No re-entry at Sux Flags this Year

This is from The people at Great Adventure.

At Six Flags Great Adventure, Theme/Safari combination tickets, 3-Park
tickets, Theme/Safari season passes and 3-Park season passes do allow
for same-day exiting and re-entry.

We will not allow re-entry with single-park tickets (i.e. Theme Park
only, Safari only, or Harbor only) or Hurricane Harbor-only season
passes. Restricting re-entry is a standard practice for most
entertainment venues, including concerts and sporting events. Our parks
are well attended. By allowing guests to re-enter the park on a
same-day visit, we limit the number of guests that may visit on any
single day during the season. We have become accustomed to saving space
and we simply can't do that anymore. Our parks are near capacity in
the heat of summer and we have to manage that demand. We must manage
capacity for the guests that are at our front gate and want to come in
and enjoy the park - not for those who might come back. *** Edited 1/11/2006 5:26:23 PM UTC by majortom1981***

Actually, The SFGADV's policy clarification goes as such:

This is Gadv's PR department's clarification on this...

Please let me clarify some of the new policies here at Six Flags Great Adventure, which do vary from some of the other Six Flags parks due to our three separately-gated attractions.

At Six Flags Great Adventure, Theme/Safari combination tickets, 3-Park tickets, Theme/Safari season passes and 3-Park season passes do allow for same-day exiting and re-entry.

We will not allow re-entry with single-park tickets (i.e. Theme Park only, Safari only, or Harbor only) or Hurricane Harbor-only season passes. Restricting re-entry is a standard practice for most entertainment venues, including concerts and sporting events. As a guest at our parks, you can attest that they are well attended. By allowing guests to re-enter the park on a same-day visit, we limit the number of guests that may visit on any single day during the season. We have become accustomed to saving space and we simply can't do that anymore. Our parks are near capacity in the heat of summer and we have to manage that demand. We must manage capacity for the guests that are at our front gate and want to come in and enjoy the park * not for those who might come back.

We hope that you will agree that our parks offer a tremendous family entertainment value, providing a full day of fun including rides, shows, animals, games, roller coasters, water attractions, shopping and dining. As you probably know, we have been focusing on beautification efforts and park improvements throughout the past two seasons, in addition to major ride additions for thrill seekers and children. In 2006, our focus is to deliver the best guest experience of any theme park on the planet. The theme park will debut a major expansion this season, including an entirely new area for children, Bugs Bunny National Park, and enthusiasts such as yourself seem pretty excited about us adding one of the tallest and fastest wooden roller coasters in the world, El Toro. These new rides and attractions are included with your theme park admission.

Like any other business, we continually evaluate our policies and practices. Adjusting our re-entry policy is simply a business decision that is in keeping with many venues in the entertainment industry, such as sporting events and concerts.

.......................................

Now what football game or concert last 12-14hrs?

Chuck,

How do they expect to track who has a single day, single park ticket and who has a season pass or multi park ticket? Are you going to have to show the type of pass you have in order to get a hand stamp?

And how many admissions are they really loosing because of the old policy?

You want a full day of entertaiment on the cheap?

Pay to park at SFGAdv and then plant yourself just outside the gate - pick a nice bench within listening distance and with a good view.

Sit back and wait for the hilarity to ensue. :)

---

Serioulsly, think of how irate people get when someone uses a virtual queue and 'cuts' in line. People who don't understand what's going down go apesh*t over it. Now take them same folks and put them at the gate trying to leave (or get back in) while people holding multi-park tickets come and go at will.

That'll be fun.

Gonch, That will still cost you ten bucks and you might get injured in the maylay.

Still, I'd do it from a secure location.

Chuck, who kinda thought that clarification only was more confusing. Now is the Safari separate from the Parking Fee?

Egads.

I do beleive the Safari is an upcharge attraction. Last I looked (last night when I was researching the no reentry issue) the Safari goes for $18.99, however I thought it was a drive through safari, or am I thinking of a different park.

As far as keeping track of who has what kind of ticket, I'd presume they would do something similar to what Disney and Universal do and stiuplate that "A handstamp AND a valid ticket are required for reentry" Under their rules a 1 Day 1 Park ticket is NOT a valid ticket for re-entry purposes. Considering what I've seen used for ticketing at Six Flags parks, they better be upgrading their ticketing systems as well. I don't see the cash register receipt style tickets holding up to a water park visit...

Is there an over/under on how many days (hours?) it takes for this incredibly stupid idea to get canned?

What about somebody who wins one of those giant stuffed animals. It won't fit in locker and it can't be taken on rides. If they can't take it to the car, what will they do with it? Oh yeah, nobody wins those things anyway ;)

Whenever I was at Knoebels last season, every time I went to my car and came back into the park, I paid the same price I paid when first entering the park.

ZERO!

Thanks for the laugh, RGB.

Giant Plush or medical needs are going to really cause issues with this policy. I can tell you that people who take medicines that need to be kept at a cool temperature (ie. insulin, which is kept in coolers by diabetics while are traveling) are going to be in need of a way to go back to their cars to do the dosage and then re-enter the park.

Well, just to play devil's advocate...

I imagine those with medicinal needs would be given the same line as anyone else - put your cooler in a locker and your medicine is available to you all day long.

People who need insulin can just take the medicine to the first aid station in the park and then go there when they need to take it.

Technically there is no real reason to be able to have to go to your care then go back into the park.

Anything really can be left in a locker.

How does this policy affect the passes for other SF parks?

Seriously though Gonch, I won't even ride Batman anymore because of the mess Fastlane has made it.

If the sole reason for this change is capacity, they really don't get it. Holiday World gets it. Cedar Point gets it. You increase capacity to make your customers happy, which will boost your profits.

But who wants to pay for a locker unless they have to? I don't.

There is NO logic behind the no re-entry thing at all. Is it THAT much of an expense to pay for a kid to stamp hands all day?

And what about crowd control? Can you imagine every person who plans to go to the park on any day STAYS as more and more enter? The parks are crowded enough as it is in the summer, why make it worse? Capacity and room are already issues.

It's somewhat manageable by people coming and going, even if it is a crowded day.

Just like anyone there are times I have to go to my car but not often because I usually carry what I need with me, which isn't much.

My real concern is new mothers. They HAVE to carry a lot of stuff with them when visiting parks, and most of it is left in the car. Do they REALLY expect people to carry all their s*** with them?

Yes, it is true that you can leave your medications in the first aid station. That's fine and it should.

Still, it makes no sense. Mad enthusiasts are not what worries me, it will be the GP that will complain the most, and they have every right to.

-Tina

*** Edited 1/11/2006 7:27:17 PM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

Are they going to allow people to carry a needle into the park? I would think they would have an issue with someone carrying a sharp metal object into the park. I know medical needs are different but it was a devil's advocate idea since the policy says no coolers can be carried into the park.

Also if ur a enw mother it would be easier to put your stuff i na locker and go there fo the stuff then al lthe way back to the car.

Take great adventure. Your by Medusa and parked all the way in the back of the parking lot and you have a screaming abby and a 5 year old.

Would you want to walk all the way to the front gate then all the way to the abck of the parking lto? or just go to ur locker and get the stuff.

I tested this policy last night...

1) Opened up the RCT2 SFGrAdv scenario

2) Placed a "Do Not Enter" sign by the only exits

3) Watched the people piled up inside.... "I want to Go Home"... "It's Too Crowded Here"... and saw lots of broken benches and street lamps and trash piled up. Talk about a bunch of pissed off peeps!

(Then again... huge crowds, long lines, pissed off peeps, vandalism and litter is pretty standard for most SF parks, regardless of their reentry policy)

Plus, is someone really going to want to leave their medical supplies at first aid? What if multiple people do that and they accidently gave your supplies to someone else (I know it's unlikely but still possible). Or just that people are uncomfortable leaving their medication with someone else.

The stuffed animal issue is a good point as well. I'd hate to carry around a huge prize I won because I can't take it to the car.

Technically, you're right majortom - and I think that's the approach the park is going to take with this.

My reasons for leaving the park differ though.

1. (and this is the big one for me) Spending a day at the park, especially a crowded one, can be trying at times. My kids are 4 and 8. When doing a full day at a crowded park, sometimes it's nice for all of us to take a deep breath, head out to the car, turn on the Air-Co and get out of that enviroment for a few moments.

SFGAdv is a prime example of a park where this can help - a lot!

Stick me there on a packed day with no way out and by 3pm I'll be on a killing spree. ;)

2. I understand I am the exception in a big sort of way, but I hit the parks with my cameras. Without getting into too many details, I'm not putting something containing the value that my camera bag does in a cheap-ass SF locker and trusting it. On the rare occasion that I need a place to put my cameras, the car is my only choice. Admittedly this rarely is necessary, as we usually have a group together where someone is always available to hold belongings during ride time. But it has happened on occasion in the past.

Those are the point where I feel I'll be affected. Mostly #1 - and that's a REALLY big one for me.

---

Coasterville Dave said:
Is there an over/under on how many days (hours?) it takes for this incredibly stupid idea to get canned?

---

---

Rideman said:
If any Six Flags park tries to put it into practice, the policy won't last long (I'm thinking "days" if not "hours". Kind of like the 54" maximum height requirement on Cedar Point's Woodstock Express.)

---

You know, I agreed with this line of thought until I saw that PR response. I don't think this is a "throw it out and see if it sticks" kind of idea. This looks to be an attempt to change the way the game is played.

Suddenly, I wouldn't be surprised if they stick with this one. It almost sounds as if they have the mindset of knowing it will cause problems but expecting it to become accepted over time - an "It is what it is" sort of thing.