Theme parks hope to boost sales with online ticket deals
By Jayne Clark
Friday, July 16, 2004
(USA Today, page 1D) -- Theme-park-bound bargain seekers would be wise to spend some time surfing online before they get in line at the parks this summer.
A growing number of these attractions now allow customers to print e-tickets at home with hefty discounts off the gate price, in part to spur attendance that has slackened in recent years.
After boom times in the late 1990s, theme park attendance began to wane, with an overall decline of about 4% over the past few years at North America's 50 most-visited establishments, says James Zoltak, editor of Amusement Business.
''The bloom was off the rose as we turned the corner into 2000, so there's more discounting now,'' he says.
Discounting isn't new to an industry that has long partnered with other commercial enterprises, such as soft drink companies, to offer deals. But e-ticketing adds a new dimension that not only brings savings but convenience as well, since it allows visitors to bypass the line at the gate.
''Time is money,'' says Robert Niles of the Web site Theme Park Insider. ''And if you can get in early before the lines fill up, you're getting more for your money.''
Among parks with online e-ticket deals:
* Through July 25, Six Flags Magic Mountain (sixflags.com/parks/magicmountain) in Valencia, Calif., has half-price ''Print-N-Go'' tickets for $23.50, adults.
* In June, Cedar Point (cedarpoint.com) in Sandusky, Ohio, introduced print-at-home tickets for $39.95 for adults, down from $43.95 at the gate.
* Universal Orlando Resort (universalorlando.com) has an online-only offer for $94.95 for five days' admission (a $150-plus savings over single-day passes).
* Walt Disney World (disneyworld.com) in Orlando discounts advance-purchase multi-day tickets bought online, by phone or through a travel agent. Sample: Four-day Park Hopper tickets are $17 off ($202 vs. $219 for adults).
* Knott's Berry Farm (knotts.com) in Buena Park, Calif., has lowered children's admission to $12.95 from $33 and offers online adult tickets for $35, $8 off the gate price. A better deal, available weekends through October, includes admission and all-you-can-eat barbecue for $29.95 for adults and $16.95 for kids, reservation only.
* At Paramount's Carowinds (carowinds.com) in Charlotte, online buyers who buy three days ahead pay $29.99 ($32.99 for adults for shorter advance purchase), compared with $42.99 at the gate.
Despite online and other discounts, theme-park rates have risen slightly among 30 parks surveyed by Amusement Business. Average adult admission is $44.99, up $1.59 from last year.
By Jayne Clark
Friday, July 16, 2004
(USA Today, page 1D) -- Theme-park-bound bargain seekers would be wise to spend some time surfing online before they get in line at the parks this summer.
A growing number of these attractions now allow customers to print e-tickets at home with hefty discounts off the gate price, in part to spur attendance that has slackened in recent years.
After boom times in the late 1990s, theme park attendance began to wane, with an overall decline of about 4% over the past few years at North America's 50 most-visited establishments, says James Zoltak, editor of Amusement Business.
''The bloom was off the rose as we turned the corner into 2000, so there's more discounting now,'' he says.
Discounting isn't new to an industry that has long partnered with other commercial enterprises, such as soft drink companies, to offer deals. But e-ticketing adds a new dimension that not only brings savings but convenience as well, since it allows visitors to bypass the line at the gate.
''Time is money,'' says Robert Niles of the Web site Theme Park Insider. ''And if you can get in early before the lines fill up, you're getting more for your money.''
Among parks with online e-ticket deals:
* Through July 25, Six Flags Magic Mountain (sixflags.com/parks/magicmountain) in Valencia, Calif., has half-price ''Print-N-Go'' tickets for $23.50, adults.
* In June, Cedar Point (cedarpoint.com) in Sandusky, Ohio, introduced print-at-home tickets for $39.95 for adults, down from $43.95 at the gate.
* Universal Orlando Resort (universalorlando.com) has an online-only offer for $94.95 for five days' admission (a $150-plus savings over single-day passes).
* Walt Disney World (disneyworld.com) in Orlando discounts advance-purchase multi-day tickets bought online, by phone or through a travel agent. Sample: Four-day Park Hopper tickets are $17 off ($202 vs. $219 for adults).
* Knott's Berry Farm (knotts.com) in Buena Park, Calif., has lowered children's admission to $12.95 from $33 and offers online adult tickets for $35, $8 off the gate price. A better deal, available weekends through October, includes admission and all-you-can-eat barbecue for $29.95 for adults and $16.95 for kids, reservation only.
* At Paramount's Carowinds (carowinds.com) in Charlotte, online buyers who buy three days ahead pay $29.99 ($32.99 for adults for shorter advance purchase), compared with $42.99 at the gate.
Despite online and other discounts, theme-park rates have risen slightly among 30 parks surveyed by Amusement Business. Average adult admission is $44.99, up $1.59 from last year.
