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Updated: July 3, 2024
When we think of Six Flags, we imagine heart-pounding roller coasters and laughter-filled adventures at one of America’s most iconic theme parks.
With a total of 27 properties across North America, of which Six Flags hosts 13 theme parks located in 10 states across the United States, with 11 waterparks located in 11 states (the other locations are in Canada and Mexico).
I think it goes without saying, but I will anyway, that for most of the United States, a trip to Six Flags is a lot more accessible than a flight to Florida to go to Disney or Universal Orlando (and far cheaper).
But sometimes we don’t think of Six Flags food as part of that adventure.
As you can probably guess, however, we’re here to talk about something else that deserves our attention: the world of Six Flags food. So let’s embark on a culinary tour of some parks at Six Flags (namely the New England location).
With Six Flags New England located in Massachusetts, this is our blog’s default Six Flags location. This guide will be exploring the season pass options and providing valuable tips about dining options that should hopefully serve you at other Six Flags locations as well.
We’ll, of course, be trying to get to all the theme parks eventually, but these things take time and so I hope you are able to get what you need for now. Enjoy.
Table of Contents
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that being a season pass holder has a lot of perks. I truly believe it’s worth it to become one if you’re trying to become, or already are, a regular to Six Flags.
Ultimately, Six Flags isn’t a cheap place to spend your money on, it’s important to save money wherever you can when heading there for the day. From unlimited access to parks to parking privileges to savings on dining, I invite you to grab a season pass.
In August season passes go on sale for up to 70% off. The sale during this time of the year is their biggest sale on season passes. Since it does come around once a year you may happen to miss it, but you should remember it for the future.
As a reminder the numbers below come from the New England park. You will find that other parks will have different prices on their season passes, even though they’re all Six Flags (e.g., Magic Mountain in Los Angeles’ prices range from $89 to $130).
At Six Flags, as of 2023, there are usually only two season passes — Platinum and Diamond — in addition to a Six Flags Plus pass, akin to their membership from years past. However, recently there is the addition of a Gold pass, as well.
You should note, though, that these passes are for park admittance, and while they include discounts and other perks, they do not inherently have meal plans included.
Thankfully Six Flags has meal plans that give you a set number of meals per day that you can add to your pass. There is an additional cost, but all of the park and dining pass combinations can be paid for monthly.
Dining pass options will be outlined the park pass options below.
One last note before we get into specifics: Six Flags changes up their park plans every year. I am a Diamond membership holder with an unlimited meal plan, and I receive 35% off of all dining.
This is a plan I have from 2021 that was discontinued, but I’ve been grandfathered in, therefore as long as I pay my $18 $20 per month I keep that plan.
This is important to recognize because the Platinum and Diamond season pass plans are capped at one year, but the Six Flags Plus plan can be extended for as long as you pay the monthly fee. However, it must be noted, that your payment amount can be changed whenever Six Flags deems it more company-friendly.
Of course, I say this because Six Flags will never outright advertise “we could make these plans less attractive in the future” as a main selling point, but it’s something as a consumer that I would keep in mind as it is written into the contract.
This pass is the best option for theme park junkies who don’t want to be tied to a single Six Flags location. It also isn’t very expensive upfront, although it does come with a $20 initiation fee at all parks.
With a 12 month minimum, this adds up to a total of $96-120 plus tax for one calendar year, but you can keep paying the monthly charge for as long as you’d like and your pass stays active.
For just a single year, however, this can sometime cost more than just getting the Diamond pass when it’s on sale (especially when it’s a buy one tier and it gets automatically upgraded to the next).
Considering that the Diamond pass gets everything the Plus plan gets (but better) you might be able to save some money by foregoing the Plus package and opting for Diamond instead. If, however, you plan on attending Six Flags for years to come, or if you’re just trying to save some money today, the Plus plan is probably the way to go.
The Plus pass does offer free general parking, unlimited access to all Six Flags properties, and a 10% food, drink, and merchandise discount (a drop from 15% when it was originally introduced in 2023).
The cheapest of the plans, and seemingly a return to the old pass system of the past, you’ve got the Gold Pass.
This pass only allows access to your home park. So if you’re looking to get into a water park in the area you won’t be admitted unless you pay for a regular all-day ticket (although there are some exceptions).
Next up is the Platinum pass. This is the most economical option, but note that the pass only allows access to your home park and the water park attached (if it has one).
Although it’s not noted here, there are monthly options to these numbers with an initial payment.
The below numbers were for a sale that happened until June 23, 2024. As you can see, these prices are a lot better than what you saw above.
You also receive general parking and 10% off food, drink, and merchandise (a drop from 15% in 2023). If you live near a certain park and you’re content with that being your exclusive location, this is a tough option to beat from an affordability standpoint.
Despite the many changes to this pass in the last year, this is still my preferred pass due to what it offers compared to the other passes.
Just like the Six Flags Plus pass, you will have unlimited access to any of the Six Flags properties.
The other major upside is that you’ll also get preferred parking, a 15% food, drink, and merchandise discount (a drop from 20% in 2023), along with access to the VIP lounge, one (1) skip-the-line pass per visit, as well as a free refillable bottle.
And if you’re unsure why that refillable bottle is gold it’s because the drink bottles are an additional cost to non-Diamond pass holders.
Current numbers for passes:
Below numbers for Diamond pass were current up until June 23, 2024 during their early summer sale:
In my opinion, these extras make the Diamond Pass the most attractive plan for theme park aficionados. Better parking, better discounts, and a free drink bottle that itself would normally cost about $35 make it a solid value if you’re going to go to the parks a lot.
Now that numbers are out of the way for entry, let’s hop into the food aspect of our guide.
On July 22, 2024 the mandatory surcharge on food and merchandise was repealed.
As far as meal plan options, you are able to add them onto any park pass or buy them the day of (you can find information under the Food and Budget Conscious Choices section).
Prior to 2024, there were two options: a one (1) meal per day and a two (2) meals per day plan. Now most parks only offer the option for the two (2) meals per day plan, which I feel is a bummer to those who don’t need the additional meal.
The nice thing is that the add-ons pay for itself in practically 4-5 meals because of how expensive food is in the parks.
The one (1) meal per day plan runs at roughly $99.00 at Magic Mountain and the two (2) meals per day plan runs at roughly $129.00 at all other locations.
It’s important to note the gotcha with this plan so you don’t set yourself up for a frustrating experience. With the two meals per day, there is a 3 hour cooldown period between meals, so you can’t use this plan to, say, get two meals for you and a friend during lunch.
The other potential gotcha is that no drinks are included. Those are, unsurprisingly, an extra charge.
Refillable drink bottles also come in two varieties: there is an all-day drink bottle (varying between $19.99 – $22.99 plus tax), and an all-season drink bottle ($34.99 plus tax), both of which allow you unlimited refills of water or any fountain drink you want.
The bottle is a fairly decent size and the normal price for a large drink in the parks is about $6.50, plus tax, so the break even on an all-day bottle is after 3 refills.
If you’re planning on buying food in the park for the day, I suggest getting a one (1) day unlimited meal plan – you’ll receive an all day drink bottle for free.
Six Flags also offers discounts when buying multiple bottles, although it isn’t a dramatic savings.
Regularly priced all-day bottles cost $19.99 whereas all-season bottles are $34.99.
Two (2) all-day bottles costs $43.98, and 3 costs $59.97, breaking down to about $20 each. The all-season bottles cost $65.98 for 2, and $89.97 for 3, or about $30 each at maximum discount.
Pros of the passes: The upfront cost of the passes is fairly low, since you can pay for all your options month-to-month. This can make trips to the park a little less of a burden for families, especially ones that are planning on attending multiple times during the season and especially a large family needing some savings to help them out.
It’s also worth noting that only one person in the party needs to have a Diamond pass to get free preferred parking and most of the other incentives, so getting Platinum passes for most of the fam and having one Diamond pass can work out well for most families.
Also note that the skip-the-line pass and the free drink bottle are only going to apply to the Diamond pass holder.
The dining plans and the drink bottles are less of an obvious value, but if you’re going to attend the parks several times, they can definitely save you money over the long haul as the average purchase of food is >$20 for one meal (meal + one (1) drink).
In particular, the all-season drink bottle pays off after about five (5) large drinks, and if you go to the parks 2 or 3 times you’ll probably have gotten your money’s worth out of it.
Inconspicuous cons: These plans add up, especially with the modular nature of them. I am, thankfully, grandfathered into my personal dining plan, but with inflation, Six Flags has cut the discounts to avoid raising prices on its park passes.
In particular, the dining plans they are offering are a bit iffy, unless you’re going to be a regular. The one meal per day plan costs a bit more than the average price of four entrees across the park, so unless you’re going to the park 5 or more times this season, it doesn’t make sense to add on that plan. (However, this meal plan has been discontinued to all but Magic Mountain season pass holders).
The two per day plan is not that much more expensive, will pay off faster (on your third visit), and you kinda don’t have much of a choice for meal plan add-ons anyway (unless you’re from Magic Mountain).
The drink bottles are in a similar position; this is a decent sized drink, about 32 ounces. Now, out in the sun and having fun, you should be drinking a lot of fluids, but unless you’re going to commit to drinking at least 96 ounces of soda or juice, it doesn’t make sense to get an all-day bottle.
It is far easier to share a drink with a friend or family member (depending on your personal feelings about germs — I, for one, like my drinks to solely be mine), otherwise it can be a steep price, especially if everyone is getting their own bottle.
The all-season bottle is easier to justify. Obviously you won’t buy this if you’re only going to the park once, but I personally think it’s more realistic to think you’ll get your money’s worth if you go to the park 3 or more times with a drink bottle refilling it twice at a large drink rate ($6.49).
To me, this is one of the less obvious perks about the Diamond pass; not having to deal with drink bottles, because you get it for free.
Now that we’ve covered the surprisingly complicated pass and dining options, let’s get into tips for your actual trip to the parks!
Before you even step foot in the park, you should know that Six Flags has embraced the digital age and given you an opportunity to set the stage for your visit with a dining app that showcases the restaurants in each park. From the comfort of your home, you can dive into some of the dining information we’re about to go over, and all you need to do is install the app.
That said, I will continue to visit more parks and unlock more information for you here. In the meantime, the app features up to date menus and some pricing at select locations.
Like many large amusement parks around the USA, Six Flags has gone the way of mobile food ordering to make life a little easier for families while visiting and prices do not show unless you are in the parks.
IMPORTANT: Six Flags is officially a cashless park having transitioned towards this payment option during the pandemic. However, they do have cash conversion machines in the park if you show up with cash.
Click on the image below to be taken to the available menu lists where I have been to recently. Those parks include the America, Great Adventure, and New England locations, last updated in 2023. Enjoy!
No. Nope. Not in the slightest. Please don’t try it. They will kick you out of the park and they will not refund you. Have I heard of people being able to slip through the cracks? Of course, but will that necessarily be you? If you try it, let me know how it goes.
I suggest budgeting for a day inside of the park if you’re looking for the full in-park experience. Alternatively, find your way back to the parking lot for a mid-day break if you’re on a tight budget.
You can find some tips below under the Insider Tips section or alternatively this post on budget-friendly lunch hacks when you’re at an amusement park.
The only exception is for those with dietary restrictions, food for a baby, or otherwise special circumstances. I highly suggest you reach out to your individual Six Flags to get answers how to make that happen before you make your way to the park.
Yes, but it cannot be glass. You can easily fill it up with water when you enter into the park. Soda refill privileges do not apply to non-Six Flags branded bottles, or to any bottles from a previous season (yes, this now includes member bottles).
If you’re a Diamond Member (not just a season pass holder), you will receive a stainless steel season bottle (discontinued) red plastic season battle. Season pass holders can buy a discounted refillable plastic bottle that’ll come in either green or orange for the 2024 season.
If you happen to lose your bottle while in the park, or you forget it at home, you can grab a new one from Guest Relations for a fee. You can also get a new bottle every single year as well by heading to Guest Relations, too.
No, but also, yes. So, kinda. I have seen signs that state customers are not allowed to drink outside of the designated patio where the beer was bought.
What I have not seen is any actual enforcement of that rule. I will suggest you don’t try to “drink around the world” like this is Disney World’s EPCOT. If you’re looking to bend this rule, proceed with caution.
Also, if you are belligerent with staff and refuse to listen to their instructions, they reserve all rights to kick you out of the park without a refund — drink responsibly, friends.
Unfortunately no, you cannot use a previous year’s bottle. You must get a new bottle every season in order to qualify for the current’s years deals. The only exception is if you have a member bottle (which is not branded with the year).
I want to make a distinction between the two bottles that can be bought in the parks — all-day and all-season. All-day refers to cups bought solely for use on the day it was bought, whereas all-season can be used throughout the entirety of the current calendar operating year.
All-day bottles allow for unlimited refills during the day the cup was bought. There is a hidden perk of the All-Day drink bottles though, which is that if you decide to come back on another day, you can get refills for a lot less than what is advertised.
I have seen a low of 99¢ refills while traveling among the America, Great Adventure, and New England locations, but that number could easily change without notice and vary among parks.
Yep! Whether your bottle was lost, stolen, or damaged, Six Flags will replace it for a small fee. FYI, if your bottle was damaged they do ask that you present the bottle for proof, either way they’ll still charge you.
I will definitely give credit where it is due: Six Flags’s dining plans do cover just about everything in their parks. They divide their food options into two categories: quick-service and snack carts, so whatever you’re in the mood for, you will have something to munch on.
In between roller coasters, quick-service restaurants offer you a chance to get your food and sit down. Whether you’re sinking your teeth into a burger, grabbing a slice of pizza, or whatever suits your taste buds, you’ll get some fuel for your next adventure.
Some locations include:
There are also snack stands and carts peppering the park. These offer quick bites and tasty treats that are perfect for staving off your sudden cravings.
You can find favorites like:
Families with young adventurers will find no shortage of kid-friendly dining options at Six Flags. Most of the park is catered to a child’s palate, and you shouldn’t find it too difficult to find what you need for the smaller ones in your party.
The park offers everything from chicken, pizza, popcorn, fruit cups, and fries for that traditional theme park experience. And of course, if you dare, lots of sweets such as ice cream, cotton candy, and pretzels, among others.
However, if you’re looking for something a little more nutritious, I actually suggest heading to a Chop Six, as they have a more diverse menu with fresh vegetables and other carbs that aren’t french fries (like rice and noodles).
I will again give credit where it is due, Six Flags attempts to provide options for some dietary needs.
If you’re vegetarian or vegan Six Flags is trying to have your back.
However, for more specific dietary restrictions, like gluten-free/Celiac’s, the park doesn’t have a plethora of options. You can ask the staff for assistance; I have found them to be friendly and helpful, and they’ll guide you to the best options when you visit.
I received this in an email from Guest Relations (check the blog post on other parks’ food policies if you need assistance elsewhere):
“If guests with sensitivities or life-threatening allergies do not feel comfortable with the menu options available, they may bring their own food into the park. In this case, the food must be restricted to the person with the allergy and may include: two sealable sandwich-sized bags and one snack to accommodate their visit (such as a piece of fruit, a fruit bar, or a snack that fits in a sandwich bag).
To transport these items, one small soft-sided cooler may be brought into the park. Outside beverages are not permitted. To obtain a medical sticker, please see Security at the screening.”
Six Flags doesn’t publish their ingredients or specifically state which options are gluten-free, so this is a hard question to answer. I did send an email out to Six Flags America to see what offerings they have and the only gluten free options available were the lettuce burger, lasagna, and macaroni and cheese (Heritage House Food Court only).
Based on that, I believe that there only so many gluten free options available at other parks, although larger parks may fare better in this department.
Not a complete list by any means, I did want to whet your appetite for the offerings that some of the parks deliver on regarding vegetarian options. As a quick note, most sides are considered vegetarian, but of course are not filling in many cases (e.g., seasoned fries, garlic knots, mozzarella sticks, chocolate chip cookies, fruit cups).
Six Flags America
Six Flags Great Adventure
