Fun Pix, Unlimited Drinks, Meal Plans - Time to step up SDC

Swoosh · February 22, 2018, 06:15:19 PM

Once again I feel that SDC is really missing out on taking advantage of programs that competitor parks (including Disney and Universal) utilize.

1. Season Dining.
I don't think there is another chain out there that does not offer this upgrade. I know I for one would DEFINITELY buy a plan. Who wouldn't want the option to get a meal and even a snack each time they visit. If nothing else, this might be a way to start "snuffing out" those who bring in food to the park. I know heartless on my part, but this isn't a charity.

2. Unlimited Drinks Mug
Again, there isn't a chain out there that doesn't offer a mug that you pay one price and you get unlimited refills for the season. I think this would be an ideal way to phase out all of the grandfathered in mugs with cheaper pricing. Again, this isn't a charity.

3. Unlimited Digital On-ride Photos
This has really become popular at Cedar Fair parks and Disney parks. You pay a price and then you collect as many digital on ride photos as you want during the season. The best part about these is that you can almost instantly share them online. This seems like a no-brainer to me.

4. Dinning Show Package
This goes over big time at Disney. You purchase a dinner and show package at one of the higher end restaurants and you are guaranteed a prime viewing location at one of the bigger shows. I think this would be a great way to phase out Show Lovers and at the same time make more money off of food sales. Considering a new musical is coming in 2019 for Christmas, this would be the ideal time to start this.

chittlins · February 22, 2018, 07:46:23 PM

Quote from: Swoosh on February 22, 2018, 06:15:19 PM
Once again I feel that SDC is really missing out on taking advantage of programs that competitor parks (including Disney and Universal) utilize.

1. Season Dining.
I don't think there is another chain out there that does not offer this upgrade. I know I for one would DEFINITELY buy a plan. Who wouldn't want the option to get a meal and even a snack each time they visit. If nothing else, this might be a way to start "snuffing out" those who bring in food to the park. I know heartless on my part, but this isn't a charity.

2. Unlimited Drinks Mug

Again, there isn't a chain out there that doesn't offer a mug that you pay one price and you get unlimited refills for the season. I think this would be an ideal way to phase out all of the grandfathered in mugs with cheaper pricing. Again, this isn't a charity.

3. Unlimited Digital On-ride Photos
This has really become popular at Cedar Fair parks and Disney parks. You pay a price and then you collect as many digital on ride photos as you want during the season. The best part about these is that you can almost instantly share them online. This seems like a no-brainer to me.

4. Dinning Show Package
This goes over big time at Disney. You purchase a dinner and show package at one of the higher end restaurants and you are guaranteed a prime viewing location at one of the bigger shows. I think this would be a great way to phase out Show Lovers and at the same time make more money off of food sales. Considering a new musical is coming in 2019 for Christmas, this would be the ideal time to start this.

Considering CF's Platinum and SF's Gold passes including free admission to other parks, HFE should break down a sweeten the pot instead of 50% off at Dollywood. The trick is coming up with a perk at SDC that would justify a 15 to 20 buck premium. Maybe cut back on Bring a Friend Free on a basic pass.

Even some SEAS parks are getting in on this:

Busch Gardens new membership plans:

Basic membership: Admission during select dates to Busch Gardens, Water Country USA; 50 percent off general parking; admissions to Christmas Town and Howl-O-Scream during select dates; guest ticket discounts; member sneak peeks; in-park discounts.

Unlimited membership: Unlimited admission to Busch Gardens and Water Country USA; free general parking; admission to Christmas Town and Howl-O-Scream; two free guest tickets, plus discounts on additional tickets; member sneak peeks; in-park discounts.

Premier membership: Unlimited admissions to Busch Gardens and Water Country USA, plus the nine sister parks that are apart of Sea World Parks & Entertainment Inc.; Free preferred parking; admission to Christmas Town and Howl-O-Scream; three free tickets, plus discounts on additional tickets; member sneak peeks; in-park discounts.

shavethewhales · February 23, 2018, 01:46:29 PM

Wouldn't be surprised to see plans along these lines coming next year. I think they are simply too busy to introduce anything else new at the moment with the new coaster and everything else going on in the park.

Not sure how the dinner + show package would go over. I haven't been to Disney so I'm not sure on how everything looks and works over there, but I think a lot of the people here that use the show pass are just regulars who want to see the shows and leave. The show pass is how SDC wrings their dollars out of those guests. Since most of SDC's restaurants aren't really "restaurants" in the proper sense, I'm not sure people would see the point.

Season dining is one of those things that you just assume is in the works, but I wonder if SDC is worried about needing to set it at a higher price than other parks due to how many SDC guests there are that visit a lot more often than Six Flags patrons do at Six Flags. There are so many people who basically live in Branson and visit SDC 20+ days a year - and unlike SF, SDC isn't making a buck off their parking anyway. Six Flags can give away a lot more when they already have $20 out of you before you even make it to the entrance. Plus, SDC's food is probably more expensive to produce than some of the slop that SF serves.

sanddunerider · February 23, 2018, 02:48:52 PM

Quote from: shavethewhales on February 23, 2018, 01:46:29 PM

Not sure how the dinner + show package would go over. I haven't been to Disney so I'm not sure on how everything looks and works over there, but I think a lot of the people here that use the show pass are just regulars who want to see the shows and leave. The show pass is how SDC wrings their dollars out of those guests. Since most of SDC's restaurants aren't really "restaurants" in the proper sense, I'm not sure people would see the point.

I wondered about the Dinner + Show when you mentioned it earlier for this exact reason...
Really Not a Place to "Dine" on park..

sirwillow · February 23, 2018, 03:05:59 PM

Quote from: Swoosh on February 22, 2018, 06:15:19 PM

3. Unlimited Digital On-ride Photos
This has really become popular at Cedar Fair parks and Disney parks. You pay a price and then you collect as many digital on ride photos as you want during the season. The best part about these is that you can almost instantly share them online. This seems like a no-brainer to me.

This is really up to who they contract with to provide the photos. SDC and Dollywood don't even use the same photo contractor. Disney in particular built all of their photo programming, including software, online, etc completely on their own in house and don't share it with anyone.

I'm guessing that CF uses one of the several descendants of Kodak that rose up when Kodak went belly under (in large part because they didn't create a program like this, which Disney offered to them and they refused), but I don't know which one. I doubt that it would be willing to share the whole system with SDC though.

Digiphoto, which is who SDC uses, is still transferring memory cards and doing everything manually. Honestly I think the company is stuck in the 90's to early 2000's with the way they run their business and do the photos, and I had a number of fruitless discussions with them over it when I worked there. As long as SDC sticks with them for their photos, then modern things like seeing photos online aren't going to happen, and especially not a multiple day or season pass for the photos. Shoot, Digiphoto has even been resistant to having a one day deal that would include all of the photos, in spite of the fact that it's shown repeatedly to make a lot more money than what they are doing now.

Swoosh · February 23, 2018, 11:53:41 PM

Quote from: sanddunerider on February 23, 2018, 02:48:52 PM
Quote from: shavethewhales on February 23, 2018, 01:46:29 PM

Not sure how the dinner + show package would go over. I haven't been to Disney so I'm not sure on how everything looks and works over there, but I think a lot of the people here that use the show pass are just regulars who want to see the shows and leave. The show pass is how SDC wrings their dollars out of those guests. Since most of SDC's restaurants aren't really "restaurants" in the proper sense, I'm not sure people would see the point.

I wondered about the Dinner + Show when you mentioned it earlier for this exact reason...
Really Not a Place to "Dine" on park..

I think you both know the solution to that.

sanddunerider · February 24, 2018, 09:10:55 AM

Quote from: Swoosh on February 23, 2018, 11:53:41 PM

I think you both know the solution to that.

Yes I do.
But I dont see SDC doing it the "correct" way. LOL

runner1960 · February 24, 2018, 12:41:28 PM

Is there really a place on park that would qualify as a dining experience ? I for one would consider this package but they would really need to up the ante on a truly fine dining experience.

Swoosh · February 25, 2018, 08:54:14 AM

They could easily make any of the 3 on the square into a full-service experience. They could also (gasp) build one or two.

shavethewhales · February 25, 2018, 11:13:55 AM

The easiest would be to use the Reunion Hall. That's already commonly split off for either special events or fancier meals.

Still though, it's hard to picture the park being "there" yet. On the extremely busy days during Christmas, sure, but the rest of the season doesn't have that kind of demand to simplify things and beat the crowds.

Getting back to the other ideas though, haven't they been playing around more with digital photos? I thought for sure I saw the one at Outlaw Run offering immediate share to social media and sending the photo in an email.

Swoosh · February 25, 2018, 02:54:12 PM

The easiest to implement would be the season-refill mugs and doing away with the old mugs. Have a "good for refills today only and then you can refill for a price the rest of the season" and then the "refill for free all season long" mugs.

palallin · May 16, 2018, 12:00:10 PM

I admit there may be benefits to HFE in all these plans, but I see no benefit whatever to me/my family.

I know: it's not a charity. I neither need nor want charity, but I can be priced out of the market.

What's in all this for me?

Swoosh · May 16, 2018, 01:42:51 PM

Um, You would save money in the long run?

Gilligan · May 16, 2018, 05:19:07 PM

Bringing no more food in the park will be the end of SDC for me and several family members with the same food issues. We travel by necessity with a doctor's note needing to take our own food. If I can't bring it in, I'm definitely done. There are under 3 things in the park that I can safely eat.

sanddunerider · May 16, 2018, 06:46:24 PM

I would tend to agree with you..

If I want a meal or snack, I will buy it. As will many other people
I dont have any interest in photos,.
I have my mugs, dont expect me to buy new. There are lots of newcomers buying the new mugs, Leave us "old guys" alone

I might be open to dinner and show, depending on quality of each and the price of course.