Six Flags America - Spring 2024 - Concerned

I have been going to Six Flags America for 20+ years. In fact, I have been there 10-times in the last two months. I don't know what the heck is going on, but something seems very wrong.

Every single coaster only has one train on the track. That is obviously going to increase wait times. No big deal at SFA, however, I went two Sunday's in a row and there was not a single ride open in Gotham City when the park first opened. That is like 75% of the park (Jokers Jinx, Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman). It was so bizarre, the park was full and people were wandering around the park looking like zombies realizing there were only two rides open in the front of the park.

The water park wasn't open yet, so I saw plenty of pissed off people who were there for the day. "Wonder Woman" and "Harley Quinn" are listed as CLOSED on the app, and not "Temporary Closed" like some other rides that go up and down. Those two rides have been down for the last two+ weeks and were the latest two additions to the park. They need to be opened ASAP . It's Memorial Day Weekend and half the park is closed.

Let me finish with "Speedy Parking". Great idea, it might work one day, however it didn't the 10 times I went this year. The idea is you add your cars license plate to your season account. You pull up to the gate, they scan your plate, the gate opens and they let you in. WRONG! That is great if it works. I have pulled into the lane with no attendant, I see the cameras pointed at my license plate, I pulled up, inched backed, pull up, inched back, nothing. Umm, hello? WTF.I am just sitting there, hoping an attendant come up to me. There is nobody to talk to when it doesn't open up. The crazy thing is that this "Speedy Pass" actually worked ONE time, so I'm now confused as what to do. Should I just go to the lane with an attendant to scan my pass, or roll the dice with this new system that seems flaky at best.

More Flags. More Fun.

There's been chatter for the last week or so about a smattering of SF parks being closed 1 or 2 days a week through the entire summer and large sections of the parks opening later in the day. The biggest one I've noticed is SFOT being closed on Tuesdays.

Sounds pretty much like the last time I was there. In 2003. Have I mentioned that?

Sucked on my visit 8-10 years ago, whatever year it was I don’t recall. Glad to see they are still setting the bar nice and low. Stay classy six flags.

At least I managed to get my credits.

Doublemeattaco we visited a few weeks ago to process our passes. Get there at 2pm,(the park was supposed to close at 7pm,) and they told us the park is closing at 4 from a light rain that had already stopped. We just got our passes processed and left the park. It was our first visit in a few years, and there isn't a lot left to enjoy there.

The speedy parking worked for us Friday at Great Adventure. There was attendant covering like 5 or so speedy parking lanes. It's a strange system, but ok if it works.

I am hoping that the cedar fair merger will make them parks I want to visit again.

bigboy:

There's been chatter for the last week or so about a smattering of SF parks being closed 1 or 2 days a week through the entire summer and large sections of the parks opening later in the day. The biggest one I've noticed is SFOT being closed on Tuesdays.

I just looked at my local park schedule Fiesta Texas. Noticed they are closing early at 6-7pm most weeknights throughout June and July. WTH????

Wow, that's awful. I guess they aren't going to have a fireworks show anymore, eh? That was a nightly staple for years.

It would not surprise me one bit if SFA is shut down, rides moved, and the land sold to developers after the merger. It requires so much investment to bring it up to decent operating standards that it’s going to be extremely difficult given the debt Six Fair is going to saddle themselves with. Easier to direct those guests to either Kings Dominion or Great Adventure.

It's not a terrible park, and they have continued to add new attractions. The issues are almost all related to management and staff. Those could be rectified fairly quickly with new leadership.

I do not think it is just SFA. I think the entire chain is really struggling. SFGAmerica was not operating a lot of rides when we visited two weeks ago, and really, they were not looking like they could open. The waterpark opening was also delayed, supposedly due to weather.In many regards, the visit reminde3d me a bit of a visit to Lesourdville Lake in 2002. We all kind of know how that ended up.

All small regional parks are struggling. Soaring labor and maintenance costs, shrinking target demos, and consumers who are increasingly price sensitive. Enjoy these small parks while you can.

If Six Flags America had a history of being a great park you might be on to something but this trip report is par for the course for them. It reads really similar to my first visit more than a decade ago.

eightdotthree:

If Six Flags America had a history of being a great park you might be on to something but this trip report is par for the course for them. It reads really similar to my first visit more than a decade ago.

Last time I was at SFA was 2001. And they had issues even back then.

But it does appear Six Flags is having issues of some sort. Reduced hours, closing off entire sections of parks? All during the prime summer season.

The Baltimore/DC metro is blessed with many choices for theme parks that are a day trip away and all three other choices are orders of magnitude better choices then SFA (BGW, KD, Hersheypark)

I have only been once and given its reputation, didn't have high hopes - but we had a great day !

Granted, the layout is a bit odd & lazy, but they have a great collection of rides if they can operate them all at the same time.

Same here. We went 2 summers ago, everything was manageable. The section with the rapids and SLC was closed, but the rest of the park had everything open and staffed. Wild One ran particularly well, and I expected a crap ride full of potholes.

Must've gone on a good day.

SFA is a decent park IF all the attractions are open. There are 12 "Thrill" rides, however if you find more than 5 of the 12 open, you hit the SFA lottery.

I see progress in the closed "Coyote Creek" section, which is supposed to open up this summer as the new "Steam Town." I will be shocked if that actually opens this summer as the posters in the park suggest.

The water ride "RipQurl Blaster", which was supposed to open LAST summer, finally opened this weekend. A local FOX station was onsite early one morning last week to show off the new "water coaster". Live local TV. Guess what happened? Yes, the ride broke down. Par for Six Flags

I bet this will be one of top parks on the Cedar Flags sell list… maybe LaRonde at #2, although after they fixed added stuff and cleaned up CW look what happened there.

“Selling” La Ronde might be complicated, since they operate it under a lease with the city of Montreal. I presume the city would be permitted to approve anyone taking over the operation, and that basically Six Flags would be selling whatever equipment and merchandise they own there. If they’re losing money then that might make sense, but otherwise there’s not a lot of upside to selling.

(They also don’t own Frontier City and Darien Lake, fwiw.)