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Zachary

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Sep 23, 2009
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After being removed in early 2022, passes with 12 month payment options are back on sale at Six Flags America. This switch also accompanies a new price hike.

Thrill Seeker Pass: $75 ➡️ $90
Extreme Pass: $150 ➡️ $165
Ultimate Pass: $300 ➡️ $350

Official info:
 
After being removed in early 2022, passes with 12 month payment options are back on sale at Six Flags America. This switch also accompanies a new price hike.

Thrill Seeker Pass: $75 ➡️ $90
Extreme Pass: $150 ➡️ $165
Ultimate Pass: $300 ➡️ $350

Official info:
This still isn't absurd.... You can get access to all Six Flags parks for $165 which is about in line with everyone else (CF, Palace, etc) in the regional park category.
 
$55 for the season is still cheaper than any local water park in the DC area, most of which are municipal owned so they dont pay for the land or taxes. SFA makes little sense to me how they make money as a park and why they can't even charge what a local pool with a couple slides does.
 
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$55 for the season is still cheaper than any local water park in the DC area, most of which are municipal owned so they dont pay for the land or taxes. SFA makes little sense to me how they make money as a park and why they can't even charge what a local pool with a couple slides does.

I wonder if that’ll change in time. Didn’t the new CEO say he wants SF’s new strategy to be charging higher prices for a higher quality experience? Maybe if that happens, we’ll start seeing investments into making SFA a nicer park over the next few years before they feel they can justify a higher price.
 
$55 for the season is still cheaper than any local water park in the DC area, most of which are municipal owned so they dont pay for the land or taxes. SFA makes little sense to me how they make money as a park and why they can't even charge what a local pool with a couple slides does.
The only real problem that SFA has it's undeserved reputation. People don't go to the park because everyone seems to say how terrible it is and most of those people haven't been to the park in a decade while the people that do go and give it a shot tend to actively look for things to go wrong and walk away seeing only a negative of what really should have been a fairly positive experience. I have honestly never had a bad time at SFA. I've also never been to SFA when a ride was down the entire day (with the exception of Batwing which is totally excusable). But despite my positive experiences anytime I bring them up I am basically attacked because it seems like everyone just outright hates the park for reasons that can't ever be articulated.
 
I wonder if that’ll change in time. Didn’t the new CEO say he wants SF’s new strategy to be charging higher prices for a higher quality experience? Maybe if that happens, we’ll start seeing investments into making SFA a nicer park over the next few years before they feel they can justify a higher price.
The new head of some of the accounting stuff is one of my students who was moved to SFA from the corporate office in the winter. They shuffled quite a few people at HQ to parks and from parks to HQ. This is the tip of the iceberg for SF as a whole.
 
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The only real problem that SFA has it's undeserved reputation. People don't go to the park because everyone seems to say how terrible it is and most of those people haven't been to the park in a decade while the people that do go and give it a shot tend to actively look for things to go wrong and walk away seeing only a negative of what really should have been a fairly positive experience. I have honestly never had a bad time at SFA. I've also never been to SFA when a ride was down the entire day (with the exception of Batwing which is totally excusable). But despite my positive experiences anytime I bring them up I am basically attacked because it seems like everyone just outright hates the park for reasons that can't ever be articulated.
Charging so little for their product tends to reinforce the idea that it’s a poor product. SFA basically has the largest water park around DC, plus an amusement park, but is charging half what anywhere else does.

If SFA wants respect locally, charge DC area prices (at least $150 for basic season passes), so that customers actually believe they are getting something for their money.
 
Charging so little for their product tends to reinforce the idea that it’s a poor product. SFA basically has the largest water park around DC, plus an amusement park, but is charging half what anywhere else does.

If SFA wants respect locally, charge DC area prices (at least $150 for basic season passes), so that customers actually believe they are getting something for their money.

Not sure why you got eye-rolled for this. You’re 100% right — pricing is one of the most important considerations from a marketing standpoint, and has enormous implications for the perceived quality of your brand.
 
The only real problem that SFA has it's undeserved reputation. People don't go to the park because everyone seems to say how terrible it is and most of those people haven't been to the park in a decade while the people that do go and give it a shot tend to actively look for things to go wrong and walk away seeing only a negative of what really should have been a fairly positive experience. I have honestly never had a bad time at SFA. I've also never been to SFA when a ride was down the entire day (with the exception of Batwing which is totally excusable). But despite my positive experiences anytime I bring them up I am basically attacked because it seems like everyone just outright hates the park for reasons that can't ever be articulated.
Honestly I had two EXTREMELY bad visits back to back about 7 years ago which were my first to visits and almost my last. I picked up a pass on the Labor Day end of summer sell 4 years ago dirt cheap and went again. It was a world of difference and I have kept tge pass ever since and make theb3 to 4 hour drive each way at least a couple times each year now and thoroughly enjoy each visit. The park doesn't get the credit it richly deserve for its transformation.
 
Not sure why you got eye-rolled for this. You’re 100% right — pricing is one of the most important considerations from a marketing standpoint, and has enormous implications for the perceived quality of your brand.
$150 for basic pass to SFA is crazy talk.
 
$150 for basic pass to SFA is crazy talk.
Personally I think it’s still an insanely good value. I’ve used my pass a few Thursday afternoons to go after work and feel it’s been worth the money already.

They do want to improve this park and make it something people want to do as part of a trip. The two fold way of improving it is increase the barrier of entry (pass/ticket cost) then improve the park.
 
The two fold way of improving it is increase the barrier of entry (pass/ticket cost) then improve the park.

I’d even say it’s three fold. If they want people to think the park is a quality experience, they can’t continue charging less than the area’s community water parks do apparently. It conveys that the park is discount and low value. You’ll never have people feel you’re serving them a five star burger if you charge them Big Mac prices for it.
 
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I’d even say it’s three fold. If they want people to think the park is a quality experience, they can’t continue charging less than the area’s community water parks do apparently. It conveys that the park is discount and low value. You’ll never have people feel you’re serving them a five star burger if you charge them Big Mac prices for it.
That’s a smaller part of it. They have a whole new accounting team in the park.
 
SFA can't run on the membership for a community water park. Not really comparable.

Their new price structure is sensible enough, if you force me to admit it, but I'm glad I don't have to pay it. The place isn't that far for me, but with 2 better parks much easier to get to, I'd go to on/off membership. At my current rate, I just pay the same forever if they let me, they make the same money but everyone is happy.

For an additional price increase, they need to show decisive improvement first.
 
I have honestly never had a bad time at SFA. I've also never been to SFA when a ride was down the entire day (with the exception of Batwing which is totally excusable).
Same here, though I only started going in 2017. I guess I wasn't around for bad old days?
 
$150 for basic pass to SFA is crazy talk.
Water Mine in Fairfax county is something like $130 or 140 and it’s much smaller than SFA, though a much better experience. The other Nova water parks are about $90 or so and are little more than a pool with a couple slides. SFA currently charges way less, which basically conveys that it‘s an ultra cheap park with commensurate experience.
 
That was my first visit as well. It was ironically my first visit to a Six Flags since my terrible experience at SFWoA so I assure you I didn't go looking to have a good time but I actually really did.
Coming from a lifetime of Kings Dominion as my home park, I had my expectations very low for Six Flags America.
 
A note has been added to the frontpage saying that SFA pass prices are increasing further on July 1st.
 
A note has been added to the frontpage saying that SFA pass prices are increasing further on July 1st.
It's too early to say anything but I really hope they don't go full Sea World here. Six Flags was really in a position to take the lead until this most recent management shake up and I'm a little nervous. I think their current prices are fair (even if they do change SF from an annual no-brainer to something I have to consider) but if it continues rapidly it might start to be a problem.
 
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