Sneaky Six Flags

[RachelEllen]

My 9 year old DSS just came home with a reading reward program from Six Flags. Basically, if he documents 6 hours of reading in the next two weeks, he gets a free ticket.

Can I tell you how evil my husband I think this is! The kids get all excited about Six Flags. Meanwhile, even if decided to put up with Six Flags for DSS's sake, we'd still have to pay for parking, tickets for the rest of the family, and I'm sure snacks. Not exactly an altruistic move on Six Flag's part.

Last year's "If you read, you can have free pizza!" was bad enough. This is over the top!

 

[PatsMom]

That is truly evil. I am glad my DD's schools just had the free pizza thing. I've been to Six Flags in Mass twice - it is expensive! Makes Disney look like a bargain when it comes to food and souvenirs.

 

[beavismom]

Our school has the same program. I am betting that it will be a child's ticket too which doesn't work for my tall child.

 

[ajk912]

omg, I wish my kids' school did that! What a great promo! I don't see it as much different as Disney's "get in free on your bday" promo. Because you still have to pay for parking and pay for your guest, if you bring one. I think it would be cool if my kids earned their own tix and I just had to pay for me and DH!

 

[allison443]

My 9 year old DSS just came home with a reading reward program from Six Flags. Basically, if he documents 6 hours of reading in the next two weeks, he gets a free ticket.

Can I tell you how evil my husband I think this is! The kids get all excited about Six Flags. Meanwhile, even if decided to put up with Six Flags for DSS's sake, we'd still have to pay for parking, tickets for the rest of the family, and I'm sure snacks. Not exactly an altruistic move on Six Flag's part.

Last year's "If you read, you can have free pizza!" was bad enough. This is over the top!

I cannot stand going to six flags...BUT I think your complaint is with your kid's school since they are the ones that decided to present this offer to the students. I can't blame Six Flags for trying

My kids' school has done this in the past, not every year though.

 

[XYSRUS]

We had that at our old school and I thought it was great! One less ticket to buy! We used to have so much fun.

 

[KiminChicago]

Our elementary school does this program every year and when we had both kids in elementary school it worked great for us. We'd also get a discount via a Coke promotion on an adult ticket so some years we only had to buy one adult ticket. The funniest part of the whole experience is my kids always call the Six Flags rides by their Disney names -- "Ragin' Cajun" is always "Primeval Whirl" and the log ride is always "Splash Mountain". And they always talk about how Six Flags isn't as nice as WDW, so I doubt will be going back now that only one child will earn a ticket.

 

[MrJT]

That is truly evil. I am glad my DD's schools just had the free pizza thing. I've been to Six Flags in Mass twice - it is expensive! Makes Disney look like a bargain when it comes to food and souvenirs.

I was at 6 Flags New England this fall. And I went to a cart selling bottled water. It was like $3.50, which was like almost twice what I paid at WDW a month earlier!
I could go on about the lack of magic at 6 Flags, but I am sure that everyone here would likely agree. Ride ares needing to be repainted, chewing gum that needs to be removed, and those are just the Superman coaster (which is an awesome ride).

 

[RachelEllen]

Well of course it's great if you like Six Flags I'd rather go to the dentist.

THe difference between this and the get in free on your birthday thing, is no one is going to the kids school and saying to your 9 year old: "Johnny, because you worked hard on your homework and /earned/ it, Mickey has a special present for your birthday....A Free Ticket to Disney World! Now go tell your parents so they can plan for your special trip."

(Oh, and I totally give Six Flags props for trying. In case it's not clear, this is very light-hearted annoyance, but I do think it's a lot of chuzpah on the school's and Six Flag's part to do this.)

 

[sdarwkcabemanmy]

My schools did this from about 3rd grade until 8th grade and I'm sure my parents hated it too. If this ever gets offered to DS, I will throw it away. I CANNOT STAND Six Flags. It's dirty, there aren't enough bathrooms (if you can find them..ours seem to be hidden), there aren't enough water fountains, the fastpass system STINKS plus you have to pay an exorbitant amount for it (last time we went I believe it was $20-$30 PER PERSON). It's ridiculous.

 

[piglet too]

I actually like the program. It is for K-6, and with two kids in the category, it does make it easier to go. Sure, it is not someplace we would go otherwise, but my kids really look forward to it. We pack meals, and go out to the car to eat them. Our Six Flags allows us to bring in bottled water, so we do that too.

For the PP who mentioned their kid being too tall, it does not work that way. The ticket is for the student, no matter how tall they are. My 4th grader would need an adult ticket if we went on our own, and he got in with no problem last year.

 

[Becky2005]

I don't know. I don't find it any different than any prize thing.

My DD got a thing for free bowling at our local bowling alley. She isn't old eough to drive herself there herself plus who goes bowling by yourself (I suppose some could but it would be boring I would think)....so yeah, her bowling would be free but we'd have to pay for everyone else plus find a time to get there.

Pizza Hut used to do free personal pan pizzas -- still would have to feed the rest of the family.

One year the kids got free kid's meals at Rainforest Cafe (no expiration on those)...the closest one is an hour away. Not going to make that trip for just one free kid's meal.

So...I don't see the free ticket to Six Flags any different than any of the other promotions.

Now...doing something like "you can attend a pizza party at school if you read X amount of time" would work. I know my 8 year old's class just won a pizza party for having the most box tops turned in. They are having the party at lunchtime (they had earned a party last Friday but it got cancelled, so they just combined the pizza party with watching Charlotte's Web at lunchtime today).

 

[JoiseyMom]

Yup...we have it too. Now the 6 Flags thing came home before the break.. DS has already forgotten about it. We haven't been to Great Adventure in a few years..we used to get season passes. And season parking passes went up to like 45.00!! It is just such a bad park. Either really young kid rides...or big rides he is too small to go on. And the lines...I don't think so. They keep raising the prices..but not much bang for the buck for us to go anymore. We acutally like going to HH..but man parking is insane!! I will stick to my own pool!!

We have the pizza program too...that's been aournd for YEARS!! DS now has 3 coupons. i will have to go and get the pizzas as take out for him!!

 

[luvmy2sams]

Our school does this program, and the Pizza Hut one, too. Nobody at the school makes a big deal of it, and the kids don't seem to care one way or the other. They'd be reading anyway, and by the time the coupons are passed out, they've usually forgotten about it.

 

[r3ngels]

I like the promo... I am not crazy about 6 flags but all the girls read they get a free ticket... I try to get a cheap adult ticket and we go for the day. We would probably go at least once any way.

Last year we used it for the day that Vanesa Hudgens was in concert so the girls got to see her for free.

 

[Bearvet]

Elementary school librarian here. I am offering the 6 Flags reading program at our school for the first time in a few years. The kids are very excited about it. I am trying to find incentive programs that encourage children to read at home - not including school assignments. You'd be surprised at the number of kids who don't read for pleasure.

Six Flags offers this program to schools for free - just a bit of paperwork. You don't have to participate. But if even 1 or 2 kids do some extra reading, it's well worth it. I believe there will be discount ticket offers for family members included with the free ticket.

I'm sorry to hear that so many of you dislike this program. I was also going to start the Pizza Hut program next year.

 

[fall08CP]

Pizza Hut used to do free personal pan pizzas -- still would have to feed the rest of the family.

This is the only one I remember growing up. My parents would make us save it until one night we really didn't like what mom was cooking. Only those with coupons would get the pizza- mom and dad and whoever else didn't have one/want to use theirs would eat whatever was being cooked. Then it's still a free dinner!

 

[onelilspark]

I remember the Pizza Hut program growing up. I thought it was great because I was reading anyway. (I also seem to remember there being one for honor roll/Straight A's...)

I can see why parents would be upset over the Six Flags promo. I mean, there's a difference in cost in taking your family to Six Flags and taking your kids out for pizza. Same idea, but there's more families more likely to be able to afford the night out for pizza than there is the day at Six Flags...

 

[RachelEllen]

Elementary school librarian here. I am offering the 6 Flags reading program at our school for the first time in a few years. The kids are very excited about it. I am trying to find incentive programs that encourage children to read at home - not including school assignments. You'd be surprised at the number of kids who don't read for pleasure.

Six Flags offers this program to schools for free - just a bit of paperwork. You don't have to participate. But if even 1 or 2 kids do some extra reading, it's well worth it. I believe there will be discount ticket offers for family members included with the free ticket.

I'm sorry to hear that so many of you dislike this program. I was also going to start the Pizza Hut program next year.

I'm certainly in favor of getting kids reading more. Don't get me wrong. But I hope you can see why some parents aren't that thrilled about the school essentially telling kids that if they read, then their parents are going to take them to Six Flags.

 

[STLDisney_Freak]

DD school does the promo too and in fact I think DD is almost earned her ticket. It doesn't do her much good because we always purchase season passes to six flags anyway since we live about 10 mins from it. So I will probably just give it to someone I know doesn't have a pass and wants to take their child to six flags.