Lines
I am a bit of a theme park nerd. In the past 5 years, I've only failed to get a season pass for Six Flags once. I could find my way around Great America blind folded, tell you the best place to eat (as in best tasting food, most food, least money), and tell you the closest bathroom from any location in the park. It's kind of sick. I also am a firm believer in the sanctity of the line. Everyone in the park wants to go on the rides. In order to keep things civil, a line must be maintained. Aside from a handful of line jumpers that can be dealt with in various ways, we lived in peace.
Then came the fast pass.
Basically you pay to cut in line at the front. At Six Flags, you get a little punch card that has (I think) 5 cuts. Disney parks have a similar system. This article is what prompted me to post about this. I understand why people buy these passes. Hot summer days in particular are pretty horrible. The park is packed, the lines are long even for the shitty rides, and everyone is a little more grumpy than they should be. So there you are, standing in line for the Iron Wolf, sweating your ass off, pondering whether a $5 lemonade (lemon flavored water) is worth it. Then after an hour and a half of waiting, three people walk through a little gate and go right to the head of the line. Gonna piss you off a little huh?
I know why parks are doing this. It's a way to make extra money. It is also a way to help out those families that only make it there once every year or two. They want to makes sure these not-so-frequent guests enjoy themselves, get to go on the good rides, and eventually come back. This is especially true with Disney. The parks don't give a shit about me. I'm a moocher. I pay for a season pass then they get almost no money from me ever again. Occasionally I will buy food but even then, I know where to get the best deals. It becomes a question of whether those benefits outweigh the problems highlighted in the article.
Then came the fast pass.
Basically you pay to cut in line at the front. At Six Flags, you get a little punch card that has (I think) 5 cuts. Disney parks have a similar system. This article is what prompted me to post about this. I understand why people buy these passes. Hot summer days in particular are pretty horrible. The park is packed, the lines are long even for the shitty rides, and everyone is a little more grumpy than they should be. So there you are, standing in line for the Iron Wolf, sweating your ass off, pondering whether a $5 lemonade (lemon flavored water) is worth it. Then after an hour and a half of waiting, three people walk through a little gate and go right to the head of the line. Gonna piss you off a little huh?
I know why parks are doing this. It's a way to make extra money. It is also a way to help out those families that only make it there once every year or two. They want to makes sure these not-so-frequent guests enjoy themselves, get to go on the good rides, and eventually come back. This is especially true with Disney. The parks don't give a shit about me. I'm a moocher. I pay for a season pass then they get almost no money from me ever again. Occasionally I will buy food but even then, I know where to get the best deals. It becomes a question of whether those benefits outweigh the problems highlighted in the article.
