Six Flags raises parking fees.

[CorkscrewFoley]

Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is...like Robb said, deal with it...I'd be more concerned about paying 5 dollars for 10 french fires Cedar Point . Even still, I'm not going to be petty or a whining bitch to let it ruin my day out. If you don't like it, then go home...and thank you for shortening the lines that bit more.

[Top Thrill Dragster]

^Speaking of Southern California. Universal Studios Hollywood does have its very own Red line station. Anything to stay away from rush hour traffic on the Hollywood freeway.

 

Yep, USH even has a free tram that will take you from the Red Line station to City Walk.

[WFChris]

Parking at the Ralphs (grocery store) in Downtown Los Angeles is $50 if you forget to validate. And its a machine, too. No arguing.

[Meteornotes]

Yeah, so it costs $17 to park at Six Flags Great Adventure. Big Deal. They have El Toro.

 

This should kill this argument right here.

 

dt

[PeoplemoverMatt]

For those that want to save money on parking at Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm you can park at Fullerton park and ride take LA metro 460 to either park for a whopping $3 per person round trip.

 

And for SFMM, park at Valincia Town Center and walk over to McBean transit center and take bus 3 or 7 to the park. $2 per person round trip.

 

If you don't like what they charge for parking find alternatives, that's what I did.

 

Sorta doubt that TPR would condone this. I mean, you can try that, but you'll have to wrestle with the personal ethics of mooching off someone else's private property to satisfy your being cheap. You'll also risk getting towed if the car doesn't move until very late at night, and mall security doesn't believe that you're a patron of the facility (your sunburn could be a giveaway, for example). The Valencia mall should be considered private property reserved for patrons only, just like any other private property in/around any other venue.

 

Besides, whatever happened to actually supporting the business, and the industry in general?

[AstroDan]

Parking charges in the USA do seem extortionate to be honest. In Europe, most parks charge somewhere between $3 and $10 - with many parks still not charging whatsoever. The only exceptions to this is the two Paris parks - DLP and Astérix, whose charges are much higher. I was genuinely shocked at the prices for parking in Florida when I visited for the first time last year. It made Alton Towers (£6/$10) seem cheap and we all feel that is pushing it!

 

That said, we pay far, far more for our fuel/gas here - around £6.00 per gallon ($10!).

 

[Sir Clinksalot]

^^ I've parked at a lot just outside the main parking lots at Honda Center and The Grove of Anahiem. Both were $5, virtually equal walking distance, and quicker to get out of when the concert was over. $25 for Irvine Meadows? This for general or VIP? I've been there many times and never paid that much, if anything.

 

The only thing I'll agree with is that since the parks are charging so little for admission, they need to make up for it somewhere.

 

^ Exactly what I was thinking in regards to public transportation.

 

Yes, it was VIP ... because I don't care to spend an hour trying to get out of the lot after a concert.

 

IMO, when you pay to park VIP, it's not particularly VIP Parking, it's more VIP "leaving". Well worth the extra $5-$10.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^Speaking of Southern California. Universal Studios Hollywood does have its very own Red line station.

And yet Metro couldn't put a train stop any closer than two miles to the second busiest airport in the country...

 

 

 

 

Sorta doubt that TPR would condone this. I mean, you can try that, but you'll have to wrestle with the personal ethics of mooching off someone else's private property to satisfy your being cheap. You'll also risk getting towed if the car doesn't move until very late at night, and mall security doesn't believe that you're a patron of the facility (your sunburn could be a giveaway, for example). The Valencia mall should be considered private property reserved for patrons only, just like any other private property in/around any other venue

I'm sure the Transit Center has some type of Park-N-Ride lot as most commuter train stops and bus terminals have, so that option is stil viable. The only drawback is that the routes that service the park terminate earlier than the parks hours in certain cases. Of course Magic Mountain is in a much more "rural" area than USH, KBF, or DLR, so I can understand why, but still, the option is available.

[Sir Clinksalot]

Why does everybody think Magic Mtn. is in a "rural" area?

 

Just because it's surrounded by Mountains doesn't mean it's "Rural", Santa Clarita probably has around 200,000 people and is 15 miles from "The Valley" that has over 1,000,000 people living there.

 

Throw in Pasadena, Palmdale/Lancaster and Ventura County which is 30-45 minutes away and you can add another 500,000 people easily.

[ParkTrips]

Thanks to Robb for pointing out parking prices at other parks. I didn't realize Universal had gone up to $15 as well, but then again, they have a parking deck

 

To answer why parking has greatly outpaced inflation, I would just guess that parks got tired of subsidizing parking costs with admissions. You have to pay taxes on the land, you have to maintain it (which, admittedly SF doesn't do a great job of, but even on the low end, its going to be $250/space/yr), you have to pay a bunch of people (collect fees, guide traffic, security), you have to insure it, etc.

 

SF Parking went up to $15 when Shapiro took office in 06, and hadn't gone up since.

[metrock]

^^ I've parked at a lot just outside the main parking lots at Honda Center and The Grove of Anahiem. Both were $5, virtually equal walking distance, and quicker to get out of when the concert was over. $25 for Irvine Meadows? This for general or VIP? I've been there many times and never paid that much, if anything.

 

The only thing I'll agree with is that since the parks are charging so little for admission, they need to make up for it somewhere.

 

^ Exactly what I was thinking in regards to public transportation.

 

Yes, it was VIP ... because I don't care to spend an hour trying to get out of the lot after a concert.

 

IMO, when you pay to park VIP, it's not particularly VIP Parking, it's more VIP "leaving". Well worth the extra $5-$10.

 

VIP leaving - I never thought of it that way before. Kinda funny thinking from that perspective, and I totally agree because at Irvine Meadows it can be painful getting out of that parking lot. And unlike some other venues, you really don't have another choice as far as parking locations off site. The Grove of Anahiem and Honda Center both have awesome offsite parking that are right across the street from the main parking, way cheaper, and very easy to get out of.

 

And I think that if I ever see something at Nokia or Staples, I'm taking the Gold Line in.

 

Also, it's not about being "cheap." People have all different levels of income. In a hard hit economy such as this, for me, saving a few bucks here and there can really make a difference when you add it up.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

Why does everybody think Magic Mtn. is in a "rural" area?

I'm not basing it off of the park being surrounded by mountains. I'm basing it off the fact that it's outside of central L.A., and doesn't truly belong to any true "metropolitan" sector of L.A. From where all centralized people are in L.A., it's only accessible by one freeway, and most of the regions you mentioned (Paldale/Lancaster, Pasadena, etc) belong to their own respective regions. I'm not saying "rural" meaning small, but rather, "isolated". I mentioned it in context that KBF, DLR, and USH are in much more centralized areas that are more accessible to the greater Metro L.A. area.

[CardCraze]

Yeah, so it costs $17 to park at Six Flags Great Adventure. Big Deal. They have El Toro.

 

--Robb

 

Amazing. This quote deserves to be immortalized forever.

[John Knotts]

Six Flags parking is getting out of hand? No, the price of everything is getting out of hand. Why would theme parks be any different?

[DiveMachine]

Yeah, so it costs $17 to park at Six Flags Great Adventure. Big Deal. They have El Toro.

 

--Robb

I don't think a single person could argue against that

 

$17 and El Toro or the $20 I've for for parking down at the Jersey Shore and all you get is beaches... I think I've made up my mind

[Intimidator305]

I never thought I would see a theme park chain beat Disney to charging 20 bucks for parking!

[PSiRockin]

Yeah, so it costs $17 to park at Six Flags Great Adventure. Big Deal. They have El Toro.

 

--Robb

I don't think a single person could argue against that

 

$17 and El Toro or the $20 I've for for parking down at the Jersey Shore and all you get is beaches... I think I've made up my mind

Really? I do think GADV>Shore too, but most parking there is $5. It's supply and demand. At the shore there's more people selling parking. Unlike a few other parks though, you can't park anywhere near Great Adventure, beside the Six Flags lots. Maybe with the extra $2 they're getting they can get a flat, or even repave some of the bad parts of the lot.

Whatever, the parking doesn't really stop me whatsoever from fun!

[Jew]

Thanks to Robb for pointing out parking prices at other parks. I didn't realize Universal had gone up to $15 as well, but then again, they have a parking deck

 

To answer why parking has greatly outpaced inflation, I would just guess that parks got tired of subsidizing parking costs with admissions. You have to pay taxes on the land, you have to maintain it (which, admittedly SF doesn't do a great job of, but even on the low end, its going to be $250/space/yr), you have to pay a bunch of people (collect fees, guide traffic, security), you have to insure it, etc.

 

SF Parking went up to $15 when Shapiro took office in 06, and hadn't gone up since.

 

Lots of cities have turned to parking taxes as a way to create new revenue too. I know LA has one. Didn't Kings Island have to sue over this issue as well?

[WFChris]

^It's true. In LA City, its 10%. 10% would be right on par with a park raising its rates $2 (you know, without going to $16.50). Ta da!

[BudtheWeiser]

Parking is definately outrageous. At a time when gas is $4 per gallon (in Ohio atleast), its bad enough wanting to travel far distances for trips. But when parking costs more than a (TPR discounted) admission to park? Thats just ridiculous! I'm just happy KI still is only $10 to park, and I'm only gonna have to do that once this year to get my platinum pass processed....

 

$4 for a gallon send some to the uk were paying about $10 at the moment

[Fire2box]

I still don't get all the bitching about parking fees. They can do what they want with a captive audience. I pay more to park at:

 

- Concerts

- Sporting Events

- Airports

- Cruise Ports

- New York

- MORE!

 

And like you all have mentioned, it pretty much averages out with all the crazy stupid discounting, annual passes and basically 'giving away the gate'. What do you expect when they lower admission to these giant parks to basically $20? They have to make money somewhere!

 

Just because other events and places cost more money then Six Flags parks doesn't mean it's fair. However season pass prices are really low for what you get. But all of this money for season passes, food, gas prices and parking could really put a dent into theme parks.

 

People can after all settle for movies and video games. Hell its what I do in the off season.

Edited June 27, 2011 by Fire2box

[texcoaster]

In many areas, the lots around sporting arenas and concert venues are owned by different companies. They don't make their money any other way. Your parking fee pays for their business, employees, taxes, etc.

 

Most theme parks own their lots. They make money off the tickets, the food, the drinks, the souvenirs, etc. so it might feel a bit more like gouging when you're already paying $50 to get into the park and then they want $15 more just to park. Not exactly apples and apples on the concert/sporting event comparison in many cases.

[CoasterGuy06]

Also consider the taxes each park wind up paying on property each year. Throw in lights, trams at some parks, etc. parking lots are not cheap for parks.

[Homeboy23]

Either I got lucky today or people were wrong saying you couldn't use your parking pass at other Six Flags parks. I went ahead and bought parking with my SFA pass and when I went into SF Over Texas today I said why not and handed the girl at the booth my pass and her response was "Have a Six Flags day" and let me through with no problem.

 

Now lets hope when I return in the morning and at Fiesta Texas Monday I am told the same thing.

[1badgmc]

Either I got lucky today or people were wrong saying you couldn't use your parking pass at other Six Flags parks. I went ahead and bought parking with my SFA pass and when I went into SF Over Texas today I said why not and handed the girl at the booth my pass and her response was "Have a Six Flags day" and let me through with no problem.

 

Now lets hope when I return in the morning and at Fiesta Texas Monday I am told the same thing.

 

You probably just got lucky with someone not paying attention. I probably should have tried that 2 weeks ago at SFStL with my SFOT pass, but I had already paid for my parking online ahead of time.