Another Classic Six Flags Moment

Well the 2 times i been to SFA the employees where rude with exception of the manager staff

---

Brian was trying to abuse the system (not that there is anything wrong with that, I try to do that as much as possible too) by picking up a SP on the cheap at a park he will never visit again this year.

---

I suppose that's one way to look at it. But, that's not at all what I was intending. There's a reason I haven't made it to a SF park this year; there are none anywhere near where we tend to go on vacations. For day trips, there are now four Cedar Fair parks (CP, MiA, GL, and PKI) closer than the nearest SF (GAm). Our "big trips" are to the Outer Banks and Florida, neither of which are near a SF park, either. As I mentioned, I have no plans, at all, to visit a SF park next year---the season pass was sort of a "just in case I'm in the neighborhood" sort of thing.

And, to be clear, I'm not at all upset or unhappy about this. I don't much care about the $15---that's about what I spent on lunch. I also don't feel like I'm out anything, because I have a fully transferrable season pass certificate that I can still give or sell to someone else, but also got me into the park for my visit. *That* is the silly part---and I wasn't aware that some of the ParaFair parks are doing the same thing. What's more, the Park Guest Services representative told me that I SHOULD give it to someone else.

If I were selling passes, especially this inexpensively, I'd want to make sure that the same person used it each and every time. Six Flags cannot afford to give up the revenue.

Edited to add: It sounds like the ParaFairs also have this problem---and it's also stupid, unless they have some other mechanism to make sure the same person uses the pass every time. CP's situation is different, as you can never enter on an unprocessed pass. *** Edited 10/16/2006 1:14:51 AM UTC by Brian Noble***

---

I'm kinda surprised this happened at SFFT. I found them to be among the most friendly and customer-centered of the SF parks...the *confusion* from on high is starting to reign/rain....down...

---

They look to be under pressure to keep costs down too. I originally thought that they couldn't staff things beyond a skeleton crew even if they wanted to, but SWSA today had no such problems---full crews on every attraction I saw (including at queue entrances), all stands and stores open, etc. The logical conclusion is that SFFT is pinching pennies---which was not the case when I was last there a few years ago.

For example, the Superman crew was one op at controls, and one other op checking the entire train. That was it. In true SFFT style, that one op was moving well enough to keep from stacking with two trains, but still...

Brain:

If I were you, and do plan on hitting a SF park next year, just take that SFFT voucher to whatever SF park you might hit and explain what happened.

If you keep pushing the issue at Guest Relations with a supervisor which I think you should, then the park you are at in 2007 should process a season pass for you.

I know Shapiro has been making some bonehead moves as of late but I really don't think he wants to alienate people to the point of never returning.

The only rule I know of on having a season pass from a park not near you is if you order online. Buying one at whatever park you attended should get you in next season.

Honestly, I'm not alienated! I would have gone to the park even if the day ticket cost was $50, and I easily had $50 worth of fun. I went to Sea World the next day, and also dropped close to that for a day ticket.

I must not have worded my original post correctly. The frustrating part is that the park's recommended course of action is for me to give my pass certificate to someone else. That someone else presumably would have bought their own season pass, but now they don't have to, because they'll just use mine.

So, the two of us get into the park for $50 total, instead of (at least) $85 total.

edited: spelling. *** Edited 10/16/2006 11:16:03 AM UTC by Brian Noble***

Wow, you came on the 14th but missed out on the ACE regional park event that day - Fiesta Fest? Shame. We had ERT, VIP seating at shows, catered meals, and they gave us some neat artwork they fashioned out of pieces of the boardwalk.

How clear are the different park websites on how and when passes can be obtained, processed, etc.? It's one thing to like or not like the process, it's a whole other thing if that process is clearly spelled out on the website.

I was considering getting a Maxx Pass for 2007 through Dorney after reading about it in the thread on here. Dorney is pretty clear on their website about how the whole thing works.

If Six Flags' website explains the SP process, then it's up to the buyer to make sure that process works for him. If it turns out they don't explain it that well or not at all, or if it's a case of inconsistent execution from park to park (as we have seen with the parking pass, etc.), then that's the company's problem, and the buyers have the right to complain.

john13601,

That is a really ignorant signature.

---

Brian Noble said:
The frustrating part is that the park's recommended course of action is for me to give my pass certificate to someone else.

---

I can understand how parks would not be able to give you an actual 2007 pass right now. I don't think it's unreasonable for a chain to have a guest process a pass at the same park where it was purchased.

But that isn't the real problem here.

It would seem to me that the correct solution would be to refund the cost of the season pass and allow you to purchase the regular one-day pass. Or, just give you the difference. It was an unprocessed season pass (something other parks will refund) and, gray area or not, it's just good customer service.

*** Edited 10/17/2006 4:02:28 PM UTC by Gemini***

But maybe the good customer service was the advice to give the voucher to someone else? (because aren't they technically non-transferrable?)

A refund gets Brian $15 ahead.

Giving the voucher to one of his family members down there gets him $35 ahead.

Eh, I've done similar things in the past when I travelled to Dallas, Burbank, and San Jose several times over a three year period... I held four Six Flags passes, one each year from four different parks (well, Marine World twice, but... eh).

I just kind of think that if the pass is truly valid "chain wide" that you oughta be able to validate it at "any park in the chain". Though, yes, I know why they do it the way they do and I'm not surprised or offended by it.

This X-mas, my wife and I are visiting her mom who lives about 2 miles from SFOT so we'll have the best of both worlds - we can buy an 07 pass and get like the last week of 06 for free.

-Esch

How does Six Flags process their passes and vouchers? Do they require a photo ID?

If they do, then wouldn't the person Brian gives the certificate to need to show photo ID of Brian in order to process the pass?

If not, then isn't it possible to keep passing the voucher to different people the rest of this season, who get in the park for free?

I admit, I'm ignorant of this pass processing, um... process. At Hershey, you walk into the season pass office, pay or show your voucher from online purchase. They ask whether you want a new photo or re-use the old, and in about 2 minutes you walk out with a new pass. I got mine in August. Granted, I can't use it until next season, but next year I simply walk up, show my pass and I'm in. No additional processing or exchanging anything required.

^That kind of ease and simplicity is enough to make you Jolly, Rancher... :)

The processing is pretty much what you decribe. It's taking the photo and putting it on a card.

So then why do you have to wait 6 months until you actually process the pass? And do you need a Photo ID to do it? I know I'm the type of person who would lose the darn voucher between October and April.

^^ gator, such a "Fast Break" brings me "Mounds" of "Almond Joy."