jessep28 wrote: Mon Sep 28, 2020 1:15 pm
I haven't gone in years since I moved away from Omaha, so it might not be a valid shortcut anymore with development and stuff. You used to be able to take 168th St. South, and that would curve over to Schram Rd. and take you right to the gate. The traffic on 180th and even had to yield to you. It might be worth trying out if you're forced to go on a busy weekend.
I've taken that route before, its clutch, and I hate using that word.
Definitely still a valid shortcut. That's how we almost always go.
168th becomes gravel a few hundred feet south of 370, whereas 180th is paved almost the entire way to the gate, but you're generally one of a dozen or so cars on the road while 180th is backed up clear to 370. There's another little gravel road that goes over I-80 that connects to Schram that is also a good shortcut if you're driving from the south -- no idea what the name of that road is, though.
It is Schram that go across the interstate.
For the record NEBUGEATER does not equal BUGEATER !!!!!!!
skinzfan23 wrote: Thu Sep 24, 2020 12:32 pm
I wonder how the attendance will be this year. I still love this place, but on a sour note, they did raise admission prices again: ($25.95, if purchased at the gate)
For a comparison, here are prices for previous seasons (over a 52% increase in the past 6 years) I know that they do reinvest a lot of the profit, but that is getting pretty expensive for a family of 4 and this is isn't even counting food or drinks) :
skinzfan23 wrote: Thu Sep 24, 2020 12:32 pm
I wonder how the attendance will be this year. I still love this place, but on a sour note, they did raise admission prices again: ($25.95, if purchased at the gate)
For a comparison, here are prices for previous seasons (over a 52% increase in the past 6 years) I know that they do reinvest a lot of the profit, but that is getting pretty expensive for a family of 4 and this is isn't even counting food or drinks) :
I think we are in for some sticker shock in many ways going forward. Labor costs are climbing, plus materials and you've got businesses like Vala's that had to run at reduced capacity for a year.....This really doesn't surprise me nor will I think it will be on it's own.
Wow, you're talking like $200 for the average family trip there now. I remember when a ticket was like $10. Worth it at that price, but not $30. Hopefully they have some big plans for that money. I always thought that place would be a lot cooler if they had some motorized go karts and a roller coaster that goes out into the patch or a train. Would also be cool if they had some adult nights, after hours type stuff. But I know their entire business model is appealing to 5 year olds, so no way they'd change that.
Busguy2010 wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 11:01 am
Wow, you're talking like $200 for the average family trip there now. I remember when a ticket was like $10. Worth it at that price, but not $30. Hopefully they have some big plans for that money. I always thought that place would be a lot cooler if they had some motorized go karts and a roller coaster that goes out into the patch or a train. Would also be cool if they had some adult nights, after hours type stuff. But I know their entire business model is appealing to 5 year olds, so no way they'd change that.
That's usually about how much we budget for Vala's with four kids, but we will go on a weekday to save on that admission price.
I agree with you, it would be nice to get some motorized attractions (kind of like how Knott's Berry Farm evolved over the decades) but I get they are trying to keep it rural/farm-y. Although the Chicken Coop thing with pressurized ball shooters ala the Children's Museum opens the door for more modern attractions.
Last edited by ita on Wed Jun 23, 2021 11:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
Busguy2010 wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 11:01 am
Wow, you're talking like $200 for the average family trip there now. I remember when a ticket was like $10. Worth it at that price, but not $30. Hopefully they have some big plans for that money. I always thought that place would be a lot cooler if they had some motorized go karts and a roller coaster that goes out into the patch or a train. Would also be cool if they had some adult nights, after hours type stuff. But I know their entire business model is appealing to 5 year olds, so no way they'd change that.
That's usually about how much we budget for Vala's with four kids, but we will go on a weekday to save on that admission price.
I agree with you, it would be nice to get some motorized attractions.
That is surprisingly high. But it is such a great place, I can't blame them.
Many of the people that will complain about the price for a family of four are likely the same people that don't give a second thought to dropping $200 or more at a bar for a couple of people.
If you want to you can spend all day there for the price of admission and it is a fair deal. Now if you are only going to stay an hour or two that is your choice.
For the record NEBUGEATER does not equal BUGEATER !!!!!!!
I had never been there as a kid, but my friends had. I think I first went when I was like 15 and it was still kinda fun. And we went for about 5 years straight. It was kinda fun letting the kid in myself out, but I haven't been back since. Once you get up to a certain age, if you don't have kids, you have no reason to go. That's why some other non kid oriented attractions would be nice. You could theoretically get the group of guys with no kids back together there if they had just a few attractions that are a little more adult oriented. Maybe go karts, laser tag, a train, a roller coaster, etc. I think that'd be fun. I like the place, but there just isn't anything there for me at my age and no kids.
I love Vala's and the cost isn't going to deter me from going but I do think that the % increase in the past 6 years is a little much. (over 75% more). For a family of 4, admission just alone (if you buy it at the gate on a weekend in October) is $120 plus tax. Granted the admission for the zoo during their peak season is $26 for adults and $19 for children. I think that Vala's should look into doing tiered pricing like this so that it can still remain affordable for families.
Thankfully, they usually have sales with reduced ticket prices as well.
I've always felt Vala's was popular with elementary school aged kids and their adult parents, but they don't have much for anyone under 5 or for teens or for young single adults. Maybe they need to sell booze. It's nice that you can bring outside food and drink. That certainly takes the edge off of their admissions price. Buy your tickets online before the season even starts and you can save a decent chunk, but it's still pricey. Their admission fees have certainly outpaced inflation.
I go for free twice every year. Once at my employer's expense and once at my spouse's employer's expense. They both have corporate fall family gatherings there.
ChadJK wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 10:18 am
Maybe they need to sell booze.
They do, they make their own hard Cider now with the Apples they grow in their orchard. Earlier this month they sent 7 ciders and won 3 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 2 bronze medals in the 2021 Great Lakes International Cider & Perry competition.
Brad wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 9:32 pm
They do, they make their own hard Cider now with the Apples they grow in their orchard. Earlier this month they sent 7 ciders and won 3 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 2 bronze medals in the 2021 Great Lakes International Cider & Perry competition.
Interesting... Is it package sales only or is it sold ready-to-drink on the premises?
Brad wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 9:32 pm
They do, they make their own hard Cider now with the Apples they grow in their orchard. Earlier this month they sent 7 ciders and won 3 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 2 bronze medals in the 2021 Great Lakes International Cider & Perry competition.
Interesting... Is it package sales only or is it sold ready-to-drink on the premises?
It sounded like both, but I'm not sure. This will be the first season for it, this starts this weekend for season ticket holders.
Brad wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 12:08 pm
It sounded like both, but I'm not sure. This will be the first season for it, this starts this weekend for season ticket holders.
I emailed and asked and got a response. It will be available for sale at three different locations on their property so you can enjoy it while walking around the farm/patch/orchard.
Brad wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 12:08 pm
It sounded like both, but I'm not sure. This will be the first season for it, this starts this weekend for season ticket holders.
I emailed and asked and got a response. It will be available for sale at three different locations on their property so you can enjoy it while walking around the farm/patch/orchard.
That's cool! However with the age of my kids, I am usually looking for the coffee, not the booze...
I was able to try their cider this last weekend. Tasty stuff, but a little steep at $8/cup (12oz). Their map can be a little confusing on where the pizza is. Mostly because on the printed maps the orange 23 looks like the red 23. It's a little clearer online. Anyway, pizza is over by the yellow "Egg Scramble" barn. I didn't get a chance to try it, but heard others praising it.
Here's a shot of one of the places they sell hard cider at. The Cider Silo:
Last edited by ChadJK on Mon Aug 30, 2021 1:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
ChadJK wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 1:04 pm
I was able to try their cider this last weekend. Tasty stuff, but a little steep at $8/cup (12oz). Their map can be a little confusing on where the pizza is. Mostly because on the printed maps the orange 23 looks like the red 23. It's a little clearer online. Anyway, pizza is over by the yellow "Egg Scramble" barn. I didn't get a chance to try it, but heard others praising it.
Here's a shot of one of the places they sell hard cider at. The Cider Silo:
<Also, should this thread be over in "Dining/Culture/Entertainment"?>
We have friends in from out of state this coming weekend and they mentioned going to Vala's while in town. According to their website it's some type of Harvest festival for picking apples. Has anyone been to this in the past? Their list of what's open seems to be non-existent (or I simply missed it).
I imagine almost the entire pumpkin patch area & attractions won't be open. Although they're charging $20/person to enter so I can't imagine that's just to get over by the apple trees, is it?
Co-founder of Vala's Pumpkin Patch dies after heart attack
Jan Vala, co-founder of the much-loved Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, died Friday.
The matriarch of the Vala family had a heart attack in late August and passed away peacefully Friday night, her family said Saturday in a Facebook post.
I agree - it's a cool place, but for shits and gigs I hopped over to Adventureland's website and you can get day tickets (guessing that means it excludes weekends) for $39.99. Some would argue that you're comparing apples to pumpkins (couldn't resist), but you really don't get to do anything for $40 at Vala's except wander around dirt paths with an OPTION to toss out more cash for other stuff that costs extra... Sure, you could argue it's the atmosphere, time of year, etc - but you don't even get to ride their train for the $40 admission cost.
Same goes for Fun Plex - it's a catch 22 if you ask me. They have the right to charge whatever the market will bare for sure. And with those two places being pretty unique to our area, there aren't a lot of options to go elsewhere. It's times like this when Peony Park being gone and even Moby Dick waterslides is disappointing, although that wouldn't address the seasonality of Vala's.
Vala's has a unique value proposition and they've built their fanbase year over year by slowly making minor improvements to their property. I had proposed to Vala's they should add a lighted "night show" to their train ride so in the evening there are lighted displays around the track, making it somewhat more like a ride... they never replied back, LOL.
One other thing I didn't even catch on my first reply... WOW happened between 2021 and 2022 to justify a 25% bump year over year? Did they install a roller coaster or something?
One other thing I didn't even catch on my first reply... WOW happened between 2021 and 2022 to justify a 25% bump year over year? Did they install a roller coaster or something?
That is a big jump between 21-22. They have been adding attractions over the years, but none that I know about in the last year. We love taking our kids there (usually on a weekday when it's a bit cheaper), but I wonder when the asking price starts affecting number of visitors.
I'm fortunate enough that my employer has a company event there every fall and me and my family's admission is included. So, we go at least once a year for free. If not for that, then I'm not sure I'd ever go. Too crowded and it seems geared toward younger kids. Teens are bored.
I've mentioned it in the past, but I will say again, that one upside to Vala's is that you can bring your own food and drink. So, unlike other amusement/theme parks where no outside food or drink is allowed so you have to pay the steep admission AND pay elevated prices for food and rink in the park, at Vala's you can bring your own snacks and drinks and even picnic your own lunch or dinner. So, that may offset some of the admissions cost for people.
There is a flash sale for tickets and season passes on August 4th & August 5th. So, keep an eye out for that.
ChadJK wrote: Thu Jul 14, 2022 9:46 am
I'm fortunate enough that my employer has a company event there every fall and me and my family's admission is included. So, we go at least once a year for free. If not for that, then I'm not sure I'd ever go. Too crowded and it seems geared toward younger kids. Teens are bored.
I've mentioned it in the past, but I will say again, that one upside to Vala's is that you can bring your own food and drink. So, unlike other amusement/theme parks where no outside food or drink is allowed so you have to pay the steep admission AND pay elevated prices for food and rink in the park, at Vala's you can bring your own snacks and drinks and even picnic your own lunch or dinner. So, that may offset some of the admissions cost for people.
There is a flash sale for tickets and season passes on August 4th & August 5th. So, keep an eye out for that.
I actually was going to mention the "bring your own food and drink" feature as well, but forgot to type that in! That is a BIG plus if you're spending quite a bit of time there. At the same time, if you're bringing in uncooked food such as burgers or hot dogs then you'll need to rent a campfire to cook them (which of course is not included). Sure they have some eating areas where I suppose you could pull up to a picnic table and sit down with some sandwiches but IMO that's more of a zoo thing. Plus since you don't have rides to ride what are you going to do at Vala's for 3-4 hours? You can only watch others feed goats and rabbits for so long.
Vala's also has a 72 hour period in August where you can buy cheaper day passes and season tickets. I will try and post on here when it happens. You can monitor it yourself by liking their Facebook page. That's when we buy our tickets every year. Usually a good discount off the full price.
djc311 wrote: Thu Jul 14, 2022 8:02 am
WOW happened between 2021 and 2022 to justify a 25% bump year over year? Did they install a roller coaster or something?
Have you tried to hire anyone this year? $$$
Have you purchased diesel fuel for your fleet of tractors? $$$
djc311 wrote: Thu Jul 14, 2022 8:02 am
WOW happened between 2021 and 2022 to justify a 25% bump year over year? Did they install a roller coaster or something?
Have you tried to hire anyone this year? $$$
Have you purchased diesel fuel for your fleet of tractors? $$$
I DO get it... but you don't see everything that a consumer has to buy going up by 25%... sure, some things do, some go up more, some go up less. Do you think Adventureland and Worlds of Fun bounced their prices 25% up this season?
I get it, it's all relative. They have a controlled market and extremely little competition. And they're not in business to lose money. But IF they continued this 25% rate hike for the next few years in a row, you'll be paying as much to visit Vala's as you would to go to Universal or Disneyland. OK, so that's extreme, but you get what I'm saying.
I love supporting local business and they do have a great concept, just very pricey for what you get.
djc311 wrote: Thu Jul 14, 2022 8:02 am
WOW happened between 2021 and 2022 to justify a 25% bump year over year? Did they install a roller coaster or something?
Have you tried to hire anyone this year? $$$
Have you purchased diesel fuel for your fleet of tractors? $$$
That is what I was thinking, most of the increase is probably for those 2 things alone. The biggest problem I have with this steep of a rise, is when inflation tempers back down, are prices for things like this going to come down too....I doubt it.
We will definitely be on the watch for the flash sale as others have mentioned to get cheaper prices.
djc311 wrote: Thu Jul 14, 2022 8:02 am
WOW happened between 2021 and 2022 to justify a 25% bump year over year? Did they install a roller coaster or something?
Have you tried to hire anyone this year? $$$
Have you purchased diesel fuel for your fleet of tractors? $$$
That is what I was thinking, most of the increase is probably for those 2 things alone. The biggest problem I have with this steep of a rise, is when inflation tempers back down, are prices for things like this going to come down too....I doubt it.
We will definitely be on the watch for the flash sale as others have mentioned to get cheaper prices.
Unless their traffic declines considerably, their prices will NOT go down. Other than an occasional sale, when was the last time you saw an entertainment venue get less expensive?
Kinda like the infamous Omaha restaurant tax... was supposed to be temporary, but it's still there and I'm guessing never going away (perhaps increasing though).
