Parking Lot Costs...Your Opinions/Thoughts
**Have the parking lot prices in other SF Parks gotten totally out of control, like they have here at SFOG?**
I remember when it costs $1.50 - $2.00. Parking at SF St. Louis used to be that price, and if I remember correctly, I also think SFoT was that price too. Been a long time. I figure SFoG was that cheap also at one time, which probably wasn't that many years ago actually. (If it was ever cheaper than that, I was too young to remember it. Yep, I am pretty old, I just turned 40! )
But now... it is $10! -- Ten dollars just to park in a simple, plain parking lot. That is totally crazy! I believe the Gold Parking Pass is $12.00, which I haven't seen to be much better than the $10, really. The gold is something like $40.00, for a Season Pass, if not mistaken. In my opinion... **The best deal.. plainly.. is the SP Parking, for $25.00. You get Unlimited Visits and the price is paid for in just two trips to a Six Flags Park. Same for a SP!**
Not only that... Here at SFoG.. they have stopped the parking lot trams/trollies, or whatever they called the connected car deals, that picked up people in different areas of the parking lot, carrying them to the entrance of SF. Now, everyone must walk to the entrance and back again! No matter what! Just where exactly is this high cost we are paying going to? What is the reason/excuse for this continued rise in cost of parking at the SF parks? The parking lots sure haven't gotten any better, at least not that I have noticed! --Just what are they doing with this $10-$12, including the $25 & $40.00, season parking passes, that they receive from all the many thousands and thousands of customers, everyday, seven days a week? Parking for one single day...$10-$12?? Ridiculous!
And to top that off...not only do we keep paying higher prices... they ALSO turn around and make all of their customers walk! Ha! They raise the cost... take the trams! What a deal! Call me kooky, but I don't get it. -- :-)
They raise the price, then take away the one thing that I am sure the majority of their Six Flags customers truly liked and appreciated... the parking lot trams! They were of great use! I know I sure appreciated them late at night,, after a very long, hot day in the sun, at a SF's park! What is up with that?
Also, if I may.... I would like to thank Mr. Ulrich, from the Unofficial SF site, for all of his great info and tips. All visitors who regularly visit the SFOG should really check his site out each season. He lives right there in Atlanta and goes every year, first thing. Plus, he starts investigating early, supplying all of us with great news, updates, and tips. For free! He pays for the site. If you haven't visited his site, or have not one clue as to what I am talking about here... Go to address below:
http://www.playride.com/tug2sfog/index.shtml
By the way, if you like his site.. drop him a note and tell him. I think he would appreciate that a lot.
I especially like his tips on the parking passes! He gives us a tip on how we do NOT have to stick those very sticky, adhesive passes onto our window, where it is STUCK for good! On just one auto. What he says to do is this... put the pass onto a piece of Handi-Wrap, then trim it very close. Then tape your pass onto your windshield with invisible tape, like Scotch tape, on the top and bottom! By doing this you are not limited to using just one vehicle on every trip to SF! Great, huh!
It is totally ridiculous for SF to ever think we would NEVER use another car, or truck, when we go there! And there is absolutely NO WAY that I will ever purchase another pass, just so I can use another vehicle that I would like to drive! -- That is crazy.
Of course... Mr. Ulrich also reminds us that doing this with our Season Parking passes is NOT a normal SF method. Actually, it is more than likely not permissable by SF's, but it works and I say... want they don't know, won't kill them. LOL! I think it is a great tip and we definitely use it because we drive two different vehicles when going to SF at times.
Anyway... I agree with Mr. Ulrich on one topic he brings up on his website especially... the parking lot costs! They have gotten totally outrageous and out of hand with the parking prices and if we, the Six Flags Customers, do not say anything or complain... they will just keep raising the price.
If you agree... please make sure you go to the Guest Relations, or where ever the 'Customer Comment Cards' would be and fill one out. Your next visit! Every visit! Tell them about it!! If you don't.. if I don't.. they will never hear us and just keep on raising those prices. **If enough people complain... they just might start listening and remembering who pays for their salaries! The SF Customers! **
There is power in numbers and if it weren't for us.. the customers.. Six Flags wouldn't be the SF that it is today! SF would be out of business!
------------------
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising up each time we fall!"
*** This post was edited by Susie Q 5/21/2003 6:31:34 AM ***
It is no different from a tire shop advertising low prices on tires and then charging extra for valve stems and tire mounting and spin balancing and old tire disposal. They draw you in with the low price and then hit you with the extras.
Parks have to spend incredible amounts of money to build the new rides that their guests are demanding and they have to generate revenue any way that they can.
------------------
Lets go Drag racing.
I've paid on average $10 for concerts and sporting events, so the $8 or $9 for the an amusement park, while ridiculous, isn't going to stop me from going.
------------------
Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
"Pray that your country undergoes recovery!" - KMFDM
CP used to have a tram as well, but it's been gone for many years. Is it possible the six flags parks have a transferable sticker or something that can go on a seaon pass? That's what I have with CP and it's more than worth the $40 season parking fee. I just flash my season pass no matter which car I'm in, including friends cars.
------------------
I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
http://www.webtechnik.com/ebony/CPLady.htm
------------------
--George H
---Currency tracking experiment... http://www.wheresgeorge.com (Referring to The "George" on the $1 bill - Not Me)
------------------
A day is a drop of water in the ocean of eternity. A week is seven drops.
1- the old administration kept raising prices on parking and park tickets while doing... nothing, nada. Paint the buildings? Nah. Change the old signs? Not in the budget. New rides? Well.... huh... we added one 3 years ago!
2- Six Flags added 8 rides in 2 years, while painting and rehabbing all the others rides and buildings. Boomerang got a paint job last year finally. Its still had its rusted white 1983 paint job!
3- My mom went to see Celine Dion at Molson Centre (now Bell Centre) and paid 35$ to park for 3 hours on an unpaved spot, a half mile from the concert place. 12$ for spots that really aren't that far on average for the whole day? We've seen much worst!
Yeah, so my train of through is: I dont mind those prices raises, as long as you get something to show for it.
------------------
SW:):)SH
midwestinfoguide.com
redman822 said:
Different SF parks have different ways of doing their season parking passes. SFoG, from Suzie Q's post, uses window stickers, but SFGAm and SFWoA use stickers on your season pass. (None of which are good at any park other than the park you have your season pass from BTW)
SFWOA changed to a window sticker format this year also. $39.99 for the first sticker and $19.99 for each additional window sticker.
And to comment on the topic, yes, Six Flags is entitled to make their $$ how ever they may see fit and it is absolutley a marketing tactic to keep admission pricing down as much as possible and then make it up by what I would consider to be "overcharging" for parking. Most patrons have come to accept that they are "overcharging" for food & drink, and merchandise anyways. It's just a part of the amusement park experience.......
It is understandable that there are costs involved in upkeep and maintainence of a parking lot, however, most businesses accept that they need to absorb these costs to attract consumers.
Marketing types do this in all types of businesses. IE Base pricing on Cars "optional A/C??" and even New Homes "optional basement??" (that's a midwest thing by the way).
By the way Swoosh, SFStl has the lowest cost Seasons parking passes by far, only $20!
*** This post was edited by HardRider 5/21/2003 11:30:51 AM ***
Parking fees certainly make me think twice about visiting attractions. And it's not even amusement parks, entertainment prices are too high as it is and parking just adds insult to it.
Not everybody is in a finiancial situation to shell out the money. Especially those of us who never had a very high paying job to begin with and then end up being unemployed. It's come to the point where I don't feel the value of many types of entertainment are worth the high cost be it an amusement park or concert. ALl those little fees really add up after a while.
--Learning to find pleasure in life's simple and free attractions.
------------------
Ripple Rock Amusement Park
HardRider said:
By the way Swoosh, SFStl has the lowest cost Seasons parking passes by far, only $20!I know, I have one myself, and one for WOF, and....
------------------
SW:):)SH
midwestinfoguide.com
------------------
Colossus [1]
Nemesis: Inferno [6]
An amusement park (or any for-profit entertainment venue) exists only to maximize its profit. It provides us with (arguably) affordable fun only as a side effect. Some propellerhead sits in an office and tries to play "what-if" games: if parking were raised by $X, then Y fewer cars would come to the park, blah blah blah, and settles on a price that maximizes profits given the other considerations (perhaps setting or eliminating parking fees to maximize attendance, increasing other revenue.)
For example, Holiday World offers free parking. This is not just because they're really sweet people. It (along with the free soda, sunscreen, and what have you) also allows them to market themselves uniquely as a friendly, folksy, down-home fun family place. This helps generate attendance (especially families-with-kids attendance), which in turn helps generate profit.
Millrace points out that he no longer attends many of these venues. If enough people decided similarly, the price would come back down. In other words, the only effective way of complaining about the price of something is to not buy it.
------------------
http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~bnoble/
*** This post was edited by Brian Noble 5/21/2003 11:59:17 AM ***
this year at La Ronde, parking lot prices got a 2$ increase to 12$
I just wish they'd have a parking season pass available, but something I do take advantage of is the fact they stop charging for parking two hours before the park closes. As I live 5 minutes away, a quick vista to end the day or before the night's activities is very pleasant.
*** This post was edited by Mtl_Shag 5/21/2003 12:52:34 PM ***
Jeff said:
I have to ask... are you going to stop paying the parking fees and stop visiting the parks? If you're not, you can complain to the parks all you want, they aren't going to reduce them.I've paid on average $10 for concerts and sporting events, so the $8 or $9 for the an amusement park, while ridiculous, isn't going to stop me from going.
-------------------------
Same here! would you believe that parking at the MCI Center is $20 per event? and Redskin Stadium (Fedex Field) runs like $25.
I have always expected to pay for parking, and even though some parks are cheaper than others, they ALL seem to be rising annually or at least semi annually.
SAM
But.. I just spent five minutes or more, typing my response to you all and what happens? Heck if I know..LOL! -- It didn't post.. after ALL that work....AND.... I ended up logged out of the website as well! Haha! --- I have no idea what happened, but I DO know that I hit the reply button. Go figure.
If it weren't for bad luck...
------------------
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising up each time we fall!"
*** This post was edited by Susie Q 5/21/2003 1:41:27 PM ***
Has anyone ever been towed after parking just outside your the park and walking in?
I'm wondering if this is consistently monitored. I mean, does a cop come by every hour and jot down the license #s of all the cars in each lot? That would seem to be a fairly tedious responsibility.
------------------
Buy "Stereotype Be" from Kevin Max at Amazon.com
The only reason these prices are going up is that people haven't stopped paying them, so if you keep letting a park charge you a high fee, then they will think society has accepted it. I dont plan on boycotting any parks since I enjoy them too much, so it's a lose-lose situation for me.
But I respect Holiday World and Kennywood much more now.
You must be logged in to post
