Re-Entry Questions Answered

[WadeJ]

This was the parks official response to the re-entry questions.  Also, the info that was posted on the official Six Flags website was incorrect and has since been removed.

At Six Flags Great Adventure, Theme/Safari combination tickets, 3-Park tickets, Theme/Safari season passes and 3-Park season passes do allow for same-day exiting and re-entry.

and

We will not allow re-entry with single-park tickets (i.e. Theme Park only, Safari only, or Harbor only) or Hurricane Harbor-only season passes.  Restricting re-entry is a standard practice for most entertainment venues, including concerts and sporting events.  As a guest at our parks, you can attest that they are well attended.  By allowing guests to re-enter the park on a same-day visit, we limit the number of guests that may visit on any single day during the season.  We have become accustomed to saving space and we simply can't do that anymore.  Our parks are near capacity in the heat of summer and we have to manage that demand.  We must manage capacity for the guests that are at our front gate and want to come in and enjoy the park * not for those who might come back.

and

Like any other business, we continually evaluate our policies and practices.  Adjusting our re-entry policy is simply a business decision that is in keeping with many venues in the entertainment industry, such as sporting events and concerts.

[WadeJ]

My opinion, I agree with it...  Thats all I'm going to say about it for right now.

[innervision]

Now that all the specifics are spelled out it makes sense to me. Maybe im just relieved that I'll be able to come back in because I have a SP but I'm not nearly as worried as I was.

[ChuckR]

So to clarify, with Season Pass for Great Adventure you can use the re- entry gate? But if you dont have one you cant?

[twistedrails]

Thats what it seems like Chuck.

I don't think I agree with this idea of prohibiting re-entry to those with single day tickets. An amusment park is unlike many other entertainment venues in that a sporting event or concert is only several hours whereas an amusment park is an all day form of entertainment where there are valid reasons for having to leave and re-enter, such as forgetting something in your car, specifically things like medicine which cannot be bought in the park. But even if you just realized you forgot something as simple as your camera in your car after entering, that could ruin your experience if you could not go get it, or if you had to repay for admission if you decided to go and get it.

The idea to prohibit re-entry so others wanting to get in may be a valid reason, but that usually is not the case, and the policy should only be put into place if the park is at full capcity. And also if capacity is the reason why does it not apply to season passholders, they aren't excluded from capacity. It sounds like faulty logic to me.

There are better ways to handle this as far as I'm concerned. If someone knows they're coming back they would get a handstamp, and won't if they aren't. Since there is only one turnstile for exiting and rentering with a handstamp this number could easily be kept track of. I'm sure theres also other ways to handle the issue of re-entry and capicity but that all I can think of for now.

[WadeJ]

Something just dawned on me.  In order for this logic to work, all 3 parks must be seperate tickets or be sold as combo passes to allow for the re-entry to occur.

In the past couple of years, the safari was free (included with theme park admission).  It seems as though it no longer is.  At least not with the way its listed:

Buy Online & Save $21 $38.99
PRICING AT PARK  
Theme Park  $59.99
Theme Park Jr. (under 54") $29.99
3 & Under Free
Wild Safari  $18.99
Theme Park after 5 p.m. thru 9/24/06 $25.00
VIP Tour - Self-guided $150.00
VIP Tour - Guided  $200.00
 
3-Park Tickets
Theme/Safari/Hurricane Harbor  
3-Park Regular $99.99
3-Park Jr.  $48.99
 
Bounce Back thru 10/9/06 $15.00
Parking  $10.00

Only the 3 park tickets mention theme/safari now.  I think more changes might be coming to the ticket structure.

[stew560]

Exactly! It appears that the "Free Safari" promotion has come to an end and we are back to the Theme Park Only Tickets with a Safari Option.

[CoasterPete]

I agree with Twisted rails on this one.  People don't just leave the park and re-enter to have lunch, they go to their cars if something is forgotten.  I personally leave my camera in the car so I can do some riding then go grab the camera.  My friends bring a change of clothes in their cars so they can ride Congo and MTWE.  Now I understand this policy doesn't affect me but I disagree with this policy.  Amusement parks aren't sporting events or concerts that last 3-4 hours where no re-entry is understandable.  I'll live with it and like I said it doesn't affect me but I think its wrong.  On a side note, the park may have to move those lockers outside the park or atleast warn guest that if you use them, you won't be able to get to them until you leave for good.  Oh well, right?  I'm a happy season pass holder regardless.  

Pete

[WadeJ]

On a side note, the park may have to move those lockers outside the park or atleast warn guest that if you use them, you won't be able to get to them until you leave for good.  Oh well, right?  I'm a happy season pass holder regardless.  

Pete

Maybe those rumors of the entrance gates moving forward is finally going to happen.  That would put those lockers inside the park   .

[chilled182]

I was thinking about those lockers too!  It would be totally useless to use them now since you cant go back and forth.

I think they decided that they lose too much money to people who go buy food elsewhere.

[overlord]

I agree with twistedrails but here is my idea of how to improve on the no re-entry policy. Most people leave the park to go get something to eat from Wawa or places like those right? So if we ban re-entry at the parking booths somehow, you could still go to your car and not break the policy.

[rjholla2003]

I'm realy not sure how I feel about this.  It's better than what we thought that they were pulling off, but I still see a lot of negatives in this plan of theirs.

A concert or game is an event.  It might be the highlight of the day, but it is not the day.  For a concert or game that's 3-4 hours long, it's perfectly fine to have that kind of a restriction.  If you don't want to eat in the stadium, you tailgate before the event and walk in full, or at least satisfied.  You might grab an extra bite while inside, but you did your primary eating on your terms.  You're not walking around riding things and winning prizes.  You're standing or sitting in a seat watching a performance of some sort.  You don't have to worry about trying to figure out what to do with that camera, or walking around with an oversized stuffed tiger.  If they were there the whole day, or walking around, they may want to put it in a car.

An amusement park on the other hand, for most people, is the day.  Their whole day is centered around their visit and the day is cleared for it.  They are going to have prizes that are too large for a locker, cameras they don't want to take on rides, but want in the park, want to have the option of eating their own food and taking a break from the park for half an hour or so.  People are used to being able to do this at any amusement park they go to, so for Great Adventure to up and change like that is going to outrage people.  Someone mentioned somewhere how they could see you re-paying for parking and I like that idea.  But no re-entry just sounds like a bad plan.

[sir clinksalot]

They are right in saying that most concerts, etc don't allow re-entry ... but I can't think of any theme parks that restrict re-entry. Of course this won't effect most of us since we have SP's.

I wonder if all SF parks will follow suit.

[sfgadvfreak]

I'm just wondering how they are planning on keeping track of people who have a SP/3 park ticket instead of just a 1 park.  Will they ask you for your SP when your getting your hand stamped?

Just another bad idea from Snyder.

[DianaR]

They are right in saying that most concerts, etc don't allow re-entry ... but I can't think of any theme parks that restrict re-entry. Of course this won't effect most of us since we have SP's.

I wonder if all SF parks will follow suit.

I am quite sure they will have to tweak this according to each individual park. I somehow doubt we are seeing the finished policy. I think this is just a rough idea until the season begins.

[ChuckR]

I'm just wondering how they are planning on keeping track of people who have a SP/3 park ticket instead of just a 1 park.  Will they ask you for your SP when your getting your hand stamped?

Just another bad idea from Snyder.

Thats exactly what I am thinking?

[DianaR]

I'm just wondering how they are planning on keeping track of people who have a SP/3 park ticket instead of just a 1 park.  Will they ask you for your SP when your getting your hand stamped?

Just another bad idea from Snyder.

Don't be so sure this is a totally bad idea yet.. Let's see how they handle the reactions so far. I don't think we have the entire picture yet and there are still ALOT of things we aren't clear on. For myself, It won't harm me because I buy a season pass. Even if I didn't, I go to the park carrying as little as possible and would rather go to a locker then walk all the way back to my car anyway. :?  

Even when my kids were babies I packed a huge diaper bag and avoided having to walk back to the car all together. Now, I am pretty sure that in special cases like Disabilities, Medications, emergency baby needs, I am willing to bet they will have some sort of pass to accomodate people with special needs. Like I said, we aren't seeing the entire picture and I am sure they have alot to discuss as of yet.

[SilverBullet]

I agree with twistedrails on this one also. While although I can usually go the whole day with out leaving, there are some people that need to change. Most likely they looked at the park food sales, noticed them a little low, so they make you eat there. I don't like this idea one bit.

[KingdaKaRuler05]

I agree with twisted. Sometimes people need to go back to their cars for things. What if you left extra money in the car, and then you find out you can't go and get it? I don't like this one bit, and I think it is unfair to the people to not let them back to their own property.

-KKR05

[sfgadvfreak]

Di has a point.  This is far from being finished, and we still have a good 3 months ahead of us in the off season.  

I would kind of be ticked off though if I went to a park that was not my home park that I did not have a season pass to (Such as Holiday World) and they instituted such a policy.  What if I packed a lunch, or wanted to leave the park for just an hour or so to get away from the hustle and bustle (although HW isn't a good example with hustle and bustle :lol:).  It would kind of dissappoint me and I might even think twice about going to that park if there wasn;t a spectacular reason to go there (Voyage )

[blazzinmatt]

Ok I agree with everyone that has posted so far. Both in the fact that this might only be a rough draft of what they expect to institute for the season and that its ridiculous if this is what is going to happen. People are going to get really mad when they realize they can't get back into the park after they had left just to grab something from the park. There will be a lot of yelling going on and I see it coming if this is the rule they put in at the beginning of the season.

[68CamaroGuy]

Di has a point.  This is far from being finished, and we still have a good 3 months ahead of us in the off season.  

 Actually we will hit the 1/2 way point in the off season this Sunday the 15th :lol:  More like 2 1/2 months to go. A half of month sounds like a little , but for one having coaster withdrawls thats alot :wink: Hopefully ET will be ready , but thats going to be a tall order. It seems a whole lot needs to be done in a short time.

[sfgadvfreak]

Maybe they will get an explaination at the gate, ticket window, or something on the ticket that says no-reentry.

[depotrat]

They were down right stupid to let the word get out before they had the policy fully developed and thought through.  That they had to send an email clarification shows the planning was lacking.  

Bet they learned their lesson on this one.  Folks watch these websites even when the park is closed for the season.  

For me the disturbing part of all of it is that it exposes the menntallity of the new management.  Squeeze the money out of them even if you have to make them captive to do it.  Red Zone did this to the Redskin fans and they will be doing it to Six Flags patrons too.  This will be good for the stockholders at least in the short run, but not so hot for loyal patrons.

[sir clinksalot]

My problem, assuming this comes to SFMM, is that I refuse to eat there. We ALWAYS eat off-site.

Again, this doesn't seem to be effecting passholders, as of now, but if it does then I can forsee more riots in their immediate future.

IMO, this is contrary to everything the new SF has said. More family friendly, friendlier, nice place to visit, etc, etc, etc.