Cedar Point in Sandusky is going cashless in 2022, following the lead of Kings Island in Mason, which has also opted for cashless transactions in the wake of COVID-19.
“There are plenty of benefits, both for guests and our parks,” said Gary Rhodes, a Cedar Fair spokesperson (via Spectrum News). “Cashless transactions are faster, safer and more secure.”
“Guests can spend less time in the check-out waiting on change and more time hitting up their favorite rides or other attractions,” Rhodes added.
In July, Kings Island transitioned to cashless payments throughout the park. The attraction only accepts credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Cedar Fair opting for cashless transactions
Kings Island and the Soak City water park have installed kiosks for visitors for convert their cash into a card. Cedar Point will also offer the cash-to-card service.
“Overall, our park guests have responded very favorably to going cashless,” Rhodes said. “It’s been pretty much a non-event for most.”
The pandemic prompted the attractions industry to move away from cash transactions, and many destinations will remain cashless.
“Our parks also benefit,” Rhodes said. “There’s no need to pay for armored cars to haul currency back and forth from the parks.
Kings Island in Ohio is already cashless
“No more time and labor spent counting cash. And from a practical standpoint, it’s getting harder and harder to find coins.”
Meanwhile, Cedar Fair is looking into developing a $28m esports arena in Sandusky. The gaming facility would offer a 1,500-seat arena designed for esports, gaming stations and F&B.
“Our long-term strategy is focused on delivering an immersive entertainment experience that differentiates our parks and makes our park guests want to come back again and again,” said Richard A Zimmerman, Cedar Fair president and CEO.
Cedar Fair plans to invest up to $200m across all of its parks in the US and Canada for the 2022 season, including investing aggressively in F&B.
Images: Cedar Fair
