How do you resist buying food at Six Flags/other parks?

[JoiseyMom]

Great Adventure is pretty much roller coasters and kiddie rides these days. Not much in between. I go for the coasters. And yes, there are many games and up-charge attractions. Around 10 years ago they had many more rides, but a lot of them were sitting idle. Yet EVERY game and up-charge was staffed.

The service and atmosphere has improved greatly since then. But they still continue to remove rides. Or place tall potted shrubs in front of them and pretend they don't exist.

I usually only go for 3 or 4 hours at a time, so food isn't an issue.

The coaster selection outweighs the negatives for me, however. They have some awesome ones.

Jim

We used to get family passes and would go at night all the time and stay for the awesome fireworks (they used to have). Then we stopped, since the kids were too small for the big rides and too big for the kiddies. DD14 has had a pass through camp for the past 3 summers and had fun. DD10 started doing roller coasters last year so this year I bought the passes for all of us. I am sure DD will go and hang out iwth her HS friends. Iwill bring DS along and read while they go on rides. I will plan on eating before hand, or leaving.

When we go to the water park, we just bite the bullet and eat there. I will buy at least one refillable cup for drinks. I have lots of old ones, I hate that they started changing them! SIgh, we used to be able to reuse them year after year.

 

[crazelion]

Great Adventure is pretty much roller coasters and kiddie rides these days. Not much in between. I go for the coasters. And yes, there are many games and up-charge attractions. Around 10 years ago they had many more rides, but a lot of them were sitting idle. Yet EVERY game and up-charge was staffed.

The service and atmosphere has improved greatly since then. But they still continue to remove rides. Or place tall potted shrubs in front of them and pretend they don't exist.

I usually only go for 3 or 4 hours at a time, so food isn't an issue.

The coaster selection outweighs the negatives for me, however. They have some awesome ones.

Jim

Don't get start on Six Flags Great adventure that was worst Six Flags I ever been to my life. I want know where was those kiddie rides last year. I did not see one kiddie ride. I am not kidding either. I am some pretty upset kids too. As matter I did see any water rides either. I am not hard person too please either.

 

[scrapbookmomma74]

We only go to Six Flags once a year, because my kids earn a free ticket through the reading program at school. They know that we don't buy lunch in the parks, but I always pack a cooler with "special" lunch items, such as lunchables or uncrustables, or special rolls with lunchmeat. I also buy snacks that we don't normally get at home, to make it more special. Then, we make a trip out to the car for lunch and our swimsuits (for Hurricane Harbor), and head back in. We almost always get some sort of treat inside in the afternoon (usually Hawaiian shaved ice).
Then, on our way out in the evening, I always promise McDonalds ice cream.

 

[dis75ney]

Six Flags food is gross. I used to think that the Johnny Rockets inside the park was good, but then I made the mistake of eating at an actual Johnny Rockets on a business trip to CA...

I either pack a picnic lunch or we drive a mile or so down the road to "Restaurant Row." I can feed my family of three at Chipotle or Boston Market for the same price as one combo meal at the park. No brainer...

 

[bearlyanne]

I am a passholder for Six Flags Great Adventure. the food is not great, but I don't think it is horrendous. We usually eat at Johnny Rockets when we decide to eat onsite.

There are meal vouches that you can buy online that save money. And don't forget to look at your pass holders booklet and online before you go. Last year there were coupons for BOGO icecreams etc. Always open your emails from them!

 

[Pembo]

We have had Cedar Point passes many times. If we go in the am, we pack a lunch. If we go in the afternoon, we leave for dinner. There is a McD's about 5 mins away. Often times we would go after an early dinner.

We never went to CP for the entire day with our passes so we could avoid mealtimes fairly easily.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

I just hate leaving the park to eat. so i do :/

 

[lisalis]

We bought season tickets last year and only ate a meal in the parks once. I think their food costs more than Disney and does not have near the selection or quality! I wouldn't mind paying for one meal while there, but the food is so bad that I really hate to do it. There is a coupon for the refillable drink cup and refillable popcorn container in the season passholder coupon book I believe. We bought these and would get these to snack on. We would then go off site for a meal mid afternoon if staying all day; or if we went in the afternoon, we would snack on popcorn and pop then go out for a meal after the park closed. Many of the places would give you a cup of ice for free that you could fill up with water at a drinking fountain.

 

[RockAndRollBallerina]

At $9.00 or more for a Chicken Tender meal that doesn't even taste remotely good, and $4.00 more for a drink. It makes it pretty easy to avoid eating at theme parks.

 

[Corrine 1973]

I have purchase season passes for Six Flags Great America for the last two years and plan on purchasing them again this year. We live less than 30minutes away so we try to visit once a week and usually only stay for 4-5hours. We don't like the opening park traffic jam to get in each morning, so we usually eat lunch at home (or grab fast food) and head off to the parks. The kids love the water park here, so we usually spend a lot of time there. We than spend sometime doing other things (train, sky trek tower, and carousel our favs) and than head home. If we didn't have Fast food earlier we might eat it now (So many restaraunts near SFGA) or splurge on a TS.

We very rarly spend money on food in the park. I do get the refillable mug and bring it with us. I have no problem with this because of the stroller. We also use the coupons in the book for food we do buy in the park, but it seems there is less food options in the book this last year. I definatly agree that the food is not the best at very high prices. I used to work there as a teen (5 years) and they serve the same food at substantially lower prices in the cafateria. I even think the food has gotten worse sense I worked there (90-94). I used to love the cheese fries, but know think it is gross.

I think eating in the parking lot is a good option. I don't know about other parks, but SFGA has speciall parking for Season pass holders that are to the left (facing the park) in the front section.

 

[LBIJim]

Don't get start on Six Flags Great adventure that was worst Six Flags I ever been to my life. I want know where was those kiddie rides last year. I did not see one kiddie ride. I am not kidding either. I am some pretty upset kids too. As matter I did see any water rides either. I am not hard person too please either.

The kiddie rides were there last year, I swear. I know there's definitely two, and maybe three or even four kiddie ride areas. Each has two or three rides. The largest kiddie section has about six or seven rides. It's at the far end of the park across from Nitro roller coaster.

There are two water rides in the park: a log flume at one end and a river rapids raft type ride at the other end next to the larger kiddieland. There used to be another log flume and a "big splash" type water ride but both were removed a few years ago.

If you meant water slides and a lazy river etc. they are in a separate park (additional cost required) across the parking lot from the ride park.

Jim