brenthodge

Oh Dolly, you TEASE!

To be fair, soapbox had way more theming in concept. So much easy stuff got cut.

So you are using your 25 pass at CedarPoint (according to Debbie). You have not activated your 26 pass at your home park yet. If you now only go to CedarPoint, but have a 2026 KI pass, you will not be able to go to any other park in 26 until you “activate” at KI first. (Maybe this is all theory and it doesn’t really matter in actuality, but that’s the answer they are telling people) Using this example, if you bought NEW at KI, but went to CP first, you wouldn’t get in.

Right, but they arent calling this a “Gold w all park passport added SALE. They are calling a gold PASS (or at 6F parks still using the term membership). That would’ve actually cleared the whole thing up. “Renew your GOLD pass for 2026 now, and through Sept 1 (16th or whenever we decide to really end it) you’ll get the AllParkPassport added on for FREE! Enjoy your new season pass, all park access, and the benefits that come with it (including free parking at most of our parks) starting right away. Any of the other add ons, like food, drink and FastLane will be available at your purchasing park now, and at all parks in 2026.

Yes- to all that (as far as I understand pr “Debbie” today) And big YES to the second point. This thing is getting out of hand, and by not answering questions, the social sites are making it worse by assuming and putting out as policy. Maybe I over think things, and sure 99.9% of people buying or renewing passes will go to home park (sounds like a good chunk are there today) but there are always those outliers no one thinks about.

They’ve made this the biggest mess. I just waited on hold for 20 minutes to talk to Debbie who confirmed 1) even renewals have to go to their home park first to “activate” 2026 pass, but you do not have to wait till 26, when you visit in 25 you activate 26, but if you reactivate at KI and for some reason don’t return to KI ANYMORE in 2025, the YES once 2026 starts you must come to KI first as you never came to KI with your 26 pass, even if you went to other parks with your APP add on to your 25 pass, you just used your remaining 25 pass at Cedar Point for example. 2) once you activate your new or renewal pass at your home park you WILL receive free parking at all parks 3) she admitted it is super confusing and indicated the fact that I waited 20 to finally get a straight answer should indicate how confusing it has been. It didn’t have to be this hard!

Many people are idiots and will ask questions just to ask them, so you can never have a clean roll-out that makes it question-free. The issue isn’t the questions, it’s the fact that they aren’t giving answers. They seem to be fine with letting certain admins of certain FBgroups answer all the questions for them. Are they the right answers??? Who knows. They’re not talking.

Many people are idiots and will ask questions just to ask them, so you can never have a clean roll-out that makes it question-free. The issue isn’t the questions, it’s the fact that they aren’t giving answers. They seem to be fine with letting certain admins of certain FBgroups answer all the questions for them. Are they the right answers??? Who knows. They’re not talking.

I truly believe that’s why every park I’ve messaged (and it’s up to 4) refuse to answer in writing. I’m about to actually call now.

It always had food. I think mainly -sadly the audience has changed (plus there was quite a while it was nothing more than TVs or whatever banal crap was in there, so people took it for granted. I’d love for the stunt show to move there. There’s technically height for it with some stage modifications (and maybe downscaling the show a bit) it would make it more comfortable for the cast, allow for actual lighting, and be the type of show you don’t really need to “pay attention” to. It’s big spectacle that you can glance at. Maybe even make it 15-20 min with more frequency to align with dining turnover. The concept could even translate to WF with a stunt elves meet Santa and tinker vibe lol. Move the music show to showplace with more evening shows staggered with the bandstand show.

Right? I don’t get the flood of people renewing.

I really think they are giving them selves a loophole on parking with this VIP sale. No park will ever answer my question on any of their social pages when I ask about parking. I asked specifically to Kings Island: s the free parking at ALL parks or just home park? Confused as Ive heard both Can someone please confirm if this is home park only or all parks (free parking Their "non answer Beginning in January 2026, all park add-ons, including dining plans, drink plans, Fast Lane and others purchased with a 2026 Gold or Prestige Pass, and Gold or Prestige Membership, may be used at all 40+ Six Flags parks. That wasn’t my question. Why are they refusing to actually put in writing an answer to this simple question?

was this screen shot AFTER you renewed and activated your 26 passes?

See - that's what Im thinking because "technically" if you renew, you are essentially replacing your 25 season pass with a 26 early. It hasn't expired, but you can't have 2 active at one time, so the current is VOID and the new starts. Add ons work at the home park until it is trihgghred in 26 to work at all parks. They have made this one of the worst roll-outs Ive ever seen of something like this.

Theres a weird "All Park Dining Upgrade" that people keep asking about - maybe that's it in that you have to buy ALL PARK DINING or pay the upgrade difference if you want to add it later. It sounds like that language is clearing up the "can I just pay the "upgrade" and get all park dining?" NO, you have to buy all park or HAVE one park and add to it. I think it also means you can't buy the all park dining but only have a single park pass (not that anyone who buys by Sept would have that next year. They've made this one of the MOST confusing things EVER. A well crafted promotion should have page after page of ??? on multiple sites. ALSO every park STILL refuses to answer my very simple direct question of "does a GOLD with the free "all park access" get you free parking at all parks or just your home park. It just says FREE PARKING giving them a big loophole. People keep saying "all parks" but Ive yet to see ANY answer from a single park that says that

So, as you mentioned, cuts ARE happening. You (and I) would rather pay more and keep the same (or get better) experience-wise. But my point is, others aren’t and the leadership is counting on those happy with more for less to keep filling the parks, accepting less and less. Once they seee success with that low level, there’s no incentive to “recover” and restore from the cuts.

That’s correct. It’s been that way this year. We’ve actually enjoyed using the free BAF tickets we earned (even if we just stop when are driving by, eat and leave to hit the 4 for free) so the $20-30 we would save buying from another park we wouldn’t visit (and having to buy extra BAF tickets) wouldn’t really be worth it.

Right? It’s hard to ever come back from this and start confidently selling your product for what it’s worth ever again. Companies that go down this route usually wind up downgrading their product to align with their new pricing (look at all the premium brands that started popping up at TARGET with cheaper versions of themselves). People keep saying “this is cut just until they get settled”, no. I fear what’s gone is gone and there’s more to be cut.

the only challenge is you cross over the exit. You could technically have the exit funtion as the entrance but then you'd loose the indoor queue.

I don't understand their pricing AT ALL. Why w Knotts and MMtn t(hat are essentialy in the same metro area - albeit LARGE metro) is there a discrepancy between parks for GOLD when you can use the gold anywhere. Why wouldnt abyone use the cheaper park. Its still not clear if free parking is just at home park. This is a mess. Why not make the SFPLATINUM pass one price for the whole chain with any add-ons work at all parks - price acordingly. Thgen make it a price point that shows the real value of it, then have park specific GOLD PASS or SILVER PASS that is priced relative to the market and product, or just ONE season pass with add ones like "all season parking, extended season (what Gold usually gets), drink etc. You advertise this like its a "coast to coast" product but its priced all over the ma- - even in the same state.

Their "bonus weekends" after HAUNT do not include Old Va, so Im sure thats why those gates exist, so they can close off certain sections. I'd bet they close the ones going to Candy Apple from the tower as well since theres access to that area from the parts that will be open

I don’t think they really need either of those for people to take notice. They already are. They are proving with “most expensive investment ever” that ISN’T an extreme coaster, that they are playing in a different lane.

With the "new" Herschend coming into focus this next year, I think we will see Dollywood moving even further into the "national destination" status (i'd venture they already are more than than a regional at this point). I could see them defining their tiers more with the recent acquisitions being more regionally focussed, and SDC and DW becoming more "national destination" flagship resort players once the SDS resort comes on line.

They initially talked about “special food items” earlier last year, but that, along with most entertainment seems to have been cut. I really don’t think they had LI save the parade floats, go to the expense of shipping them there to just roll out beside the stage with some ribbon twirlers on them. That was a waste of money if so. I think there was a grander, all around plan that got seriously cut to the bone. Most everything they used were our left overs, or quickly printed signs.

It’s also crazy that there’s a massive building, with some type of track being loaded into it, that’s opening most likely in March of next year and we still really have no definitive idea as to what the heck it is. In this day and age of media attention- that’s pretty impressive (and they must have good friends in the sevier county planning and permit board that keep their secrets well.