Six Flags Season Pass Price Discrepancies

I understand why some parks obviously have more expensive park tickets/season passes (ie. SFMM vs SFDL), but why do SF parks in overlapping areas have such a big price discrepancy when you're able to buy a pass from any park within 300 miles of your address?

To be more specific, I consider my homepark to be Astroworld (No Jokes, Please!). I am currently living north of Dallas attending college and have made several trips to SFOT because it is so close. My wife and I are planning a visit to Fiesta Texas this spring and were pricing season passes.

Astroworld/Fiesta Texas: 45.99 online special.

SFOT: 59.99 online special.

As My current residence is Dallas, I am well within 300mi from both SA and HOU so it would obviously make sense for me to obtain a SP from either of the other two parks, it would seem.

Here's my question: Do you have to get your SP processed at the park you 'bought it from' even though you bought it online? I ask because I won't be traveling to HOU/SA until ~March and plan on going to Holiday in the Park at SFOT the last few days of the event.

Thanks, and to answer my own first question I guess it's because the GP is too stupid to realize they can get the same pass twenty dollars cheaper in the next town over. (I'm sure most don't buy SP's until summer and then they are like ~75.99).

If this is the first time you are buying a pass, you must get it processed at the park you purchased it from. If it is a renewal, then there is no need to get it processed before using it anywhere. The first year is the most difficult because of the processing. Once you get passed that, it gets easier because of the online renewal.

I live right in the middle between SFGAdv and SFA, but my pass is from SFNE, even though I think SFA is a touch cheaper. It just worked out that way because I wasn't going south at all last year when I first got the pass.

I live 40 mins from SFGADV and I bought my pass at SFA. Takes me 2 hours to get there but I saved $30 buying my pass. Since I bought my pass there last year I was able to renew online and they mailed it to me with last years picture. Total cost $50.

Let's see. Two hours is about 120 miles, give or take. According to the IRS, you can deduct $0.36 per mile for use of a car (if it is a business use), which is meant to capture operating costs and depreciation.

So, to save $30 you spend an extra 160 miles ((120-40)*2), or $57.60.

You get to amortize that cost over this year, too, since you don't drive anywhere. So now you saved $60 and spent $57.60, which is about a wash.

Next year, you'll finally be saving money. *** Edited 12/19/2003 2:36:58 PM UTC by Brian Noble***

If I'm not mistaken, the parking pass is the big issue. For example, I wouldn't be able to purchase a Gadv parking pass if my SP was from SFA. I could save a bundle buying my SP at SFA but I would go broke paying the 10 bucks to park every time I go to GAdv.

At least with Gadv, I know you can only purchase a parking pass with a Gadv SP.

Brian Noble - You're assuming he wouldn't go to SFA anyway. I buy my pass at GAdv. (mostly because of the coupons) and I go to SFA at least once a season. If I switched my pass to SFA (which I'm considering) I might lose a week of the season on each end (although I could buy in the fall instead) but I wouldn't be losing any travel expenses.

I had a season pass for TGE this year and had no problem at all getting a parking pass for SFGAm. For comparison purposes, parking passes at SFGAm are stickers that go on the pass itself.

-Nate

Ah, well that is interesting. Gadv. uses rear-view mirror hang-tags for you car. You can only buy them at the exact time you process your season pass or when you renew it.

As for the travel expenses, I live almost in-between SFA and Gadv. I was considering doing the same thing until I was told about the parking pass issue. It must only be the bigger parks that stick you on that.

Thanks for the replies. No, this isn't my first year but do to last year being a hectic one- I got married, took the MCAT, had some freakishly hard classes, relocated to a new apartment, and had a new job, my financial status only allowed me a few sporadic trips to parks last year (usually on the coat-tail's of a buy one get one free scheme). So I let my passes lapse a year and obviously I can't renew a 2002 SP.

I guess I'm going to have to get a SFOT SP if I intend to hit up holiday in the park the few days it's open the week after Christmas, right? *** Edited 12/19/2003 6:12:04 PM UTC by IntrepidationAW***

RTneedsTLC - Your wrong. You can buy a parking pass anytime at GAdv, and you don't need to have a season pass for GAdv to get one.

If you want a parking pass, you can go to Guest Relations in the front of the park and pickup a Parking Pass whenever you want. They also sell them in the Season Pass Processing center, and if I remember correctly, at the ticket booths. They'll also deduct the $10 you paid for parking if you bring your reciept.

IMO the hang-tag is the best way for parking passes. Parking passes usually don't sell more than one per family, and since most familes have more than one car, you can move the pass to any of the cars without any problems. *** Edited 12/19/2003 6:30:07 PM UTC by rOLLocOASt***

Another trick I did a couple years ago was this: I had a pass to SFMW, I was at SFMM and asked if I could renew it there. The price of a MM pass at the time was $99, BUT because it was a renewal, I got it for the MW rate! That was kinda cool... Now I live in Seattle - which has the HIGHEST renewal rate of any SF property... it's like $100 plus tax... for a peice of crap park that is only open like... 12 weeks. Screw that, I hold an SFOT pass and will renew it online.

-Escher

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escher26 said:

Screw that, I hold an SFOT pass and will renew it online.

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You might not be able to. I think there was a "300 mile" rule in effect last season. Basically your address has to be within 300 miles of the park to purchase (or renew) your pass with said park. Otherwise you have to choose a more local one.

I imagine this still apllies.

He he... good thing my Inlaws live in Dallas then...

-Escher

Ha! There you go! :)

Lord Gonchar said:

You might not be able to. I think there was a "300 mile" rule in effect last season. Basically your address has to be within 300 miles of the park to purchase (or renew) your pass with said park. Otherwise you have to choose a more local one.

I imagine this still apllies.

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Nope. That isn't true. I renewed my SFMW pass last year over the net, and paid the $8 delivery fee for the stickers. You just have to have purchased it there. The 300 mile rule only refers to first time purchases, or at least so far... *** Edited 12/19/2003 10:11:18 PM UTC by nasai***

Ahh, I guess that makes sense, nasai. Being as I lived in Allentown at the time, I literally had 5 SF parks that were within "range" - so it didn't really matter.

Just something I figured one may have to consider.

The moral here is to travel to the SF park with the cheapest passes to get you initial pass then renew yearly online at the cheapest possible SF price. :)

EDIT - I just dug up this thread from last year - it is indeed true that the 300 mile rule doesn't apply to renewals - and I'm the one who posted it! Christ, my memory is slipping :)

So yes, everyone should visit SFKK to get their pass then you can always renew at the cheapest SF pass price available. ;)

*** Edited 12/20/2003 8:28:13 PM UTC by Lord Gonchar***

Intrepidation, maybe it's because you're from Texas, but where I'm from the next town over is not another major city (of course after traveling between the three parks, there isn't much in between). Sure, you'll save money on the pass, but what about the gas you wasted driving back and forth?

In texas after you pass the huge sprawl of a city, there is quite literally nothing but a few scattered gas station/fast food strips they call towns every 20-50 miles until you hit the next city, hehe.

And I called SFOT business office today and clarified. I need to have a 2004 SFOT pass to get into holiday in the park the next two weeks because fiesta texas/astroworld's pass doesn't take effect until their respective opening days (March 6?)

Bummer. At least I can renew cheap next year...