Volume 2, No. 18. September 27, 2002
A
Spring fling
End-of-the-season
discounting is common enough in the retail industry; does any reason exist that
the same can’t be true in the amusement industry? Magic Springs & Crystal
Falls is about to find out.
For its final day of the season tomorrow, the Hot Springs, Arkansas, amusement
park will charge $10 admission. Do the math: that’s 65 percent off the
regular adult ticket ($28.96, which, with tax, comes to $30), and 30 percent
off the regular under-52-inches and senior citizens admission ($14.37). Additionally,
the park is offering 40 percent off all its merchandise.
“Every year we do something special the last couple of weekends, and decided
to do this a couple of weeks ago,” said the park’s general manager,
Vicki Berni. “It’s a last hurrah.”
She admits charging full admission would not be fair because the waterpark will
be closed (it ended its season Labor Day). However, even on the hottest of days
Crystal Falls does not make up more than half the value of Magic Springs. Rather,
the discounted price she believes will entice people who could not afford a
family outing to the park earlier in the year. “This gives folks who did
not have the opportunity before to come out and see the value we have to offer.”
And that, she hopes, will be remembered when season ticket sales for the 2003
season begin in a couple of months.
The park’s intentions are far from mercenary, though. Magic Springs could
just as easily raise prices in an attempt to gouge out a little more end-of-season
revenue for the bottom line. The park, has a longer range view, though. “This
is sort of a Hot Springs Appreciation Day,” Berni said, noting that the
region’s tourism season has waned. “It’s a good neighbor thing.”
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