Six Flags has launched a new streamlined annual pass program that can be used at Magic Mountain, Discovery Kingdom and other Six Flags amusement parks and water parks around the country with the option to add a limited dining plan.
The new four-tiered Six Flags annual pass replaces the former Six Flags program that was divided into two parts — season passes and continuing memberships. New Six Flags CEO Selim Bassoul has been reshaping and refocusing the amusement park chain since taking over the top job in November.
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Six Flags began testing the simplified passholder program in January at Magic Mountain. The new Six Flags annual pass program launches at the same time Disneyland has paused sales of all four tiers of its new Magic Key annual pass program.
The new Six Flags annual pass — which is sold at every park in the chain and varies by price at each location — has four tiers: Summer, Thrill Seeker, Extreme and Ultimate.
The lowest-priced two tiers – Summer and Thrill Seeker – are only good at your home park. The Summer Pass — as the name suggests — is good for the summer through Labor Day on Sept. 5.
Magic Mountain Summer Passes cost $100 and are good at the Valencia amusement park and the Hurricane Harbor water park next door. The Discovery Kingdom Summer Pass costs $75 and gets you into the Vallejo amusement park and the nearby Hurricane Harbor water park in Concord.
The Six Flags Summer Passes — which come with parking — are being promoted as a limited-time offer.
The other local option is the Thrill Seeker annual pass which comes with access to your home park and the neighboring water park as well as parking — but as the name suggests is good for the whole year rather than just the summer. The Thrill Seeker pass is $140 at Magic Mountain and $115 at Discovery Kingdom.
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The two top-priced annual pass tiers offer unlimited access to all Six Flags outdoor amusement and water parks in the United States, Canada and Mexico and include preferred parking.
The Extreme annual pass runs $195 at Magic Mountain and $175 at Discovery Kingdom.
The Ultimate annual pass tosses in a 10-meal dining plan — for $350 at both Magic Mountain and Discovery Kingdom.
The three annual pass levels offer 12-month payment options. The two system-wide annual passes also include a pair of Junior Passes — which get kids under 42 inches tall into the parks all season with the annual passholder.
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Prices vary in each of the Six Flags markets in North America. Summer Passes are as cheap as $50 at Six Flags Over Georgia and more than half the Six Flags amusement parks offer a Summer Pass for $60 or less.
Prices for Thrill Seeker annual passes also vary by park — from $78 at Frontier City in Oklahoma to $90 at Six Flags America in the Washington D.C. area to $115 at Six Flags Great America in the Chicago area. Most Six Flags parks operate on a seasonal basis with Halloween and Christmas events — which means the “year” varies by location.
Extreme Passes — which are good at all outdoor Six Flags amusement parks and water parks – range in price by market from $135 at Hurricane Harbor Phoenix and $150 at Six Flags St. Louis to $165 at Six Flags New England and $175 at Six Flags Over Texas.
Ultimate Passes — which come with the 10-meal dining plan — appear to be priced at $350 at all parks. That means depending on where you buy your pass the meal deal premium costs you $175 to $215 — or $17.50 to $21.50 per meal. The Six Flags 10-meal dining plan replaces a $150 per year unlimited dining plan that became a viral sensation when frugal food hackers found ways to eat for less than $1 a day.
SEE ALSO: Six Flags ends unlimited dining plan that went viral
You’ll want to read the fine print on all the passes before deciding which one to purchase.
The Summer Pass at Magic Mountain comes with unlimited visits to the amusement park. Magic Mountain’s Thrill Seeker Pass is only good on select dates — with Saturdays blocked out in October during Fright Fest and more than 30 dates off limits at the water park throughout the summer.
The two top annual passes — Extreme and Ultimate — also include a bunch of perks in varying amounts for things like skip-the-line passes, food and merchandise discounts and friends and family ticket deals.