Call for Ideas: New Membership Program Perks

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Yes I'm gonna quote myself:

warfelg said:
I'll just say:
I've been a member at Hersheypark, Dorney Park, Kennywood, Kings Dominion, Six Flags Great Adventure, Lake Compounce.

BGW is the first park where I feel valued as a member. Honestly. Other than Hersheypark, it's amazingly landscaped. Amazing shows. Only one that gives that many free passes, cheap upgrades to a bunch of things. Is there certain things some of those other parks do better that I wish BGW did? Absolutely. Does it ever make me regret my BGW pass? Absolutely not.

If you're wondering what they are:
Dorney/Kings Dom: Being they are part of the same chain you get the same perks. Early ride time.
Hersheypark: Dedicated pass holder parking.
Kennywood: More member only days.
SF: Member exclusive stuff (really cheap) was given out in a bag on member day only.
Lake Compounce: Free cabana rentals 1 time a month.

Things IMO BGW does better: Extended ride times, member merch (At least starting), discounted upgrades, best park discounts.
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I want to add more to thing, because while I think BGW does some things better, I would love to see them (and frankly SEAS as a chain needs to go to uniform across the company with this) 'steal' a little from each one of these:
Member only parking - Permanent season long tag and pass lane that allows you to park in the Germany lot. Fee to upgrade to England. (from Hersheypark)
Member only 'swag bag' - Do more member only merchandise, and give a chance to pay for (at a discount) a "All the swag bag". A backpack that includes everything from the season that will be member only. (from the Six Flags chain)
Early ride/park time - While I love the extended time on one ride, I would like to see 'early ride time' for some days. (from Cedar Fair)
Member only days - They can take a few random slow Tuesdays and Thursdays and make them 'member only days'; keeping the park member only from 9-4, then opening up the park in general from 4-10.

And for the love of everything dear to me, a MEMBER LOUNGE! One spot to go that I know won't be crowded. Heck I don't mind if I have to pay an extra $5 a month for access (I prefer not to), but I would just love one spot to go, relax, possibly eat a meal, that isn't always so crowded. I tend to be in the park alone, so when I sit to eat, within 10 minutes I get people looking for tables/space just giving me the stink eye because I'm 1 person at a table.

Needless to say on that stance, I might need a ParkFans meet up day to make some friends to be at the park with.

But I think these are all small things that do not hurt the park in any way that could be 'stolen' from other parks to create a better feel for members.
 
Zimmy said:
1. Since you brought it up, no I had no fracking idea that Coke gave WDW a deal to serve only Coke.
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Its a very interesting story, both Pepsi and Coke were sold in WDW until 1990. When Coke won the contract every Pepsi fountain, logo, bottled drink, everything was removed and replaced with a CocaCola product overnight. Up until that time Pepsi also sponsored some attractions. Even today Frito Lay products are still sold in the parks, Frito Lay is the parent company of Pepsi.


warfelg said:
I want to point out something on the ornament thing: If it was the last weekend, and I can't recall if they said 2018 on them or not, but if the idea is a new one every year, they could have been just giving them away to just getting rid of them.

Yes a bad look, but I think they rather give them out than throw them away.
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They sent out a email before the last weekend saying they were all gone. They had sent out another email a week or so before that that read they still had ornaments and lanyards. I picked mine up earlier in the month and that is when the register had them stacked up in the Emporium and they were letting anyone that showed interest have one. I was handed one and when I tried to hand them my voucher it was almost as if they didnt want it.
 
Speaking of getting rid of ornaments....I found it odd that BGW did not mark down the prices on any holiday merch. As much of it as they had left on the last night it looks like they would want to sell it off so they dont have to store it and heck even at a markdown they are making money. I remember before CT and HOS they would sell the candy dirt cheap the last day to get rid of it. Now I guess it just sits for 3 months until next season.
 
It wouldn't make sense to clearance off things like candy if they aren't going to go bad before the park reopens. At Haunt KD was clearancing out candy, but that's because the date on them was a use by that came before WinterFest opened. There's a good chance KD has been sitting on that candy for months and months by that point. BGW's stock may be newer and still sellable come the spring.
 
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Im referring to the bulk candy in the bins.They havent sold candy at a discount in a good number of years, thet is why you couldnt buy the bulk jelly bellys in the germany candy shop till summer when enough people had bought the old crap that was hard and clumped together. Once HOS and CT started I guess they assumed ther was a short enough time to save it for the following season.
 
Zachary said:
It wouldn't make sense to clearance off things like candy if they aren't going to go bad before the park reopens. At Haunt KD was clearancing out candy, but that's because the date on them was a use by that came before WinterFest opened. There's a good chance KD has been sitting on that candy for months and months by that point. BGW's stock may be newer and still sellable come the spring.
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For KD it also made sense because they completely cleared out regular park merch for WF merch and food items. Even at the extreme markup when they sell it at a discount they make a good profit, plus they dont have to move it and storage it during WF. A good business move.
 
WDWRLD said:
Its a very interesting story, both Pepsi and Coke were sold in WDW until 1990. When Coke won the contract every Pepsi fountain, logo, bottled drink, everything was removed and replaced with a CocaCola product overnight. Up until that time Pepsi also sponsored some attractions. Even today Frito Lay products are still sold in the parks, Frito Lay is the parent company of Pepsi.




They sent out a email before the last weekend saying they were all gone. They had sent out another email a week or so before that that read they still had ornaments and lanyards. I picked mine up earlier in the month and that is when the register had them stacked up in the Emporium and they were letting anyone that showed interest have one. I was handed one and when I tried to hand them my voucher it was almost as if they didnt want it.
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I go with what @Zachary said earlier though. Just because that’s what you experienced doesn’t mean it’s what all of us experienced. I had to show my voucher, and they even needed manager help because the barcode wasn’t working.

As for saying they didn’t have them and then did:
I personally never got an email like that, but even with that who’s to say they didn’t find more? Or they were out of backstock?
 
Here is a screen shot of the email from Tuesday that read they still had lanyards and ornamnets, then another on thursday they read they were out. Why does everything I say someone acts like im making shit up?
warfelg said:
I go with what @Zachary

I personally never got an email like that, but even with that who’s to say they didn’t find more? Or they were out of backstock?
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WDWRLD said:
Here is a screen shot of the email from Tuesday that read they still had lanyards and ornamnets, then another on thursday they read they were out. Why does everything I say someone acts like im making shit up?
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I didn’t accuse you of that I just said I personally didn’t get one of those.
 
2018 Membership Perks that I used/collected:
-F&W vouchers
-guest passes
-gloves at CT Preview Day
-free ornament

Membership Perks that I would still like to see implemented:
-one free refillable drink cup per year
-Ireland entrance for Premier/Platinum members
-Member lines to pay in Das Festhaus and San Marco's
 
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lilleape said:
2018 Membership Perks that I used/collected:
-F&W vouchers
-guest passes
-gloves at CT Preview Day
-free ornament

Membership Perks that I would still like to see implemented:
-one free refillable drink cup per year
-Ireland entrance for Premier/Platinum members
-Member lines to pay in Das Festhaus and San Marco's
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This brings up another point. So you pay close to $100 to be a member of the Stein Club in the Brauhaus but you have to wait in the same line as the regular park guests buying the same beers you have access to as a club member. On Sunday that line extended outside of the club by a good 20-25 people and the wait was over 30 minutes to get your stien to get a beer.
 
Zachary said:
The stein club has nothing to do with the topic of this thread.
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Why not....a previous poster mentioned a members only line at the Festhaus.....a members only line at the Brauhaus is also a valid idea.
 
WDWRLD said:
It has come to that.....I feel like I have been a passholder for so long that things will change so ive held out the past couple years...but the park is just fleecing us for cash while other parks get more. While KD is a hour further away we visited there almost twice the number of times as we did BGW this season.
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I disagree. It is a bit presumptuous to assume that BG "fleecing us". The value of the memberships are inherent in their value of saving on daily admission not the amount of free stuff BG provides. I was a passholder however I converted to the unlimited membership back in February to take advantage of the lower EZpay cost benefit. I pay only $15 per month, that's $180 per year.

Here is how I saved this year:

20 visits (15 regular season, 5 for Christmas town)
Gate tickets prices were $90 (regular season), $54 (Christmastown). I know discount were available, but the sake of math I will use gate prices.
15 x $90=$1350
5 x $54 = $270
Parking at $20 = $400
Total without a pass = $2020.

Now lets add the tangible membership benefits:
F&W food item, $7 value, one per visit. I went 4 times = $28.
July Busch Bucks = $10 (to use as I want).
10% purchase discounts (food only) = $4 per trip (approximately)
Total = $118

Now subtract the $118 from the $180 membership cost = $62

It cost me $62 to get the $2020 value. How on earth is that being "fleeced".

I didn't even include the 3 free single day tickets for family/friends. That's another $270 value.

I'm not being "fleeced" and the benefits are pretty damn good.
 
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I dont care how you calculate it to make yourself feel better about it but the cost of BGW as a regional park is expensive. Sure if I went every operating day and bought lunch and dinner and got my discount it adds up to a huge sum in a season. As far as the free tickets, I gave them away to people because I have no use for them. But for almost $800 for 3 people for two parks one being a waterpark a season is high. But thank you for all that thought and calculation.
 
Why would all three people in a family need the top pass. I forget who it was (I think @PrincessArlenasDad), that they do or would get 1 main big pass, get everyone else the lower level.

So say a family of three gets 1 high level membership, 2 basic memberships; you are talking $650 (2-park) or $480.
 
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