Six Flags Q-Bot Fastlane: Regular vs Gold. Is Gold worth it?
1. It can make it really hard to plan things. Say you have an hour line. With QBot, you could easily scan that ride, go ride something with a shorter line (say, a Georgia Cyclone while waiting for a Superman ;) ) and make it back in time for your other ride. With that halved wait time, now what do you do? You don't have enough time to go do anything else.
2. While your wait time is halved, your rides are NOT doubled. At least at SFoG when I used it, it wouldn't let me scan it again until the entire wait time would have expired. For example, Superman had a 2 hour line. I botted it, rode my ride an hour later, then tried scanning it again. It wouldn't let me -- I couldn't queue up for Superman again for another hour, because that's how long I SHOULD have waited for it. That's perfectly understandable and fair to the other customers, and I have no problem with that, but really it makes the Gold bot somewhat pointless.
Overall, I'd save the money. *** Edited 6/7/2004 2:11:00 PM UTC by GregLeg***
--Greg
"You seem healthy. So much for voodoo."
It was my wife, son, daughter, and me. My daughter is 10 months old, so we get the Gold Q-Bot for 2 people. We'll go and scan the ride, and then child swap so the 3rd person gets to ride.
At SF Gr8 Adv. It cuts the wait by 75%. At the entrance to each line there is a posted wait. Say Nitro is 1 hour long. Then you only have to wait 15 minutes.
It worked out well for us last weekend. Example Nitro was a 45 minute wait. We scanned it, and only had to wait 11 minutes. My son and I were able to go and ride Batman the ride, and then come back and get right on Nitro with a 1 train wait for the back seat. They give you 10 minutes to make it to the coaster when its time.
The good thing at Gr8 Adv on their major attractions(Nitro, Superman, and Medusa) they have a separate quene that put you right into the loading station. Then you just have to pick where you want to ride, and wait from that point. For Frightfest they even add the hayride as a Q-bot ride which is nice.
It works out really well because even if I we are not riding another ride we can just sit and relax. Then when its our time we just go and get on.
Also since we use Child swap with it. The 2nd person gets to ride twice, and we'll take turns getting the 2nd ride.
Actually I'll take advantage at any park that has a good system for it. Works well at IOA. When I was there this past fall the lines weren't long anyway. Maybe 20 minutes, but with their system we were on in less than 5 minutes.
Certain parks I wouldn't pay for it. SFA is that way. Their system for it isn't really worth it. You enter through the exit which isn't pleasant, and they have a row blocked off(usually middle of the train) for fastpassers. I like to sit in the front or the back.
Anytime I can spend less time in line I'll take advantage of it when the system is implemented well. It's all just a matter of preference, and whether you think its worth that extra cash.
*** Edited 6/8/2004 1:39:57 PM UTC by Coasterfantom2***
The parks have found another way to make some cash - from preferred parking to the fastpass deals, these are just additional avenues for the park to add to it's revenue. There will always be folks out there that can/will dish out the extra bucks to have the "preferred" treatment...so why would the park not look to take advantage of those people? To the park, the same amount of people will end up riding a ride - it's just that some do it quicker than others...and all the park gets in the process is extra income.
Anyways, I just think that this is just another reflection of the financial class system - it was bound to happen and I doubt it's going anywhere soon.
All that said, if I were travelling to a park or attraction that I might not get back to for several years - I'd be happy if the park had that system, and would make sure I had some extra cash so I could take advantage of those passes and be able to hit most of the rides there!
For folks that spend the cash for their local park's preferred system (especially if they are season passholders), well I think that's just a bit silly....but, obviously, they've got the money to burn - so let 'em.
Concerts & Shows - Pay more, get a better seat. Is it fair that I have to sit in the back of the theatre just because I didn't pay as much to get in. Of course it is.
Hotel Rooms - Is it fair that I get a Jacuzzi or a better view or a better room because I was willing and able to pay more? Is it fair that I can stay on property at parks like CP and WDW and enjoy all the conveniences associated with doing so while someone else has to saty at a chain hotel 10 muiles from the park and deal with the subsequent hassles of getting to and from the park just because I'm willing to pay more? Yes it is.
Cars - Is it fair that I drive a brand new car with leather interior, a navigation system, power everything, and a cutting edge DVD entertainment system while someone else drives a car that's 4 years old and has nothing but basic features just because I paid more?
You see where I'm going with this. Almost everything in life works this way.
Six Flags is just in it for the money. Cedar Point and Disney parks give you the fastpass for free, they actually care about there customers.
Apparently you're not aware of the addition perks you get at these parks if you're willing to spend more money. Cedar Point lets resort guests in the park early and offers the Joe Cool Club upgrade that does the same. Sheel out more cash get additional benefits. Disney has about a million and one ways to "upgrade" your vacation with just about any little perk you can think of. In fact, I'd say WDW is one of the most "class-ist" parks around when it comes to money buying you a better vacation. TRavel to Orlando with a $1500 budget, then do it again with a $5000 budget and watch how totally different your experience is - it's mind boggling.
Bottom line: The entire basis of our life system in the US is the exchange of goods and services for currency. The more currency you're willing to part with, the more goods and services you can aquire.
if someone has more money than me and get a better hotel room, good for you. if they have cruise control and i don't, it still has no effect on me. but when i have to explain to my kids that those line jumpers spent more and mom is sorry we have to wait, it is having a different effect than just paying for extras.
I'm going to Disney next Monday through Thursday, and we're staying on Disney property, a major splurge. It costs some $220/night for a very plain hotel room in a very elaborate environment, and that's not even one of their deluxe resorts, we're staying at the Coronado Springs which is a moderate. I mean, how much does a turkey leg at Disney cost? How much more does Johnny Rockets cost in Cedar Point compared to outside of the park.
So don't go blabbing on about how Six Flags doesn't care about their customers. Six Flags is a very respectable chain which has made errors in the past, but on the whole is headed in the right direction.
Six Flags isn't robbing any of their customers of a nice day at the park. The certainly aren't raking in the cash as they've been experiencing several disappointing years in a row. If the cost of fast lanes keeps them from raising the sodas another quarter, it sounds good to me. *** Edited 6/8/2004 3:37:45 PM UTC by SFGAMDie HARD***
Think of regular admission as the "basic" plan. You get to go into the park and ride - you will have to stand in lines and wait full times.
The regular Q-bot is the "upgraded" plan - you have to wait full line times, but no longer have to stand in line. You can use that time to do whatever you want.
The Gold Q-bot is the "premium" plan - Not only do you not have to stand in line, but your wait time is cut in half.
It is not reselling something they already sold you. If it was, you'd pay for a Q-bot to get to stand in lines for the full wait time (what they sold you at the gate). I'm getting addition benefits if I pay for the Q-bot. It is essientially an admission upgrade.
COASTINGTHRU said:
but when i have to explain to my kids that those line jumpers spent more and mom is sorry we have to wait, it is having a different effect than just paying for extras.
So what do you tell your kids when you take them to see Blue's Clues live and you're sitting in the last rows in the balcony and you kids say they can't see and ask why you can't sit way up front like the people down there so they can see better?
What do you tell your kids when they say one of their friends got this hot new toy that they wanted that you don't feel is worth the money?
What do you tell your kids when they see other kids buying on-ride photos and they want one, but you don't feel it's worth it?
What do you tell your kids when they want a $25 T-shirt with the logo of that cool new coaster they rode and other kids are right in front of you buying it?
Why not give the same answer when standing in line?
I personally would tell my kids that that person paid more so that they wouldn't have to wait in the long line - They got to the line before us and they still had to wait the same amount of time as us to ride, but the Q-bot just held their place in line and now it's their turn to ride.
Because that's exactly what's happening (In the case of the regular Q-bot)
Imagine that you went to the movies with your family. It was opening night so the theater was going to be crowded. You paid your 8.50/ticket and got there early and got good seats. Then some chumps got there late, and did not want to sit on the outside of the front row, so they bribed the manager and he moved you there. That is what Six Flags is doing.
It's more like some schlub arrives at the movie theatre an hour early - tickets are $8.50 for general admission or $10 for reserved. The schlub buys a $10 ticket and goes to have dinner. You show up 2 minutes behind him and buy an $8.50 ticket. As you enter the theatre and are milling around looking for suitable seats, you notice that a few rows in the center/front are marked reserved. You sit directly behind that row as you're one of the first in the theatre. Now that schlub rushes in just as the opening of the movie is rolling and sits directly in front of you.
He paid more and got an upgraded service which let him use the time he'd have wasted to get a better seat. You chose to save the money and spend the time for that seat. He was there before you and the seat assignment ended up roughly where it would have if the whole theatre were general admission. No harm, no foul.
In the case of the Gold Q-bot, the theatre becomes like more of a concert. You bought your tickets a month in advance, paid $30 and have seats in the first balcony to the left side. You show up an hour early and take your seat. Nice, but not great. The schlub shows up 10 minutes before the show and buys a $75 'gold circle' seat and rushes to his 2nd row center chair just as the show begins. How is that unfair? He paid for a better seat and a better experience.
Stop and think about how the basic Q-bot works for a second. We both approach a queue entry at the same time. You get in line while I use my Q-bot. The line time is 45 minutes. Q-bot tells me to come back in 45 minutes, while you stand and wait. 45 minutes later I return, enter the "special line" and board just before you - exactly where I'd be if I had gotten in line. There is nothing unfair about the basic Q-bot. Hell, the Q-bot lets you enter up to 10 minutes past your reserved time. You might be done with that ride and on to the next before I even get on. The basic Q-bot buys your time back, not an advanced place in line.
I suppose you could argue that the Gold Q-bot cuts away that fairness, but I see buying a better place in line as the same way I'd buy a better seat at a show. You know by spending less for your seats that many people will have better seats than you, potentially block your view and quite possibly have a better time than you. You know by skipping the Q-bot and buying a "general admission" spot in line that a few (very few) others may have upgraded theirs with Gold Q-bots. It's the same thing in my book.
*** Edited 6/8/2004 4:12:38 PM UTC by Lord Gonchar***
-Gonch
feeling confrontational today
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