didn't have huge sports programs, so it amazes me when I see these lacrosse or soccer teams going up and down the east coast for events all summer long. It seems like that's all Michael's kids and grand-kids do is go from one sporting event to another....town to town almost every weekend. That's a lot of hard work and dedication right there.

 

Perhaps that could be yet just another reason why it's hard to staff a park during the summer with such long hours being requested. To Bill's point though...still a lot of unemployed adults that could potentially apply.

[Jaykethekid]

Sorry to interrupt the employment / unemployment discussion, but i have a few questions regarding the hotel entrance at Hotel Breakers. I have been trying to get an idea on the best way to enter the park for early entry. I have been looking at google maps and for the love of it cant find where the hotel entrance to the park is. I have a friend who thinks its nearish to Corkscrew and the Matterhorn flat ride, but he isn't quite sure that's correct. Does that sound right? Seeing that i will likely be going more towards the back of the park for early entry (*shocking*), i see that there is an entrance by magnum which is closer to the back of the park than the hotel entrance. Would it be worthwhile to go to that entrance instead? Could you walk to that entrance from the hotel as well?

[bert425]

Sorry to interrupt the employment / unemployment discussion, but i have a few questions regarding the hotel entrance at Hotel Breakers. I have been trying to get an idea on the best way to enter the park for early entry. I have been looking at google maps and for the love of it cant find where the hotel entrance to the park is. I have a friend who thinks its nearish to Corkscrew and the Matterhorn flat ride, but he isn't quite sure that's correct. Does that sound right? Seeing that i will likely be going more towards the back of the park for early entry (*shocking*), i see that there is an entrance by magnum which is closer to the back of the park than the hotel entrance. Would it be worthwhile to go to that entrance instead? Could you walk to that entrance from the hotel as well?

 

there are two entrances on that side:

 

1 is right next to Windseeker, and is the entrance you want if you want to go to Raptor, Gatekeeper, or anything towards the front midway.

 

2 is between Witches Wheel & Magnum station (and directly across from the waterpark).. this is the entrance you want if you plan to go to SV or Maverick 1st (or TTD. . but it likely won't be up right away anyways).

 

hope this helps.

 

you can also go to Cedar Point's homepage, and look at the park map.. entrances have Red Arrows:

Edited June 4, 2018 by bert425

[WolfBobs]

The two closest entrances to Hotel Breakers are by Magnum and by Windseeker.

 

The entrance by Magnum is along the lift hill. Just head that way and you can't miss it.

[DirkFunk]

Perhaps that could be yet just another reason why it's hard to staff a park during the summer with such long hours being requested. To Bill's point though...still a lot of unemployed adults that could potentially apply.

 

There's a term in economics called "externalities". Your dictionary definition of it is "a side effect or consequence of an industrial or commercial activity that affects other parties without this being reflected in the cost of the goods or services involved, such as the pollination of surrounding crops by bees kept for honey." For China, burning coal is the cheapest mode of electricity production. However, burning coal means that they produce tons of smog that kills thousands annually and also contributes to global warming (which will one day leave Shanghai underwater). Those are externalities that exist beyond just the price of digging up rocks and burning them.

 

The explosion of junior sports camps correlates strongly with increases in university tuition. In short: sending Junior to play lacrosse at summer camp might cost $7-8K, but 8K is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of out of state or private university tuition for a full time student. It's an externality and a form of cost shifting. If Junior gets a free ride from playing a sport that has no commercial value, then you're actually investing your money with the hopes of saving a larger sum later. And yes, that stuff totally has relevancy to why fewer and fewer kids are working today. That means that the increase in the value of low skilled labor like theme park attendants (and any resulting cost increases to cover them, if even necessary) are an externality of state legistlators reducing general funds to universities and forcing tuitions to go up.

 

As for "what about unemployed people?" If you and 200 of your closest friends get laid off from working at a car parts factory where you were unionized and making $32/hr, are you going to give up your unemployment benefits to work part time at an amusement park for $9/hr? Of course not, because you already collect that as payment for you while you look for another job that pays $32/hr. Now, were you in a situation where you might be able to put in 19 hours a week making $11/12 an hour and still get unemployment insurance, maybe you would, but the state isn't going to let that fly. And if you can't get a new $32/hr job? You'll move to somewhere that has better opportunities than a place that has $9/hr tourism jobs.

 

The labor market is a market. There is competition for labor. No one on US 250 is "deterring locals" from working at Cedar Point. They're competing for their labor and occasionally winning because they offer a better pay rate, more time at home, etc etc etc.

 

In other words:

 

Edited June 4, 2018 by DirkFunk

[coasterbill]

If you follow the boardwalk from Breakers it will become really easy to find the Magnum gate. Forget Google Maps because the whole area is brand new anyway.

 

You should ABSOLUTELY go to the gate by Magnum. Get there by 8:45 or so. They'll let you through security and through the gate and to a holding area by Dinosaurs alive. If you're there at 9:00 and you walk briskly to Steel Vengeance you'll be on within an hour. It was an hour with one train, so it should be much less now (especially since they only draw from the standby line until 10am).

[Ape]

It has been decided and budgeted that the wife and I are getting Fast Lane Plus Saturday. Can't wait for an easy day at the park

[PKI Jizzman]

It has been decided and budgeted that the wife and I are getting Fast Lane Plus Saturday. Can't wait for an easy day at the park

 

 

Good.

 

I think the forum as a collective would have an anxiety attack if a member posted "I'm going to Cedar Point on Saturday without Fast Lane. Hope I get on everything."

[michaellynn4]

^ On the contrary, I think the forum would appreciate a good joke now and then.

[coaster-mm]

At the park right now. Fairly crowded considering it’s a monday, didn’t expect that.

Waittime for SV is 120 minutes, got on it in 10 because, you know......FL+[emoji12]

Well worth it because the ride is freaking awesome!

 

 

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[clem2754]

Sorry to interrupt the employment / unemployment discussion, but i have a few questions regarding the hotel entrance at Hotel Breakers. I have been trying to get an idea on the best way to enter the park for early entry. I have been looking at google maps and for the love of it cant find where the hotel entrance to the park is. I have a friend who thinks its nearish to Corkscrew and the Matterhorn flat ride, but he isn't quite sure that's correct. Does that sound right? Seeing that i will likely be going more towards the back of the park for early entry (*shocking*), i see that there is an entrance by magnum which is closer to the back of the park than the hotel entrance. Would it be worthwhile to go to that entrance instead? Could you walk to that entrance from the hotel as well?

 

Goto Starbucks at 8AM. Get you coffee to wake you up. Walk out of Hotel Breakers main enterance and head to the right of the parking lot towards Magnum. You will want to start going over there about 8:30, earlier on a busy day, and maybe 8:40ish on a not so busy day. Go through the metal detectors and get checked in. You will then see a lot of people waiting. Spend the 10 minutes from 8:50-9 to do some stretching in to get ready for the 1K race back to SV. As the National Anthem ends turn and take off with the crowd. Head straight to SV and hopefully you get in the first 8 trains with no operational delays, this will allow you to get a ride or two in on Maverick after you ride SV.

[Ape]

It has been decided and budgeted that the wife and I are getting Fast Lane Plus Saturday. Can't wait for an easy day at the park

 

 

Good.

 

I think the forum as a collective would have an anxiety attack if a member posted "I'm going to Cedar Point on Saturday without Fast Lane. Hope I get on everything."

 

 

I've done it before i am just a little excited about splurging this time. and yes people get quite defensive about FL+

[JT325]

Eagerly awaiting a Coastermania review. I was at Holiwood Nights, and it seemed some people were doing Coastermania on Friday and HWN on Saturday.

[Midgetman82]

At the park right now. Fairly crowded considering it’s a monday, didn’t expect that.

Waittime for SV is 120 minutes, got on it in 10 because, you know......FL+[emoji12]

Well worth it because the ride is freaking awesome!

I've been eagerly awaiting my Monday visit, and hoping I get the same outcome with my FL+. Don't care if it's going to be low or high crowds, this is a 1-day visit since my last in 2013. I'm stoked SV is finally back on the program!

 

Also, to all who had been contributing to the economics, jobs, "teens are lazy" discussion, thank you all for the very insightful read, regardless of whether it really was relevant to this thread (triple points to those who linked references).

[thrillrider]

I found an abbreviated version of the story on summer jobs here....

https://www.wxyz.com/news/national/more-teens-are-saying-no-to-a-summer-job

[coaster-mm]

I've been eagerly awaiting my Monday visit, and hoping I get the same outcome with my FL+. Don't care if it's going to be low or high crowds, this is a 1-day visit since my last in 2013. I'm stoked SV is finally back on the program!

 

Same story for us. Last time here was 2014 and since we have to travel a long way to get here it was definitely worth the extra money, especially considering the crowds today.

One thing I am surprised about is that it is way more crowded today than it was yesterday.

 

 

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[11slataus]

Hey guys, I'm planning a CP trip in two weeks. Thinking of heading there on a Sunday hoping to get a slightly less busy park. Thing is, it's been a few years since I've worked there, and even more since I've been a guest. So I have some questions, if anyone knows the answers that would be great!

 

1) Definitely getting FL+. I am thinking of booking the Express Hotel. Is there an option to buy FL+ in the same swoop online as booking the hotel room/park ticket passage? Or is it done separately online and/or at the park?

 

2) I am not sure how the new Boardwalk entrance works...is it possible to drive from the Express Hotel before 9, park, then walk through the Boardwalk Entrance over to the Resort Entrance by Magnum? I have done early entry several times but I usually waited at the main gate. I'm not even sure if it's allowed to go back to the Breakers/resort area pre-opening if you're not an on-Point guest, even if the new Boardwalk entrance now makes it possible. I did the Marina entrance once though, and that was a little bit helpful.

 

Any help would be great! Super excited to ride SV (and Rougarou and Valravn) for the first time. Thanks!