Mason at Six Flags

Photo courtesy of flickr user boboroshi..

By Broadside Staff Writer Ryan Dempsey

It was a beautiful day at Six Flags America as George Mason University took over the park. Every corner seemed filled with Mason students, making the event seem successful. Additionally, the food from the self-served, all-you-can-eat buffet was great. The weather was hot, but there was enough shade for people to cool off, and it did not begin to storm until after dusk.

Despite the beautiful day, there was a lot of confusion. When driving into the park, Six Flags attempted to charge families $15 to $30 to park. There was certainly a lack of communication among the staff, especially since it took a thorough explaining of it being a Mason event before guests were allowed the free, guaranteed parking that was purchased with the ticket.

Then, when families went to exchange their online-printed tickets for wristbands, the staff members were confused as to who got bracelets. According to Program Board, “if you purchased the all-u-can-eat meal, you will receive a second bracelet,” but this was not so, and caused added frustration before even entering the park.

After that, guests were denied onto rides for various policies that were not communicated until they got to the front of the line, some waiting nearly 45 minutes before having to leave. On some rides, there were cubbies on the platform where guests were allowed to place their belongings before going on the ride. Other rides however, required purchasing a locker or handing your belongings to a “non-rider” before being admitted onto the ride. This caused groups to either waste money on lockers, or made one member of a group be the odd one out. Had staff members at the front of the lines stopped guests with bags and communicated the rules, the day would have been less frustrating.

Throughout the day, rides kept shutting down and made guests irritated since there are only six roller coasters and four water rides.

Some students got upset about the buffet because Program Board stated that the dinner was open from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. When guests got hungry at around 8:00 p.m., they were denied entry and told that the buffet was over. “I didn’t bring much money because I thought I was guaranteed to eat with the ticket I purchased for the buffet,” said junior psychology major Jackie Inskeep.

Lastly, guests were confused as to why most of Six Flags began to shut down by 7:30 p.m., and why those without wristbands were allowed in the park for its entirety. Despite numerous Facebook messages, there were still complications. “There was a clear lack of communication about what was going on throughout the day,” said Inskeep. “I just wish Six Flags and Mason would have communicated better with each other and to us.”