Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread

[Skycoastin Steve]

For the Fast Lane, will there be one assigned row, or will you be able to pick which row you want to go to? I'm primarily talking about dragster, because I think that would probably make people angry if you had to wait twice as long for the front row.

 

Edit: It says on the info page "Separate Ride Entrances". So it won't be right up the exit ramp?

 

It's still gonna upset a lot of folks who,just when they get near the entrance to a ride station after a longer,slower moving line have to see yet another group of people being escorted by ops through the fast lane entrance infront of them.

Yeah but if those people had been in the line the whole time, the wait would have been the same, anyway.

[PriestofSyrinx]

Fast lanes will go directly to loading platforms and there will be a limited wait from there. There are no assigned rows on ride vehicles.

 

No Assigned rows is the best part. Still allows guests to utilize system while waiting for front/back row. Dropping them into the station is what all of the other parks with the system do.

 

I say great for Cedar Point! Extra revenue + Increased guest happiness= Profit, and more importantly more rides to speculate on.

[HappyEisentrout]

From what I've heard, and seen, the old existing freeway lines aren't fully being used. They are bypassing people even further up to the station on MF and TTD. Mean Streak will go under the station and around to the base of the stairs. Raptor will use the existing Freeway, Magnum might.

 

The thing I'm finding crazy is that you can rent the DA birthday pavilion without paying for entrance to the park. They will escort your group to the pavilion and let you play in DA and then escort you back out.

[KDCOASTERFAN]

For the Fast Lane, will there be one assigned row, or will you be able to pick which row you want to go to? I'm primarily talking about dragster, because I think that would probably make people angry if you had to wait twice as long for the front row.

 

Edit: It says on the info page "Separate Ride Entrances". So it won't be right up the exit ramp?

 

It's still gonna upset a lot of folks who,just when they get near the entrance to a ride station after a longer,slower moving line have to see yet another group of people being escorted by ops through the fast lane entrance infront of them.

Yeah but if those people had been in the line the whole time, the wait would have been the same, anyway.

 

Not exactly,all it's gonna do is make it even harder for non users to even get to the line....the rides are being reconfigured with an additional fastlane queue that will supposedly merge with the main queue but that main queue will be forced to move slower because the ops are probably required to allow a certain number of FL users to merge per cycle or per line movement (which ever comes first)and then what happens when the FL queue fills up faster than it can be merged?

 

Edit:Another problem with the system arises & that stems from the unlimited use policy,in theory FL users could very well board the ride,ride it,exit & jump right back in the fastlane queue before the main queue has a chance to even move which would in effect freeze the regular line.

[Jojo19799]

Great news! I'll be buying these when I visit CP this summer. I used them at KI last Oct. and good thing we got them! It was a very busy day at the park mostly due to Haunt, and the weather was just perfect for the day I went.

 

I know it's very early to say this, but I'm wondering if they are going to come up with a Fright Lane pass for Haunt this year. KI had them, (I didn't purchase it) but it seemed to work very well for all the mazes from what I saw. I think it only let you through the maze once, which I guess if you're into the mazes and want to go through them more than once that's a drawback.

[orangeblue]

Damn, I just said in another thread that Cedar Point should get this, and the next day, here it is (though, I'm guessing it's been rumored for a while)! Interesting that Mantis isn't on the list; I remember from my last visit that it's station was pretty small and out of the way, so perhaps they couldn't fit a separate queue. Wicked Twister is probably absent due to capacity, which is understandable. Definitely looking forward to getting a chance to visit them again! Being able to marathon Dragster, MF, and Maverick in the middle of the day will be awesome.

[99er]

I am guessing Mantis was left out because of capacity as well since they only use 2 trains now. That station moves slow enough now because of getting people in the trains.

[Kilosandwich]

I didnt expect Cedar point to drop down to this level. Sure, you make more money, but it was the mutual comradery that everyone had to wait in the same line as you that made Cedar Fair park more family friendly. When some smug person passes in front of you with a smug look on his face just because he could afford to pay the few extra bucks, it drives me crazy! And they put the fast lane on Mean Streak!? its a terrible coaster but i love riding it because no one rides it.the good news is that it wont have that big of an affect on Magnum.

[99er]

^So what about the past 5+ years where they basically have been offering the same thing with the VIP Experience? You get the same that Fast Lane gives you plus a tour guide. Fast Lane is basically a less expensive version of that, that is now more advertised. Where were all the complainers when they started that back then?

 

And while they probably don't do as many tours as there will be people buying FL passes, the tours were given a LOT over the seasons. I had a few friends who were guides and they were doing tours every day, all summer long.

[larrygator]

I didnt expect Cedar point to drop down to this level. Sure, you make more money, but it was the mutual comradery that everyone had to wait in the same line as you that made Cedar Fair park more family friendly. When some smug person passes in front of you with a smug look on his face just because he could afford to pay the few extra bucks, it drives me crazy!

 

Get used to it, that's how life works.

 

If they want spend their money those people sit in first class on planes, drive nicer cars, live in better homes, have better seats at concerts/sporting events, stay in better hotels, attend better schools and the list goes on and on. And many times they have a smug look on their face. Sorry that's life.

[mknut389]

Fast pass systems are good and bad. More bad than good.

 

First the park creates a class system in which those customers that attend the park but do not have as much free cash to throw around now feel degraded since they keep getting reminded that others are more well off. Especially because people in fast pass lanes always seem to be so smug about skipping lines (I admit I even fall into this category a little).

 

Second, those that cannot afford the pass now have to spend even longer in lines than before. So by making a few hundred people happier, the park now makes a vastly larger amount more angry and spiteful. This reason really points out this is all about the money not making guests happy.

 

Having spent spring break and Universal and Disney, I can say the only way I approve of a fast pass system is Disney's. At Universal I had the fast pass for one day, and not the next (didn't feel I needed it on a weekday). The day I didn't have it, I felt like the park had swept me under the rug and didn't care. Disney's worked out so well it made the whole day better. Everyone gets equal access, and they spread the tickets out throughout the day so that no single person will take advantage.

 

I understand that parks need to make money, but when people are happy they buy more. Pissing people off will just result in people not buying anything.

 

Just my two cents

[rollin_n_coastin]

^Disney's system is fantastic and the ticket prices, which are much higher, cover that system. Would you rather a similar system at regional parks that will raise the price for all, thereby excluding a group of people who may no longer be able to get through the gates thanks to such a system? We are talking regional parks here, not an operation on the scale of Disney that many families potentially save years for and offers an experience to match.

 

Also agree with Larry on this one for the same reasons. We could all get a Fast Pass by cutting out other expenses and visiting fewer times so any type of family could be using them, not just smug people who can readily afford them at every visit.

[dippindotsguy8]

Fast pass systems are good and bad. More bad than good.

 

First the park creates a class system in which those customers that attend the park but do not have as much free cash to throw around now feel degraded since they keep getting reminded that others are more well off. Especially because people in fast pass lanes always seem to be so smug about skipping lines (I admit I even fall into this category a little).

 

Second, those that cannot afford the pass now have to spend even longer in lines than before. So by making a few hundred people happier, the park now makes a vastly larger amount more angry and spiteful. This reason really points out this is all about the money not making guests happy.

 

Having spent spring break and Universal and Disney, I can say the only way I approve of a fast pass system is Disney's. At Universal I had the fast pass for one day, and not the next (didn't feel I needed it on a weekday). The day I didn't have it, I felt like the park had swept me under the rug and didn't care. Disney's worked out so well it made the whole day better. Everyone gets equal access, and they spread the tickets out throughout the day so that no single person will take advantage.

 

I understand that parks need to make money, but when people are happy they buy more. Pissing people off will just result in people not buying anything.

 

Just my two cents

 

1. Don't complain about people having 'smug' looks if you do it too. That's a behavior issue, IMO. People can give other people smug looks in all areas of life. It's rude, but its not the park's job to control the politeness of people. I'm sure they'll advise people using the system to be polite when using it, but really. People can be rude during the VIP tours, on-site lodging ERT, etc.

 

2. The park plans to limit the number of passes sold enough so that it doens't seriously affect the wait times for people not using the system. When Knotts was testing theirs, the only time I noticed it was when people used the exit ramp on Xcelerator and caused me to wait an extra train for my seat. Otherwise I didn't even know it was there. Fortunately, CP's appears to use merge points instead of exit ramps, so people won't have to be flat-out told they need to wait another cycle.

 

3. Buying a fastlane pass and only visiting the park on one day will actually cost people less than paying for an extra day at the park and an extra night at a hotel to get all of the rides in. Lets be honest, if you want to do everything at CP, and you go on a weekend, you need multiple days. This increases the amount of people who will be able to afford the full CP experience who otherwise couldn't do more than one day.

 

4. Several friends and I all work minimum-wage (or close to it) jobs and we'll be road tripping to CP and buying the pass. It's in the general price range of the average park guest, unlike the VIP tours which are quite expensive. I think this program will actually make more people happy because it will be limited in order to not irritate non-users, while providing an extra product for people who are willing to pay a bit more.

[netdvn]

Second, those that cannot afford the pass now have to spend even longer in lines than before. So by making a few hundred people happier, the park now makes a vastly larger amount more angry and spiteful. This reason really points out this is all about the money not making guests happy.

 

I've never noticed rides with fastpass lines have this problem before. If anything it makes the line slightly longer, but it doesn't affet much other than thaat.

 

You will still have to wait an hour for a popular ride on a busy day regardless of fastpasses.

[Real]

First the park creates a class system in which those customers that attend the park but do not have as much free cash to throw around now feel degraded since they keep getting reminded that others are more well off. Especially because people in fast pass lanes always seem to be so smug about skipping lines (I admit I even fall into this category a little).

 

Doesnt mean your rich, wealthy, etc. What if you just saved up a bunch of money for this trip? Know how expensive a Disney Vacation can be? My family did the first 2 in cash and wow - once I was older and they explained the costs, I was pretty blown away. Ive seen some pretty "low class" families there at Disney but just them being there means theyve sunk a lot of cash into the trip more than likely. It doesnt make them rich.

 

 

Just like Q bot or Fast Lane doesnt make classes. PEOPLE make classes. If everyone in line considers them a higher class, shame on them. Cedar Point is giving options because they know their lines are some of the longest in the world. For those people who dont have a season pass like myself (Does that make me smug? Because I can go 20 times a year?) its a GREAT option. Itll cost you and it doesnt put you in another class. Just means you want to enjoy all CP has to offer and you only have a limited time frame to do it in - thats all.

[Skycoastin Steve]

Yeah but if those people had been in the line the whole time, the wait would have been the same, anyway.

 

Not exactly,all it's gonna do is make it even harder for non users to even get to the line....the rides are being reconfigured with an additional fastlane queue that will supposedly merge with the main queue but that main queue will be forced to move slower because the ops are probably required to allow a certain number of FL users to merge per cycle or per line movement (which ever comes first)and then what happens when the FL queue fills up faster than it can be merged?

 

Edit:Another problem with the system arises & that stems from the unlimited use policy,in theory FL users could very well board the ride,ride it,exit & jump right back in the fastlane queue before the main queue has a chance to even move which would in effect freeze the regular line.

 

If all those people getting in the Fast Lane line get in line at the regular queue, then you have a longer wait anyway. The amount of people getting in line is the same regardless. Can they get out of line and get right back in line? Yes. But you can also do the same thing with Gold Flash Passes at SF properties, you can do the same thing with Unlimited Quick Queues at Busch parks, and you can do the same thing at Universal with their fast pass system. Hell, last year when I went to SFGAd for Green Lantern's passholder preview, I rode El Toro three times in 20 minutes with a Gold Flash Pass when the wait was almost an hour. And when it comes to these skip the line systems, the worst case scenario NEVER happens, because the parks limit the amount of passes that are sold on a daily basis.

 

No matter how you slice it, these systems work, and work well. They provide out of towners with a chance to upgrade their experience by not having to wait as long in line (something I greatly appreciate when I'm on a trip to a place I won't return to any time soon), and it provides extra revenue for the parks (because, GASP, they're businesses trying to make money). Face it, the upgraded experiences in almost all walks of life are going to cost money. If you're a regular to a park, go on days that aren't as crowded, and you won't have to worry about long waits.

[KDCOASTERFAN]

Second, those that cannot afford the pass now have to spend even longer in lines than before. So by making a few hundred people happier, the park now makes a vastly larger amount more angry and spiteful. This reason really points out this is all about the money not making guests happy.

 

I've never noticed rides with fastpass lines have this problem before. If anything it makes the line slightly longer, but it doesn't affect much other than that.

 

You will still have to wait an hour for a popular ride on a busy day regardless of fastpasses.

 

That "slightly" longer wait becomes a huge wait when you have large volumes of people using the system all at once on a given ride & as a result they have more people piling up than the ride can handle per cycle.

 

I put up with seeing this between 01 & 07 at SFA where,no sooner would one group be seated then another group would show up waiting for the next train & even though seats were blocked off it took longer to load the rest of the train as a result

[99er]

First the park creates a class system in which those customers that attend the park but do not have as much free cash to throw around now feel degraded since they keep getting reminded that others are more well off.

Of all the comments that have been brought up regarding the new Fast Lane, it's the ones pertaining to the park catering to the upperclass that annoy me the most. This is nothing new at all for Cedar Point or ANY other amusement park. You can say the same thing about parks that offer a Season Pass and a Platinum Pass. The Platinum Pass that costs more, gives you more perks like early entry. So if you have a regular pass, you are stuck watching all those with "more money" playing and having fun before you get your chance. Another is on-site hotels. Breakers Hotel is a lot more expensive then the Holiday Inn in Sandusky, so does anyone that stays off property feel degraded from those at the nicer hotels? Bottom line, this is nothing new and happens at all parks.

 

Fast Lane is not creating a class system anymore then what I mentioned above does, and if one of these offerings did, it would be the PLATINUM Pass. The price point for this is also not catering to the rich or "well off", it is a damn good deal. The best example was give a few posts ago about how it would be cheaper to get the pass and go one day instead of going two days and spending money on a hotel.

Edited April 7, 2012 by 99er

[Fooz]

If you're a visitor at a park and you're not prepared to spend as much money as someone else, you are a lower priority to the business.

[Skycoastin Steve]

 

That "slightly" longer wait becomes a huge wait when you have large volumes of people using the system all at once on a given ride & as a result they have more people piling up than the ride can handle per cycle.

 

I put up with seeing this between 01 & 07 at SFA where,no sooner would one group be seated then another group would show up waiting for the next train & even though seats were blocked off it took longer to load the rest of the train as a result

There's your problem right there.

 

In all the parks I've been to, the only one that couldn't handle their upcharge skip the line system was La Ronde, and that's literally the worst operational park I've ever been to. That's almost every Six Flags, both Busch parks and SWO, Dollywood, and both Universal parks. They all run their systems beautifully.

 

If you're a visitor at a park and you're not prepared to spend as much money as someone else, you are a lower priority to the business.

 

So you're saying a business wants people who will spend more money? Say it ain't so!

[KDCOASTERFAN]

First the park creates a class system in which those customers that attend the park but do not have as much free cash to throw around now feel degraded since they keep getting reminded that others are more well off.

Of all the comments that have been brought up regarding the new Fast Lane, it's the ones pertaining to the park catering to the upperclass that annoy me the most. This is nothing new at all for Cedar Point or ANY other amusement park. You can say the same thing about parks that offer a Season Pass and a Platinum Pass. The Platinum Pass that costs more, gives you more perks like early entry. So if you have a regular pass, you are stuck watching all those with "more money" playing and having fun before you get your chance. Another is on-site hotels. Breakers Hotel is a lot more expensive then the Holiday Inn in Sandusky, so does anyone that stays off property feel degraded from those at the nicer hotels? Bottom line, this is nothing new and happens at all parks.

 

Fast Lane is not creating a class system anymore then what I mentioned above does, and if one of these offerings did, it would be the PLATINUM Pass. The price point for this is also not catering to the rich or "well off", it is a damn good deal. The best example was give a few posts ago about how it would be cheaper to get the pass and go one day instead of going two days and spending money on a hotel.

 

That may be true but season passholders at parks have not been given "front of the line privileges for the entire day as a perk of being a passholder

[Skycoastin Steve]

^No, but they get discounts on those passes, discounts on food/merchandise, free parking, free admission (obviously), and in some cases, free preferred parking. Businesses will take care of those who spend more money. The sooner you guys get that through your heads, the easier this will be to accept. Yeeeeeesh.

[99er]

^Exactly, those are all perks that A LOT of people can't afford. So if people want to throw around a classification system, it started with offering different levels of season passes, not this new Fast Lane pass. Which lets be honest, is still not that new since it is basically the same as the VIP Experience minus the tour guide.

[Jojo19799]

In all the parks I've been to, the only one that couldn't handle their upcharge skip the line system was La Ronde, and that's literally the worst operational park I've ever been to. That's almost every Six Flags, both Busch parks and SWO, Dollywood, and both Universal parks. They all run their systems beautifully.

 

Please don't remind me of La Ronde. 45 min wait in the Q-bot line for a coaster? I'm still trying to figure out how it happened.

 

3. Buying a fastlane pass and only visiting the park on one day will actually cost people less than paying for an extra day at the park and an extra night at a hotel to get all of the rides in. Lets be honest, if you want to do everything at CP, and you go on a weekend, you need multiple days. This increases the amount of people who will be able to afford the full CP experience who otherwise couldn't do more than one day.

 

This is exactly why I'm excited for the fast lane system! I'm doing a road trip on my way to the Leviathon meet up point, and CP is one of our stops. We were initially going to go to CP on our way there, then on the way back to my house because we KNOW that the park is going to be busy and we want to make sure we get all the credits. But now, with the awesome fast lane system, we don't have to worry about it! We can spend all day at the park, get all the credits and enjoy the day instead of waiting hours and hours in line. Plus, this will free up an extra day and we can spend time at a park that we want to spend more time at OR add a whole new park to our trip.

 

I really think there is a lot more good than bad with this system. It obviously works, CF has been using it at other parks. CP NEEDS something like this.

[ginzo]

This is great news. I haven't been to Cedar Point for 5 years because I find the waits to be unbearable. This makes a visit much more attractive to me.