Renew, Upgrade or Wait. Weighing Six Flags MVP Choices

[DonHelbig]

Decisions, decisions. My thoughts on the Six Flags MVP offer.

https://themeparksbydon.com/renew-upgrade-or-wait-weighing-2026-six-flags-mvp-choices/

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

I would say to go with Door #1, renew and get a $99 Kings Island Gold Pass for the rest of 2025 and all of 2026 included. This is a low enough price point where two visits to any park would make the price worth it, and it allows you the choice of going/not going to Six Flags parks on your own terms. With an all-parks meal plan and standard drink plan that price goes up to about $300 total (after taxes and fees). Even that is a good deal considering the fact that Dollywood and other chains passes are up around $250-$300 without the dining plans. I wouldn't get Prestige unless you plan to go on days where crowds are normally lower because otherwise you'll be contending with all of the other new Prestige guests for access to Preferred Parking, the VIP lounges, and the Fast Lane lines. 

Buying now for 2025/2026 would let you visit any parks that might soon be sold/closed by Six Flags. It might even make for a good series of on-site blog posts for you to write for themeparksbydon. If Six Flags ends up declaring bankruptcy or selling assets sooner than expected then you would also be able to document that. 

You could wait until 2026 to see if (and when) this offer comes back out for 2026/2027, but then you would lose out on the pre-paid pass access to all of the Six Flags parks and not be able to go as spontaneously as you might want to. 

 

If you'd like to continue the course you're currently on in regards to access to parks, dining plans, and other benefits: renew now. If you're fine with going to the parks less and paying for access each time, wait until 2026.

[Oldiesmann]

I'm waiting until after I visit Cedar Point in a couple of weeks, just in case the 2025 all-season addons don't work at other parks after renewal.

[Coastercrush]

15 minutes ago, Oldiesmann said:

I'm waiting until after I visit Cedar Point in a couple of weeks, just in case the 2025 all-season addons don't work at other parks after renewal.

Your entitled to your add-ons till 12/31.  Screen shot before you buy passes jic

[KI Guy]

On 8/9/2025 at 11:55 AM, DonHelbig said:

https://themeparksbydon.com/renew-upgrade-or-wait-weighing-2026-six-flags-mvp-choices/

From Don... "So maybe the smart play is to hold off, skip this sale altogether, and wait until midsummer 2026 to buy a new pass that covers the back half of that season and all of 2027."

I really question their selling the passes this early for this reason. You can save money by getting passes every other year if you don't mind sitting out the couple weekends in April, May, June and July.

But this is what you do when you're desperate and you can't afford to invest in the park to drive sales.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

I have a feeling that if Six Flags actually finds a way to right themselves more by July 2026 we will not see as nice of a deal next year. The new CEO could bring some good changes to what gets cut and how those things get cut, which could help the sentiment we're currently seeing. It definitely will not be that "40+" parks for the already-discounted price of one unless they somehow retain every park for '26/'27 and split more water parks into completely separate admission. Maybe the FUN Jumper pass (regional All-Parks add-on) will be expanded across the entire chain. I could be entirely wrong about my prior statements, but with a company hurting this bad it would be foolish to keep either the pass prices this low or to keep the number of parks so high. 

 

For those wanting some quick math: The current number of "separate" park properties is 41 and has everything where you have to cross a road listed as a separate property/park. That number keeps parks like Fiesta Texas and Hurricane Harbor San Antonio together while Separating Cedar Point and Cedar Point Shores — all being parks that require separate tickets for entry. Removing Six Flags America brings that down to 40, but separating more water parks from their respective dry parks would drive that number back above 40. At the very least I could see Worlds of Fun/Oceans of Fun, Carowinds/Carolina Harbor, and Kings Island/Soak City all being split into separate admission parks for 2026. That would take the total up to 43. 

The "total" number of parks (including Six Flags America and all included-but-separately-named waterparks) is about 58.