I'm a bit surprised that Knott's lowered prices. They're perfectly positioned demographically between Magic Mountain and Disneyland, and have carved out a good little niche in Southern California. With the addition of Silver Bullet last year and Disney and Six Flags raising prices, leaving prices alone would probably have been sufficient. I do like their attempt to attract more families to the park, but I wonder what a family with smaller children is supposed to do at Knott's.
Not a bad move by Dick Kinzel this year. Cedar Point hasn't seen a big ride for a few years, and neither have the guests. The markets they are going after are the day trippers and borderline marketplaces. They have no problems bringing in their local and hardcore fan bases, but without a major new ride, some just won't come. Some of them will come when they find out that daily admission was actually reduced five bucks. New ride or not this year, Cedar Point is still worth a visit.
Some may say that Cedar Point's declining attendance the past few years is attributed to the marketplace leaning more towards family entertainment and away from thrills. I say it's because they haven't installed a major ride in 4 years. Thrill rides have and always will be huge draws and big moneymakers when done correctly in the right setting. Declining attendance will be out the window when the empty land footprint that used to be White Water Landing is filled.