7 Comments on “Virtual lines coming to Six Flags Magic Mountain rides”

1. DavidS Says:
   December 2nd, 2008 at 6:14 pm

   This system is going to cost at least 35 dollars a person on the low end of the scale, if you look at other six flags parks that are currently using this system. It is ridiculously expensive and like you say will breed resentment between the haves and have nots. Poor idea.

2. Jonty Chaplin Says:
   December 3rd, 2008 at 9:29 am

   Great though for those wanting to pack as much into a day as possible.

   If you really are poor don’t go to theme parks.

3. David Says:
   December 3rd, 2008 at 9:48 am

   While I mostly agree about the success of an “egalitarian” system like FastPass, it can also be argued that the FP system at Disney has *also* ruined the traditional Disney visit in its own, subtle ways.

   Gone are the days of merely meandering through the park for the pleasure of exploration and discovery, replaced by an assembly-line mentality. It used to be that, on any given Disney trip as a kid, if you got on four or five rides, you were *ecstatic* — but now people have an expectation (entitlement?) to do EVERYTHING in the park or they feel ripped off. This has been an slowly developing challenge, ever since they introduced all-day passports instead of per-attraction tickets.

   Add to that the annual passholders (of which I am one) who understand (and exploit) the FP system better than most casual or first-time visitors, and you already have the workings of an internal caste system amongst guests anyway. Then there’s the peak-park-attendance-breakdown problem.. if a FP-enabled ride (or heaven forbid, two or three rides), with full queues and full FP distribution, break down, you have *twice* as many unhappy people filling the pathways of the park than you used to. I’ve seen this happen on busy summer days and it’s pretty bad.

   Let’s not forget that FP wasn’t designed soely as a benefit to guests — the initial development was funded by the food & merch departments, to raise per cap spending. The less you’re in lines, the more likely you’ll be spending money elsewhere. Unfortunately, the other side-effect of FP is an artificial “padding” of the paths and walkways of the park. Disneyland feels more crowded than it ever has in the past, even on typically uncrowded days, simply because many of the older queue areas are not at capacity and doing what they were designed to do — take people off the paths.

   If it sounds like sour grapes, I don’t mean it to be — I use and enjoy the benefits of FastPass. But I feel there are more people who *don’t* understand it than people realize, and for the people that *do* understand and use it, it’s made park-going culture more about a checklist of to-do items than about fun and discovery and the *social* nature of hanging out with your friends (yes, even in lines).

   The advantage of a paid system would be the same as any other form of entertainment with an upcharge. We already pay more for better seats at theaters, for first class seats on a plane, and the like — why not in a park? Universal’s been doing it for years and it’s never created unruly guests or incidents of “haves-vs-have-nots”.

4. Rochester, NY BOY Says:
   December 3rd, 2008 at 10:46 am

   Let’s not forget, this Lo-Q system is not intended to segregate the Six Flags patrons at all, rather it’s intention is to give “in-line” patrons more time to do something else (instead of waiting in line). The bottom line is that if you can’t afford this Q-Bot, then wait in line; if you can afford it, then clip it to your belt loop and wander around the park until your boarding time nears. This Q-Bot stills gives you the same time stamp as someone that arrives in the line the same time you do - this isn’t a VIP ticket. Heck, I feel this Lo-Q system is going to attract a ton of fans to Six Flags that don’t like waiting in lines - like myself.

5. Rochester, NY BOY Says:
   December 3rd, 2008 at 10:56 am

   To comment @ DaveS post:
   “It is ridiculously expensive and like you say will breed resentment between the haves and have nots. Poor idea.”

   This is the most blindly idiotic statement I’ve in the LA Times to date. America is all about the haves and have nots. If you can’t handle the fact that your neighbor down the street has a larger house, or drives a nicer car, or has more time off from work - then you should just stay in the house. This dissection has made America the land of opportunity, creating competiveness, leading to better products and services in the long run. Life is not fair; deal.

6. DaveS Says:
   December 3rd, 2008 at 11:27 am

   Thanks for your insightful comment NY Boy. A day in the amusement park is supposed to be just that, Fun.
   When hardworking people spend a great deal of money to take there family to the park to have fun, but are stuck in a 2 hour que in the 110 degree heat, while others just walk right in front of them. It breeds resentment at a Amusement park which leads to the general population of the park having less fun which equals less money in the long run. this has nothing to do with people upset about neighbors having more time off work or a bigger house. Anyways a argument with you is pointless, you obviously believe my statements are idiotic and probably believe that anything that does not follow your chain of logic or idea of how the world should work is somehow less valid.  It’s easy to preach when pockets are full of cash, maybe try living like a good 90% of families that do not have much money or “Disposable” income and spend a great fortune just trying to take the kids out for some fun at a amusement park. Stand in a 2 hour line in the 110 degree heat and watch the privileged folks who can afford a $35 dollar per person up charge to skip the Que. Then tell me how you feel.

7. Sven Says:
   December 3rd, 2008 at 12:00 pm

   The Q-bot doesnt work for the good rides! X-2, Deja-vu and Tatsu! Not worth it.

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