Friday, May 22, 2009
SANDUSKY (AP) — Amusement park operators preparing for their annual Memorial Day weekend rush are wondering how many customers will show up at their gates this summer — the second-straight season under a recession.
Gas prices and reduced consumer spending will again challenge the sports and entertainment industry this year, said Kings Island spokesman Don Helbig. But amusement parks discovered last summer they can gain when people save money by staying close to home for vacation, he said.
“We’re 12 hours of fun, whereas taking the family to a ball game is just three hours,” Helbig said of the amusement park near Cincinnati.
Several park officials used the phrase “cautiously optimistic” to describe the summer outlook for the industry, including International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions spokesman David Mandt. Amusement parks, to some extent, are recession-proof, he said.
“We’ve found that families may adjust their plans, but they still need quality time with friends and family,” he said
Some amusement parks around the country have been reporting strong spring attendance, particularly around Easter and spring break, said Mandt, whose group represents about 400 parks in the U.S.
But Richard Kinzel, the chief executive of Ohio-based Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., warned shareholders last week that park attendance and revenues would likely drop this year at the company’s 11 amusement parks and six water parks in the United States and Canada, which include Kings Island.
Some struggling firms have already canceled company picnics scheduled for Cedar Point — the company’s flagship park in Sandusky — because of the economy, Kinzel said.
Turmoil in the auto industry is also expected to take its toll on the northern Ohio park, which attracts more customers from Detroit than anywhere else, he said. Cleveland and Toledo, which have struggled in the recession, are other key markets for Cedar Point.
But Cedar Point spokesman Robin Innes said the park is expecting more than 3 million guests this year — about the same number that visited last year.
And the park is again offering special online deals to make its attractions more affordable — much like last year when Cedar Point touted an “amusement stimulus package” with one special admission ticket price for a family of four.
This weekend, for example, Cedar Point is offering a $44.95 deal that includes an admission ticket and an all-you-can-eat picnic meal, Innes said.