SANDUSKY - Ohioans and Michiganders, Cedar Point feels your pain.

Aware of the economic struggles of residents of the two states, Cedar Fair LP's flagship park in Sandusky took the surprising plunge of cutting prices for admission and many food and concession items.

The hope, not being embraced elsewhere in the amusement park industry nationally, is that a day at the entertainment center on Lake Erie this summer will be considered more affordable, thus attracting more visitors and perhaps more spending.

When the park opens Saturday, a family of two adults and two children going to the park and buying two souvenir T-shirts as well as something to eat and drink will spend $174.

Last year, the cost would have been $218, or about what an industry trade magazine, Amusement Business, found in a national survey of amusement park visitors.

"It's safe to say the rest of the industry is watching it," said William Koch, chief executive of Holiday World & Splashin' Safari amusement and water park in Santa Claus, Ind.

"I do think our industry has a value problem as a whole. I think there's a growing perception in the industry that people who go to a park of late walk out the door feeling like they've been taken advantage of."

The price cuts aren't likely to force Walt Disney Co., the bellwether of industry prices, to start slashing its admission cost.

But the cut, a huge gamble for Cedar Fair, could, if successful, lead other parks to follow suit, industry analysts said.

Cedar Point executives are betting to win.

"We knew, obviously, that in cutting prices, the way you make up for that is in volume," said Lee Alexakos, the park's marketing director.

Mike Barnes, executive editor of Amusement Business, said, "I've never heard anybody directly talking about the economy. But it's probably smart."

With the economic conditions in the Midwest, he said, "you probably will have some people on the fence, and they might go for it if the price is a couple of bucks cheaper. So why not try it?"

Cedar Point, where attendance fell 2 percent to 3.1 million last year, sliced its adult ticket price to $40, down by $5, and trimmed prices on five of its most popular menu items. Cotton candy - a popular treat with children - was chopped the most, dropping from $3 to 25 cents.

Overall, the reductions total $43.60 for a family of four buying typical items.

Cedar Point hasn't raised other menu prices, changed food or drink sizes, or lowered quality to offset expected lower revenues, the company said.

It also hasn't eliminated ticket discounts offered by soft-drink makers, retailers, and credit unions.

Still, the company expects visitors will be attracted by new rides as well, such as this year's offering, a $6 million Skyhawk swing ride.

The park, which draws visitors from a radius of hundreds of miles, is known for its thriller roller coasters.

In past years when attendance slumped, the park blamed the weather, either too hot or too wet.

But last fall, executives who for years maintained that the park was recession-proof, that people would come instead of taking a trip to Florida, admitted they have a price problem with the public.

With potential visitors strapped for cash, and some battling job or income losses, the park realizes people have less money to spend on non-essential items such as entertainment, Ms. Alexakos said.

And that money often goes where they can find value, she added.

"Knowing that the economic conditions in our market area are at some of the lowest in the country, we just thought it was prudent and proactive to lower our prices," she said.

The approach could be costly, especially if bad weather - an issue that has plagued Cedar Point attendance before - keeps visitors at home.

For May through July, the National Weather Service forecasts an equal chance of warmer than normal weather as of cooler than normal temperatures and of wetter or drier than normal.

Tim Leffel, a bargain-travel expert and author, gives Cedar Point high marks for cutting prices. It is likely to attract more visitors, he said.

"Most of us have to watch our budgets and save up for vacations," said the Nashville resident. "Everyone's trying to stretch their travel dollars as much as they can, and now with gas prices going up, it's even harder, especially for the family."

With gasoline prices expected to rise this summer, Mr. Leffel said he'd advise people to save money that would have been spent on a trip to Florida and instead trek to roller coasters in northern Ohio.

Executives in Sandusky likely studied the financial consequences before making the price cuts, said Mr. Koch, of Holiday World. His park has its own approach, offering free sunblock and free unlimited soft drinks.

Lisa Rau, spokesman for Silver Dollar City amusement park in Branson, Mo., said she was surprised that Cedar Point was so open with its acknowledgment of the region's poor economies and that it was cutting costs to help.

"Normally you wouldn't do that," she said. "You'd cut costs, but you'd find ways of doing it but disguising it."

But an amusement park has to respond to changing conditions, she added.

Contact Jon Chavez at: jchavez@theblade.com or 419-724-6128.

First Published April 30, 2006, 5:26 p.m.