Cedar Fair Parks will start charging for Haunted Houses

This change is fine, but should not go into effect until 2026 and be clearly advertised as such to those purchasing passes/tickets for the season.

The "surprise, here is your new fee you didn't sign up for!" is the problem here.

Yeah, I don't think defending the company with "read the fine print" is the right response. I don't even disagree with the upcharge, I disagree with the timing of it. And I say that as someone who thinks passholders aren't even paying enough in the first place. It just feels like a bad faith move, and given their results, obviously one of desperation.

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that anyone can even remotely defend this move for 2025. If this was a change they were implementing for 2026 and spelled it out, then fine. I don't like it, but fine. Doing it for now, one month out from Haunt, is like Jeff said, a bad faith move. At best.

Bad faith, sure. Bait and Switch no. Threats of lawsuits or class actions, no.

Companies in Six Flags position will do things that are desperate. There is a ticking clock to a bond coming due.

When I was hurting for cash in RCT I would charge for the bathroom. People gotta pee.

Uncle Walt would be proud of you.

(Of course, it turns out they can poop in the Guardians of the Galaxy queue.)

I say this a lot as an old curmudgeon, but I legit remember pay toilets. And one of the places I distinctly remember them is Conneaut Lake Park in the very early 80's.

It was like a dime to open the stall door.

...and if you weren't charging for the bathrooms in RCT, you had no idea how to play.

Speak for yourself, I didn’t want to play Sim Theme Park, I just wanted to create my wildest theme park fever dreams. Sandbox mode for life.

Pfft. I am talking sandbox mode.

Sandbox crashing coasters into the midways after charging the riders to board the ride

Removing the path from the restroom after the peeps have paid to enter.

Lord Gonchar:

I say this a lot as an old curmudgeon, but I legit remember pay toilets.

I paid at least a Euro or two in Venice and it was worth every...Euro?...because it was the cleanest bathroom I was in on that trip...and I was able to sit down instead of squat.

Six Flags Entertainment Company = Spirit Airlines. It’s as if the corporate executives don’t read how nickle-and-diming is the most hated business practice by consumers. But hey, keep doubling-down on the legacy SIX way of doing things and see where it takes you!

wahoo skipper:

I paid at least a Euro or two in Venice

Nah, the US version was the standard icky stall. Just with a dime cover.

Ah, you can just climb under then.

super7*:

It should not be the consumers responsibility to determine that something they have received in the past is not included anymore. And honest business would be transparent and announce that at the time of sale

I agree to an extent, but it's really difficult to 'spell it out' with regards to these matters at the time of sale - no business is going to provide a list of perks that have been removed to a prospective customer. You can provide a list of things that are included and let the customer work out what is different this year vs. last, but most won't.

The whole thing stinks of desperation though, doesn't it.

How should the logistics work? In recent years, Cedar Fair parks sold passes about this time of year that were good for the rest of this year and all of next year. But this is also about the time in the season that they have announced HalloWeekends offerings for the coming Fall. I was last at HW at Cedar Point in 2019 (and have never been to a Fall event at another park) so I do not follow closely what is offered, when its announced, etc. But do recall seeing posts on PB over the years with people asking about now when the HW offerings will be announced. And recollection is typically there have been something new offered, someone old that was not longer offered and a core that stayed largely the same.

If the parks can't ethically, in good faith, etc. make the haunted houses an upcharge prior to selling passes for the season in which the change will take place, wouldn't that mean they would have needed to announce that prior to passes going on sale in the last week or so? And what would they say? We do not know what we will offer in Sept/Oct of 2026 (or if we will offer anything at all with respect to certain parks) but whatever it is (or isn't) may/will be an upcharge (and if it is, we do not know what the actual upcharge will be)?

And I wonder how the perception of desperation is influenced by how focused people are on the parks and pretty much everything they do, announce, etc. versus everyone else.

"I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further."

The park is certainly free to charge for the haunted attractions. As far as I know, there isn't anything legally preventing them for slapping a surcharge on the haunted house. I just feel like its very bad PR to suddenly charge extra for something that you used to include with the season pass, and only announce the change after you have already sold the passes. Especially since there is the expectation that the included haunts will continue. I think a better way would have been something like "enjoy the included haunts included with the pass before it becomes an up-charge next year."

GoBucks89:

And what would they say?

August 1st: 2026 season passes are on sale now, and they get you access to the FINAL SEASON of Haunt in 2025. Stay tuned for more details about our new Fright Fest coming in 2026.

Everyone would figure it out from there.