Not what it used to be....
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 3/17/11
Pros: I'm 32, from Houston, and hadn't been to Fiesta Texas since I was a kid. Brought back fond memories of when we had Astroworld in Houston! The rides were great!
Cons: There are a few. Went in a group of 3. The price to visit the park + parking, tax and surcharges alone are high enough. Almost compels one to opt for the season pass. But given we're out-of-towners, that's not practical.
You'd think the food prices would be more reasonable ($3 Pickles, $4 Powerade, $5 French Fries, etc.)... C'MON!! If you try to maximize your stay by arriving early and staying late, you're forced to pay a premium for eats. There are no cheap alternatives.
And most importantly, WHEN DID THIS "FLASH PASS" TOMFOOLERY BEGIN??? It seems it was designed to maximize profits, while making already long wait times in the regular line even longer so that more people fork over MORE $$$ for the flash pass! I understand business, but this is just highway robbery! And it cheapens the experience for everyone who doesn't pay extra for it. I remember a time when the rides were simply 1st come, 1st serve. And from open to close, you got to ride mostly everything by simply waiting in line. Now, the Flash Pass line MERGES with the regular line (taking priority), thereby increasing the wait time tremendously for the meager peasants who only paid general admission. In other words, use your light bill money to buy the Flash Pass, or spend the rest of your day BEHIND those who did, wishing you had.
For instance, there is a posted sign for The Rattler reading "average wait 50 minutes". But factor in Flash Pass holders, now the wait time goes up to 3 hrs for everyone else. And that's NOT an exaggeration! 3 hrs for a 3 min ride??? Do the math! If I drive from Houston only to wait 3 hrs for every major ride, I'll ONLY get in about 3 rides over the course of a full day. Most of the time will be spent getting sunburned while waiting in line. Essentially, you're forced to pay EVEN MORE to get the pass, like my friends and I did (an additional $80). And that's the "REGULAR" package ($35/person)! There are 2 higher pckgs ($60 & $85/person)! The more you buy, the more you save, for groups of up to 6. That $80 afforded us the ability to ride 2 more rides than we would have otherwise, because the 2 higher premium pckgs STILL have priority over you. Long story short, unless you're prepared to spend $85 + gen. admission, the Flash Pass is not at all worth it, for you STILL end up waiting one way or another. MAN, I WISH ASTROWORLD WAS STILL OPEN!!! Not sure if I'll be doing Fiesta Texas again anytime soon, unless I can find a day when it's not so busy and can go back to waiting 1 hour or less for each ride.