Last Thursday, Six Flags Entertainment announced during its quarterly earnings call that it would eliminate its monthly meal plan.
One reason behind the decision is a series of viral videos showing guests how they can exploit the deal to the tune of thousands of dollars per year.
According to the transcript of the call, season pass holders could purchase the meal plan for $80, and it allowed guests two meals per day, a snack, and unlimited soft drinks.
During the call, six Flags CEO Selim Bassoul said that the plan is not “profitable” for Six Flags.
He added, “You have seen the videos online” of people abusing the plan, which led to a “choking point” at the food service counter and additional wait times for families.
TikTok user “thundermunker,” whose real name is Cam, says he paid about $200 for his season pass and meal plan, and since he lived about 10 minutes from his local Six Flags park, he ate there anytime the park was open.
“There’s about 200 operating days,” he says in one video. “So for $200 the pass gives you two meals a day, one snack, unlimited drinks, so that’s up to 400 meals and 200 snacks for $200.”
The price per meal came out to less than $.50, even if you skip days.
By day 9 of his experiment (the last video update), Cam estimated that he had gotten over $357 of food for his $182 season pass investment. If accurate, that is a total cost savings of over $170.
Other viewers saw these videos, and several went viral. According to Bassoul, Six Flags parks started seeing long lines resulting in frustrated guests.
“It then ruined the experience of somebody who came in on a single-day ticket with their family who paid a lot of money to come, paid parking and came in.
Now they have 45 minutes to an hour waiting to get a meal while those other people are choking the line for $80 for the whole season,” he said.
Bassoul concluded by saying the idea of the meal plan needs to be “totally revisited” before being reintroduced to customers.