FAST LANE

[btpcheater]

During fright fest I strongly feel that the fast pass should not be used. It's just nuts and I know that sfgam can afford to not offer the fast lane during this peak holiday season. I know they make a killing off the profits for this speical feature but, everything is ALWAYS packed during fright fest. Just my two cents....

[[jonrev]]

Six Flags will always have Fastlanes during Fright Fest because it makes them money, which they need.

[Trailblazer Tony]

I think that the fast lane should only be used if under a certain number of people are in the park. Isn't that the purpose, you ask? Yes, but there is a difference between saving one hour as opposed to saving like two and half hours. On freakishly crowded days they should not offer it. However, like you guys said, they will always offer it since it gets them money.

[msoeagle]

I love fastpass. Bull was a 5 minute wait.

[zjohn1988]

Too many were sold on Saturdays this season during fright fest. The Fastlane lines were very long.

[FRD714]

I have never used fast lane before, but there probably worth it on crowded days.

[zjohn1988]

After you have gone to the park 100+ times, you learn how to wait in minimum waits even on the most crowded days without fastlane.

[FRD714]

^ 5 times in the past 6 years doesnt give me any experience. I always go from left to right when Im in the park and end around whizzer or go karts.

[Shockwavegirl]

Best money I ever spent on Oct 15 was the Fast Lane. Had I not bought it, I wouldn't have had ANY fun that day. The whole day long I would have been sick that I spent money to stand in line all day, I can stand at home, for free.

[BMRider]

After you have gone to the park 100+ times, you learn how to wait in minimum waits even on the most crowded days without fastlane.

Working at the park doesn't count in the number of times you go to the park. There is no way around waiting unless you have fastlane. Unless you know other ways...

[Shockwavegirl]

Sure there is. When the park opens, head straight to the back, most of the crowd hits the rides up front. In the afternoon while the back of the park is filling up, head back up front, most of those folks are now in the back. Head for Vu the last few minutes of the park and wait then, no use in wasteing valuable park time in a long line that doesn't move. Avoid high traffic times in high traffic areas.

(Obviously, these tips don't work on "PARK CROWDED We suggest you visit another day" days.) But for the most part, it gets you on the most rides while avoiding 2 hour waits. I do it all the time. The only rides I have waited longer than 45 mins for in the last 4 years, is V2, Vu and S:UF.

[FRD714]

^ Heading straight to the back of the park is a good idea. I should probably try that next time when I want to ride V2 first.

[Bob O]

I would not sell fastpass during HH or any other time.
It should be offered to everyone free of charge like it is done at other parks or not done at all.,
And if you are going to offer a fastlane system then every ride should be open and run at full capacity from minute the park is open.

[FRD714]

^ They need to do something like wdw's fastpass. It would work out great.

[msoeagle]

The only reason your upset it because you dont want to spend money on fastpass.

[FRD714]

I would spend the money, its just do they really need to have the high price.

[msoeagle]

Well if it gives you an extra hour to ride rides id do it.

[zjohn1988]

After you have gone to the park 100+ times, you learn how to wait in minimum waits even on the most crowded days without fastlane.

Working at the park doesn't count in the number of times you go to the park. There is no way around waiting unless you have fastlane. Unless you know other ways...

lol even so, I still manage to get on everything atleast once on a crowded day with less than 10 minute waits.

[twixmix0303]

every ride should be open and run at full capacity from minute the park is open

Okay Mr. Know-It-All...rides experience delays in operation, staffing may not be adequate to have every single ride open, it may not be nearly crowded enough to justify having a third train on Raging Bull, Whizzer, or Demon. If you have rides running at lower capacity when it's less crowded, you can have the extra employees getting trained for other rides so that the low levels of staffing during Fright Fest are less of an impact...you obviously have no idea of what you're talking about. You don't just flip a switch and everything works beautifully like you imagine in your own world.

[Shockwavegirl]

The more trains you have on the coaster, the more ops you need to attend it. For example, I worked Shockwave and the amount of attendants needed to run all three train was 5 (until they put in the remote panal for control) 3 attendants, 1 enable attendant and 1 control. After the remote panel was installed, it was 4, 1 attendant became control as well. But with 1 train, all you needed was 2, the enable attendant, and the remote panel was used for the second attendant, before the remote panel was intstalled it was three. Keeping in mind that there is always at least one extra person assigned yet on the ride w/out a position usually cleaning until it was time for breaks. If there wasn't then no one would be able to go on break, without dropping a train to free up a person.

So with this scenario, imagine that a day like 10/15 where the park is extremely crowded, you would like to see all the trains running Raging Bull. But because the park wasted it's free ops running unecessary trains on low attendance days, there isn't hardly anyone left that knows how to run it. But you have plenty of employess that know how to run Logger's Run that isn't even open.

Besides economically it's stupid for a company $2 billion in debt to be paying a LOT of employees to basically do nothing, when they can get by with less.

[Bob O]

Im glad that some dont quote the whole comment, "And if you are going to offer a fastlane system then every ride should be open and run at full capacity from minute the park is open."
If you are going to have a pay for ride system like fastlane then you should run all rides to full capacity when fastlane is being used that day, by not doing so you are attempting to force people to buy a fastlane by intentionally making the lines longer by not running at full capacity.
If you arent able to run the park fully due to staffing reasons then dont sell fastpasses that day, if it is a slow day and you dont need to run at capacity then again dont sell fastlane tickets that day.
The reason they are in debt is due too lousy management decisons and fasrlane is just one of many that the company has made.
How much do you think a free system like fastpass costs, with the installation of machines/tickets/maintence/employee's etc?? Yet disney implemented the system, not to gouge there guests but to make the experience more enjoyable and to get people out of line and hopefully into rests. and stores to spend money. And we see where one cmpany is successful and the other one isnt, Maybe they should learn from this and run there parks in a more guest service comes first manner and they wouldnt be over 2 billion in debt.
There is reasons why SF sell these yet competitors like Busch Gardens/Paramount Parks/Cedar Fair parks/Disney Parks dont, and the other park chains arent billions in debt.. Maybe SF should learn from these other chains that you dont have to gouge your customers every chance you can.

[BMRider]

But Bob here is what I see. All the rides that accept fastlane did run at full capacity almost everyday this past summer. (Whizzer may not have seen 3 trains everyday) So if they run full capacity at the rides that offer fastlane then the system works

If you mean every ride needs to be a full capacity then only ride that would have to add a train would be Demon. But that line doesn't need it. I do see where you are coming for Bob. I also think the Disney system would not work with our clientele.

Also John, riding the rides using the exit doesn't count and can get you fired. Thats the only way to avoid the lines on a crowded day.

[twixmix0303]

If you are going to have a pay for ride system like fastlane then you should run all rides to full capacity when fastlane is being used that day, by not doing so you are attempting to force people to buy a fastlane by intentionally making the lines longer by not running at full capacity.

As you have pointed out below, staffing is one issue this time of year. Wouldn't it make sense for Six Flags to sell the FastLane tickets, since the wait is actually longer due to staffing (not really the park's choice but to raise the pay) and it's not really an option to raise staffing levels? If a particular ride is running with three trains, then let's say the wait is 1.5 hours. If that same ride is running the same day with just two trains, then let's say the wait is 2 hours. So you're saying that FastLane tickets should be sold when the wait is 1.5 hours, but not 2 hours? I don't know about you, but most guests would rather pay for FastLane when the wait is 2 hours, not 1.5 hours.

If you arent able to run the park fully due to staffing reasons then dont sell fastpasses that day, if it is a slow day and you dont need to run at capacity then again dont sell fastlane tickets that day.

Not selling FastLane unless the park is crowded would be a horrible decision! If the waits are only 10 minutes and someone wants to pay for FastLane, let them. More money from FastLane sales means new attractions.

[Bob O]

BMrider, I often saw RB running two trains this year while fastlane was being used and on days fastlane was used RB rarely started with 3 trains but would sometimes ad a train later in the day when lines got long rather than starting with 3 trains when they had every reason to suspect the park would be busy. And if SFGAM doesnt have the clientele for as fastpass sytem then that is the parks fault for not reaching out to that customer base. Parks that cater to families are doing very good, rather than those trying to survive by selling cheap season passes which has been SF's management model .


Where is there any proof that selling fastlane tickets means more money is available for new attractions??? Why intentionally screw your guests by selling fastlane tickets they may not need, instead use the employee's that are involved in fastlane in operating rides/cleaning bathrooms/cleaning out the trash etc which will result in a better experience for all who visit the parks. Maybe more security to eject people froom the park who line jump or using profanity or otherwise disobey park rules.

I dont know what the parks total capacity is in regards to how many people are allowed in the park at one time, but the park might be better off too stop letting new people in the park once the lines get too long for attractions. If you cant handle the people that are already in the park then it makes little sense too add in more. When one visits a park, be it SFGAM or anypark and all the top attractions have waits that are hours long that customer is not going to leave the park feeling they got there moneys worth and that may not bother seasonpass holders as we may visit often, but it is going too affect the decision of those who arent season passholders and if they will return and what comments they will tell family/friends about the expereince they had at the park.

[rct2wizard360]

Bob O, it's a buisness. And the goal of running a buisness is to MAKE MONEY.

Honestly, if you owned a park chain that was in debt, you'd be doing anything you could to make money.

I'm friends with a lot of non-enthusiasts and they are extremely happy when they get on two coasters and buy a hot dog. They aren't looking to get as much done in a day as we are. They are there to have fun with the family and maybe get on a few rides. We are there for RIDES, RIDES, RIDES. And some other popular attractions. They aren't in our same mindset. Most of the General Public likes the idea of Fastpass, others don't. But there have been more positive remarks than negative ones. I'm not trying to sound like a jerk, but the park knows how to run the rides a lot better than you do. They have a reason behind running two trains in the morning and three in the afternoon. The Op's are only doing what they are told to do, and that's what they are paid to do. Don't go rambling about these kind of things when your taking into the intrest of only us enthusiasts and not major park goers.

Money > Guests

It's how it works.