6F Requires You To Check All Bags Before Each Roller Coaster at $1 Per Ride

[GADVwow]

http://consumerist.com/tag/six-flags/?i=5015109&t=six-flags-requires-you-to-check-all-bags-before-each-rollercoaster-for-1-per-ride

[David Jr]

This is why i take nothing with me into the park, not even a hat to protect my mostly-bald head from the sun. I know some people can't do this, but i have to wonder how many guests bring in stuff they don't need. my policy is, if you don't need it, don't bring it. If you do, leave it in your car.

[GADVwow]

And some people will decide that with policies like those, they don't need Six Flags....

That's my fear.

[PcMan]

Cargo SHorts / pants / jacket with roomy pockets and many of them works for me

- Cell phone (big)
- Camera
- Water Bottle  when its hot
- Brim / hat
- money/passes etc.

all these fit in my cargo shorts securely

[overlord]

Damn tourists don't know what the hell they are talking about!

[peterpjr]

I never can understand why people need to bring so much stuff with them to a theme park.  So if you need sunscreen or whatever, rent a daily locker and use that as home base.  Even when you could bring bags on the platform, it was such a pain in the neck to board the train, get off the other side, put your bag on the platform, get back on the train.

[coastermom]

The only thing annoying me is the no flip flops on the side anyone more . I don't know about Batman and Medusa but I know on NITRO you must take your shoes with you now. I haven't been wearing flip flops to the parks for just this reason. I already know that IOA makes you take them also so it must be a new amusement park thing. The only thing better at IOA/USF is the lockers start out free for atleast 1/2 an hour . Then they start charging you . I stay on site usually there is no charge as I am off the ride in less then 1/2 hour .

I have a 7 year old there are just things you need when you have kids and well you need a bag to carry them in . I guess as he gets older it may  be less and less but one never knows.

[darkridedan]

I've used the lockers in the spring with out problems when I brought a button down for when it got colder and I had an onride photo. The problem I have with the policy is that it blames the guests for slow dispatches. I waited in line for an hour line at Nitro with three train operation. That's entirely too long of a wait for three train operation. Most of the time, I had assumed they were running two trains because of the slow dispatches. The line moved much faster once the manager took over. Thank you Greg! The crews just aren't fast like they were 7 or 8 years ago at the park and that is where the problem lies. Taking bags and huge  stuffed prizes might slow things down by 5 or 10  seconds. Ride employees walking around in circles with out any concept of the ride cycle is slowing things down just as much without loose articles on the platform. Six Flags has to stop blaming the guests for purchasing souviner bottles and stuffed prizes that bring in revenue into their own park.

[rjholla2003]

After having been to IOA 2 weeksn ago, I must say that is the best locker system available.  Free for the first 30-45 minutes, change after.  No tickets with numbers to lose, destroy, or forget, jsut a thumb scan. Simply awesome.

[coastermom]

RJ is it not the best system. I have a short story about that locker system too. I was there in may and left my stuff to ride DD. When we got off both the locker was over the 1/2 hour limit and we had all our money in the locker. The attendent opened the locker and let the extra time slide. We were maybe 10 min over . The best system is because they give you at least the first 30 min free. Amazing that they even offer that I hope they don't see what SF is doing and change it .

[GADVwow]

I highly doubt the Universal parks look to Six Flags for best practices!

[rjholla2003]

I had the same thing happen at DD because it broke down.  They also let the $4 charge slide.  It's quite the jump up from free, but my girlfriend and I agreed that it was fair since you have a decent while where it is free.

Thought about it a little and this system would probably end up with better profits in the long run anyway.  With the lines during the season, they'd go into the pay period most likely anyway, and even of they were "friendly" and dropped it to $2 instead of the $4 that Universal attempted to charge us, they'd still bring in 100% more per guest, while raising guest satisfaction because "well, at least we got some time free".  With the current system, it annoys them right off the bat and creates a feeling of being taken advantage of.  Also, you have deviant people who either store their stuff in ride lockers all day (and don't get caught if those lockers don't get full, then emptied if over the time limit), or they "hide" their belongings, just for a team member to find it, then bring bags of loot to L&F.  At least Universal's system will take advantage of you trying to take advantage of them, curbing deviant locker use.  The price jumps up, and it's not posted (or at least I didn't see it posted when I was looking), so you have no clue what kind of charge you'll come back to.  Someone who paid $20 for the day at El Toro that could have spent $10 at Johnny Rockets won't make that mistake again, and tell their friends.

[overlord]

I really don't understand why people hate this policy so damn much. After all...it is just $1. I know I definitely don't come to an amusement park with no money in pocket, because after all, that would be a dumb decision.

[Robert T Ackerman]

What happens to the people that bring just enough money to get in and get 1 snack/meal/drink and don't know of this new policy?? What if someone doesn't have the internet that goes into the park and can't check these things before going? If I paid $60 to get in, and found out I couldn't ride the very small handful of rides the park actually does have because I didn't bring any extra $$ with me, I'd be beyond pissed off.

[GADVwow]

And beyond pissed off guests remember.  And remember next year.  And decide to do something else rather than get 'ripped off' at Six Flags.

[overlord]

What happens to the people that bring just enough money to get in and get 1 snack/meal/drink and don't know of this new policy?? What if someone doesn't have the internet that goes into the park and can't check these things before going? If I paid $60 to get in, and found out I couldn't ride the very small handful of rides the park actually does have because I didn't bring any extra $$ with me, I'd be beyond pissed off.

You don't need to have the internet before hand. I am sure that there are papers stating park policy before the admission gates, even calling the park to find out the park policy beforehand. So to say someone had no chance to read and understand the park policy before paying the now $50 admission price is just too weak of an argument.

Also with the price cut back, that is $10 you can now spend on the lockers for either a daily one or 10 rides on El Toro, Nitro, etc.

Now, if they instituted something like RJ was saying they had at IOA, then I think guests would not be so intimidated by the locker system. But I can easily see them flipping out because they "didn't know it charged you after a certain point."

[darkridedan]

There isn't anything Clint that states the policy about the lockers before people enter the park. I can't say I am upset about the locker policy. The non-season passholder may have the common sense to see that if the park wanted to decrease the wait times, they would replace the swings, spaceshuttle, splashwaterfalls, spin meister, freefall, riptide, chaos, rodeo stampede, taz twister, pendulum, jumpin' jack flash, evolution, pirate's flight, time warp, centrifuge, el sombrero, or spinnaker, or train ride employees better for capacity, or find a way to get people to ride older people eaters by rebranding and proper maintenance and reopen closed rides that already exist in the park. It's easy for us single season pass holders to have a good attitude but it's allot more expensive for a family to come to the park. It's more clear to parents that this is a policy to dime people. It's not their fault that the park built Kingda Ka and other excessive 54"ers and tried to pass off kiddie rides

[WadeJ]

I'm staying out of this one but have really enjoyed the thread.

I do want to add that six flags makes zero dollars from these lockers.  While I realize the gp would have no clue or even care, it does make you wonder how they could better pr it.

[GADVwow]

So the locker vendor doesn't pay to be there?

[coastermom]

The lockers don't even bother me the flip flop issue is more annoying to me . First off the saftey issue comes in to mind for me if they don't want any loose articales on a ride then why make people hold their shoes on NITRO? Or sit on them ?? I am forever coming out of my seat on that ride even totally locled all the way down . I am worried I am going to loose my shoe them what ? Will they go get it ? Isn't that causing more down time? Just my thoughts . I haven't been on Batman or Medusa yet but I wonder if they are doing the same with the shoes there ? I just want to be comfortable walking around in the heat now that the summer is here . When I go to IOA I hate going on DD because of this .

[overlord]

Has anyone tried threading the belt buckle through the toes of the sandal to secure it that way yet? I know my friend down in IOA said he would do that.

[Millennium Force 44]

^That's a really good idea. I never thought of that.

[GADVwow]

Now there's something I want to do...handle belts that have not only been handled by many people all day for days, but also have had sandals attached to them.  Pardon me, but blech.

[coastermom]

Has anyone tried threading the belt buckle through the toes of the sandal to secure it that way yet? I know my friend down in IOA said he would do that.

Good Idea ... still doesn't work for nitro but I will do it at IOA this summer and see how it works . 

[darkridedan]

I think you can fasten your flips flops to the belt of your own pants on any ride.

It's a good idea to take your flip flops with you incase the ride breaks down. Those metal steps probably get pretty hot in the summer.

The ideal scenario would be to allow souviner, water, juice and soda bottles, hats, sandals, flips flops, and on-ride photos in the station. It is a little strange that you can't bring a bottle in to the El Toro queue but you can buy one there.

I don't think large bags or stuffed prizes have a place in the station of the larger coasters. They never broke anything when they were allowed in the station, but why not get a locker for the big stuff? A couple of $1 lockers may be cheaper than the larger lockers out front, depending on the number of coasters a guest rides, and a shorter walk to boot. I don't know why people want to carry around that stuff anyway, but it is the perogative.

Like Wade, I hope guests don't see the policy as the straw that broke the camels back.