-
Step 1
Gain Entrance
Prior to Memorial Day, purchase season passes online for $64.99 at the park if you are purchasing 6 or more passes. The price jumps to 74.99 if you purchase less than six passes. Discounts can be had if you belong to a club or organization that purchases in bulk. After Memorial Day, the cheapest way to buy season passes is to buy a one-day ticket (check Big Y supermarkets for good prices) and upgrade it to a season pass for #39.99 at the park. -
Step 2
Parking
Parking quickly adds up at $15 dollars a day. There are three options: buy a parking pass, carpool, or park at an offsite lot. A parking pass good for all season costs $50 for the first pass and $15 for each additional pass. This option pays for itself in about three visits and allows flexibility to come and go as you wish. Carpooling is a good option if you plan to visit the park along with friends. There are several offsite parking lots within a short walking distance of the park with significantly cheaper parking rates. These sites are independently owned and not endorsed by SFNE. Prices vary depending on the location, part of season, and whim of the owner. One location is actually closer to SFNE than their own lot and can cost as little as $5 a day. However, there is more risk in parking at an independently owned lot. -
Step 3
Become a Funatic
Sign up to become a Funatic when you register your season pass at the park. Being a Funatic rewards you for going the park with cost saving coupons and special passes. For example, in 2009 I received a "Front of the Line" pass after my second visit (think Bizzaro with no wait) and a parking upgrade on my fourth visit. -
Step 4
Sign up for a Six Flags MasterCard
Earn points to possibly get next years Six Flags New England Season Pass free. -
Step 5
Never buy online at Six Flags New England Website
I made this mistake once and was burned. Unfortunately, SFNE charges a $5 surcharge per online transactions including season passes, tickets, parking, and meal deals. Even sadder, the online price is not cheaper than the in the park price (with the exclusion of adult single day passes $41.99 at the park and 39.99 online). The meal deals may actually cost more than buying items individually. -
Step 6
Food & Beverages
This category will likely be your biggest expenditure at the park. Purchasing a souvenir refillable soda mug is a great investment. Your season pass comes with a coupon for $3 off one mug bringing the price down to $9.99. This mug comes with unlimited $.99 refills which beats the regular soda price of $3.50. It is best to leave a cooler in the car with sandwiches to save the cost of park food. Another good idea is to plan your visits so you can prior to arriving and have dinner after leaving.
Food at SFNE is quite expensive and not very tasty. Stick to name brand vendors around the park (Papa Johns Pizza, Johnny Rockets burgers and Panda Express chinese food), which are no more expensive than the standard Six Flags food and offer predictable quality. -
Step 7
Timing, Timing, Timing
Timing and flexibility are crucial to avoid crowds and long waits. Call ahead and ask how many people are in the park. This tactic has saved me many headaches of fighting crowds. Weekends, holidays, and special events are usually the busiest days. If you are flexible, look to the weather forecast to plan your park days. Choose a day with morning or afternoon showers and arrive and stay for the part without rain. Individuals without season passes typically wait for days with nice weather. SFNE is laid out in a long strip and crowds tend to be unevenly dispersed. Oftentimes when a coasters are crowded on the South end of the park the coasters on the North end have little wait. Visit in the morning or toward park close to catch lighter crowds. The water park, Hurricane Harbor, can sometimes have no waits on cooler days toward the beginning or end of the season. I went on Memorial Day weekend in 2009 and had no waits when the temperature was in the mid-seventies. -
Step 8
Forget the Flash Pass - Be a Single Rider
Several rides have single rider lines that can cut an hour off a wait time. Often, the cast members will have your ride with your party even though you are in the single rider line. This is especially the case at the beginning of the season when many cast members do not know how to handle the queue. -
Step 9
Concerts and Events
Check the SFNE website for a calendar of events. There are numerous concerts throughout the season some are even free. Please note that popular concerts can lead to a crowded park. -
Step 10
Relax
Make sure you pace yourself by spacing out the thrill rides. Some of the coasters can be especially rough: Cyclone, Mind Eraser, Flashback, Batman, and others. There are numerous shows and gentler rides to allow time for recuperation.
