Cedar Fair Entertainment Company High Food Prices

I thought I was getting a deal by using a coupon from the Getaway Guide, for a BOGO piece of pizza from Hurricane Hannah's, which made it 2 pieces for under $4. That feeling left after the first bite of pizza.

Good Grief... said:
Sorry, but I think just not buying their product is a way to voice your opinion. As long as they allow you to bring your own food & even provide picnic shelters for your use, I don't feel it is difficult for families to enjoy the park.

Your logic stuns me on this one. I pay 130 a night to stay on sight at CP. This is so I can have the convince of walking right into the park whenever I want to. I also pay the hotel because I happen to be on vacation. Maybe my standards are to high, but when I am on a vacation I don't want to bring my own food or make my own food. To me that defeats the purpose. I also live 6 hours away, not exactly down the street if you can get the picture. So my options become even more limited.

What happens when the food puts a huge dent in the pocket? I spend less in the park on games, photos and souvenirs. For me this isn't a huge deal because I love the park. But most of the GP has no problem spending the money elsewhere. Even Kinzel seems to realize that.

I also live 6 hours away, not exactly down the street if you can get the picture. So my options become even more limited.

There's tons of other places to eat besides at the park if you don't want to bring your own food. A 5 minute drive out of the park will give you a choice of almost anything you feel like eating.

They set their prices that high because the majority of people will still pay for it and that's pretty much the going rate for anything of that calibur (stadiums, arenas, movie theatres). If you don't like it and live too far away to pack a lunch, then eat outside the park. Besides, at least that way you can get a nice quiet meal and a place to sit down for awhile.
*** Edited 7/12/2007 10:49:05 AM UTC by carolina_canes_8***

I'm not sure about anyone in this thread, but I have been voting with my wallet. That's not to say I don't eat or drink anything in the park, but beyond purchasing drinks, I rarely spend more than $5 on food on any given day (and usually that money goes toward Dippin' Dots :)).

The petition won't work, obviously, for reasons pointed out above. Quit complaining, and just go elsewhere else to eat.

^^The restaurants on route 250 are overpriced as well, at least compared to the same restaurants everywhere else. I still end up going outside the park anyways because there's so many options available, and the food quality is actually decent.

Well, most of us already understand most of the food they obtain is for low cost and the price CF charges gives the company a huge profit margin to cover costs such as labor.

As for service...maybe they can convert the stand employees (not the ones who wait on tables) into a comisssion draw where they earn something like 2.83/hr (sorry if this is WRONG) or get comission on the food they sale, whichever is greater.
Maybe this way, you can get above par service and excellent presentation of the food.
I'd like to see my fries all facing one direction and not touching/covering the burger. haha.

Just a thought...

^ Its got less to do with the people behind the counter, and more to do with the management culture, in my opinion. Even the most disinterested service industry employee can be motivated to deliver a great product, if the culture is there.

Loopy said:

I've never been to a Speedway that had roller coasters but I have been to Kennywood and other parks that price their food and beverages accordingly. Hell, what about parks that hand out free soda? Or ones that don't charge for parking? They nail you on both aspects at CP and the prices are NOT even remotely reasonable.

Maybe some of you should experience the world a little more and stop living under a peninsula.

But Cedar Point's main competition isn't Kennywood, HolidayWorld or even Geauga Lake. Its the Tigers, Cavaliers and the movie theater on 250.

Look at the parking prices at an arena/ballpark next time. Yes there is free parking if you don't mind a long walk, but to park nearby is $20 at Comerica. Heck, the lots by Van Andel here in GR charge 7 on Griffins game night. And that's so I can park my car for 3 hours at best.

Look at the inflated concession prices at a movie theater next time. It cost me 13 bucks for 2 pops and large popcorn. Three items that combined cost less than a quarter for the theater, cost me 13. That's a hell of a markup.

To be fair, you can infinitely refill that soda and popcorn, John. Try taking your empty fry basket & 20oz soda bottle back up to a vendor at CP and requesting the same. ;)
*** Edited 7/12/2007 1:54:19 PM UTC by djDaemon***

CP4eva'04 said:

Your logic stuns me on this one. I pay 130 a night to stay on sight at CP. This is so I can have the convince of walking right into the park whenever I want to. I also pay the hotel because I happen to be on vacation. Maybe my standards are to high, but when I am on a vacation I don't want to bring my own food or make my own food. To me that defeats the purpose. I also live 6 hours away, not exactly down the street if you can get the picture. So my options become even more limited.

What happens when the food puts a huge dent in the pocket? I spend less in the park on games, photos and souvenirs. For me this isn't a huge deal because I love the park. But most of the GP has no problem spending the money elsewhere. Even Kinzel seems to realize that.

Here's my line of thought. We also usually stay on point. We still bring a cooler full of food & drinks & also eat some meals there. In the past, when I was still a student, we went to CP as a family, but always brought our own food for pretty much the whole day. We still enjoyed the park as a family. Would it have been more fun to buy food there? Actually, no. We had just as much fun as we do now that we buy some food there. Would it have been easier...sure. But at least I have that choice. I don't have that choice when going to a movie or concert because they don't allow you to bring outside food in. It's times like that I would be more willing to sign a petition.

I still stick by my post that you can still enjoy the park & voice your opinion by not paying their prices for food. But I understand your point of not particuarly wanting to pack ahead. :)

As for mk522, yes, I "have a clue". No need to be rude. But our freedom of choice is one thing that makes our country great, so if enough people that agreed with you stood together, you would make a difference. That's like saying why bother to vote, my one vote doesn't count. It may not sway the election, but it's an important right that you should exercise.

^^ Unless they've changed things, you can only refill the large popcorn and soda. Over the course of a 2-3 hour movie, how can one possibly eat/drink more then one large anything? So, just because you CAN refill, it doesn't affect the price to begin with.

Cedar Point's prices just aren't really that out of wack in comparison to their competition. Six Flags beats them at over pricing food hands down. The only park I've been to recently that had better food was Hershey Park. But, the prices were about the same.

It's not like CP is a grocery store and you need the food to survive. You're there on vacation for fun. Anytime I go on vacation, I expect to spend money, not for things to be cheaper than they are at home.

What? "Only" as opposed to...?

Regardless, A+ for missing the point. Completely.

I'm not sure why Orlando would be brought up in this conversation. There is no way a price a bottle of Pepsi in Disney World has any bearing whatsoever on the price of the same product at Cedar Point.

And to mention Kennywood and "other parks" that offer free soda? Well let's see...those parks have maybe 2 or 3 good world-class roller coasters, at most, and Cedar Point has how many? There is a reason Cedar Point can't afford to do Free Soda or 25 cent cotton candy every year, and I would bet it has a lot to do with the fact in one day you can ride a near-world-record-holding roller coaster in every category.

If you dont like the food prices, don't buy it! Many, many, many people pack food and eat at the picnic pavilion.

We buy two things at Cedar Point every time we go: gourmet pretzels ($3 something) and beer ($6 something). Compared to Jacobs Field, those prices are right in line.

"Only" meaning you can't refill a small or medium which are lower priced (and closer to the size you receive at a theme park). You inferred that because you can refill it, the value is better. But, my point was, most people don't refill it because (1) they don't leave in the middle of a movie and (2) because they can't possibly eat that much food.

So, John's point remains that the price/value of food at a movie theater is even worse than at Cedar Point.

edit: oops :) *** Edited 7/12/2007 2:56:54 PM UTC by halltd***

halltd said:
"Only" meaning you can't refill a large

But you can refill a large. ;)

Oops. Fixed. :)

Someone posted recently that they saw a Tuesday special at Macaronis(?) for a double cheeseburger for the low low price of $12.95

That is ridiculous... You can get a full meal at the Olive Garden consisting of Chick Alfredo, Salad (or soup) Breadsticks and a drink for less than that.

You can re-enter the parking lot one time if you want to go to McDonalds or even East of Chicago for a lot less. I'll sign the petition, but I vote with my wallet when I eat lunch in the car.

I would also factor in ticket prices and on-site and local hotel prices. It's still relatively cheap to go to Cedar Point when compared to many other "family destination" parks/resorts.

IMO, no one says you can't leave the park and come back. Eat before you get to the park and eat after you leave. Bring a cooler and buy your groceries at Meijers on 250 (or if that is too much for you there is a Wal-Mart in town as well).

I feel the best bang for your buck for food in the park would be Midway Market.

Don't come into a tourist spot and expect to get McDonald's prices. I have seen worse at other parks and CP is pretty reasonable. You don't have to eat at that particular stand, go to a restaurant instead and get more food to eat.

halltd said:
You inferred that because you can refill it, the value is better.

Correct.

So, John's point remains that the price/value of food at a movie theater is even worse than at Cedar Point.

I disagree.