Wow. SFMM one day ticket now $59.99

I'd gladly pay $1.00 for a large soft drink at a park, but I am certainly not going to pay $4.00 when I could get water for free.

These admission hikes are making it harder and harder to go credit-whoring. ;)

I personally don't think this is a good idea, but as long as they keep discount cans of pop highly visible (and make the discounts fairly good) I don't think it will hurt too much. I still don't see the logic in having a season pass just higher than a single day though. You'll sell more, but not necessarily toward the crowd you're aiming at. Besides, people are less likely to see a $100+ for a season pass as a rip off, as seeing $59.99 per day as one (although prices inside parks generally are what look like the biggest rip off).

SFGAdv is doing the same thing. There are many other parks I can visit besides SFGAdv that will give me better service and a better value. It was way to expensive before the hike.

The only good I could see from this is that maybe the park wont be as packed, which means if I ever decided to go I could ride more than 4 rides without a Q-Bot...IF I ever go.

This will raise the discounted cupon prices as well.

I for one, like the price increase. These parks are so overcrowded and filled with teenagers tagging ride queues, throwing trash everywhere and so forth, that it makes it too much of a chore to visit them. I hope the season pass price is raised as well. I hope the Six Flags "babysitting service" days are truly over. I never thought I would say that, but it's true.

/\ Those teens are local Southern California residents, and even with the prise raise, the still have the access to SoCal resident discounts, and the new Play Pass (which price also went up with the one day ticket price) is still only $59.99. That's why you have os many teens running about. Cheap passes means you'll get repeated visits from rowdy kids.

According to the website http://www.sixflagsticketing.com/printngo/tickets.asp (and because of SFMM's "Buy a day, fly all year free." campaign) the Play Pass price is now also $59.99, slthough anyone like myself who has the season pass mailer which specifically states the $49.99 offer is good until April 23rd, 2006.

While you are right Krax, I don't think Snyder and Co are done just yet. I'd get my season pass now if I were some of you.

I think it's a great thing, provided the new management team actually builds up the park, and the chain into something worthwhile.

Besides, it helps keep some of the trash out. *** Edited 1/11/2006 3:09:07 AM UTC by nasai***

For an interesting read on what Shapiro has planned for the chain, a poster over at Micechat typed up a nice little summary. Sounds like he is on the right track.

I was a bit afraid that most of Snyder's plans were customer hostile - raising prices, plastering ads every where destroying what little theme is there, stop building coasters in favor of small carnival rides, and the new price increases were an alarm. But then I read what Shapiro said in the meeting at SFMM, and it seems like it will be a turn for the better.

The most important pricing change Six Flags has to make at the bigger parks, and even the smaller ones, is the season pass. The big parks shouldn't be less than a hundred dollars, period. And with the smaller parks, especially those with included water parks, shouldn't be less than $75. Even Holiday World is smart enough to price it at $90, and they don't even have the big city babysitting potential.

I completely agree, Jeff! ;)

I was at SFMM on Saturday and Sunday and tickets were $49.99...and they gave you a season pass for this price as well. I walked away with an 06 SF season pass for $49.99...TOO cheap in my opinion. *** Edited 1/11/2006 5:34:21 AM UTC by Raging_Bull***

There is no way SFMM's pass should be any lower than Knott's, seeing as they both operate year round therefore having higher than average operational costs. Snyder knows this, the days of cheap passes will end any day now.

Trust me, buy them NOW.

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DBJ said:
For an interesting read on what Shapiro has planned for the chain, a poster over at Micechat typed up a nice little summary. Sounds like he is on the right track.

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I read DBJ's suggested reading and it was interesting. Seems like they are taking all of the suggestions we've made over the years to heart.

I too took a look at DBJ's reading and if this part is true in word and practice

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He made many disney references and cited disney procedure. One of which all CM's are trained to say "Have a magical day". And though we know it is not always the case, that is the image he wants to project. It starts with every employee, to be completely commited to the guest. He said if we don't feel that we can do that 100% of the time, we should think of finding somewhere that better suits us.

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Then maybe, on at least some level, they *do* get it. (crosses fingers)

Taken from another message board:

"When Shapiro addressed the us at the employee meeting, he said that when we raise the prices to the park, we would have to raise the quality of everthing else. "The customers won't complain, because at the end of the day, they will say: 'Who cares how much it cost us; it was worth it!' "

Is this a little unnnerving?

Not unnerving to me. Actually it is what I want to see happen. Raise the costs a bit and give the right levels of service for those costs. This would bring an end to Six Flags's Babysitting service and make the parks enjoyable to attend. I still am hopeful that they will pull off all they are saying. I know it won't happen overnight and am willing to give them a few seasons as long as there are signs of improvement.

Dragonfrost, Raising the cost a bit shouldn't be done gougingly.

Stop giving away 49 dollar season passes, Try 90 dollars accross the board. Quit giving away all the two for the price of ones ect and charge a fee of 45-50 for the big parks 25-35 for the smaller ones. If they want to offer discounts via sponsorships, (Coke, Pepsi) whatever, Thats fine but.

Giving away the gate, One person visiting four times on a 49 dollar season pass makes no profit for the park whatsoever. Even if they eat a meal.

That is what I am expecting to come into play as phase two of the plan. Season Passes going up to 2 or 3 days cost at all parks. Phase one is raise the daily cost, now people buy a season pass and when they experience a better time they now have a reason to go back this season since they have the season pass. Next year you change the season pass pricing and make it on the lines of Cedar Point and such since people who had good visits this season will see the value of a $100+ season pass.

Remember this is a company with a bad reputation for customer service. Who is going to pay over $100 for a season pass this season to any Six Flags park with their current reputation? You have to make the amount of money people are spending on a pass have a value. And after last seasons start at GAdv, my example since I went over 8 times to the park last year, an equal service level improvement again this season will warrant the higher ticket prices this season and higher season pass prices next season.

I hope that makes my earlier post make a little more sense.

Dragonfrost, I disagree. I don't care if they put all the greatest coasters and disney attractions in one park with 5 minute waits....I'm still not going to pay $7.50 for Dippin Dots and $4 for a coke because as Shapiro said "'Who cares how much it cost us; it was worth it!"

I agree raising park tickets is a good move,especially for season passes, his attitude still unnerves me quite a bit.