Six Flags

#2 daughter has a blog she calls ventilation. Good for venting I guess. So here's my vent.

My two youngest (6 & 7) got free tickets to Six Flags for some sort of St. Judes thing related to math. So we decided to use them up. But I needed a ticket. So I went on -line where I was told you could print them and save $5. But when you actually go to the print page - there is a $3 printing charge. It's my printer and ink but they charge me $3 to print a ticket. So the $5 savings is really only $2 and at the checkout page you find you have to pay tax too so there goes the $5.

Arrive at the park after 3+ hours of driving with said youngsters. Pull around to parking area and find we have to pay $15 to park. I'm used to Silver Dollar City where parking is free and they shuttle you back and forth for free. No Six Flags shuttle - just a long hot walk across the parking lot.

Once inside we begin to scope things out and the kids have fun - mostly in the water area. So we rent a locker ($9 for a shoebox sized locker) to hold my wallet, watch, cell phone etc. that can't get wet. When I go to pay the $9 - I hand a young man a $10 bill and he says I'm sorry but I have to collect $14 - there is a $5 key deposit. So I pay. After our swim-venture in our street clothes (my perusal of their web site led me to believe that the water park was extra and we did not plan to go) we rode lots of ridey things to dry off. About 6:30 p.m. we head back to the water are a to find it closed. I head for another locker rental place with my key to get back my $5 so I could buy a bottle of water or something (more about food prices later). The locker rental lady sends me to guest relations. I'm told there that is was made perfectly clear to anyone renting a locker that the $5 was not really a deposit but more to offset the costs of having security take people back into the water area after is is closed - to retrieve their things. Fortunately we didn't leave anything in the locker. We planned on going back for more wetness but the kids got tired and decided not to. Bottom line - they would not give me back my $5. If that was all it had been, I'd have been peeved but no big deal. But by now I feel nickel-and-dimed to death. $3 to print, $15 to park and get this - 3 ice cream cones - guess? $16 and some change. We decided to eat at Micky D's outside the park and even though their prices are somewhat inflated, we ate much cheaper.

I've writtne twice to guest relations but so far all I have is an offer for 1/2 tickets for my party. What the heck are 1/2 tickets? A one day pass costs $44.95 or something close to that. So for my unhappiness - they'll invite me back at a 50% discount. No way unless they have a shuttle from Springfield. I told them I am never going back and will make sure all my friends know about this experience.

So what would you like to know about Six Flags?