Pay Queue Syetems -- Flashpass etc.

I say raise the prices for everyone and increase ride capacity.

I've always felt really weird about the whole idea of paying extra to cut in line. That being said, we were at a company picnic at the San Diego Wild animal park. You folks in the midwest are now getting a taste of the conditions at the park...which I'd imagine were pretty similar to where the animals came from.

the line for the tram ride was pushing two hours. The line for paying to wait five minutes was five minutes. Having a baby with us made it a no brainer. Either we pay or don't take the tram at all. Since it was my sister's first time and we really wanted to chill out for a bit, what's ten bucks a person?

The set up was not too bad. Each tram is composed of two carriages. The front one was for the folks who paid and the rear was for the ones who waited. So it might not have been obvious that there was cutting going on.

Still, the regular line had twice the wait that it normally would have. I have a feeling that the folks who waited and realized what was going on weren't too happy...and the folks who just opened up their wallets had mixed feelings about having to dig in their wallets just to avoid a sweltering two hour wait.

Of course the whole problem would have been averted by not even going in the heat of the summer on a crowded day. But it was a company picnic and we decided to go anyway.

But my point is that it seems like the whole system created two groups of unhappy guests. One group who were miserable for a couple of hours. And another group who felt extorted.

Good business? We'll probably skip the picnic next year. We'll stick with the beach. ;)

*** Edited 7/31/2006 5:55:19 PM UTC by janfrederick***

^^The thing that irritates me the most is that in all of these (IMO ridiculous) value v. costs arguments is that the "value" crowd never seems to take into account that the listed "gate" prices are almost never paid. Especially in the case of SF parks, the discounts are (still) rampant. Heck, here in the DC area, you even have the park reps on the news telling you to use the discounts.

I mean seriously, we are not living in the dark ages anymore. People know how to use the internet to find discounts. And even if they didnt, there's this little invention called the T-V where these parks *tell* you where you can get discount tickets (often in grocery stores where you go *anyway*). Heck, growing up, I knew you could get Great America tickets @ Jewel's or Dominick's (they switched up ever so often) so we always stopped at one on our way up to the park. How'd I know? I saw the friggin commercial.

But Gonch brings up the best point of them all. If these "value" parks were really that much of an improved product than the so-called "cost" parks, the "cost" parks would have been folded. But they are not. And slowly but surely, the bigger "value" parks are morphing into "cost" parks.

I personally do see what's wrong with the variety. But hey, I'm just a rch bastard with oodles of cash to blow (see sig) {/end sarcasm}.
lata, jeremy

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And slowly but surely, the bigger "value" parks are morphing into "cost" parks.

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Yes! :)

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The thing that irritates me the most is that in all of these (IMO ridiculous) value v. costs arguments is that the "value" crowd never seems to take into account that the listed "gate" prices are almost never paid.

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And how many of us are using season passes? Again, we are enthusiasts and any enthusiast worth his weight in gravy buffet visits (that was for you, ARN&R :) ) holds at least one strategically purchased season pass. Are the expenses of visiting the 'cost' parks really affecting you that much or do you just want everything for free?

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But hey, I'm just a rich bastard with oodles of cash to blow

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Yes...and you're evil. And apparently anyone who doesn't mind spending the cash is too. ;)

Cedar Fair is already offering better "value" at CP and GL. CP is the least expensive of the megaparks with lots of big coasters. GL is very inexpensive for a park of its size with numerous coasters and a waterpark. Neither of these parks uses a pay queue system. I really hope that the CP/GL pricing approach wins out over the Six Flags approach.

People in PA and OH are so fortunate to have parks that offer so much for the price. Doesn't that largely explain why there are no Six Flags parks with their $15 parking, high admission charges and pay queue systems in these two states. PA never had one and the two in OH were sold off. *** Edited 7/31/2006 7:41:22 PM UTC by Arthur Bahl***

You might think Cedar Point is least expensive and in someways they are...they offer junior and senior tickets for 10 bux...but how many of those juniors and seniors can even go on the rides anyway, or in the seniors case, would want too? The seniors pay 10 bux to get in the park and pay more money to eat and things.

Junior just bothers mom and dad to do it, so there makin just as much money off of them.

I do think that some parks could do a free drinks thing, or even free refills, considernig at most parks they probably don't even pay the drink carrier money, just because it's free advertisement.

I just don't feel comfortable paying 3.00 for a 20 oz.

CPs adult price is lower than the comparable Six Flags Parks. Parking is also less and there is no Flashpass type system.

I just wonder, is the New Jersey market ripe for some more competition given that SFGAdv does so well in spite of its flaws and high prices? If DP were able to expand, they probably would do this to compete more strongly with Six Flags. As things stand, there appears to be enough demand for another megapark in NJ, Northeastern PA, or somewhere in NY northwest of NYC if it were operated properly.

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rablat5 said:
^ I'd like to see some other parks stick it to Six Flags, especially SFGAdv.

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No need to. Six Flags is doing a pretty good job of sticking it to itself.