Last night, I went to “Six Flags Great Adventure” with some of my friends in hopes of having fun at their Halloween event, “Fright Fest”. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be the case.
“Six Flags” changes age restrictions for “Fright Fest” event
“Six Flags” decided that starting this year, kids under 18 are unable to attend “Fright Fest” without an adult over 21. If you are 18, you can get in. They did not announce this change on their website, app, or to the public.
Not knowing this like many others, my friends and I showed up to the park. We all have our license, and a way to get there ourselves. If we can drive an hour to the park, they should allow us in.
We asked a family if we could walk into the park with them, and they said yes. Security then questioned the family, asking how they knew us, and then questioned my friend, over and over again. We didn’t argue and were not nasty to the security guard, yet she cursed at us and told us to “Get the f–k out.”
The security guard only spoke to and seemingly targeted my one friend, who is Portuguese. He also has the darkest skin out of all of us. I believe this was racially motivated.
This is especially after I watched them ban a group of black teenagers and escort them out from the park after trying to get in. These teenagers did the same thing we did, not knowing the new rule. While security didn’t escort us out, they escorted them out, and that seems racially targeted.
Michael Oriol-Oliveira, my Portuguese friend who was targeted by security definitely felt victimized. “When the guard was speaking to us, she only questioned me and really gave me the biggest problem.”
Taking down beloved rides
“Six Flags” decided to shut down their record-breaking ride, Kingda Ka, in November 2024. When it opened in 2005, it was the world’s fastest and tallest coaster.
They shut it down due to “maintenance fees”, but Ka was one of the few reasons tourists visit “Six Flags”. The shut down disappointed and angered many fans.
“I’ve been going to Six Flags since I was a kid,” Danielle Linares, a mother of two states. “It’s a shame that the park has become run down.”
With that, the sister ride to Kingda Ka was Zumanjaro, which was a drop ride right in the middle of Ka. Guinness World Records named it the world’s largest drop tower when it opened in 2014.
Revenue Loss
The entire “Six Flags” corporation, which umbrella’s over all of the parks, is in a ton of debt. They have had a $100 million net loss the past few years. Parks seem dirtier due to less workers since they can’t pay them. Rides also constantly shut down because they don’t have the funding to hire technicians. Because of that, less people want to visit the parks.
As someone who has been attending “Six Flags Great Adventure” since I was 6, I am extremely disappointed with how they are handling their guests.
