And sell your gold its up to $1,000 an ounce...lol

Not a bad idea...I think I may sell my wedding rings

^Nahh, sell you're Ex's.

Cory-I am still interested in carpooling-I am spending some time in KY on work weekends, just because it is closer, but I for one am making a lot of changes until things improve. Ebay is going to see some action from me this summer.

We will see what we can do about the carpooling thing. I will message you off board about that. I think I will have a new Malibu by full-season, that is my goal anyways!

29-34MPG is so much better than my Cavaliers 18-24!

I would get the car right now, because I actually would save money, but my insurance is currently covered by a family member, so I would have to pay that myself and I would lose money. I have a really nice internship right now, so I am just still working out the logistics of it all!

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articl...01-24359701.htm

It's going to be a VERY rough year for regional parks, IMHO.

I felt the only people getting a laugh on April Fools were the Gas componies.

Cory-I am still interested in carpooling-I am spending some time in KY on work weekends, just because it is closer, but I for one am making a lot of changes until things improve. Ebay is going to see some action from me this summer.

We will see what we can do about the carpooling thing. I will message you off board about that. I think I will have a new Malibu by full-season, that is my goal anyways!

29-34MPG is so much better than my Cavaliers 18-24!

I would get the car right now, because I actually would save money, but my insurance is currently covered by a family member, so I would have to pay that myself and I would lose money. I have a really nice internship right now, so I am just still working out the logistics of it all!

I got my egr valve replaced saturday-my god, couldn't believe how plugged it was, but I have my mileage back-first time I have hit 250 miles on it and still have a little over quarter tank-now we're talking!!

On a side note, bp had gas for $3.35 this evening can't wait til the season goes full spring

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articl...01-24359701.htm

It's going to be a VERY rough year for regional parks, IMHO.

Iknow I'm worried about it. I am one of thelucky ones with job security at my full time job, but the clientele I deal with are having more trouble as time passes. This year is going to be rough all over-I think initially attendance will be good, but toward the middle, I think it may drop some as the $4 gallon rolls into play.

BTW-excuse my typos-I have a fussy space bar

this is how stupid I am... i saw the title of the thread and thought "thank goodness it's finally getting cheaper..." how sad is that?

I remember visiting Miami University back in the day (1998) visiting what would be my future wife filling up for $0.79/gallon. ah, glory days.

I'm beginning to think that I need a car. I'm driving a Honda Element which if you take aerodynamic and think of something completely opposite of it you have my Element. I get maybe 19 MPG on a good day. I have to drive 60+ miles to get to KI so I might see myself going less. I'm really considering replacing most of my travels with a bicycle. I only live two miles from my school which is basically the only place I drive.

On a side note, I see absolutely no reason except for greed in not avidly developing a good, cheap alternative fuel. That's all I'll say on that in an effort not to rock the boat.

On a side note, I see absolutely no reason except for greed in not avidly developing a good, cheap alternative fuel. That's all I'll say on that in an effort not to rock the boat.

I suppose you could call it greed, but until the major car manufacturers decide to give in and start supporting an alternative fuel source, nothing will change.

I'm sure there is technology out there to use many things as a fuel source, it's just that it does not have the financial backing to engineer it for the standards necessary.

And in all reality, it really is not an alternative fuel source that we need the most. It is an alternative to oil. One of the major ingredients used in plastic is oil. And Hybrid cars, while fantastic on gas mileage, used a enormous battery made mostly out of plastic. And the disposal of these batteries will eventually become a problem as well.

So yes, we will help solve one problem, and create another.

Not to mention, the power you use to charge those electric cars also has to come from other sources, and there are still plenty of oil and coal burning power plants in the country.

Except, except, except...the food cost is a very small percentage of the retail cost of the food in venues like parks, stadiums, etc.

That food cost is more than you think.

Being in the food business (in a past life ), the cost of not only food, but all the supplies that go along with serving food is about 35% of the total cost for a particular item. Then add in the utility costs (which have been going up with the cost of oil) and overhead, there really is not that much left over to make a profit.

No, having been a food service supervisor at Kings Island and been a restaurant manager (yes, both many moons ago) I can assure you that amusement parks are a little bubble. Any restaurant would kill to have labor and food cost percentages that are even double what they have at a park.

$4 gasoline at times this summer?

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...345/1016/AUTO01

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5685565.html

I have been finding these stories about high prices of fuel more and more interesting as of late. Demand is dropping, supply is rising, but yet the price just keeps on rising too. Every economic textbook that I have ever seen has taught that dropping demand and rising supply = lower prices. I guess all those textbooks are wrong. It would seem that greed is very much the motivating factory in this conspiracy. I only hope that all those that are causing this economic disaster are the first ones to get caught up in the carnage.

Beast Rider, could you point us in the directions of some facts stating that the demand for oil is dropping and the supply rising? Because as I have understood as of late the demand in the United States is pretty steady while the demand in China is rising and rising. I don't really think there is a conspiracy here bent on swindling us all.

The weekly oil inventory report today said inventories dropped.

I heared that the National Energy Consuption or whatever group said it's likely for gas to reach $4+ per gallon this summer.

I'm sure this will be an issue in the 2008 presidential and congressional elections.

I heared that the National Energy Consuption or whatever group said it's likely for gas to reach $4+ per gallon this summer.

Well thanks for the info Captain Obvious!

$4 gallon gas this summer?

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/polit...could_mean.html

Record gas prices seen, and going higher until late summer:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-gas1...1,5149658.story

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNew...T00934320080414

There is nothing we can do about it. So why worry.

Excuse me? You can drive less, and many will have to. Many will take fewer (or no) vacations. And the gas prices (and diesel) will affect the price of virtually everything you buy. In fact, they already are.

Yes, gas prices most certainly do have an impact. I know that I have been trying to conserve trips, because I only get about 19 miles to the gallon! Which means that in order to go to Kings Island once (which is about a thirty minute, 24 mile drive each way from my house), at the cost of gas today ($3.45 a gallon for the cheap stuff) would cost me about $8.71 in gas.

The question one has to ask, is how many families are going to say, the cost of gas, coupled with the outrageous price of food at Kings Island means that they will forgo their annual visit to the park? I have a feeling that if they do decide to visit, and the food prices are much higher then they were last year without an increase in quality, it might be a long time before they return to the park. Which will negatively impact the balance sheet and Cedar Fair`s highly talked about per capita spending!

Yes, gas prices most certainly do have an impact. I know that I have been trying to conserve trips, because I only get about 19 miles to the gallon! Which means that in order to go to Kings Island once (which is about a thirty minute, 24 mile drive each way from my house), at the cost of gas today ($3.45 a gallon for the cheap stuff) would cost me about $8.71 in gas.

The question one has to ask, is how many families are going to say, the cost of gas, coupled with the outrageous price of food at Kings Island means that they will forgo their annual visit to the park? I have a feeling that if they do decide to visit, and the food prices are much higher then they were last year without an increase in quality, it might be a long time before they return to the park. Which will negatively impact the balance sheet and Cedar Fair`s highly talked about per capita spending!

But they will have nostalgia!

Remember that! It's the tag word for the season.

It's Deja Vu all over again.

Oh, wait....

Right. Because nostalgia brings in money right? I mean, look at LeSourdsville Lake. Or even Geauga Lake, both parks that had plenty of nostalgic elements. But they were not able to financially stand on their own, just because of their nostalgia.

A park can have all the nostalgia in the world, but if no one shows up and pays money, there will be no way that the park can earn a profit and the park won`t be around for long!

The question one has to ask, is how many families are going to say, the cost of gas, coupled with the outrageous price of food at Kings Island means that they will forgo their annual visit to the park? I have a feeling that if they do decide to visit, and the food prices are much higher then they were last year without an increase in quality, it might be a long time before they return to the park. Which will negatively impact the balance sheet and Cedar Fair`s highly talked about per capita spending!

If families are trying to save money, they were not planning on eating in the park anyway, no matter what the cost of food was.

Even in the early 80's, when my family would visit KI, we always had a cooler with food. It is always cheaper to bring your own, than to purchase it at the park. Some venues will not allow you to leave to go back to your car (sporting events, concerts), and at other venues, it is just way too difficult (indoor waterparks) unless you have a hotel room. I'm just happy that at KI, and every other park that I have been to, we have the luxury to do that.

...except during Halloween Haunt (or Fright Fest at Six Flags). No re-entry is permitted during the Halloween events. Grad nights were the same way.

Six Flags tried the no re-entry thing during the regular season for about six minutes after Messrs Shapiro and Snyder took over.

Yesterday when I left work, gas had climbed to $3.45-and they are saying the increase has not reached the pump yet? Oh my....

Oil hit a new record today, closing over $114 barrel. Predictions are for a rise of 20 cents a gallon or more over the next two weeks:

http://www.wday.com/news/index.cfm?id=3443