Cedar Point scraps senior discount
$14 price break on season passes to end By JON CHAVEZ BLADE BUSINESS WRITER
SANDUSKY - In a potentially controversial move, the owner of Cedar Point and five other amusement and five water parks across the country said it is eliminating ticket discounts to customers 60 and older .
The "senior discount" had saved patrons $14 on both the $99 season passes and on the $44 daily admission, but has been eliminated for the 2004 season passes and likely will be for the daily passes next year, said officials of Cedar Fair LP in Sandusky.
``Cedar Point has more to see and do than we've ever had before. More seniors can ride our perennial favorites,'' said Robin Innes, spokesman at Cedar Point.
The move was made because Cedar Fair maintains it offers a greater entertainment package overall, offering seniors more to do than just ride on attractions, Mr. Innes said.
Even the park spokesman, however, conceded the decision has not set well with seniors.
Alice Baker, 75, of Oregon, is miffed about the situation. She visits Cedar Point at least once a year, but physically is incapable of riding many of the park's newest attractions, such as the Millennium Force, the Wicked Twister, and this year's new Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster.
``Some seniors, they love to go with their grandchildren but they're not able to ride because of the their physical disabilities,'' Ms. Baker said.
``I can do some of the baby rides and such, but it just doesn't seem fair. (Forty-four dollars) is a pretty steep price to pay if you can't partake of everything and they are famous for their roller coasters.''
The park said just eight of its 68 attractions are classified as "tranquil rides."
Other major amusement park operators nationwide said they expect to maintain their senior discounts. Some parks also are gearing new attractions specifically to entice seniors.
T.K. MacKay, an analyst with Morningstar, Inc., in Chicago, said Cedar Fair probably has research that indicates it will make more money by asking seniors to pay full price than it will lose from seniors who won't come anymore.
``Seniors are a very small percentage of Cedar Fair's attendance,'' he said. ``It's just 2 percent of (Cedar Fair's) Dorney Park's attendance.''
He said he did not think the move would have a material effect on attendance next year.
Kathy Keller, a spokesman for the AARP chapter in Ohio, said her organization understands the decision is the financial one.
"They either don't need to offer it because they want to reach a different group of customers or by offering the discount it isn't getting them the customers they want,'' she said.
Cedar Fair investor relations executive Brian Witherow said patrons age 60 and older are much more active than their counterparts two decades ago, and many enjoy the company's many roller coasters.
If the decision proves too unpopular, the company may change it, he added.
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