99 Cent Drinks at Six Flags

Snag your SF pass before December 31st this year and you'll score 99 cent refills all season long.

They even toss in a 32-ounce sport bottle and free refills the first day you visit.

Not a bad deal...and certainly not a bad deal if you're the "drink prices are too high" type. :)

(source)

This is the kind of thing that makes sense to me. People will perceive it to be a great deal while the park is practically giving away something that costs next to nothing to begin with. The "service" of having the cup filled probably costs more than what's going in the cup.

As long as they're still selling them at $4 a pop to all the poor schlubs without passes...then I'm cool with it. ;)

They kind of did this last year. If you got a souvenir cup and used your passholder discount refills were under a buck. All they're doing now is tossing the cup in for free.

Still gotta carry around that obnoxious souv. cup around. The first one I got was stolen on the Superman platform at Great America. The second one I got (a special "Goliath" cup from SFOG) is deformed now and won't stand on it's own.

The third one I got at Great America has breaks in the 'squishy' part.

Something like they offer at Holidayworld would be nice :)

And it would be nice for the families that can't afford or just don't want to buy season passes.

It's a good offer if, like J7 says, you don't mind carrying a cup around all day (I never did). The folks with strollers, etc., should appreciate it. But they really need to do something about those SP prices. I still don't understand the whole "pays for itself with one visit" concept. Do they really hope to make up for it with parking at $15 a pop?

^It's usually termed "pays for itself in 2 visits".

Unless of course you are referring to SFMM. :)

And the Lord has spoken. People don't complain about an offer never made by Six Flags before. Six Flags will never give soda away for free, that is the same for any major chain. So what soda cost nothing to vend people feel better at free or discounted offers. Besides you have a choice, Who says you have to carry it around all day? Who says you have to bring it every visit? Our Johnny Rockets meal cost skyrocketed when adding pop. 99cents is a great offer and it's nice of The Lord (just kidding) to let everyone in on this offer.Six Flags once big step for them.

When can I get some 99 cent Corndogs?

J7 sounds like it's cheaper for you to drink water.

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RatherGoodBear said:
But they really need to do something about those SP prices. I still don't understand the whole "pays for itself with one visit" concept. Do they really hope to make up for it with parking at $15 a pop?

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I dunno. I have no idea where they're headed now.

Of all the things they should have jacked the price up on it was the passes. Seems like they jacked everything up but the passes.

The only thing I can figure is that they still need to get people through the gates to show them they've 'changed' and that now it's good to come here again.

Maybe thinking more long term (the first one is free, then you'll have to buy) is what's at play here. Once we get people wanting to come back, then we'll charge 'em - that sort of thing. Maybe?

For a while, I thought the idea was to get the people to the park and then make it up in increase in-park spending, but 99 cent refills for passholders flies right in the face of that logic.

At the end of the day, if you are a passholder, the price of a day at SF hasn't really changed much compared to what the pre-Red Zone guys were doing.

Then again, no one ever complained that SF was too cheap back then. :)

I know that the souvenir cup idea is not a new idea, and that they sell them everywhere, but what percentage of people are OK with carting it around all of the time? I did it last year at Hershey, used it for one refill, and only took it home because I happened to go back to my car. I'd hate to think I'd carry it around.

You'd be surprised how many people haul around those cups.

One thing I Iearned from working at CP is that people bring way to much crap with them to an amusement park. It isn't uncommon to see people bring a large backpack or roller suitcase with them to the park. What could they possible need with a bag that big?

And that's the really reason I need to get a season pass before December 31st. What a stupid idea?

Am I the only thinking big woop?

I hate the fact that they only give you ONE cup for your order. If you order 5 season passes, you still only get ONE cup. You can order all your season passes separately, but than it costs more money because of shipping charges.

I don't understand any of the whining in regards to "having to haul around a souvenir cup all day."

Any of you guys don't wear a backpack to the park? When the bottle is empty, just toss it in your backpack -- and when you have the bottle refilled, just split the drinks amongst a few in your group who are thirsty so that takes care of the issue with carrying a bottle with soda still in it around.

Who here would honestly rather choose to pay $4 every time you want a beverage as opposed to 99 cent refills all day but with the TERRIBLY AGONY of carrying a souvenir cup with you? My assumption is you'd rather save yourself the money, suck it up and carry the souvenir bottle around. So quit b*tching. ;)

Two questions come to mind:

1. Say I get the pass at SFStl for dirt cheap. I would be visiting SFGAm more often. Is the deal good at both parks with my SFStl pass?

2. Would this bottle reasonably fit in a cargo pocket? I would hate to buy a locker for a $2 piece of plastic.

Thoughts?

I think its a great idea! Its nice to have a new option now of not getting destroyed by drink prices, outside of leaving the park. Its a great deal and one to take easy advantage of. I know that I have gotten that deal at parks in previous years, I believe PGA a few years ago, and it was good at all parks, as it looks like this one is.

There isn't a reason people should be complaining about this. If you can't carry around a cup all day fine, don't. Thats your choice. That does mean however that you dont get the option to complain about a $4 beverage down the road...

Its the age old question of to go high on ticket prices, and low on season passes, or vice versa. I think it would be interesting to see sales on each end and what kind of effect that has on profit and attendance, as well as in park sales. Would be interesting. I am guessing (I have no solid fact) that in the end each option comes out to be fairly even. Parks have been doing one way or the other for years which leads me to believe this.

Something intersting to think about however is how Six Flags has been doing their season passes over the past couple years. Each year they seem to sweeten the deal, and keep the same low price. I mean if you look at your local Six Flags you can probably find a huge list of more deals outside of this cup that you couldnt find before.

Maybe they just like to really give their season pass holders better value. Keep those in the park the most the happiest, and in park sales will do better, maybe thats the idea. Or maybe its about having another tool to satisfy your stock holders. Say in 2005 season pass holders visited an average of 2.3 times. now at the end of 2007 they are visiting an average of 3.6 times. Its easy to turn around and say with those numbers that the season pass holders like what they see and return more, going to show we have been turning the company around and given a better experience.

That plus the controversial "highest guest satisfaction ratings" each month. Also if season pass sales are up it shows that people like what they see and would like to return more. Although it may not be the experience and just the parks, its something interesting to think of... just a thought. *** Edited 11/21/2007 2:15:18 AM UTC by IntaminHater***

I don't mind carrying around a cup all day, because in between Pepsi refills, I'll fill it with water to stay cool/hydrated. The problem I have is at parks where you're required to have a locker for certain rides. (I'm lookin' at you, Cedar Point.) How expensive is that refill now that it's an upcharge every time I get on Millennium Force?

Anywho, I don't think I've gotten one in years. My wife usually brings a bottle of water that's cargo-shorts-storeable. I'm not a backpack at the park type.

Also, I don't want to be mistaken for some weirdo who collects cups. ;)

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kRaXLeRidAh said:
Any of you guys don't wear a backpack to the park?

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Are you kidding me? I don't understand why people are so intent on being encumbered with a big bag of crap all day. I love that when I go to Universal or Disney, I have a plastic card on me and my camera, and that's all. And the irony there is that Universal actually allows you to use lockers for free. Seriously, what could you possibly need to carry around all day aside from a bona fide medical supply (that's for you, Greg)?

^ My wallet, my cell phone, my car keys, sweatshirt for the evening, a small towel for if I'm sweating balls on a hot day or for use after a wet water ride, and souvenir cup for 99 cent refills (if applicable).

I'd rather carry a light backpack on me all day than shell out $10 to rent out a full-day locker at Magic Mountain (closest Six Flags park to me).

It also means I don't have to worry about my phone or car keys falling out my pockets during rides or having to wear disgusting, unsightly, and uncomfortable multi-pocket cargo pants to fit all of my belongings that I can't leave in the car.

But you do have to worry about stashing your crap somewhere, especially at parks that don't allow you to bring it in line (which is something they should all do, especially those that are slow enough without people dropping their stuff somewhere). Besides, what's comfortable about carrying crap around all day?

To date, I've never lost my keys, wallet (which I don't need) or anything else, and if I really need other clothes, I'll go back to the car for them. It's not like I'm hiking into the woods for weeks. The walking around the average park is hardly going to be augmented significantly by going back to the car.

I like the offer but I will never use a refillable cup

Besides the carrying it around all day as mentioned (all I take into the park with me is my wallet, keys and cell phone all which stay in my cargo shorts with a zippered pocket), I don't like the idea of leaving it while I am on a ride. It could get stolen, someone could take a sip of soda out of it (who could be sick or have some disease), or someone who thinks they are being funny could tamper with it (spitting in it etc.). Maybe the odds of any of that happening is low, but I wouldn't want to take a chance and seeing the types of crowds Great Adventure can get, I wouldn't be surprised to here it happen (though I wouldn't trust leaving a cup anywhere) *** Edited 11/21/2007 4:08:44 AM UTC by YoshiFan***