Reader Aaron says that his trip to Six Flags was ruined by their new policy of making riders check even very small bags before each ride — at the cost of $1 a ride.
We got into the park (after the security guy searched our bag and made us throw away our dangerous bottle of water) and made a bee-line for the Dark Knight coaster.
The line was short, about 25 minutes, but there was a catch – a security person at the entrance was turning people away if they had any kind of bag, be it a small purse or a big backpack.
There were lockers right at the entrance for a $1 each. You had to stow your bag to ride the ride.We saw this a while ago when Kingda Ka opened, though it was $2 then, but that was the only coaster with this requirement.
Not knowing what to expect from Dark Knight, we ponied up the buck and got in line.The ride was a major disappointment. More like a carny ride at Coney Park than what we’ve come to expect from Great Adventure. Without exaggeration, this is the worst ride in the park. The tea-cups are more fun than the Dark Knight.
And the real kicker, the seats on the ride were big and open, and we could have easily and safely taken my GF’s purse with us. We were a little annoyed that they got us for another buck, but kind of just went with it.
We retrieved our bag and went on our way. (The lockers have a 2 hour time limit, btw, after which the contents will be “discarded.”)We went to get on Batman: The Ride across the way, and were blocked because they had the same lockers.
That’s when we realized that all the major coasters in the park now require you to stow your bag, and charge you a buck a ride for the privilege.
We opted instead to walk back to the car and just ditch the bag in the trunk. Leaving behind the Dramamine, our hats, extra sunblock and her eyeglasses. Stuff we’d like to have with us, but weren’t critical.We thought it was pretty lousy that rides we’ve been going on for years and taking the bag on, or stowing it in a cubby-hole on the platform, now suddenly charged a buck each. As if the park isn’t already nickel and diming you to death, this was the last straw.
We decided next year to go to Hershey Park instead.
What do you think of this policy?
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The lockers make sense, because it only takes one person getting injured due to a bag/purse or someone’s stuff getting stolen to prompt a lawsuit/PR disaster. However, the $1 per use is bullshit. Make them free for 15-20 mins, then charge for overtime. These parks make scads of money on parking, admission, food. These fee lockers are just greed.
It’s a safety issue. Your small bag at the top of the loop can become someone’s severe concussion at the bottom of the loop.
The park should provide “all day” lockers at the entrance.
I think I’ll just pull my t-shirt over my fanny pack (in front, of course, and will only work for a woman).
When I went to Busch Gardens Tampa a few years back they had those lockers in front of the rides. However they were like a quarter to use. They did not ban bags but the lockers were helpful to have for things like my purse. The difference between this and Busch is Busch seemed to be helpful in this way. Six Flags just sounds like they are trying to rip you off!
Scam? Scam?
Yes, it is a greedy, money grubbing attempt to extract the consumer from their hard earn bucks, but in now shape or form is this a scam. The purpose of the lockers is for the security and safety of the patrons on the ammusement park rides. It is a legal charge that is OPTIONAL as you could always opt to have your mommy hold your bags and purse while you are on the rides (or leave the bags in your car or any other option that you may decide upon).
Now, if I was a decent ammusement park operator I would provide NO COST lockers to my patrons. Alas, I am not an ammusement park operator, must less a decent ammusement park operator. Maybe I should buy an ammusement park and run it properly.
Bottom line, this charge is not a scam. Let’s leave that word for the really scummy crap that we face each and every day.
@AaronZ: I won’t go on El Toro ever again. I’m afraid of coasters as it is, but I went on to try it. About 15 feet from the top of the start of the ride, we stopped. At a 45 degree angle. After a few minutes, a kid started up the stairs to tell us what was happening. I was just there blubbering and repeating “I WANT TO GET OFF”. It turns out some idiot pressed on the bar in the station, and it shut the ride down. He stayed up there with us till we started again. Of course he failed to mention that the ride falls 1-2 feet before it starts moving again. It ruined the whole ride for me, and it was horrible. I did go to Guest Relations afterwards and made a point not to complain, but to commend the guy for hiking up to us. They offered us free passes and stuff, but since I had a Season Pass, I said forget it, give the kid something nice instead.
@steveliv: when I was in korea, a shopping center had a similar scheme. They had lockers for about the equivalent of 55 cents that would lock for 2 hours. When you put your coin in, the key released and the timer started. When you replaced the key, you got your coin and stuff back. The coin was more of a key deposit.
the fact that they prevent you from bringing in bottles of water pisses me off even more than the locker thing.
I agree that the solution is more common-area lockers, and I also agree that the charge seems excessive. But the fact that they won’t let you carry things on with the “hey, I’ve taken my purse on lots of rides with the strap around my leg before, and it’s never knocked anyone’s teeth out yet” theory.
Because if they allow that, the next post will be called “Great Adventure Doesn’t Care That Your Front Teeth Were Knocked Out,” and it will explain how they let the guy in front of you carry his sunscreen on the ride, and your front tooth was cracked, and they wouldn’t launch a full-scale investigation to find out who had the sunscreen, nor would they reimburse you for your cracked tooth.
Unfortunately, a lot of people who think THEY are qualified to decide what they can wrap around their legs would expect Great Adventure to be responsible if someone ELSE made the wrong decision about what to wrap around his legs. (“Mine was a large purse; they let this other guy on with a BACKPACK!”) Because the odds are, you’re not proving in court whose sunscreen it was that hit you, and you’re not going to want to pay the bill yourself, so you (and here, I do not mean YOU, I mean “many riders”) are going to sue the park.
It’s less hassle for them to just not allow any loose items on the ride that could go flying.
Disneyland is surprisingly good about this kind of stuff. All of the major rides have stowage nets built into the seat in front of you, or under the seat. The net has an elastic band at the top so that it stays closed and things don’t fall out. Also I never have a problem bringing in a water bottle, they never say anything, I don’t even have to sneak them in.
What Six Flags is this, and can anyone verify if this is a company-wide policy?
@Ruthven: LOL! I close my eyes on those coaster anyway so it makes no difference to me. Six Flags is a rip-off anyway.
@valthun: Oh yes, I used those lockers at the Mummy ride. Wish I hadn’t ever ridden it at all, though! I should have known when I couldn’t bring a bag with me that it was going to be intense.
@MercuryPDX:
Agreed, I don’t think you should have to pay a dollar for every ride. I like the idea of keeping you stuff safe but I really don’t see why anyone would be willing to spend that extra dollar on every ride. Just have an all day locker at the front of the park and everyone, or mostly everyone, will be happy.
Besides, I don’t want to be hit in the head by someone else’s camcorder or worse, Final Destination 3.
Who brings their purse to Six Flags? It is pretty standard that you can’t bring loose objects on roller coasters.
The Fanny pack is going to come back in fashion! .. I’ve been building fanny pack hybrid “Coaster packs” for this very purpose.
That’s it! I’m swearing off theme parks from now on! This is getting ridiculous! I say, if you’re going to make lockers mandatory, then you must provide them free of charge.
The Six Flags in Mass. has this on at least one of the coaster we went on. Mind Eraser. I don’t know about the Superman or Batman. People in their right mind wouldn’t bring stuff on the coasters so that is not the issue. The sign had said something about no bags, purses, cell phones or cameras. The bottled water is $3.50. Just buy one and refill it the rest of the day. The soda is 3.00, Gatorade is =/- 4.00. A sandwich with some gross fries is 9.00.
For two adults and two kids to eat was $55/ for one meal.
You wait in line for the bathroom, wait in line for tickets, wait in line for the security gate, if it’s a real busy day wait in line for the flash pass so you don’t have to wait 45 min for a coaster ride. So to charge $1 for lockers at the coasters, oh and you have to wait in line for a locker too.
How about this for a great system:
There is one set of cubbys for each “train” on a roller coaster, and they’re behind giant doors. An attendant opens up the one for the train that’s boarding/departing, and then closes it when the train leaves, opening up the door for the cubbys of the next train.
It’s at Hershey Park. And it’s free.
Well, that kills any urge to go back to Great Adventure.
The last thing they want is somebody’s bag flying off the ride and hitting somebody on the ground (lawsuit). However, the lockers should be free of charge.
@Imaginary_Friend: Well said.
Please!! This is about money not safety. Wherever people put their bags all the years prior to implementing this system worked just fine. I have never heard of a purse or bag flying through the air hitting someone. But I have heard of people getting killed on their malfunctioning rides. Incidents at Six Flags Parks
Six Flags needs to focus on keeping rides repaired so they can stop killing people instead of snaking pocket change from patrons who already broke the bank paying for overpriced parking, admission, and concessions.
Six Flags can kiss my money goodbye. I am tired of having to bend over and take it every time a company wants to kick me in it.
I just went to Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure in Orlando, FL. Some lockers are now only free for 30min to 60 min. then you pay up from there, others are $2.00 for the first hour & up (like Jurassic Park).
@Lo-Pan: I haven’t been in years, but it’s pretty fun. It’s all neon and loud and fast, but shorter than it should be.
I was going to vent my frustration here with my Six Flags locker story, but I’ll just sum it up and save you 10 minutes.
My husband and I wasted money on two travel cups which ended up in the trash due to the new storage options, two flash passes, and two season passes. Until Six Flags replaces the free cubby holes on the appropriate rides (I can understand them wanting to remove the Mr. Freeze baskets, they *may* have been unsafe), we will not be returning.
the answer to the problem?
FANNY PACK!
it’s horrible, i know, but i doubt they’d demand it be put in a locker.
@cerealfan:
Cedar Point employs this system on the roller coasters and major thrill rides that can take advantage of it. Roller coasters like Top Thrill Dragster and Millennium Force cannot because you do not exit the roller coaster where you enter.
They do offer all-day lockers at the front of the park, which you may enter an unlimited amount of times throughout the day. Naturally, they also offer dollar lockers at the entrances of those two rides, you know, just in case you forget.
@cedarpointfan: not true, cedar fair does not exactly have a policy like this. they started doing the bin crap for some of the newer rides recently, but in its first year you could still wear glasses on the top thrill dragster as long as you had one of those dorky straps. i can turn cartwheels in my glasses and they don’t fall off, i don’t see how g forces holding them down is going to make them magically fly off.
We went to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, CA this weekend and all I can say is “Oh my God, what a crappy place”. After waiting in two lines for rollercoasters each one broke down just before our turns came. Also, I’m sick to death of these “flash pass” people paying more and cutting into the line before you. I’m not saying they don’t have the right to do this, just that I will be voting with my dollars and staying away from Six Flags parks here on.
Oh, and I almost forgot, food and merchandise there is ridiculously expensive, even more than what I’ve paid at Disneyland. Also, they start to close down rides and exhibits more than an hour before park closing. What a rip off. No wonder they’re having discounted tickets lately, the place even worth the $29.99 kids fare though.
This is old news, six flags has become even more capitalist than they were last year, with crap theming for a new ride, and “on-line” entertainment involving advertisements (plasma screens with six flags commercials, six flags roller coasters etc. on them). You know it is bad when someone can buy $250 in souvenirs from a ride like dark knight, if someone of course wanted to. This is the last year for my season pass…. and I mean it this time, after 18 years at six flags great adventure.
Wow. I’m shocked to see people discussing Knoebels on the Consumerist. Having grown up about 5 minutes away, I must say that as a kid, I was spoiled. I remember my first trip to a big park and I was shocked to learn that I had to pay for parking, and for admission, and $8.00 for a cheeseburger.
Why doesn’t Six Flags just have all-day lockers? 2-hour time limits and per-ride storage are ridiculous.
@AaronZ: Anything external to your clothing, huh? I wonder what the policy would be towards a camera/safari vest?
As an eyeglass and baseball hat wearer that would get annoying fast, having to put things in and out of a locker all of the time. Guess I’ll need to wheel grandma out of the nursing home for our trip. She can sit on the benches and hold our family’s crap for us.
SIX FLAGS, MORE FLAGS, MORE RIPOFFS!!!!!!! I can see that little slant now!
i was at a six flags theme park last month (May ’08). when my girlfriend was stowing away her bag in the 1$ lockers we both see a park employee stuffing a large garbage bag with other peoples personal belongings that they’ve left on top of the lockers. then he carries them off. i seriously thought he was going to dump them in a garbage bin.
F***! I’m tired of everyone and their mother now using “security” as an excuse for every damn thing! Yet one more piece of s*** move to squeeze money out of people. There’s a reason I don’t go to “amusement” parks!
I forgot which park it was (though I think it was either Dorney Park
or Hershey Park) but the ride had two cars and two sets of cubbies.
One row was blue, the other was yellow.
When people in the first car were getting out, only their row of
cubbies would be opened.
When the second car was getting out, the first section of cubbies were
locked so no one could steal the peoples’ stuff while they were on the
ride.
I think Nitro had something like this but it wasn’t locked. I know
Dorney Park in Pennsylvania had this but instead of cubbies it had
large bins for the entire car, but they did lock.
Maybe it’s hershey park I’m thinking of?
Anyhow, I think the problem is that people just don’t want to be
charged any more money. I think it is a valid argument that the ride
attendants should NOT be responsible for the riders’ gear. I’m sure
you could ask one to hold your backpack, but he’s not paid to babysit
your stuff, so don’t get all pissy when he says no.
However, charging $1 per ride (Even if it’s only a dollar, which I’m
sure the bigwigs at Six Flags will tell you is no big deal) is
outrageous and unnecessary.
It isn’t surprising how many howls of unfair, rip-off, scam, etc. are found here given the site is “consumerist.com” and we are all here for the same reason. But these days its clear that companies are in business to make money. Now they have a new way. The ride operators aren’t paid enough to care. I don’t expect them to. I’ll bet there has already been some sort of problem of this sort and this is the result after the final straw broke the camel’s back. Hmmm…. Anyhow, bringing suff on rides is a bad idea regardless.
Did someone mention the parking lot? The parking lot at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ hasn’t been paved in decades from the looks of it … well now they have that premium parking area that I think that is repaved … but the rest of it is pot-hole city. We’ve given up waiting for them to fix it. Its a shame that the season pass-holder back-entrance was taken out to build Kinda-Ka (yuk) there. FWIW, we just got our 2008 passes last month – we’re suckers. Didn’t spend long in the park so this is news to us. But it isn’t a surprise. The lockers in front are too far away to keep going to them … its been nearly a decade since we used them. The Disney FastPass is free at WDW but I’d never pay for the Six Flags FlashPass (formerly SpeedPass w/ Speedy Gonzales I think). That feels too much like being pick-pocketed. And that brings me to my solution:
Check out OldNavy.com for: Women’s Mid-Rise Cuffed Bermudas (11″)
And at Amazon.com: Misses Columbia Sportswear Trail Point Sleeveless Top
Our season passes could go in a Fossil change purse or in the buttoned shirt pocket. The change purse can also hold some cash and ATM/debit card or credit card, plus it has a keychain where a spare key resides so carrying the full set of keys is not needed. The Old Navy shorts pockets have buttons on both the front and the back. No need to cary a purse or any sort of bag – let alone the dreaded fanny pack. Our sun block is that small tube that has a hook attached to it so it clips on the belt loops. The best part is that neither Six Flags nor anyone else has an easy time picking the pockets, both figuratively and literally. Have some similar clothing items used in past years. Maybe zippers will be in fashion next year, who knows, but the buttons work well. Don’t trust velcro. So this new money grab attempt by Six Flags isn’t likely to affect us, luckily.
Welp, you can leave your stuff at the ride entrance under the big “Not responsible…” sign, but then someone inevitably blames some employee for the theft of their stuff, causing a huge so that’s out.
You can take your stuff on the ride, but some jackass inevitably throws something off the ride and kills or severely injures someone, which gets the park sued by the deceased’s family as well as the person who threw the item, so that’s out.
The Six Flags solution? Lower ticket prices by $1*(Average Number of Rides) [You figure 30 minutes a ride for line/embarkment/time on the ride/disembarkment, that's around 5 hours, an hour for lunch, and the other non-ride amusements, that accounts for most of a day], then charge $1 at each ride for locker rental, and turn away individuals who are carrying items with them.
Lowers the legal liability, and likely isn’t costing you more. As a side-effect, the lines for rides are shorter, and you’re not going to have your crap stolen.
@cedarpointfan:
Dumb. Why can’t Six Flags have the locked bins method instead of the nickel-and-dime method?
Say Six Flags Fiesta Texas (in San Antonio) admission is $32 if you pay online.
I think one could easily spend $100 per person on snacks and drinks if they didn’t bring some food along. I would much rather have them charge a realistic price for admission and then have reasonable prices for food (and bring back the free lockers), instead of making people pay for overpriced crap. But of course, following this model, they would never trick people into showing up.
Hope there is enough outcry to force Six Flags to change their mind in implementing this customer-unfriendly practice.
I second the Hershey Park idea. Great place, been about 3-4 times now myself.
I like Cedar Pointe’s system. They have a cubby hole thing goin’ on, but it’s on a per train basis. So your stuff is safe because no one can get to it till your train comes back to the station. Great idea, IMO.
Nickel and dime you once you’re in the gate. Classic amusement park bullshit.
@the_wealth: Haven’t read the whole thread, but you’re right, lockers do get rid of a lot of issues that can come from people bringing things on the ride.
On the other hand, when I went to Holiday World in Indiana, the lockers were free at each ride…
@Git Em SteveDave’s G3 hearts a certain MBP: You have a season pass yet you’re afraid of coasters and don’t understand how the anti-rollbacks and the lift chain works? As is, I’ve never seen anti-rollbacks that are more than about 6 inches apart, much less two feet. You do realize that you being stopped on the lift hill means that the safety system is working absolutely the way it should and you’re in no danger? The safety systems are designed to stop at the slightest hint of a problem, which is precisely what the system did.
Why do you have a season pass?
Well I won’t mock my husband and his 600-pocket-pants anymore.
two words: large pockets
My wife once lost her bag on Magnum at Cedar Point. Fortunately, staff found the bag and returned it. It was not a fun experience. I realize no one wants to pay $1 extra per ride. The park should just forewarn everyone about the policy rather than trying to cash in.
I understand the safety aspect of the situation, but why is there a fee for the lockers? If they’re going to require you to stow your bags, just have the lockers there without a fee! What, can they actually find a way to say that it costs them $1 each time somebody uses one? It’s not like you’re going to make off with their key or anything, your stuff is inside! A bank of lockers probably costs them a couple of thousand but they make that back in one busy day, then it’s pure profit.
It’s one thing when there are pay lockers somewhere like a bus station where it’s a convenience and you’re not required to use them, but this is as bad as airlines charging for the first checked bag.
What’s next, having to rent shoes inside the park? Pay for water fountains (or have they removed those already)? Extra fees if it’s a nice day?
And don’t even get me started on the no outside food and drink policy. You should profit because you have something people want, not because you have them trapped.
It’s policies like these that turn what should be a fun day out with the family into a couple-of-hundred dollar major expense that’s nothing but stressful for us as parents. It’s hard to enjoy a roller coaster when you’re worrying about how much you’re going to pay for lunch because you’re not allowed to brown-bag it (or how you’re going to find something that your peanut-allergic kid can have).
I just hope the smaller places can stick around and maintain reasonable prices — I’m tired of paying so much to go to a place that does nothing but charge for everything once you’re in and is so big that we can’t see half of it anyway, what’s the point?
This is the most ridiculous policy that I ever heard!!
I only go to the Amusement Parks when there appears to be rainy weather. I know that know one else will show up and I will be able to go on all the rides and be outta there in an hour or 2. Usually the weather clears up by the time I get to the park. I have a better chance of the weather clearing up and nobody showing up then i have a chance going on a sunny day and hoping that no one else will show up to the Amusement Park and wait 2 hours to get onto a stupid ride.
.
The solution is to provide the lockers, and make them free. Raise the admission price by a couple dollars. Microtransactions make things not fun. This will cost them in future admissions more than it earns them today.
I’d pay $1 to leave a bag of newly minted excrement in one of the lockers for two hours.
@MadameX: Second that. Even if I bring what I consider a minimum amount of stuff–wallet, keys, sunglasses, inhaler–most women’s pants don’t have usable pockets (not deep enough).