Stupid question: should I buy a season pass to Six Flags Great America?
6Honestly, it still kills me a little bit that it’s no longer Marriott’s Great America. And typing that out makes me want to boycott them. But that’s crazy.
Anyway, they’re having a season pass sale, and it’s $68.99 a person for now until the end of next year, with a free upgrade to the gold level, which includes free parking. I live within easy driving distance, yet have never been to Fright Fest. I’ve always WANTED to go, but not enough to ACTUALLY go. A day ticket allegedly retails for $79.99 without parking. There are usually deals for discount tickets through the website, the occasional credit union, on designated coke cans, etc. The website discounted ticket price is “as low as” $47.99. Daily parking is the insane price of $30.
Cons: I don’t actually like crowds or roller coasters (although I do love rides that spin me around in as many directions as simultaneously possible). I would have to buy a season pass for my mom as well, to have someone to go with, as my friends are cheap and/or poor. She is 78 and doesn’t like crowds or roller coasters that much more than I do (although she hates rides that spin her around in multiple directions simultaneously).
Pros: it’s pretty cheap if I got to Fright Fest twice, and then a couple of times next year to realize my dream of going to Great America to sit on a bench and bitch about how it used to be better. Previous years you had to buy a group of 4 to get the deal; this year it’s individual, so I don’t actually have to try to talk anyone into doing it with me (beyond my mom). Essentially, two people and parking for one day would be at least $126 if I ordered it online right now, and two season passes would be $138, but both passes come with a free ticket for a friend this fall and apparently there are specific days you can bring a friend for free during the year.
Other con: the site isn’t loading, which may mean I can’t buy season passes at all. Or is that a pro?
- 16 comments, 42 replies
- Comment
I haven’t been to Great America since Gurnee Mills was new, but I got season passes back in the day.
I’ve been to Fright Fest. It was OK. IIRC, some rides were closed, probably the water ones and maybe some others.
I really like roller coasters. That’s why I went. I’m not sure if there’s enough without them to make it worth doing.
@craigthom Remember when Gurnee Mills had that weird wavy landscaping and the man-in-an-airplane automaton that came out of a suspended barn and flew around a track on the ceiling? I miss those things.
@craigthom @mossygreen wow, now that you mention it i remember that plane. wasn’t there a dog or something that went along with that plane? never thought of it until u mentioned it.
@bayportbob @mossygreen I don’t remember that. I remember that walking from one end to the other and back was about two miles.
And there were two food courts, one retro fifties and one farm themed. And little open “TV rooms” scattered about.
You also just missed their annual best prices if the year sale that is always on Labor Day weekend. As in $10 cheaper than this current season kickoff sale price.
I am pretty sure parking is included with the season pass. Make sure it’s still included in the details. Basically, the prices will go up as the season approaches.
I doubt your 78yo mom would enjoy the rides to be worth it. Taking her to a local botanical garden or symphony/play would likely be better spent mother-son time. Or just coffee in the local historical district on a nice day and people watch at café (pretend you’re in Vienna or Paris).
There is a lot of walking at Six Flags parks and your mom sitting on a bench (which there are very few of in the parks) is probably not her idea of fun with her son.
The target age for season passes is the pre-teens and high schoolers. Middle aged dude “with his 78yo mom” at six flags just says creepy to that crowd.
They’re a great summer job for college kids here at the St. Louis park. Even still, they “import” caravans of immigrant seasonal workers (usually South American, most are upper middle class (in their home country), educated college students and this is a “learning abroad” activity for them) to fill the gap. The week after they go back and the college kids head back to university in August sucks and many venues and rides are simply closed because there’s no workers.
Once my kids hit 15-16, they lost all interest in going, and at the end, it was really just for the water park. 6FSTL has both and they’re not separate.
@mike808
My younger brother worked nights cleaning and maintaining the park at SFOT (DFW) as a high schooler. All summer long, and shortened schedules on weekends while the park was open during the school year.
He was on a work team with his school and sports buddies, so they usually had fun.
@mike808 Are you sure about the price? I thought I checked last weekend for the labor day sale, and it was the same as now, and I thought, hmm, I remember it being less probably a few years back, THIEVES. But that could have been a dream. (It wasn’t.) Could passes be different prices in different markets?
@mossygreen Yes. Some parks the water park is separate. Plus the markets are different.
@mike808 You’re right that my mom would probably rather drive out to the Morton Arboretum for the gnome hunt (I thought it was over but I’m assured it’s still up). But she’s mildly interested in Fright Fest as long as it’s not too scary.
/image morton arboretum gnome hunt
@mike808 @mossygreen I’m not sure if it changes per park but I just renewed my season pass for next year at what is supposed to be the lowest prices they offer. My home park is Great Adventure in New Jersey. The park pass was $68.99 and the deluxe dining was $78.99. The following week the offer I saw was the pass for $69.99. Not exactly a big bump in price but at least they weren’t lying. I tag along with my buddy and his family since my GF isn’t a fan of rides. I want going to renew it until I saw the new coaster they’re putting in. That will definitely be worth a few trips next summer.
On Fright Fest: The same rides are just dressed up in Fall/Halloween decor, and the actual “haunted house” attractions are extra cost - like $3-5 each with something like a “night pass” (maybe $15-20?) to check out any/all of them that night. The rides open are the usual roller coaster variety, and more than a few are closed or were converted into the haunted house special attractions. All the water rides are closed in the Fall.
It is a hot spot for teen preening and the usual unchaperoned hijinx. Again, an old dude without kids (30+) screams creepy, not “single dad”.
That said, the ferris wheel (dont know if thats just a STL ride) is pretty cool at night when you’re not feeling the need for speed.
@mike808 I’m a lady-type person, so I could probably get away with a little more creepiness, but
/youtube cheap trick daddy should have stayed in high school
This is really a question for whoever has the 8 ball…
@JnKL
Ok
Asking on behalf of @mossygreen:
/8ball should I buy a season pass to Six Flags Great America?
Better not tell you now
@JnKL @mossygreen
There.
Problem resolved.
@f00l @JnKL What DID we do before the magic 8 ball?!
@f00l @mossygreen made a decision and if it didn’t work out, blame the eightball, er, scapegoat.
1 2 3 4 get your scapegoat @JnkL on the floor
@f00l @JnKL @mossygreen My Dad’s suggestion (I recall the agonizing decision facing me was choosing between two scale model kits) was flip a coin.
If you don’t like the way it landed, take the other choice, since that’s what you really wanted.
@blaineg or use a coin where both sides are “heads”.
@JnKL @mediocrebot
wow… that sounds way too kinky…
@JnkL is the reason they won’t bring back your favorite TV show
If you think you will visit more than two or three times it is worth it for you. Not sure about your 78 yr old mother, you might want to ask her opinion first.
@tinamarie1974 I suddenly realized this afternoon that I only have to buy one pass, because the sale comes with an extra ticket for this Fall. I just don’t know about excluded dates, hopefully I can figure that out this weekend.
@mossygreen @tinamarie1974
Just be sure the visit us something she would enjoy.
I haven’t been in years. But my memory is that you are in your feet all day.
Also, crowds are a given.
I have a pass to the park here- Kings Dominion which is Cedar Fair. This is probably my last year since the kids lost interest- I’ll have to think about it.
I looked at your website- the Halloween thing looks similar. I have a blast at ours and I’m too chicken to do the haunted houses. I like the music and the characters running around the park. They have an acrobatics show and music and it’s a ton of fun.
Ours just started a Christmas thing too, and it looks like you have that as well. The shows were a lot of fun. You may want to get more details on it if it’s included.
Even if you don’t like roller coasters the lazy river is nice in the summer.
@sammydog01 I did forget to mention that I also refuse to go to haunted houses. But I love Halloween!
The Holiday in the Park thing seems weird, but I guess with global warming December in Northern IL maybe isn’t the crapshoot it used to be.
@mossygreen SAME HERE! I love Halloween! I have been to a few haunted houses (ours are called mazes) and it was just too scary. One actor broke character and asked me if I was OK.
I live in the south so it’s not super cold in December.
@sammydog01 I so miss Kings Dominion. It’s been years since I’ve been. First roller coaster I ever rode was Shock Wave. Dad threw up after riding the Time Shaft. Even Smurf Mountain was still a thing back then.
@jaybird I loved watching the Shock Wave especially when it broke down and they had to get riders off. My favorite was the Hypersonic XLC- people’s faces got all smushy when it blasted off. Good times!
Update: I now have a friend who’s very interested in Fright Fest and perfectly happy not going into any haunted houses (she had a bad experience a couple of years ago with an actor who got way too close and had a knife). She’s fine with a free or a discounted ticket (I just don’t understand how it works). So this is almost definitely happening.
@mossygreen As a member typically all you have to do on the days you can bring someone for free is go to the gate and go through before them. Tell the person there they’re your freebie and they’ll go right in after you.
@mossygreen YAY! Our place also has bring a friend passes that get as low as $20 so I can take a kid once in a while. That may be worth the price of a season pass.
@mossygreen I forgot to mention I spent New Year’s Eve at the park. I usually stay home.
Heck just buy a pass for yourself if you like amusement park rides and go alone and have fun. In my case I’d go alone to one if I had a pass.
Update II: I bought it! Forgot about the “processing fee,” so grand total was $80 and some change. Already regretting it! Not entirely. But a little. It doesn’t look like there are any super-cheap days during Fright Fest (which, sure, I get), only half price, which I think is still like $40. And as everyone here suspected, my mom was sort of just indulging me and doesn’t really want to go, but is interested in Holiday in the Park, which does have cheap days (not free). So the questions are how to maximize the value of my minimum two trips, and is Svengoolie appearing during Fright Fest? He did last year, but I don’t see anything on his website yet for this year. He’ll probably be in Elgin or at the Volo Auto Museum or something.
@mossygreen so it wasn’t an IRK, but a maybe regret kit?
Go have fun, don’t over think it!
@mossygreen I just renewed my pass to Kings Dominion. One of the advantages to being an antisocial weirdo is that I’m perfectly happy doing stuff by myself. Go a couple of times and buy yourself a candy apple or something. It will be fun.
I think its a great place to take your 78 year old mother. Especially if you sit her on a bench, get her a drink and some snacks and then come back at the end of next season to pick her up.
@mml666 So you’re saying I should have sprung for the meal pass?
@mossygreen Nah. Just a few snacks, maybe a sandwich.
@mml666 Are you my sister?
@mossygreen Not since the last time I checked…but she sounds HOT!
For this alone you should do it.
I haven’t been since I lived in California in the 80’s. The Edge, the Demon, etc…
Maybe I’m strange but I actually enjoy being alone at an amusement park. When I’d go when I was younger, ditching my family to go ride the Viper or the Ninja or the Grizzly was a priority at Magic Mountain.
I also prefer going to the movies alone.
@j37hr0 I
going to the movies alone. I get to see what I want, when I want and I can sit wherever I want!
@j37hr0 @tinamarie1974 Yes going alone to some things if definitely worth it. I mostly travel alone too. Makes it easy to temporarily join up with others to do things. Had a blast when I lived in several foreign countries traveling alone.
@j37hr0 @Kidsandliz I travel both alone and with friends, it just depends. My only issue with foreign travel is when I do not speak the language it can become a very quiet, solitary trip.
@j37hr0 @tinamarie1974
Plus (extra bonus) nobody to talk to you during the movie…
Sounds like a really good deal. Season passes to Disney cost eight pounds of gold and a good kidney.
@PocketBrain You don’t have to sign a 10,000 year contract?
We did the SF over Atlanta season tix last year. Same sort of deal, and we used them a few times with the grandkids and actually went with another couple for my wife’s 61st birthday. Had a blast each time we went. Had wanted to go to the waterpark (included but separate venue) but tweaked my back the day before and decided the 2 hour drive and potential for really fucking up my back made that a bad idea. Bummer!
One of the other benefits is admission to any of the other 6 Flags properties in the US. Haven’t done any yet, but we are definitely thinking we will re-up our pass for the next season…
BTW check to see if they have an ap (which will help you navigate the park and get showtimes etc.)
TL:DR Go for it (but I see you already did…)
@chienfou The app can load your card onto it so it can tell you what deals/specials are available and they scan the barcode in the app to get in and use the discounts (like the parking and food pass).
@chienfou @mike808 I downloaded the app before I bought the pass! It told me nothing until I purchased, but now I have details on which rides will be open for Fright Fest and descriptions of the shows. It’s dumb and great. Also, I know now that I can bring a friend on Halloween for $9.99, which will be great if it’s one of those glorious, golden, high 60’s Halloween days, not so much if it’s one of those rainy, parka-demanding low 40’s Halloween days.
Season Pass Parking and Pass Holder Savings Guide offers are only valid at Six Flags Great America. You will have discounts.
@Scambling I think they have a “gold” package or maybe it was just the Labor Day season launch sale, but IIRC, the passes were good to get in at all parks, just not for parking or discounts or food passes other than your home park.
Update III: my 78-year-old mother would like anyone interested to know that she is an energetic, roller coaster-loving person who is genuinely looking forward to a day at a theme park.
@mossygreen I took my bring a friend pass to Kings Dominion along with my son last night.
I guess 90 degree September days don’t make people think of Halloween because the lines were really short. We did a bunch of mazes. I screamed a lot. My son was upset that they ignored him and went after me.
And my new nickname is Inmate Chicken Wings.