Did anyone else get the email with a season pass questionnaire asking about wether you would be interested in a"Membership" to the park Vs a season pass? The difference would be that you would join a yearly membership that would be charged to your account every month and there were a few potential benefits that would be given at other buisiness during the off season. Such as free dessert at restaurants and discount movie tickets..

What are your thoughts to this?

Didn't get it here. I've paid for my Busch pass monthly for many, many years. Beauty is the price has never changed in lo these many years.

A membership with 6 flaga is a great value. 180 $ for a plat pass is very expensive. Six flags meal plan seems like a great value too.

I would be leary of a membership here. There may be discounts promoted but may be removed at a later date or not accepted at the establishment you wish to use it.

^ Currently, 12 months of SIX membership (good now through 9/14) costs more than a 2014 gold pass (good now through 12/14).

I would probably be interested in a FUN membership, assuming it didn't cost more than a season pass. Automatic payments would beat renewing in-person in the fall or having to pay a processing fee to renew online. (Also, assuming no Accesso glitches or other technical annoyances.)

Didn't get it here. I've paid for my Busch pass monthly for many, many years. Beauty is the price has never changed in lo these many years.

Grandfathering prices for patrons with multi-year loyalty is a nice touch. It certainly provides a reason to maintain the membership, rather than take your entertainment dollars elsewhere for a change.

I like things just the way they are.

12 month member ship is $84.96, that includes free admission to all theme parks sans parking.

12 month gold is $153, that includes admission to all parks, free parking,

Both has in park discount e-books.

If your a family of at least 4 it is $75 a pass with free upgrade to gold.

These are at great America.

A gold pass membership @ SFA is only 98.04.

Why does our plat passes cost nearly 30$ more than six flags and have less benefits?

I would be interested in a membership, but I would have to see what it costs and what the differences between it and a season pass are before I could decide whether to get one.

I don't like the idea of recurring billing. I enjoy paying in one lump sum and not needing to think about it for the rest of the year. If I'm paying a monthly bill, that feels like a debt to me. And I HATE owing people money. I pay upfront for absolutely everything I can. So unless I can pay a year's balance in full and in advance AND the pricing is similar to what I'm paying now, I could not possibly be more opposed to the idea of a "membership". Would it stop me from purchasing whatever package is necessary to get unlimited KI visits? Probably not. But would it put me one tiny step closer to finding a new hobby? Maybe. I honestly don't know how to feel.

Not to mention, amusement parks are my way of escaping the worries and troubles of real life things like work and finances. I think a monthly charge would kinda kill the spirit of that for me. But hey, that's just my opinion. Maybe I'm in the minority.

Why would I want to pay for Kings Island when it's not open? Would I be able to take a brisk walk around a park that I'm paying a "membership" for in December? Unlikely.

The offseason perks for membership were kind of a joke too.

From memory:

-Discount movie tickets

-Free popcorn at a movie

-Free drink w/kids meal at a partner restaurant

-Free desert at a family restaurant w/meal purchase

You're gonna have to do better than that, KI. Unless, of course, the passes are the same price and you are paying next to nothing every month...

^ After your one-year commitment, you could presumably cancel the membership in October and buy a new one in April, saving about 50% that year. The cost savings and perks for loyalty would need to be good enough to prevent this.

Any off-season restaurant or movie promotions would be completely worthless for me, considering that I don't live in Cincinnati.

They asked about those offseason perks, and to rate them 1 (best) through 5 (least), and wouldn't let me proceed without giving something each of the 1 2 3 4 and 5 rankings.

I wish they would have let me put 5 for all of them, or left a comment box so that I could have explained that I don't care about any of those options.

^ After your one-year commitment, you could presumably cancel the membership in October and buy a new one in April, saving about 50% that year. The cost savings and perks for loyalty would need to be good enough to prevent this.Any off-season restaurant or movie promotions would be completely worthless for me, considering that I don't live in Cincinnati.

You could only cancel your Membership after a 12 month period was up.

If they wanted to make it so it was a flat membership fee of, say $10 per month, and that's for all CF parks, I could see that but I have a terrible feeling that the system would roll out and people would essentially be paying for a park that they're not allowed to enter.

I'd buy in if they had membership only days & months before and after the season....

and if membership included all parks, and permanent Fastlane at all parks.

Also if they had a members only club house that is open year round, that might be a perk.

Maybe since you would be paying "dues", they could throw in complimentary foods and drinks throughout the season to members.

Naw....ain't gonna happen.

I imagine (and hope) that this system is simply to spread out the revenue, especially through the cash flow negative 1st quarter. It may end up costing the same, just with smaller monthly payments. I wouldn't have much of an issue with that.... but I could still see the average person wondering why they have to pay for Kings Island when they're not allowed at Kings Island.

Hmm, I paid for my season passes last year with monthly payments over the Winter. I would much rather pay for them all at one time cause if I miss a payment, they could cancel them.

^ For season pass payment plans, pass(es) would be deactivated if a payment fails to go through. You would make your missing payment(s) and reactivate the pass(es) by updating your credit card information on the Accesso payment site: http://visitkingsisland.com/payments

^^or pay cash for your next pass, at the seasons pass window.

Hmm, I paid for my season passes last year with monthly payments over the Winter. I would much rather pay for them all at one time cause if I miss a payment, they could cancel them.

But the difference in mentality is that you were paying for your SP in installments, not paying for a membership that only has real benefit in the summer.

Definitely wait and see. If they launch it, they'll do something to make it worth the money in the off-season...

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

"Membership," eh. So now it's an amusement "club?" Pardon the pun, but I'll "pass."

Again... if a SP is between $85 and $100-ish total over 12 months, then I'm cool with it. I'm more worried about the average visitor wondering why they have to pay a membership fee to a park in which they are not allowed to visit. Disney, Busch, and Universal do it.... but you can also go to those parks 365 days per year.

Ok, let me put it this way. KI is closed, but I am still paying a monthly fee. Offseason benefits are all in the area around KI within 15 miles radius of the park. I live 90 miles from the park, what is the point in paying for offseason beneifts if it is going to cost more to use them than I would spend going to the same or similar place where I live.

Example:

Free movies tickets - The local theater doesnt accept my membership even through it is owned by the same company as the one that the park has a contract with.

If you join AMC stubs like I do, you pay $12 a year..for that, you get a one size free upgrade on all popcorn and sodas, plus $10 in AMC cash for every $100 you spend on movies, concessions, etc. I wouldn't need KI to give me what I already get. Now, if KI were going to do something like Club 33, albeit on a smaller scale, count me in if the price is right (read--not the 100k initiation fee plus 10k a year! HAHA!). Even though Club 33 is about to increase its membership, it is still a very select group of individuals...and they get nice perks throughout the year--a meal inside the HM, complete with behind the scenes tours, etc. plus other events around the country.

It could work if there were an all year round venue on site that is open to "members" only...where they could associate with other members during their visit...on and off season. Kind of like a bunnyless Playboy club

or a Sports Bar/Restaurant....with maybe even a discount shop where "members" could get discounted merchandise year round. It could maybe be built to the right of the main plaza with an inside the park and outside the park access.

(think big or go home...lol)

I got the email and I like the idea if a membership was an option instead of a season pass. If we can use real discounts at movie or sport events with our card would make it worth it

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Movie discounts? If it's like the family pizza deals, that will be four dollars off a humongous popcorn when you buy two...with four full price admission tickets purchased for the same showing.

Also the movie discount might not apply to first run showings of big hits during the evening shows. Look for the caveat that saids restrictions apply.

I don't see off-season entertainment coupons justifying the $8-9/month this might end up costing, even for those in the Tri-state area.

As for perks during the off-season, I'd much prefer "exclusive" coupons and newsletters. Keep "members" engaged and excited for the upcoming season! After all, that's the real benefit of a pass/membership/whatever-you-call-it - not token giveaways of popcorn during the winter.

Besides, those that would cancel over the off-season would see their monthly rate go up upon rejoining, and they might lose multi-season loyalty discounts. If I were designing the program, I might include a X% food/merch discount that grows to Y% after Z months of continuous membership.

It's basically a payment plan with interest. It costs slightly more than a regular season pass, but is a little easier on the wallet. In the long run the park wins with the membership, but for those that don't have much money, and are bad at looking the the overall price, it's a great deal. Well, kinda. They'll think it's a great deal because now they can afford it.

Why would I want to pay for Kings Island when it's not open? Would I be able to take a brisk walk around a park that I'm paying a "membership" for in December? Unlikely.

Unlikely indeed....but it would be kind of awesome!

It could be the amusement park enthusiast version of mall walking!