Memberships

[anewman35]

Anybody doing the new Membership thing they're pushing on Sixflags.com (or know much about it)? There's a bunch on the website about it at https://content.sixflags.com/greatameri ... mberships/ and https://content.sixflags.com/greatameri ... ship-faqs/, but it doesn't quite answer one question I have:

One of the selling points of the Memberships is that you don't need to get new membership cards every year, and that all the upgrades like "free parking" and "gold" are good "forever". It's possible nobody knows yet, because they just haven't been around long enough yet, but I'm thinking that based on that, a person could get a membership at Six Flags St. Louis (or another lower cost Six Flags park), activate it there, and then use it at Great America forever at the lower cost. I guess you probably wouldn't get a Great America coupon book, but beyond that can anybody see any flaws with the plan? Saving a few bucks a month adds up with a family of four...

Of course, they could just announce a really good season pass deal tomorrow and make this whole thing moot...

[BroServant7]

I bought a membership for myself at SFGAm and for my girlfriend at SFSL and both work just like a regular season pass. Next season we'll have to get new ID cards and we'll get updated coupon books. The cost to get parking and meals on your membership would be higher and would only be good at your home park and I suppose if they ever wanted to change it they could but they would have to alter what they charge you for. I just have the basic memberships. Our passes get us into any Six Flags park just like a regular season pass. Does that help at all?

[anewman35]

I bought a membership for myself at SFGAm and for my girlfriend at SFSL and both work just like a regular season pass. Next season we'll have to get new ID cards and we'll get updated coupon books. The cost to get parking and meals on your membership would be higher and would only be good at your home park and I suppose if they ever wanted to change it they could but they would have to alter what they charge you for. I just have the basic memberships. Our passes get us into any Six Flags park just like a regular season pass. Does that help at all?

Are you sure about two of those things? You say that you need to get a new id card next year, but the FAQ says "Added bonus: Members can keep their Six Flags Membership cards from one year to the next and never need to get a new ID made at the park.", which is why it feels like you'd be able to keep getting the SFSL price without ever going back there - if the membership just keeps going and never ends, then there shouldn't be any yearly processing needed, so it seems like a big loophole.

As for the parking only being good at the home park, that might be true for a parking pass addon, but for a gold pass it explicitly says "Free parking at every other Six Flags park", so that wouldn't be an problem...

[Ilovthevu']

Buying a membership to me doesn't make a lot of sense. It says this: "Memberships require a 12 mo. minimum commitment. After 12 months you may cancel at any time." So, are they charging me 6 out of the 12 months when SFGAm isn't even open? That's a ripoff unless people are going to SFOT / SFMM / SFFT / SFStL / SFOG etc when Great America isn't open.

[anewman35]

Buying a membership to me doesn't make a lot of sense. It says this: "Memberships require a 12 mo. minimum commitment. After 12 months you may cancel at any time." So, are they charging me 6 out of the 12 months when SFGAm isn't even open? That's a ripoff unless people are going to SFOT / SFMM / SFFT / SFStL / SFOG etc when Great America isn't open.

It might seem that way, but you have to do the math. A basic SFGAm membership for one person is $7.42 a month, which comes out to $89.04 a year. They've removed the season pass price at the moment, so I can't say for sure but that's around what a pass would cost, right? Depending on what time of year you buy it, it could be a better deal - If it's July and you plan to go to the park a few times, you can buy a season pass for around $80 that's only good until October or you can buy a membership that's good until the next July. And once you've done the 12 months, you can cancel any time for no fee, so there are probably ways to work the system here and there (example: if you start one in May, then have it go through October of the next year and cancel it, you basically get the second season for half price).

Plus, you only pay under $10 a month, which could be helpful to people who can't scrape together a bunch of money all at once. And if they do some sort of free Gold upgrade offer (which hopefully they'll announce tomorrow), you can keep those perks "forever" (or until they change the system). It's not an automatic slam dunk amazing deal, but I think it could be if you play it right.

[BackwardsBlue]

I have a Gold Membership. I like it because I could not handle paying for a season pass at the beginning of the season all at once. Works just like a seasons pass. I believe I can just continue to use it and just get the coupon book at the beginning of next year. I am also thinking if you do not want another picture they will probably have a membership fast lane for a new current year pass print out and coupon book because we will not have to update our information.

This just spaces out Six Flag's revenue for the winter months. You are paying I think 3 more dollars than if you got the gold season pass outright. I go a lot so I am paying 13 dollars a month and I go 4-5 times I am doing just fine.

It makes it easier for people to pay for it so more people are able to get season passes.

You are able to get out of the Membership, you just have to pay a fee before you hit 12 months. The Parking is National Parking so it is not just available at SFGAm its everywhere(Just to clear that up) I did not get the meal plan so I do not know how that works.