Preferred parking - Right up front baby!

I have seen some strange things at Six Flags America, but I really can’t explain this one. Parking at SFA has always been first come first serve. If you get there before the park opened, you were sure to get a spot up close to the entrance. The spots right up front, the box in yellow, has always been reserved for handicap or for “Preferred Parking.” As in, pay an extra $10-$15 bucks to the already outrageous parking price, and you can be in the front lot next to the entrance. Starting this year, 2023, the entire front parking lot in red is now “Preferred Parking.” As in the ENTIRE front parking lot is preferred parking. I asked security twice and that was what I was told. You have to be a “Platinum” member to get preferred parking as a perk, else you need to pay extra. Is this their idea/attempt to get people to buy the Platinum pass?

I never understood the idea of preferred parking at a Theme park for the average, healthy person. I easily walk 4-5 miles per trip to the park. It’s impossible not to walk a bunch if you like to ride lots of rides. At the end of the day, I check my watch and I have logged 5 miles. Oh no, I can’t possibly walk another 500-yards to the middle or back parking lot! I always parked in the blue lot anyway because it was closer to the exit. Now, at least so far this spring, the blue lot is the general parking lot. Now don’t get me wrong, if I buy a pass that comes with free, preferred parking, I’ll use it. I just never understood paying extra for it.

Check out this video I took today at 2:00 p.m. on a Saturday. Preferred lot at SFA I can hear people saying “that’s BS, you took that when the park was closed!” Um no, that was today, a nice 70-degree day on a Saturday in Spring. I guess there are not that many Platinum members. I don’t know how many parking spaces this is, a couple hundred for sure. 14 rows a couple hundred yards long. The “old” preferred lot wasn’t even close to full with a hundred or so cars. I imagine this will change once the water park opens, but this is the whacky stuff going on today.

It’s playing with peoples heads. A lot of people will see that and think it’s “such a long walk” now from regular parking to the gate and will happily shell out more money to park a few hundred yards closer.

Low Rent? - Yes
A Way to boost Revenue? - Yes
Does it make your customers hate you before you even get in the gate? - Yes

Sounds like something very on brand for Six Flags. Vote with your wallet, you are a day trip away from Hershey, Dorney, KD, BGW. Go spend your money there instead.

Have you seen the preferred parking at Universal Orlando?

At Universal Orlando, you park below the other floors in the garage and save a ride on an escalator, maybe. It's silly, but they sell those spots like hot cakes. I've seen a few other parks where it's just comical on the 'benefit' for the cost.

But I agree, it's really funny to see people pay for that sort of stuff when going to a park and walking miles upon miles. What is an extra minute or two to get to the front gate? People need to walk more, not less.

I always parked in the blue lot anyway because it was closer to the exit.

Kings Island has preferred parking, and using it is guaranteed to make you last out of the lot if you wait til end of day to leave. The preferred lot exit becomes a second chokepoint.

I've always thought preferred parking is silly, but I do confess to paying for it one time.

Dollywood. The biggest reason being their standard parking is very far from the gate, probably more so than the majority of parks. Far enough that they run trams, and from what I understand those trams get very busy and can be a major hassle at park closing. On top of that they way it's set up the preferred lot is at the front of the traffic flow to exit. Given that we were visiting on a Saturday, and ponied up for Time Saver passes (not to mention admission, food, etc), that extra $18 in the grand scheme of things was worth it. As an added bonus it was a great place to watch the fireworks/drone show.

Dollywood’s parking lot is weird, but not the worst. It’s long and narrow and does a dog-leg so parking at the back can be quite a distance. I happen to really enjoy my tram ride there- most parks don’t have them any more and it makes perfect sense with the Dollywood crowd. (Same with SDC) I find it’s super efficient and there’s no shortage of trams. The dedicated area to exit via tram is well-run as well. I enjoy the employees in the lot and the drivers- they’re usually a bunch of kind-hearted, retired guys and gals who must need the patience of saints some days.
The Preferred used to be close to the gate- well, behind the World’s Largest Handicapped Parking Lot, so most days it wasn’t much of an advantage. But now it’s moved to the auxiliary lot behind Dollywood Theatre and the Hall of Fame, with a behind the scenes view of Wildwood and Thunderhead, and there’s a separate gate dedicated to that lot (and the busses that shuttle to and from DreamMore). So either the Handicap lot is larger or the regular lots have moved up a little.
I’ll use Preferred if I get there late or if it’s super busy. But I kind of miss the old front gate experience. It’s quaint, right down to the costumed greeters, and it’s a fun place at which to arrive.

I don't know why but I had preferred parking during a pandemic trip and it was really nice.

We used preferred parking at DHS during a 2021 trip because we were planning to hop over to Magic Kingdom for a dinner reservation. The markup wasn't that bad and it saved us some time when we left.

DoubleMeatTaco:

Oh no, I can’t possibly walk another 500-yards to the middle or back parking lot!

This critique assumes people paying for premium parking are trying to save steps. I can't speak for everyone, but when we pay for premium parking we're trying to save something far more valuable - our time.

SteveWoA:

...when going to a park and walking miles upon miles. What is an extra minute or two to get to the front gate?

Using Cedar Point as an example, walking to the middle-ish of premium parking is roughly 600', while walking to the middle-ish of the main lot is roughly 1800'. Averaging 3MPH (264 feet/min) means you'd save about 9 minutes over one round trip. At that park it costs $10 to upgrade to premium parking, so saving about 9 minutes one would be paying $0.90/minute.

If a family of four pays for tickets ($260), standard parking ($25), drinks ($60), food ($150), souvenirs ($50), etc., that can easily eclipse $550 for the day. Over a ten hour visit you're paying $55/hr, so $0.92/minute, so the value proposition makes sense, at least in the case of a park like CP.

And of course if you make a second round trip to the car during the day the value proposition of premium parking increases further.

This is not to say the math works for everyone and every park, but I don't understand how it's unfathomable that premium parking makes sense for reasons unrelated to being lazy or whatever.

That is a lot of justification just to not walk a bit more. But this is coming from someone who parks far away no matter where just to walk more anyway.

I mean, you can also break down that extra 9 minutes round trip into better health, money saved in future doctor visits, less tire wear (hey, that extra thousand feet counts in tire wear!) among some other nonsense too, I'd imagine.

You are at a park for hours upon hours during a visit, so what is another few minutes to walk to/from the car. But whatever floats your boat.

Yes, we're all aware at how much you enjoy the long walk from the Universal garages to the parks.

I think it's time to move this conversation to ParkingBuzz.

SteveWoA:

But this is coming from someone who parks far away no matter where just to walk more anyway.

I also frequently park far away in my day-to-day running around, but not because I'm trying to get more steps in, but because I value my time and don't want to waste it scouring a lot for the closest possible spot.

And I think you're mistaking me math-ing it out as "a lot of justification" when that's really just not the case. I did the math more as a proof to demonstrate that paying for premium parking can make sense from a position of value. I'd still pay for premium parking if the math didn't work.

Also, it's odd that you characterize the extra steps walked as only "a bit more" while simultaneously arguing these extra steps lead to "better health" outcomes, and especially to the extent that this results in "money saved in future doctor visits". I get that you're poking fun at my value justification, but It's either a trivial number of extra steps or it's not.

Jeff:

Yes, we're all aware at how much you enjoy the long walk from the Universal garages to the parks.

Yeah, cause it just ruins my day to have to walk when I go to an amusement park.

Good thing cruises exist, I guess, for those who fall into that bucket.

What has happened to Coasterbuzz?

You know damn well, Brett.

Magnum still exists... The real problem here.

You know how to cut to the core of me

SteveWoA:

whatever floats your boat.

Should've led with that and stopped. Like, people like and do different things, and stuff.

I do miss the days of the parking lot trams. It seems like most parks have gotten rid of them?