Six Flags Food Prices - why are they so high??

[JoiseyMom]

Kathi,
I am so with you on this. Six flags NJ is ridiculous.

Amen to that!! We used to have season passes. Then season parking got crazy..they then took away the season pass entrance and season parking lot. The coupon book got worse, and the rides..well my kids are under 12, so they got too big for the kiddie ones and too small for the other ones. They liked the water section in the new area, but still, not much there. We really really like Hurricane Harbor...great water park. But the parking is insane!! It's not worth the money..we just stopped going. Also the sort of people the parks bring in...well not the nicest groups around.

 

[lunalibre]

We've had season passes to the Six Flags here in Dallas for the last several years. The types of price increases they've made this year have truly offended me. You have to put all your stuff in lockers before you get on the big coasters, AND YOUR STUFF IS CONFISCATED if you are not back to claim it by the time your locker expires (yes, you only get to rent the locker for short periods of time!).

So, this year we are not buying the refillable cups. Like at Disney, they have to give you small cups of water for free. I'll stop and get one of those between every ride, thanks. None of us needs to drink soda so badly we have to buy it there. I'll get my Route 44 drink from Sonic for half the price once we leave. I'm still wearing my belt bag (have to carry sunscreen, lip balm, car keys, phone, etc., SOMEHOW) but those are allowed on the rides. The kids can't wear any hats that can't be folded/crushed small enough to go into DH's cargo pants pockets, because those have to go in the lockers too rolleyes1 ).

Yes, the food is expensive. What's worse for us is that there is NOTHING in the way of main-meal food (just snack food) that my DH can eat (he's got digestive problems). We have looked at the menus of every single restaurant in the park, and there's nothing there he can eat. If we're going for the full day, you'd better believe we pack our lunch in a cooler in the car. Our park at least has a nice shady picnic ground we can use. If we want to eat at a restaurant, we walk across the street. Honestly, we still walk way less on a day at Six Flags than we do on a day at Disney, so it's not a big deal to go "off campus" to eat.

Even with all the restrictions, it's still cheaper for our family of four to go spend a day at Six Flags than it is to go to a movie. Now, movie prices are INSANE!

 

[nicknamy1996]

I don't think I'll be back to Six Flags St. Louis after our experience last year. I could list 10 thinks that were WAY wrong with the trip. To the point of this thread we paid 13.95 for a "meal" at one place. It was a double cheeseburger(2 think patties-stake and shake size) and fries. To get a soda was another $3.00. We ended up getting 2 dbl cheeseburger meals and one soda to feed all 4 of us and it was somewhere around $32.00! On the way home the 8 of us (we were with another family of 4) stopped at Pizza Hut and got 2 large pizzas, 2 orders of bread sticks and 8 sodas for $32.00! The 8 of us ate and had a little leftover for cheaper than the 4 of us had had our lunch (which was more of a snack)

But again that was just one of the many problems. I think the biggest one was when a boy stopped a worker and said "my dad went on the Ninja and told us to wait here, but it's been an hour!" The worker (who didn't look much older than the 'lost' kid.) shrugged his shoulders and walked away. My wife and I were in shock. We went over and asked the kid if there was anything we could do for him, lend him a cell phone or something. But he was content to wait longer.

 

[MaMa3Princess]

we live 30 minutes from SixFlags and we do not go unless the kids get those free reading tickets because as everyone said the quality and the quantity is just not there. The parks are primarily staffed by surly teenagers (no offense teens) when you have been spoiled by the Disney magic and have seen where your money can take you there is just no substitute. I think for most of us Disers this park wont add up

People ask us all the time why do we go 400 miles away when we have attractions right here. It is like for the price, quality and just sheer enjoyment for our family it is really comparing apples to oranges. I dont like being demanded to spend my money on inferior products.

 

[Lady V]

I used to perform at SF in Georgia and in San Antonio. I was normally backstage with the other show people but when i would venture into the 'normal' part of the park I was always so shocked at how rude the employees were. It is no wonder they are doing so badly.

 

[missj1975]

We had season passes last year and we also brought a packed lunch and ate in the parking lot. The St. Louis Six Flags has plenty of shady areas for picnics. But we didn't renew our passes this year. I thought the parking was outrageous and the park is just too run down.

We have decided not to waste our money at Six Flags this summer and just save up for more trips to Disney. The only thing I will miss is the water park but not too much because it is always too over-crowded.

 

[donac]

Ds just went to GA here in jersey on Friday. I gave him money for lunch and maybe a t-shirt. He told me lunch was $16. THey also don't allow backpacks on rides so they charge you $1 for a locker for these rides. The best deal he got was a t-shirt for $20. And is was not a GA t-shirt but a blues brothers one.

I can't wait to get to Disney

 

[WaltD4Me]

$3.75 for a bottled water?! That's disgusting. Once it gets summer hot, they are going to have guests dropping like flies from dehydration and heat stroke.
Do they at least give you free cups of ice water like at WDW? I mean bottled water isn't cheap at WDW either, but at least you have other options, like bringing in your own or the free ice water at counter service.

It's been a looooooooooooooooooong time since I've been to an amusement park like Six Flags or Cedar Point. The last couple times I did go, they were so dirty and just "unhappy" places, I decided I wouldn't be back and that was mostly before my yearly Disney trips. Reading this thread I know I won't be going back for sure.

 

[Chicago526]

When we go to SF here, we pack a cooler and leave it in the car. When hungry, we get our hands stamped and then have a picknik in the parking lot. As for water in the parks, water fountains work just fine, or if we want pop we'll just buy the largest size one they have and split it, it's way too much for one person anyway. The trick is to have everyone agree on a flavor!

 

[Onceler]

We had season passes last year and we also brought a packed lunch and ate in the parking lot. The St. Louis Six Flags has plenty of shady areas for picnics. But we didn't renew our passes this year. I thought the parking was outrageous and the park is just too run down.

When the current ownership group took over several years ago, they talked about how they were going to improve the Six Flags parks and make them a better experience. One of the first things they did to "improve" the customer experience was to raise parking prices. Although they have made some minor improvements, the owners still seem to favor the bottom line far more than customer experience.

At one point, there was talk about the owners trying to force people to eat in the parks by preventing them from going to their cars to eat lunch. To stop the parking lot picnics, they apparently considered not allowing people to leave the park and then re-enter on the same day. Fortunately, this idea was never implemented.

 

[DOOM1001]

I do not go to the local Six Flags - it is REALLY ghetto - but when I lived in Virginia Beach, we went to Busch Gardens a lot. It was a 1 hour drive, so we brought bagels/breakfast sammies in the car for the trip up, brought in iced tea mix and used that with the free water fountain water, and split 2 big meals for lunch (we ate at a German CS that used to make the most colosal sandwiches that came with a side of hot potato salad and pickle spears). We stopped on the way home for dinner.
If Six Flags sells full lunches like that place I remember from Busch Gardens, it might be economical to buy 2 or 3 adult lunches and split them. Snacks do tend to be high-priced (and largely disappointing).

The Busch Gardens parks have the best food of the major park chains out there as far as quality and quantity,the prices are also very reasonable just about the same as WDW but better and more food.I'm talking about CS as Busch parks don't have that many TS offerings,but as far as quality their CS restaurants rival Disney TS restaurants in terms of quality.

 

[TupperMom7]

Well, I sent them off an email complaining about the high cost of the food and beverages, and the fact that they will not allow food into the park. The website indicated it would take a week to respond. If I don't hear back via email, I will send them a real letter. I'm sure that will listen if I indicate I'm going to go to the newspapers and the TV stations in our area and ask them to investigate why the prices are so high. Good idea?

 

[allison443]

If I don't hear back via email, I will send them a real letter. I'm sure that will listen if I indicate I'm going to go to the newspapers and the TV stations in our area and ask them to investigate why the prices are so high. Good idea?

Well, I don't think there's a logical reason..they do it because they can!! I cannot stand Six Flags but I don't think they're breaking any laws..

 

[Alesia]

Well, I sent them off an email complaining about the high cost of the food and beverages, and the fact that they will not allow food into the park. The website indicated it would take a week to respond. If I don't hear back via email, I will send them a real letter. I'm sure that will listen if I indicate I'm going to go to the newspapers and the TV stations in our area and ask them to investigate why the prices are so high. Good idea?

There not doing anything Illegal. They are charging what people are willing to pay. If no one bought the food, they would have to lower the prices.

At Holiday World, you can get a full meal (hamburger, fries, cookie, and drink) for $3.49. You get free, unlimited softdrinks and sunscreen. Parking is free, also. It is paying off for them. Every year more and more people are coming.

 

[bnorm27]

I live about 10 minutes from Six Flags Great Adventure here in NJ. For us, it is a good deal to hop in the car and go for a few hours, then leave, go home and have lunch, and go back later in the day. We have also packed lunch, and used the aforementioned lockers. The food is expensive, hence, we don't eat it. Yes, I'll buy the kids a churro or cotton candy every once in a while. And we use the refillable cups as well. They are a BIG money saver.

If you go to any SF park, looking for a Disney experience, you will be very disappointed. It's just not Disney. There is no magic, no pixie dust, no year of a million dreams. But for my family, it is a good option due to our proximity to the park. My kids are 6 and 4, so we do not spend much time waiting on 3 hour coaster lines. I spent about $500 on season passes including the waterpark, and parking. We need to visit about 4 times to break even, but we will surpass that total before the 4th of July. We also try and use all the free passes they give us, as I like to REALLY get my money's worth out of my passes!