Big changes coming to CP 2024 season passes

Editor's note: Justin Dietz is a Register correspondent representing CPFoodBlog.com and @CPFoodBlog on Twitter. Starting next year, guests with a season pass to Cedar Point are going to rethink their approach to visiting the park. Effective for 2024, Cedar Point has announced a change for guests who want to use their season passes to visit other parks in the Cedar Fair family. Currently, guests need a platinum or prestige plus season pass to get free parking and admission to other Cedar Fair parks like Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, or Michigan's Adventure in Muskegon, Michigan. New details recently released by Cedar Point state platinum passes are going away for 2024. Based on the new season pass structure, this would also mean prestige plus passes are also going away. For 2024, if guests want to visit other parks in the chain, they will need to purchase a gold or prestige pass plus a new all-park Passport. In addition to the cost of a gold pass or prestige pass — prices have not been released yet — the all-park Passport will cost an additional $100 or $125, respectively. Full details on 2024 passes have yet to be announced to see how the cost impacts guests. Although Cedar Fair is stating that the cost of a gold pass in addition to an all-park passport will be up to $50 less compared to what a 2023 platinum pass costs when that plan went on sale in August 2022. Going back and reviewing 2022 prices (for 2023 passes), based on a platinum pass costing $250, this would indicate that the gold pass will once again cost $99 for 2024 plus an all-park passport of $100 for a grand total of $199. Cedar Fair has stated that the gold pass and prestige pass benefits will be honored at other parks. Note: Prestige benefits will only be available at Carowinds, Cedar Point, and Kings Island. The key will be in the benefit details that have yet to be released. For example, gold passes no longer received an early entry for the 2023 season. It is presumed, at this point, that if early entry remains, it will only be a prestige benefit. The amusement park giant has already stated prestige passes will still get "preferred parking, a single-use fast lane with each visit, access to the VIP lounge and so much more." It will also be interesting to see how all-season dining and drink plans are incorporated into the new pass structure. Currently, dining and drink plans were only valid at other parks with platinum and prestige passes. Guests paid a premium for those passes and then paid an additional premium for dining and drink plans versus those with gold passes, which were only valid at the park of purchase. If dining and drink plans are now only being offered on gold and prestige, it will be interesting to see the pricing structure and implementation. It is everybody's guess at this point until official passes go on sale in August.