Many of us have memories of going to amusement parks as kids. We’d enjoy spinny rides, fast rides, and everything in between.
If we were lucky, maybe our parents let us buy popcorn or an overpriced slice of pizza. And on those rare occasions, maybe we also got to play one of those ridiculous standalone games with the giant prizes nobody ever wins.
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Back then, we were probably basking in the fun of going to our local theme park without thinking about the cost of entry. Little did we know that our parents were busting their humps to afford those tickets, not to mention the extras we all begged for.
Things aren’t very different today.
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Whether it’s a daily ticket or a season pass, theme park access can be expensive.
Worse yet, many amusement parks don’t even include parking in your ticket price, so that’s an extra $10 or $20 you need to fork over to be able to take your kids on some rides.
Six Flags cancels popular holiday events
When you buy tickets or season passes to an amusement park, you’re hoping for more than just rides. Sometimes, you get a meal plan that gives you access to free snacks or discounts on food purchases.
Another perk that often comes with the cost of a theme park ticket or pass is special events, whether it’s a local band on stage or popular characters roaming the grounds.
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At Six Flags, holiday events are a big draw for daily visitors and season passholders alike.
Fright Fest, the park’s Halloween-themed nighttime horror show, tends to be hugely popular among guests. Though it can be a bit scary for younger children, teens and parents alike tend to love getting spooked as they roam the park at night.
Holiday in the Park is another big event for which Six Flags is known. During the tail end of the year, the park is filled with lights and entertainment.
Unfortunately, Six Flags has announced that it’s doing away with some of its popular holiday events this year. And not surprisingly, parkgoers aren’t happy.
Some specific cancellations include:
- No Holiday in the Park this year at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ
- No Holiday in the Park this year at Six Flags Over Georgia near Atlanta
- No Fright Fest this year at Six Flags America near Washington, D.C.
Season passholders may be especially unhappy, given that many committed to their tickets in the hopes of enjoying the holiday events that typically take place.
Six Flags season passholders aren’t seeing the value
Canceling holiday events reads like a poor choice for Six Flags at a time when profits are plummeting.
The company posted a net loss of almost $100 million in its most recent quarter. During that same period, it only saw attendance of 14.2 million guests, which was well below the expected 15.31 million.
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Given that Six Flags has been consistently raising prices and taking away perks, though, that’s to be expected.
In fact, former Six Flags passholders have been blasting the company for stripping away benefits in recent years, making it harder to justify the cost.
“It’s not worth it. Prices are like Disney now,” one consumer complained on Reddit.
Another thing that rubbed Six Flags season passholders the wrong way was the elimination of certain meal plans that made a day at the park more affordable.
If Six Flags wants to boost profits and attendance, it needs to offer more benefits to pass holders — not take away some of the most anticipated park events during the year.
Of course, Six Flags has said that canceling holiday events will allow it to focus on improving the guest experience during its core operating season, which runs from spring through fall.
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But visitors and passholders are unlikely to see it that way. And there’s a good chance that come next year, a good number of current passholders aren’t going to renew.
If Six Flags continues to lose business and fall out of favor with families, we could see more permanent park closures in the not-so-distant future.
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