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Two parks always better than one

Fitting 'wet' and 'dry' parks on one ticket snagging visitors.

By BRANDI BARHITE
brandibarhite@sanduskyregister.com

SANDUSKY - A morning of roller coasters and an afternoon of water slides, followed by a night of more coasters, is becoming a popular way of luring people into amusement parks.

For the last 15 years, marrying a "hard park" with a "wet park" has grown in popularity, said Beth Robertson, vice president of communications for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, Alexandria, Va.

As this happened, parks began to offer a ticket price that is essentially "two parks for the price of one," Robertson said.

"It gives the customer much more to choose from," Robertson said.

Sandusky-based Cedar Fair offers this type of deal at four of its seven parks.

Vice President and Corporate Controller Brian Witherow said at two of the parks, Geauga Lake & Wildwater Kingdom in Aurora and Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, near Allentown, Pa., it was started for competitive reasons.

Witherow said Geauga Lake and Dorney Park compete with larger and more popular parks, and the "two for one" ticket gave guests the option to enjoy the rides and the waterpark for the price of what it would normally cost to go to one.

Bill Spehn, vice president and general manager of Geauga Lake, said many of the park's guests are enjoying both the coasters and waterparks, in particular when temperatures are in the mid-80s.

Geauga Lake opened the first phase of a $24 million waterpark in June. Although attendance in July remained below expectations, it was up 7 percent from last year mainly because of the new waterpark. Admission is $24.95.

"It gives the park more rides and more attractions for the money," Witherow said. "It is a better perceived value and gives (the park) a competitive edge.

"The price is basically set as if it is just an amusement park," he said. "Even if we didn't have the waterpark, the price would likely be the same."

Spokesman Bryan Edwards said Cedar Point doesn't offer "two for one" with Soak City because Cedar Point isn't a park that can be done in one day.

The closest the park comes to do a deal like that is the Funday ticket. For $67.95, guests can go to both Cedar Point and Soak City over two days.

From 1992-96, Cedar Point offered an one-day ticket that was good for both Cedar Point and Soak City. The price was $28.95 in 1992, and by 1996, was $39.95.

Gina Kellogg, spokeswoman for the World Waterpark Association in Overland Park, Kan., said it has become a common trend for amusement parks to add a waterpark, but she doesn't know how many have an inclusive admission ticket.

Kellogg said it's more expensive to build a roller coaster than a waterpark, and more people can use a waterpark.

A nice waterpark would cost about $20 million, while roller coasters typically cost more because of the engineering involved, she said.

In the United States, 52 amusement parks have attendance exceeding one million, and 33 of those have waterparks with them. The number that have one ticket for both is not tracked.

Witherow said Cedar Fair parks, Michigan's Adventure, near Muskegon, Mich., and Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minn., have inclusive tickets because of the weather.

"The summers aren't as long there and it doesn't get as hot or stay as hot as long," Witherow said. "If those had stand-alone prices, it probably wouldn't do as well."

FunCoast.com is your online guide to summer fun for Cedar Point, the LakeErie Islands and Sandusky area. Our site offers up-to-date information on area attractions, restaurants, hotels, gasoline prices, ferry schedules, swimming, birding and fishing, along with a complete listing of events happening in the Sandusky/Cedar Point area. To use our Webcam and zoom in on Cedar Point's rollercoasters, go to http://funcam.funcoast.com