Six Flags Announces Nation's Best Theme Park VIP Program

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halltd said:

I don't think that's a true statement. I would be willing to bet a LARGE portion of the guests at Six Flags don't know about Flash Pass or what it does. Pricing for the Flash Pass isn't even on their website. So, when you're researching a park and ticket prices, you would have no idea about the Flash Pass. I've heard plenty of people in the queue bitching about the Flash Pass and not realizing what it was until it was "too late" to purchase it.

Granted, the enthusiasts all know about it, but we're not a majority of park guest by any means. *** Edited 3/19/2007 9:35:01 PM UTC by halltd***

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If you were at a Six Flags parrk before opening you couldn't be unknowing of Flashpass they had a spiel going outside the gates about it and there were signs everywhere advertising it.

I'm still shocked by the number of Disney guests who walk right by a fastpass machine with a shorter return time to get into a standby line with a longer wait time. And, not because they hold a fastpass for something else---it's just because they don't get it.

And that doesn't cost a dime, AND it is plastered all over the park maps.

The only rational conclusion is that most guests really do check their brains at the turnstile.

I'm waiting for the first lawsuit of someone that gets hit in the head by a Q-Bot on a coaster. Since the park provides the "loose article", I can see someone suing when they get bonked in the head by one.

What do these things look like? Are they really a problem to lug to around? All I can picture from these descriptions is a 5 pound hunk of metal!

Disney makes EVERY effort (and then some) to ensure that EVERY guest has awareness of their Fastpass system. On top of that, it's free and available to everyone in the park. (Granted, there is the first-come, first-served model, and appreciate the "unfairness" in that system too, LOL).

But Disney also has that something extra, the willingness to design the queues properly, entertain the guests in queue, and (most importantly!) to staff the attractions *from the entrance to the exit* in such a way as to keep the lines MOVING, for everyone, FPers and other alike.

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Lord Gonchar said:

And that's my point with that earlier comparison. You guys seem more ok with a flat out lie and the 'perception' of value that doesn't exist than someone essentially just saying, "We want your money"

That's really weird to me.

Heck, I'll let you guys live in my place for 11 months for free - you just have to pay the first month's rent for $14,000. Same idea on a much larger scale.

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So would you rather they say "Parking is included in the price of admission?"

And I'll argue that the perception of value is what its all about. You might be paying the same for a day at a park with "free" parking as one that charges you, but I don't think I'm getting as much fun from the latter because they keep reminding me that I'm paying. Just give me the bill once and leave me alone. Reminds me of those 5 page phone bills for the 5 calls I made last month. Do I care what all the service fees are? Do I want to be reminded? The parks might as well itemize your receipt when you pay for admission:

$1.00 ticket taking fee

$3.75 parking security and lot maintenance

$6.10 city services

$5.00 electricty

$2.75 safety and maintenance

$4.23 operations

$21.00 general use

$3.45 entertainment

OK...I can see your point that advertising any one of these things as "free" is just as ridiculous as itemizing them. But I think we are getting caught up in semantics. Perhaps legally, if a park advertising free parking, it realluy should be free, as in you can park there even if you don't go to the park. Or, they explain that parking is included with admission.

I don't personally care if how they spin their service. I just don't want to be hassled for money more than once. It ruins my day. And that doesn't mean I'm ignorant or what I'm paying for, just let me get on with my day.

By the way, I'd be even happier if I could buy my park tickets at the parking lot entrance. Let the pedestrians buy theirs at the front gate. *** Edited 3/20/2007 3:15:33 PM UTC by janfrederick***

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millrace said:
What do these things look like? Are they really a problem to lug to around? All I can picture from these descriptions is a 5 pound hunk of metal!

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As for what a Q-Bot device looks like go to http://www.lo-q.com/product.htm there is a picture on the left side that could show an approximation of the size of these devices. They have a Strap that can be placed around your wrist or attached to something. Problem is I have had the wrist strap break on one at GAdv good thing it wasn not during a ride cycle.

Interesting. I'm not sure I would want to bother with babysitting a little device beeping at me all day. But I suppose one could get used to it.

As for free parking...I prefer to be "swindled" with free parking than charged extra for a short line. :)

"Free" parking also generally means I don't get to wait 10-15 minutes to hand money to a parking attendant. And if there's one thing we ALL seem to agree upon, it's that our time SHOULD be *valued*.

Why don't all parks just get rid of the parking fee and charge a few dollars extra at the gate? Maybe it has something to do with the park suggesting carpooling to prevent a full parking lot.

I'd like very much to only pull out my wallet once during the "process" of entering a park.

LOL! This thread is all over the place.

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janfrederick said:
So would you rather they say "Parking is included in the price of admission?"

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Precisely.

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millrace said:
Interesting. I'm not sure I would want to bother with babysitting a little device beeping at me all day.

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You obviously don't have kids. ;)

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millrace:
Nice try but you forgot to add in the parking and soda cost to Cedar Point, Kentucky Kingdom, etc.

For instance:

Cedar Point:

Admission: 41.95

Parking: $9 (?)

Soda: $2.00 (at least for EACH)

So that is a minimum of $52.85 compared to Holiday World's $37.95 (assuming no discount coupons for either).

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I'll take it even further - 5 drinks over the course of the day.

CP = 60.95
HW = 37.95

Suddenly with what the parks offer (in terms of size and sheer number - quality is subjective) things seem pretty much in line. (and CP hasn't raised their gate 65% over the past 7 seasons)

A better example is the SP pricing:

CF Maxx pass - $125 (entry to 13 parks)
HW pass - $129 (entry to HW)

Here's where you start to see the built-in cost of 'free' drinks and parking.

^ While this could be true, it seems that CF and SF seem to offer cheaper season passes than some of the other parks, at least for "comparable passes" (multi-park passes), so this might not be the most valid comparison (see Hersheypark, Busch Parks, etc.)

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dexter said:
Why don't all parks just get rid of the parking fee and charge a few dollars extra at the gate?

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That actually DOES make more sense. It creates more revenue for the park and the plebians think they're getting free parking.

I look at it this way (and we'll keep CP as the example park). Right now for my family, I pay:

3 adult tickets ($41.95), 1 junior ($11.95) and parking ($10) = $147.80

If they just added $3 to every ticket and then advertised the hell out of their 'free' parking they'd not only draw more people, but then I'd be paying:

3 adult tickets ($44.95), 1 junior ($14.95) = $149.80

In this case 'free' parking costs me more, but people wouldn't even flinch at hose difference in ticket prices - they'd just hear the free parking lie and line up like little lemmings.

It is brilliant and I don't understand why more parks don't run with it.

I think that they have to charge something(all though not nearley as much as they are charging now) for parking. It keeps out a lot of riff raff and trouble, and helps maintain the parking lot as well.

I don't mind paying a few bucks to park, but when a park is charging me $10-$15 just to park a car, that is just a scam.

I also think part of the problem with free parking would be space. If the parking is free, than a lot of people would bring seperate cars rather than driving together and that would bring about more problems.

I am willing to bet, that the average family does not take into acount the price of parking when they plan a vacation to a amusement park. It's just one of them things that most people don't think of. Most people are thinking about tickets, food, and hotel reservations.

It really does add up. If I were to take my family to a six flags park for 2 days, I would end up paying $30 just for parking.

I'd go a step further than Gonchar suggested. I'd raise a ticket by $5 and do free parking and sodas like you know who. Even though profit on either might be slightly down, the likely increased attendence and customer happieness (spending!) would likely translate into a higher bottom line in the end.

So then Knoebels (and a few other parks) could say "Parking is included in the cost of your Free Admission!" Talk about your shady business practices. :)

Free parking in a highly metropolitan area could be a problem for a couple of reasons, but in theory I wish more parks would do this as well.

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rablat5 said:
^ While this could be true, it seems that CF and SF seem to offer cheaper season passes than some of the other parks, at least for "comparable passes" (multi-park passes), so this might not be the most valid comparison (see Hersheypark, Busch Parks, etc.)

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Good point. So lets take a looksy:

Hershey - $130 (but wait, that includes 'free' parking as well)
BGE - $87 (if you buy four, which I would - and it scores in-park discounts)
LC - $75 (parking pass is $25) = $100 gets me 'free' drinks and parking

Still seems built in to me. What about average 'locals' at the chain parks?

CP only - $109
SFGAdv - $89 ($45 parking) = $134

Still seems to follow the logic that pass prices 'expose' the up front costs of freebies.

EDIT - adding Knoebels, just for RGB :)

Knoebels - no SP option. If I want unlimited access to all rides (haunted mansion and skyride excluded), I pay $34.50 a visit. On the fourth visit I've paid more than any of the above listed choices.

*** Edited 3/20/2007 6:07:43 PM UTC by Lord Gonchar***

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RatherGoodBear said:
So then Knoebels (and a few other parks) could say "Parking is included in the cost of your Free Admission!" Talk about your shady business practices. :)

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I was thinking that the entire time, and Knoebels keeps pretty low prices. Imagine if we didn't have the free parking, how much lower could the prices be?

Then again, I don't think it costs much to maintain the parking other then mowing and gas for the trams...

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Lord Gonchar said:

You obviously don't have kids.

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Ha. Ok, do you want one more thing beeping at you all day? ;)

With your "parking added onto admission" example, I still come out ahead since I don't bring little beepers with me to the parks!

But even if you do, do you really think they would tack on $3 to all admissions? Perhaps they would only add an extra $1 for a junior ticket. In that case, your cost is the same either way, but with the added advantage of skipping the parking booth line.

Does Cedar Point still have a causeway toll? The parking ticket used to be itemized with a parking fee and a (I think it was 50 cent) causeway toll. And the toll was not refunded when you stayed at one of the hotels.