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[shavethewhales]

You guys probably know by now that I enjoy trying to parse the business logic behind SDC management to see why they are making the decisions they do and where they might go from here. One of the things I'm noticing more and more these days are people complaining about the prices and saying they won't come because they are so expensive. I've always chocked up a lot of this to differences in opinion and experience. A lot of people in this part of the country are used to and spoiled by cheap entertainment and living in general and think anything that costs as much as an SDC season pass is just outrageous even while they are spending much more on most of their other forms of entertainment over the course of a year.

However, we all know SDC is truly getting more expensive as they add more attractions, inflation goes up, and all the other costs affecting them go up, among other things. So what I want to do is take a look at the historical rise in prices and see how much things have truly changed as SDC has gotten bigger and times have changed.

I'm going to start a list of historical season pass prices and updated it as far back as I can find them. Of course, the price of season passes changes over the course of a season, typically being sold on sale at the lowest cost in November of the prior year and going up in price until the season is underway. For now I'll try to stick with mid-season prices. If anyone has anything to contribute, feel free to do so. I actually only have 2011 & 2012 on hand right now, so I'll have to rummage though my collection to find older info.

The list so far:

• 2011: ~$80
• 2012: ~$95

That's a pretty big jump already. How do you think SDC's business model is changing with these prices? I've have this theory developing that as SDC has gotten bigger they have begun to price themselves out of the entertainment market, so in order to correct themselves they are under tremendous pressure to rapidly add more thrill rides in order to justify the ticket price and compete on a more regional level with newer players such as SFStL and WOF. I feel like at one point though, the park wanted to compete on an almost national level against Disney World back in the sixties and seventies when the whole concept of a theme park was newer and more undeveloped. We've talked before about the parallels between the early SDC and Disney rides... but I could go on and on about this.

Anyway, perhaps if we chart some of the changes in prices for SDC we can postulate more on how this business is changing.

[KBCraig]

I can't contribute, but I will point out that inflation is the villain here.

I made three times last year what I made 18 years ago when I bought my house. That's raw dollar numbers.

In real purchasing power, my income has shrunk. Inflation has eaten up my raises, and then some.

[MissinTheGreenTrams]

If it jumps 15$  yet again that would place it at 110$ which I hope it does not hit. I beg SDC keep it under 100$. I like the price of the early purchase SP. I think I paid 130 for my family. Not terrible considering I have gone 5 days (3 trips) and have used 5 BAFs. Also planning a trip soon. I hope they keep the tickets the same price. So if I started saving today for my season pass and purchased them feb 20th I would have to save 1.56 a day. Not bad yall.

[mhguy77]

It seems to me if you buy the pass early it has raised little to none over the past few years.  I am thinking that my
passes have been 79 for a few years now.  The die hards like us will plan ahead to make the purchase and save. The
passing through tourists are the customers that see the real hit.
Has the Seasons pass pre-purchse price not been $79 for a few years now?
My concern is the removal of extras like the BAF. I am not inticed by early ride times and coupons for half off peanut brittle are nice but they do not attract me enough to make the trip.  The BAF is the true dollar saver.

[chittlins]

I find the angst of increased sp costs justified but I can always temper it with what I dole out for 4  lower level tickets to Razorback football

I don't mind the admission costs as much is I do the concession pricing. That's where the trip explodes cost wise and what we have cut back on the most. And being honest here, bootlegging lots in. But I don't consider the SP extreme given if you buy them early and take advantage of the perks like Bring a Friend. Those folks spend money for overpriced cokes and such.

I want to add that a lot of our increased costs of living is purely voluntary. Things like cable, having a cell phone for every family member with big data plans are personal consumption choices. I can not phathom the amount of money spent on bottled water in this country. Ozarka in muni water thats been refiltered.

[shavethewhales]

I guess you guys are right about the other prices within the park. You really can't just look at the 'normal' prices to get in when food and drink prices have also changed so much and so many people buy passes at the early discount price anyway. Maybe it's too complicated for us to really observe anything by trying to analyze price increases like I thought, but I do think there's a definite trend developing in the prices and I wonder where it's going to go.

We've seen the park run a number of discounts that have been extremely successful, while at the same time raising food and drink prices and introducing schemes like the 'Trailblazer Pass' that parks like Six Flags have used to nickel and dime people while keeping their gate prices low. I wonder if we'll eventually see the park drop their admission and season pass prices in favor of increasing all the other in-park expenses like most other parks do.

I don't mind the admission costs as much is I do the concession pricing. That's where the trip explodes cost wise and what we have cut back on the most. And being honest here, bootlegging lots in. But I don't consider the SP extreme given if you buy them early and take advantage of the perks like Bring a Friend. Those folks spend money for overpriced cokes and such.

Why are you bootlegging? The park has always allowed people to take in drinks and snacks, unless that has changed too. Didn't they use to allow in soft-sided coolers without rollers?

[MissinTheGreenTrams]

They still allow picnic lunches to be brought in. See that is another reason I dont mind spending so much on tickets. In the long run I save big $$. And by not purchasing sodas that is another saver. With the ability to bring the food and drinks in I am allowed to go many times. Which makes it more likely I will buy things while I am there. Win win

[Ozark Outlaw]

Silver Dollar City has definitely been tightening its financial belt. I remember last year being so disappointed because the decorations for the Harvest Festival were limited to just the town square. How many of us also remember not too long ago when you could purchase a Silver Dollar City mug, and get the same price for refills year, after year? Now this year you can no longer do that.

I also agree, that the concern is not over the rise of publicized ticket prices, but the rise of in park prices such as food, beverages, and even souvenirs. They could raise they price on those items a dollar, or two each year, and most people would never notice the difference.

[Pudgy Jones]

I live just a couple of hours from Holiday World, so we go there often. Their ticket prices are comparable to SDC's, but their season passes are quite a bit more expensive. Their food is much more affordable, but not as good, and their soft drinks are free. However, Silver Dollar City is 10 times the park as Holiday World. Don't get me wrong, we love Holiday World and its awesome rides, but SDC's theming and atmosphere are second-to-none. For me, when comparing SDC to Holiday World, a SDC season pass is still an awesome value.

[Kentucky Optimist]

This topic is near and dear to my heart as were recently shocked by the increased price of the SP.  We only get to visit for a week in the fall but we still get the SP because if you go for 3 days it pays for itself.  I know in the past we budgeted $150 for two passes (we got a work discount and it was about $70 +tax each) I no longer get the work discount and we were blown away this year to find SPs were $95 +tax EACH!  I also live close to holiday world (about 1/2 hr) and we have season passes there as well.  Their pre-season price is about $120 and their regular price is $160.  I guess I should be glad that I can get two SPs to SDC for only $200, because it would be $320 at holiday world.  Pudgy is right, SDC is a lot more fun, which is ironic because HW is full of award winning million dollar woodies but it just doesn't have the ambiance that SDC has.  I hope the PTB at SDC read the comments here about food pricing and quality.  I don't mind the price of the SP going up if the idea is to get people in the park and charge more for food/drinks/extras, but if the SP is going up, the food prices go up and the food quality goes down it just doesn't make any sense.  I can't help but think that maybe we're seeing the cost of big dollar coasters like PK, WF and Woody '13 being passed on in the form of higher ticket prices, lower food quality and reductions in decorations.  I don't mind paying more for the same great SDC, but I hate paying more for a watered down, lower quality version of the city I remember.