Walk (Past) the Line

[PeterGibbons]

Walk (Past) the Line
SmartMoney.com

COLLEGE STUDENTS MAY be partying on the beaches of Cabo San Lucas and South Padre Island during spring break, but for families with younger kids, that weeklong vacation is prime time for hitting warm weather amusement parks.

Summer is still the hot season for theme park attendance, but the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, a trade organization, found that nearly 50% of consumers prefer to visit during a shoulder season, most often in the spring.

Amusement parks encourage this by rolling out the welcome mat, offering deals for spring breakers. A few current promotions: The Orlando Visitor's Bureau is offering Family Spring Break packages (hotel fare, plus one day each at Universal Studios Orlando, SeaWorld and Gatorland at a discount of about 15%), and Disneyland is offering all guests admittance at kids' prices through April 27.

But with those crowds come long lines. Used to be, cutting to the front got you lots of dirty looks, a few rude gestures, and a one-way ticket off the property.

Now, many parks are happy to let you go straight to the front. Some charge a fee for the privilege, while others offer it for free, since it's a good way to manage crowds. So-called line-holder passes essentially hold your place in line, leaving you free to wander the park while you're waiting (and perhaps indulge in a $10 chili dog). You return to the ride during your set reservation time, go in through a separate entrance and are enjoying thrills a few moments later.

You'd be a fool not to participate, right? Well, our experts say that not everyone should pay for these passes. And believe it or not, sometimes you might even want to skip this service when it's free. Here are some tips:

Still be prepared to wait. Buying a line-holder pass doesn't mean you won't have to wait in line. You'll still be waiting with all the other fast-passers in your time window as well as with the folks who've worked their way up to the front of the regular line. Some programs guarantee a wait time of 15 minutes or less for those who use the line-holder passes, while others are more vague. So manage your expectations: Paying an extra few bucks won't allow you to completely escape the masses.

Factor in additional costs. We're not talking about the pass itself. A side effect of line-holder programs is that you have more time to wander the park, says Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, a consumers' guide. Parks bank on the hope that you'll use part of that time to spend money in the restaurants and gift shops. So watch out for that extra ding in your wallet. After handing over a decent portion of junior's college fund to Whack-a-Mole and other carnival games, you may just decide to skip the fast pass and spend a little more time in line.

Read the fine print. Many passes have restrictions regarding how many times they can be used, and whether you can hold reservations for multiple attractions at the same time. A pass won't help if you want to ride the same ride over and over, says Niles. Universal Studios Florida, for example, only lets you use your pass once per attraction. So this is worthwhile if your goal is to hit as many rides as possible by the end of the day. If, on the other hand, your goal is to hit Revenge of the Mummy 156 times in a row, you're on your own.

Ask about perks. Line-holder passes may be discounted (or free) when you purchase a season pass, stay at a particular hotel, or take advantage of other offers at the park, says Beth Robertson, spokeswoman for the IAAPA. Talk to a ticket agent or customer service representative about any deals before you buy your admission tickets.

Check your timing. Paying for a pass makes the most sense when you go on a busy day. It's not worth your money to pay extra for a pass on a low-attendance day. Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays are the busiest for amusement parks, says Robertson.
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Peter Gibbons
SunnyGardens.com

[iFinancialAdviser]

[PeterGibbons]

Passing out from the heat has to be aweful. How bout those passes for line-holding? Interesting stuff.
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Peter Gibbons
SunnyGardens.com