For Free or Not for Free... That Is the Question (Fun Cards)

[CoolDrMoney]

RE: Europe in the Air is Now Closed

I'd also like to know how many of you posting on here are regular "ice water warriors" yourselves? I spend $50-$100 every time I go to the park and I go about 100 times a year so just know that I'm picking up your slack.

BTW, season pass = $120(?) with unlimited free parking and 10% off every purchase in the park. Fun card = $70 plus $15 a pop for parking and no discounts. Seems like the season pass holders are ripping the park off more than the fun card users.

Why is it even an option? Why don't all sports teams, movie theaters and concert venues get on board this genius money making scheme?

 

[Planeteer]

RE: Europe in the Air is Now Closed

Not true. The stores have to be staffed, security has to be there, ticket takers have to man the booths, show performers have to perform, rides trains have to run, animal handlers have to be at the park, water has to run, electricity has to be one, AC units have to cool, etc., no matter if people got in free or not.

If your park is 80% full of people who, on any given day, did not pay to be there that day, then for every 8 guests, only 2 are covering all of those aforementioned costs. Buying sodas and ice cream won't cover it.

I mean, can you think of any other business that operates this way? Do you get into the movies free all summer because you bought one movie ticket in March? Do you get into all of the Tides games all season because you showed up to one during spring training? In both cases, you'd theoretically be buying concessions and what not while there.

I don't know for sure that it's a money loser. But I know I wouldn't do it if I were in charge, and I can't think of any other similar business that does it.

It only costs me $23 extra a year for my passport over a fun card. So season pass holders with little money to spend are the problem as well? The Tides give away half of their tickets for every game! Trust me, I know!
Even if those people weren't in the park, the shows would go on, everything would still be turned on, so how are these people costing them money?
And if you want to jump on stereotypes of "Cheapskates", the cheaper or lower class people who want to get in free are statistically more likely to by beer.
Plus, how many of those people who show up with their fun card would be there if they didn't get one? It is about the POTENTIAL to make money, that is why they are doing it.

 

[CoolDrMoney]

RE: For free or not for free...that is the question (Fun Cards)

My main question:

If letting people in for free so they'll buy concessions is such a money maker, why doesn't the movie theater, sports team or concert venue do this?

 

[Planeteer]

RE: For free or not for free...that is the question (Fun Cards)

Sports teams do it all the time. I know for a fact, the Tides give away about half of their tickets to every game.

 

[CoolDrMoney]

RE: Europe in the Air is Now Closed

You don't need as many personnel when you don't have as many people.

Sigh.

If you guys think it helps the bottom line to give away tickets, then I guess we just disagree.

I still say that the fact that no other industry does this (and not too many other amusement parks that I know of, either) it's pretty safe to assume it's not a fool-proof plan for getting rich.

I would charge admission to my multi-million dollar entertainment complex. Maybe that's just me.

 

[Bill]

RE: For free or not for free...that is the question (Fun Cards)

My main question:

If letting people in for free so they'll buy concessions is such a money maker, why doesn't the movie theater, sports team or concert venue do this?

The simple answer: in all of those, there are different entities getting a cut of money. For example, a concert at an arena. You might very well have the arena owner, a concession company (they run the concessions and pay "rent"), and the performer (and possibly the promoter, etc).

Movie theater - some of the money goes to the film company. Sports event - similar to concert, team gets some, arena gets some (they aren't all owned by the teams), concession company gets some.

 

[Pretzel Kaiser]

RE: Europe in the Air is Now Closed

I'd also like to know how many of you posting on here are regular "ice water warriors" yourselves? I spend $50-$100 every time I go to the park and I go about 100 times a year so just know that I'm picking up your slack.

BTW, season pass = $120(?) with unlimited free parking and 10% off every purchase in the park. Fun card = $70 plus $15 a pop for parking and no discounts. Seems like the season pass holders are ripping the park off more than the fun card users.

The difference here is that the pass has the discount which gives people inventive to spend money on food and whatnot at the park. While parking does cost the park very little, most of the park's money is made from the things people buy while inside the park. If your guests are always going for the cheaper option, then they're losing you money.

 

[Planeteer]

RE: Europe in the Air is Now Closed

I'd also like to know how many of you posting on here are regular "ice water warriors" yourselves? I spend $50-$100 every time I go to the park and I go about 100 times a year so just know that I'm picking up your slack.

BTW, season pass = $120(?) with unlimited free parking and 10% off every purchase in the park. Fun card = $70 plus $15 a pop for parking and no discounts. Seems like the season pass holders are ripping the park off more than the fun card users.

I try to keep it under $50.

Ice Water Warrior, yes. But I haven't had a soda in over 6 months! Trust me, last year it was a steady stream of cherry Coke. Thanks for picking up the slack bro!

 

[Shafor]

RE: Europe in the Air is Now Closed

Why is it even an option? Why don't all sports teams, movie theaters and concert venues get on board this genius money making scheme?

My kids go bowling for free all summer, every summer. (see http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/) We buy them their own shoes so we don't even rent them at the bowling alley. But who knows, maybe we'll get some pizza there? Maybe my kids will fall in love with bowling and want to join a bowling league? And maybe, they'll grow up and remember all the fun times they had bowling with the family and pay to take their kids bowling too?

(Oh, and my kids also eat free too. http://www.kidsdinefree.net/)

 

[CoolDrMoney]

RE: For free or not for free...that is the question (Fun Cards)

The Tides give away what tickets they can't otherwise sell.

Go try and get a free ticket to an NFL game. By the logic you're promoting, they ought to sell you a ticket at the beginning of the season, then let you in free for the rest of your life.

They'd get rich, apparently.

 

[OnTheFritz]

RE: Europe in the Air is Now Closed

If you guys think it helps the bottom line to give away tickets, then I guess we just disagree.

Why don't the parks here down south give away tickets much? Because they don't need to in an attempt to prop of food and merch sales. Free tickets by the park on the larger end of small scale wreaks of in park spending issues. Heavily discounted tickets point to the same thing. Give a ticket cheap, recoup dollars via parking.

 

[b.mac]

RE: For free or not for free...that is the question (Fun Cards)

Sports teams do get people through the turnstiles with last second discount tickets in the nosebleeds. The people who don't prepare and only come with their wallets end up paying out the nose for drinks and food. BGW is in a similar footing since most people don't pack a cooler with a lunch for the family, and they usually end up spending $7-10 each person to eat in the park.

 

[CoolDrMoney]

RE: For free or not for free...that is the question (Fun Cards)

Which leads me to wonder...

Why would people have to pay ever again at BG? If letting them in free all summer is good business sense, why not let them in free forever after one paid admission? Why should you ever potentially cut down on your attendance by making them pay again?

 

[b.mac]

RE: Europe in the Air is Now Closed

Give a ticket cheap, recoup dollars via parking.

Great Adventure's business plan since 1997.

 

[Planeteer]

RE: For free or not for free...that is the question (Fun Cards)

I have thousands of tickets to give away that the team gave us at the beginning of the year! It is all in where you are. Florida doesn't have to give them away to get people in their parks. The NFL doesn't have to give away tickets. BGW does not have the normal attendance numbers that BGT, WDW or Seaworld have. Plus, the NFL no longer makes their money off of ticket sales, They make it off of TV deals and merch. Especially since people don't like going to the games anymore when they can just watch in on a 42" LED TV and get up to date info on everything else going on at the same time. We have said it before, marketing is BGW's problem. They need to MAKE people WANT to come and spend their money on stuff! F&WF would have been HUGE had the marketed well! It was a big deal, but it could have been bigger money wise.

 

[b.mac]

RE: For free or not for free...that is the question (Fun Cards)

Why would people have to pay ever again at BG? If letting them in free all summer is good business sense, why not let them in free forever after one paid admission? Why should you ever potentially cut down on your attendance by making them pay again?

Because it's been proven that the single day or two-time a year visitors are the ones that spend the most money in the park, and give the parks the best returns in profits. The ones who visit from different regions on vacations and the Average Joe who jammed his kids in the wagon and drove to the park at 7 am to visit the park for the day are more likely to just pay to get through the door and have the best experience possible. They're likely not going to deal hunt, very few people actually go through the trouble of calculating what the best investment for them is.

 

[Ken]

RE: For free or not for free...that is the question (Fun Cards)

Thought: What if the 'true' cost of one day at BGW is $50. They can sell Funcards for $70, knowing that many people will only come the one time, and pocketing extra $$ for those people to cover the cost of people returning for more days. We don't know the mix of people returning, which makes this discussion a problem. Dr. J$ is right that letting people in for free is financial suicide, but letting people in with the money you made off of enough other people might be a good deal.

 

[pandorazboxx]

RE: For free or not for free...that is the question (Fun Cards)

All I know is, if I had to pay $70 every time I went to BGW. I would stop going. and I certainly wouldn't spend any money when I got inside. Making money off of food and merchandise is much better than not making any money. The only time where I can see this being an issue is if they were at capacity.

 

[Planeteer]

RE: For free or not for free...that is the question (Fun Cards)

^Thank you!

 

[David]

RE: Europe in the Air is Now Closed

I'm not saying I go to the park every day. I generally go 3-5 times a year. Usually once per event. Living 2 hours away doesn't help my cause now. But when I do go, I spend more than I should (glares at liquor at Food and Wine festival).

I don't want to make this an internet penis contest. But there are plenty of areas the park is losing money, we all know that. But shutting down rides to make up for it is kind of a problem.