Six Flags New England

[disneyred]

Hi there...

Has anyone ever been to this park ?? I think its in Springfield ??
Any opinions ??

where could a family of 6 stay around there .... of course being on a budget ...
We were thinking of going to Cape Cod.. and this park was in the general
area ....
what do you guys think ??

TIA

 

[cepmom]

I have no suggestions on where to stay, but Six Flags is about a 3 hour drive from the Cape

I haven't been since it switched to a Six Flags (it used to be Riverside Park) I have no desire to go there...I have a fear of it being over run with obnoxious teens, being dirty, over-crowded etc. I think I am spoiled by Disney

 

[Crankyshank]

six flags is definitely not in the general area of the Cape. Especially this time of year with road construction and traffic! It could easily take 4 hrs to get there from mid Cape this time of year.

honestly six flags is not worth the money it would cost to get there and get in. Not clean, lots of unseemly types frequent there, and I've noticed lax customer service. If you're family is big into thrill rides then it might be worth it. If not, Water Wizz is in the area you're going to be and it's a nice little water park. If you want an amusement park, Canobie Lake Park in Salem NH (just on the NH/MA border) is about an hour closer to the Cape and is much nicer.

 

[JMD]

6 Flags really isn't anywhere near Cape Cod. If you are traveling to the Cape, you could stop at 6 Flags for a day and then continue on to the Cape. But its not close enough to go back and forth. And the park is really in the middle of nowhere, and there is not much to do in the area.

I've been to 6 Flags several times. I live about an hour away and usually go there at least once a summer. Its nice to visit for the day, but thats about it. The lines can get really, really long. Like 2 hours or more for some rides. They do have a Fast pass type thing that you can purchase and use for the whole day. That might be a good idea for you, depending on how crowded it is.

 

[salmoneous]

Sheesh,

First, just to be nitpicky, Six Flags is in Agawam, a suburb right next to Springfield. The park is a pretty typical Six Flags - lots of thrill rids, a great water park, a nice small kids-s area, etc. but not much for adults who aren't into thrill rides. It isn't Disney-perfect, but I've never found it dirty or overrun with suspicious teens. (And, to be honest, Disney doesn't always seem to be Disney-perfect these days.) If that's the kind of park you are looking for, it's great.

There are any number of non-expensive motel/hotel's in the area. None are anything more than a basic place to stay for a night, but will do the trick. If you want to branch beyond Six Flags, the basketball hall-of-fame and Dr. Seuss museum make for good visits. If you are willing to venture a bit farther, there's a ton of adulty stuff to do up in the Northampton/Amherst area.

My only problem with Six Flags is the pricing. Day passes are some ridiculous amount that nobody with any sense pays. There are always dozens of different discounts or hoops to jump through to get the price down to a reasonable level. And you can buy season passes in the off-season for less than the price of two day passes. If you go through the hoops, the price is reasonable (other than the $15 parking) but why make people go through all that?

 

[Patch'sD]

As Stated this is the Old Riverside Park, Now branded as Six Flags. I found that park to be clean and rides were good. Best Deal was being able to pick up season passes there at their rate and use at Six Flags Great Adventure which was about $20.00 more.

I don't know where to spend, Most likely the closest big area closest to the park is Hartford, Insurance Capital of the World.

 

[goofy4tink]

I guess it would depend on how you were coming into Mass from Canada. If you are coming through NY then, sure, stop by Six Flags for the day. It isn't cheap, and it isn't WDW but it's not horrible. We drove out there for a day a few years ago and found it to be okay, but not worth the 80 minute drive from east of Worcester. They seem to be trying to upgrade the area. If you are coming into Mass through NH then I would stop at Canobie Lake Park in Salem NH, just before the Mass border. It is smallish but very clean. We love it there.
As far as the distance to Cape Cod goes...from Agawam it' about 3 hrs to the bridge from the mainland to Cape Cod itself. From Salem NH it's about 2 hrs.
THere are lots of spots to stay relatively cheaply along the way from both areas.

 

[Jynohn]

I hadn't been to Six Flags in years, so last summer we took the kids for the day. We found it to be ridiculously over priced and the lines were terrible. There were also virtually no rides that we could do as a family since our 5 year old was too small for just about everything but the kiddie rides (which she found to be pretty boring).

The park was cleaner than I expected, but certainly not Disney, and overall we found it to be a huge waste of time and money. I'm sure you can find plenty of more worthwhile (and less expensive) things to do on the Cape.

Have a great vacation!

 

[Hedy]

I'd say Six Flags isn't great, but it's totally not worth the rack rate.

 

[BunsenH]

As a resident of "the middle of nowhere" (according to JMD) let me add my thoughts on your particular situation. (I will take the description of my town as a compliment. )

I live a few miles from SFNE and have not been there for a couple of years. In my opinion, it is not worth a 6 hour round trip from the Cape. If you travel route brings you within 20 miles, and your family is into thrill rides, stop in for a half day. As mentioned, it is expensive ($30/head with discounts + $15 parking) and will be crowded on a sunny weekend day. At this time of year, it is also crowded during the week with school trips.

If you decide to go, update the thread and I can give you directions.

BunsenH
Agawam, MA

 

[Ginamarie]

We go to 6 Flags NE every year now. It's not WDW, but it's the only other theme park I'll spend money to go to. DH and I found out about it back in 2001 and have been back every year since. We buy the season passes for the NE park and then use them both there and in NJ (we only go to NJ once a year though because it's too crowded). Season passes were about $60 this year and I'm sure we'll get there 5-6 times, so it's worth it for us.

The bes tthings about 6Flags NE are: 1. Less crowded than other 6Flags parks I've been to; 2. It's a smaller park (less walking); 3. More shade and seating available!; and 4. I saved the best for last.. the water park is attached to the main park and there's no extra admission.

We usually get to the park around opening time, go on the big rides in the morning, hit the water park around 11 am and spend the hot part of the day there, and then go back to riding stuff when it cools down.

Like other people mentioned, it's really not near Cape Cod though. Hotels in the area are pretty reasonable. There's a Best Western nearby that's my hotel of choice (you get free breakfast in the hotel restaurant and they have a great indoor pool) that we can usually get for $89-$99 a night.

I'd be hesitant to call Agawam "the middle of nowhere." There are actually a few minor attractions in the area, like the basketball hall of fame, a Titanic museum, etc. It's also a very nice place to go berry picking or pumpkin picking. I've been to the middle of nowhere, and it's not in Central Massachusetts. Plus, I have relatives who live in the Agawam/Feeding Hills area.

 

[disneyred]

thanks for everyones insight here ..much appreciated...
as summer is fast approaching , we were throwing ideas around as to what to do .... I have been to cape cod many many moons ago ...(about 10yrs), so I thought of going back... (also we are still not sure how many family members will be coming between 5-7 people total)... then I thought of 6Flags, which I thought the kids would love....(I know it has been mentioned that its not like Disney...I know that... its just budgetwise , right now, its not in the picture!)..maybe next year ??

anyways, thanks to all and will update .. if plans pan out... right now its just talk and gathering info... which is why I am here !!!

thanks again.

 

[JayCT]

disneyred - Just to add to this, if you have young kids, have you considered going to northern New Hampshire? We found that Storyland and Santa's village were great places for our young kids and they are very reasonably priced. Storyland is for younger kids, 2 to 6 years old and Santas Village appeals to our 10 year old. There is also Six Gun City (a western town) which is a bit corny but my kids really got into it. Plus North Conway has great shopping for the adults. Jay