Cedar Pointless - RD Sussman

12/15/2014

EDITORIAL

That means this is the opinion of one person, not a trip report or news article. Please keep that in mind as you are reading.

RD is back this week with another article, this time talking about Cedar Point, the park nobody hates.
While I've never personally been to Cedar Point, even an outside observer can see what the focus of the park has been for the past 15-20 years, and it's certainly not families.
Read on to see how RD thinks "America's Best Amusement Park" can be fixed. - Gregg

Before y'all hang me in effigy, this isn't meant to trash Cedar Point - or the very hard working employees & people who make up the park. Instead, I'd like to focus a bit on the park itself - and some of the decisions made over the past 15 years that I feel are a mistake.

My last visit to the Point was in 2004 - at the dawn of the Top Thrill Dragster. And I will admit, the trip was a bust for me. Why? Not for the rides being broken - in fact, everything (even TTD) was operating at capacity, and efficiently. Or for the staff - many of whom were some of the friendliest I've met outside of Disney. But rather: I ran out of things I wanted to ride - or for that matter - things I felt comfortable riding. I found that I was out-sized for the park.

Everything had to be BIGGER! TALLER! FASTER! than anybody else - an ego complex of size & scale. And that's where I found that I was missing out.

And the trend has continued there unabated. Family coasters such as Wildcat, Disaster Transport & White Water landing have been removed; other family rides have been relocated or removed as well, and the focus has been almost entirely on larger attractions.

While this gives media draw to a park as well as patronage, it does start to remove the charm of a park, especially from a family perspective.

And this is where the park has lost its way. Seeing these attractions go by the wayside in favor of larger rides is not necessarily a good thing. I am all in favor of parks adding big attractions; it is a necessary thing to do in order to keep the turnstiles going. At the same time, it is also a bad thing not to keep a park in balance for what they should be.

To me, Cedar Point has lost its point.

As I grow older, as all of us do or will do, the market for the uber-coaster du jour is not as appealing as it once was. The 'WOW' factor is gone. So is the want to visit a park which does not have a balance of mega-coasters of note along with good, well-developed family coasters. Cedar Point's last major family coaster was nearly 15 years go - and that in the form of a Vekoma Roller-skater coaster. Since then, it has been all about size, height & speed. Millennium Force cracked the 300 foot level. Top Thrill Dragster elevated to the 400 foot level. Other coasters aimed square at the 'big' crowd followed : Wicked Twister, Maverick, and their latest creation, Gatekeeper. All of whom are aimed at the latest thrillseeking crowd to attend.

It is this move that has left me (and others) behind. It has alienated growing segments of the audience - the adult & family crowds. And in this lies a conundrum, of rather important proportions: Money.

In theme park attendance, your largest segment is also your least spending segment: Your season-pass holding people, aged 13-29. On average, they spend far less per head than do your family segment and your older crowds who are more likely to spend more at dining, shopping & other activities than anybody else. A pass-holder will often eat at home, go to the park for a few hours, ride things & leave; a family of four will make a day of it, eat meals & snacks in the park, buy souvenirs & other items, and will then leave at the end of a day, wallets lighter than when they entered earlier. Older guests will also tend to do more shopping - as well as eat more sit-down meals - than passholders do. While this is of course an average, it is one that has been well documented by many park management companies.

As an example of this 'size is better' mentality, let's look at Knott's Berry Farm. From 1995-2010, the park's focus was on larger & more thrill-seeking rides & attractions, aiming at an ill-fated attempt to take on the LA region's thrill park at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Additions such as Xcelerator, Ghost Rider, Supreme Scream & Perilous Plunge were aimed at the middle of the thrill-seeking crowd's attendance. And guess what?

It was a bust.

Perilous Plunge suffered from low ridership & infrequent operations. Xcelerator is popular - but suffers at the hands of frequent downtime & single train operations. Ghost Rider has had numerous repairs & adjustments to make the ride smoother & better for guest comfort. And the worst part of all of this, the crowds didn't budge - and instead were still going to the larger SFMM. Families left and headed to Disneyland, preferring the balance of family rides & thrills that those parks offered.

And Knott's responded by changing: More family friendly attractions opened, such as Coast Rider & Pony Express, family rides such as Calico Mine Ride & the Log Flume were overhauled & renovated, and the focus has been on returning Knott's focus on the family. And attendance has risen on this, as has revenues.

And in this is a lesson for Cedar Point. Building mega-attractions turns the gates, but it does not grow the spending audience. Attendance grows - but of the wrong crowds to make good money. While Cedar Point is profitable, it could learn a bit from its sister park in Orange County, in that investment in the family is a key to a well rounded and very profitable park.

Cedar Point needs to learn this: Invest in the family, in the older crowd, and the money will come in. A good family coaster will keep the turnstiles spinning, and at the same time add in guests who have little interest in the larger rides. Add more shade, more park to the rides, and see the families come in droves. Guests want a balanced experience, one that gives them thrills for Mom, Dad & the 2.7 kids, as well as places for them to eat, rest & enjoy the park. And sadly, it is in that where Cedar Point has failed the most.

As I write this, it has been confirmed that a theater in the park (The former Good Time Theater/Cedar Point Cinema) is being razed for 'future park growth.' While it is WAY too early to speculate on what is coming to the park in the future, it hasn't stopped the rumor mill from circulating rapidly.

If Cedar Point is wise, now is the time to begin re-investing in the family audience, by adding attractions that will draw this group back to the park. Building another mega-monstrosity will be a huge draw, and will further push away the family crowds. And the higher per-capita spending they bring to a park.

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21 Comments

Tim

12/15/2014 01:22:07 am

Excellent article, RD! Totally hit it right on the head. I have no desire to go back, other than for Maverick, and that is it. This is why I have declared Wonderland, which is further away than the Point, my new home park. There's a lot more there for me to enjoy, and only a few rides are on the large side. That said, I like the atmos, the staff are friendly, and by Zod, they have ample shading.

Tyrone

12/15/2014 07:04:20 am

Not every park has to be family friendly. Cedar Point has clearly found their niche and are very successful with it. If they needed the money from families, they'd add more for families. With decades of building bigger and badder rides behind them, I think they know what they're doing. The only thing they need to do is lower some of their height restrictions. And what Knotts is doing has no relevance here - totally different market. Maybe if they had falling attendance and profits this post would be necessary.

R.D.

12/15/2014 07:39:35 am

I strongly disagree with this - from a business perspective as well as a person with 30 years of riding and parks under his belt. At some point, a park (or parks) will eventually have to cater down to the audience as it ages. Cedar Point had, until 15 years ago, kept this in mind, and was wildly successful in doing so. They alternated between 'big' thrills and family thrills, and had a great coverage of attractions to fit the whole family. It has only been since 1999 that they have gone all out on being bigger & such with rides. Yes, they went for the 200 foot record - 25 years ago - then took a nearly 10 year pause and added in other large attractions - at the same time as adding smaller ones to keep the whole family amused. That was (despite my detest for Dick Kinzel) a strong suit of theirs: Being a family park. They added Raptor, and added a junior coaster. They added Mantis, and improved the family areas of the park, as well as overhauling other older attractions. That era has ended, and the result is many family attractions being gutted or removed for rides that the family cannot - or will not - go on. And lowering the height won't do anything for drawing that market back, either: As enthusiasts, we tend to think of "Everybody wants to GO on that big ride." - and I can attest that isn't the case at all. I know myself I didn't go on larger rides until MUCH later on in my life - well into my teens to be precise, The big rides did nothing for me, and I know they would scare the hell out of most children under sheer visuals alone.

And Knott's is totally relevant here, considering the demographics they were aiming for, the general population surrounding the park areas, and the aim/direction of the park. Cedar Point will hit the wall similar to what Knott's did. It isn't a matter of 'if' but a matter of 'when'. Six Flags is seeing this happen (as was reported earlier this year in their investor call) with their flagship parks, despite adding large & and record-setting attractions.

There is always going to be a need for a park to build 'big' attractions - no question about it. But there should be a good balance at any park, no matter their aim, to cater to all demographics. Cedar Point was built as a family park decades ago, and has lost their way.

John

12/15/2014 05:06:00 pm

is this from earnings data, attendance data or just opinion? I do agree that families are the cash cow, but I also see many many families there. I see jam packed hotels, etc. compared to a park like magic mountain, they are family friendly like Disney. seems like they have their niche and definitely are bringing in the crowds. I know I sure spend a lot when I go.

R.D.

12/16/2014 07:12:24 am

I highly recommend you check out the annual reports for both Cedar Fair as well as for Six Flags Inc. Both have per-park basis spending, attendance & revenue per head. The president of Six Flags noted in this year's annual reports that attendance at parks which had received the largest attractions had dropped - by nearly 10% overall - from the previous year. He also noted that per-capita spending was up... at parks OTHER than those which had the larger additions to them.

To quote you:

"there it is, now it sounds like he's mad because they build thrill rides cause he can't ride them. i'm still interested in the earnings data of say CP and Knott's."

I'm not mad over the fact that I CHOOSE NOT TO RIDE these attractions. Nor am I mad about what they are doing. It is their park. Perhaps you should consider other people's points of view instead of insulting somebody because they choose not to ride.

You have entirely missed the point of my writing - and of where I was going with this OpEd. Unfortunately, you have chosen to take a fanboy attitude towards Cedar Point - defending the park due to your own biases rather than consider the validity of my statements.

john

12/17/2014 01:40:13 am

if you are dumb enough, yes, you may call that bashing now, since i hadn't before, and call me a fanboy, then i can certainly call you one who has something against cedar point enough to write an article. why didn't you write this about magic mountain? are their profits or even gross higher than cedar point? park journey is a GREAT site, but letting you write this opinion piece is a fail this time.

and why are you giving me an example about six flags? i asked if it was fact based on earnings data, attendance data or just opinion? silly rabbit. LOL

Cassie

12/15/2014 08:39:19 pm

First of all, Cedar point has been named "Best Amusement Park" for multiple years in a row. Cedar Point has two large family areas in the park, and has tons of families stay at The Breakers and Sandcastle. In addition, they built two family rides in 2014. Therse are: Pipe Scream and Lake Erie Eagles. Just because you didn't like the best rollercoasters on the planet, doesn't mean it is a bad park. You are simply uneducated on the topic, do your research! How could you make these comments when you haven't even visited the park in the last 10 years? Horrible article.

R.D.

12/16/2014 01:43:23 am

First - CP WAS (past tense) named that title.. as Europa Park in Rust, DE was handed the title this year - and for very good reason: A good balance of attractions for the whole family, from coasters to water rides & shows.

Second, I never said it was a bad park. At all. In fact, if you had read every word carefully you would have read that in the very first paragraph. Go back and re-read that please.

Third, the reason I've not been back to CP is clear: I'm not interested in mega-monstrosity rides. They have zero appeal for me, a person who as a tremendous fear of heights, and battles severe vertigo, a complication from an illness I've battled for 18 years now.

In short, I can appreciate your fangirl approach - and defending what you consider to be the subjective by author "best coasters on earth" but I ask you to read everything I write - and not just what you choose to read and choose to not read. I find the people & the general park of Cedar Point to be some of the better experiences I've had in a theme park environment. It is their choice of direction that was the subject of the article - for which you chose not to read.

R.D.

john

12/16/2014 03:50:29 am

there it is, now it sounds like he's mad because they build thrill rides cause he can't ride them. i'm still interested in the earnings data of say CP and Knott's.

how do you feel magic mountain is doing for the family atmosphere? how would you compare SFMM vs CP in terms of that?

what is the profit difference between CP and Knott's? what do the numbers say and can you post them? I'd like to see how much Knott's has gained since it's focused more on the family type stuff lately.

Paul

12/16/2014 02:44:43 am

Worst article I've read. Author seems uninformed about the park. Basing opinions on a visit from 10 years ago. Talks down to anyone making comments. 1st time I've heard this website mentioned on Reddit and they are trashing it. 100% deserved. Total garbage.

R.D.

12/16/2014 07:18:32 am

There is no talking down to others, but rather this: People tend to only be short-sighted when they do not consider the views of others, and insist on posting that I'm wrong - and they are right.

As much as you would like to say this was an opinion of a visit to the park, let's look at some facts for a second: This wasn't a trip report. Nor was it (As is mentioned in the first paragraph) intended to degrade Cedar Point - at all.

I am questioning the park's motives for building rides - and for abandoning the family audience in terms of removing rides & attractions aimed at the family.

I'm sorry this is the worst article you've read.

patrick

5/13/2015 11:32:14 am

I agree with you. This was the park of choice for our family for years. But the family atmosphere is gone. We went there every year from the time I was like 4 years old. At age 45 we quit going because they eliminated most of the family rides and the entertainment. When we go we are ready to leave by early afternoon because there is nothing for the non mega coaster riders. They sure went the wrong way. We now drive the 1000 miles to disney for the family experience.

Gregg link

12/16/2014 07:34:44 am

Can you send us a link to the post on reddit (or post it here). Would be most interested to see the comments.

Appreciate it.

Gregg

John

12/17/2014 02:24:35 am

definitely not gaining fans from Reddit. :(

Tim

12/16/2014 06:57:38 am

Wow, there are a lot of butthurt fanboys and fangirls on here. I live an hour and a a half away from Cedar Point, and I'd rather go four hours out to Wonderland. Why? Because there's more to see AND do. It'll be ten years since I have been to CP, and I don't have any desire to go back. In that ten years, I have also been spoiled with Kennywood, Geauga Lake, WDW, Dollywood, Wonderland, and even Darien Lake. I would love to see Cedar Point turn it around, I really would, but it's not the same place I used to know and love.

Gregg link

12/16/2014 07:50:16 am

I think some of the people commenting are missing the point.

This is an opinion piece, nothing more, nothing less. You are more than welcome to disagree with RD on this, or on any of his articles, we only ask that you be respectful first and foremost of RD and of the site.

Bashing anybody, whether they are a site contributor or a regular reader isn't something we do around here. We are still a newer site, but if you look at the history of our posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even on the main site, we don't allow bashing of any person, any contributor or any other site. It's simply not us.

We've yet to block anybody from any of our social platforms or the site, and it's not something we want to do. But we do ask that you all be respectful of RD's opinion.

If you disagree, that's great ... but be constructive about it. If you agree, that's great ... but be constructive about how the park can improve.

At the end of the day, an Amusement park that serves the most people is the best thing for ALL of us. More $$ for parks means more rides for everybody, it's a Win/Win.

You may think that CP is the best park ever and worthy of every praise they've ever received. That's great, nobody is going to bash you for it.

So lets all take a step back, remember that this is a hobby, it's supposed to be fun and have a little respect for one another.

That's all we are asking. - Gregg

Gregg link

12/16/2014 08:25:54 am

As far as "in park spending" is concerned, Cedar Point isn't even close to being the only park where this is an issue. Even so-called "Family Parks" are struggling with this today, but some parks aren't helping themselves by pricing out the middle class.

Look at what's happened to Disneyland. If you aren't an upper middle-class person with no kids it's very hard to afford that park any more. And that's TOTALLY evident when you go to the park now.

Prawo

12/19/2014 10:00:13 am

It sounds like it's been a while since you've been. In that time you've missed out on: Dinosaurs Alive, Luminosity, a complete overhaul of the Gemini Midway with Pipe Scream and Lake Erie Eagles + a refurbed Monster, Planet Snoopy, Windseeker and Shoot The Rapids. I'm pretty sure I'm still missing something.

Plus there are family attractions all over the place. Gemini, Mine Ride, Corkscrew, Iron Dragon, Woodstock Express, Blue Streak, The beach, Soak City, The Train... Really the list goes on and on. They have 70 rides and something like 20 live E shows on any given day.

Sorry dude, but your op-ed here is sort of like being mad at Chocolate Milk for not being as healthy as plain white milk. Cedar Point is first and foremost an Amusement Park with healthy dose of family attractions scattered amongst the monoliths.

Cedar Fair reported record revenues in 3rd quarter for 2014 and Cedar Point had it's second best year ever. The same year they overhauled the Gemini Midway as a family friendly hotspot.

Nate link

12/22/2014 03:01:48 pm

Good observation and comparison to Knott's. I think Cedar Point has a bright future with Matt Ouimett (former Disney exec) as CEO of Cedar Fair. He gets it. Also, couldn't agree more with the fact that coasters lose appeal as you get older. I'm 28 and they've lost their zing. Growing up in So-cal there has been no shortage of coasters to ride. Six flags is barely worth the hour drive anymore. Parks need to be diverse in their offerings. Hopefully Cedar Fair will move in that direction.

B.Taylor

12/22/2014 04:01:23 pm

While the park may not have an appeal to you as an individual, CP still offers mass appeal, has a solid business model, and is highly profitable. Comparing CP to Knott's is the worst comparison you could have chosen. Knott's is in a highly competitive market with Six Flags, Disney, Sea World, and other attractions in very close proximity. Cedar Point is in a market that features very limited competition for local and regional park guests. There are good quality but significantly smaller parks that Cedar Fair does not operate, but the vast majority of the region is dominated by CF with CP, Kings Island, Michigan's Adventure, and even Dorney Park.

Why change the park strategy completely to compete with yourself in a market that you control? CP has shifted slightly to help improve revenue from the resort/lodging facilities that no park in this region have to offer.

I also read somewhere on this page discussing Six Flags and their findings on parks with new large attractions. That is like comparing a Marriott to a Motel 6. Six Flags has massive issues in the management and direction of their parks and company.

I appreciate your view and opinion however it appears that you may not be in the target demo of CP. Families of all ages I know of in the area of Ohio I live in either greatly enjoy CP or don't attend amusement parks at all.

Matt Niemla

12/23/2014 05:43:07 am

This is a laughable opinion piece. Basing an article on something you haven't seen in ten years is like writing a movie review about a movie you've never watched.

Cedar Pointless - RD Sussman

EDITORIAL

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