Audio File: [url]http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4990536[/url]

Some interesting points to note (and a summary for those that can't open the audio file for certain reasons):

- Dick Kinzel is having his General Managers at all the partnership's amusement parks to offer Cotton Candy at just a quarter for a stick of that Diabetes-inducing candy next season in 2006. :) I don't know if you can even get a dish of ranch sauce at most amusement parks for a quarter. :eek: He says his decision was influenced by his noticing that most of the Cedar Fair properties in recent years have been focusing too much on increasing margins too much in the park and a lot of the food service managers concentrate too much on high margin food items such as (hot dogs, pizzas, hamburgers).

- The parternship's "two signature parks" that "generate the most attendance and revenues" are Knott's Berry Farm and Cedar Point. (duh, you already knew that ;))

- As supposed to his worst rollercoaster decision when asked about it by The Motley Fool in the recent past, (Disaster Transport) - Kinzel answers the question: "[i]What is your smartest business decision in recent years and feel free to compare and contrast that to the Disaster Transport."[/i] - Kinzel answers that Magnum XL-200 followed by Millennium Force, are the two smartest business decisions he's ever made and that [i]Top Thrill Dragster has replaced Disaster Transport as the [b]WORST[/b] business decision he has ever made.[/i]

[quote]"The way I feel right now, why, the worst decision we ever made was putting that coaster in (Top Thrill Dragster), but sometimes David, you have to roll the dice a little bit, and we certainly hit it high with the two of the rollercoasters (Magnum XL-200 and Millennium Force) and we haven't been quite as successful with the 400-footer." - Dick Kinzel[/quote]

- Marketing next year will be more focused towards mothers to make the parks appealing in that it gets children away from staying inside the house "away from their iPods" and away from the computer and TV; Kinzel says that according to surveys done at all the parks, in majority of the visitor groups that attend the park, the mother makes the decision to visit the park, when to go and when to leave.

Hm-m. The marketing thing with the "mothers" sure wasn't an issue at Cedar Point, at least while I was there (June-July, peak attendance I'm guessing). I personally read every version of every type of survey, and nowhere did it ask, "Who made the decision to come?" or anything like that.

Either the marketing thing Kinzel talked about is bogus, or it was discussed at other Cedar Fair parks.

Off-topic kinda ... this goes on to prove what I've been saying for a good while now, that CP will not be going for any more height/speed records. It bit 'em in the butt, and they'll turn to more reliable thrill-rides/coasters (B&M, I'm sure of it).

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