Disneyland and Disney World opened their doors last year. FastPass is no longer availableThe system replaces the ability to skip line at key attractions for no cost with a new, paid option. This allowed Disney to join many other parks that charge for this privilege, but Disney went one step further and offered a separate option to pay to skip lines on its most popular attractions. And now Six FlagsMagic Mountain also did the same thing on four rollercoasters.
Six Flags Magic Mountain had an add-on ticket called Flash Pass that allowed guests to skip lines for about 20 rides. Prices ranged from $80 to $180 per ticket. Depending on the flavor, the more expensive options offered greater wait reductions. The Flash Pass is now available on the website. OC RegisterMagic Mountain now offers single-use Flash Passes for $5 to $25 per ride on four coasters: Twisted Colossus (West Coast Racers), Full Throttle and Goliath.
It works in a similar way to Disneyland. Disney World’s Individual Lightning Lane optionThis allows guests to select the time they wish to return to the ride, and to skip the queue. These four rides can still be purchased through the standard Flash Pass option, unlike the Disney options. Genie+, which covers the majority of the rides, and Individual Lightning Lanes cover separate rides without overlap.
There’s certainly a reason that a system like this could be preferable for some guests. If you only want to ride the four rides at individual pricing, then buying a Flash Pass will probably be cheaper than purchasing the entire pass. The Flash Pass included one ride skip in some cases.
It’s little surprise to see another park following Disney’s lead, even so soon after Disney implemented this change, Disney is The leader in the industry of theme parksThey dictate what is normal. Once it’s ok at Disney, it’s probably ok everywhere else.
Magic Mountain is the crowning jewel of Six Flags’ empire. It has, at various points in time, been the roller coaster capital of the nation, and so it’s still a pretty big deal in the game even if it’s seen as more of a regional player thanUniversal Studios or Disney. Six Flags parks around the world have experimented with this payment system. One can only assume that Magic Mountain will be the first to try it.
Assuming that there isn’t There was a huge backlash to this new pricing structure, it certainly won’t be going anywhere. It becomes more common the more places do it. We are actually going back to the days of amusement parks charging per ride. Of course, back when they did that, admission wasn’t nearly as expensive.