It's not all amusement park crap like cotton candy and fried dough. Depending on which one you're at they have regular restaurant fare like burgers, chicken wings, tacos, deli type sandwiches, etc. It's probably more salt than you want every day but that's true of restaurants in general.
Hell, my now closed amusement park had plenty of options that would even have vegetables. Maybe not the healthiest of vegetables, but with choices like chinese beef-with-broccoli and such you could get a varied diet.
Idea for a nonprofit: subsidized food, but it doesn't deliver, and you have to walk really far to reach it. Like a restaurant in the middle of the woods where there's no parking for two miles, at the top of a steep hill, etc.
a restaurant (in America businesses must have a minimum amount of parking). but we only have seating, all food comes from a rotating selection of food trucks that will occupy the parking lot, meaning you have to walk there to eat.
Walking from the nearest house to Six Flags Magic Mountain takes around at least 50 mins. If you don't believe me, check on maps.
That's 50 mins of no shade, water, bathroom, or other pedestrians. If you get a heatstroke, you have few options. You can call an Uber and hope they are willing to illegally pick you up on the highway, pay for emergency services, or hope a good samaritan helps you out.
This isn't unique to this location, this is just how almost all American amusement parks are. They are located somewhere out of the city for cheaper rent, with the expectation that everyone arrives by car. This is why they are surrounded by highways and have very few walkable paths and entrances on the outside.
Faster than cooking? When you cook regularly you figure out quick meals and meals that take some prep. Quick meals are pasta with a sauce that takes less time to make than it takes the pasta to boil, stir fry, even most curries are ready within 30 minutes. Breakfast is quicker, even with toast or fried eggs.
Not saying it's not ingenious what she does, but cooking doesn't have to take a lot of time is all I'm saying.
I'm saying a half hour all together, driving across the street and into the massive parking area, finding a spot to park, walking from there into the amusement park, and finally deep enough into the park to find a restaurant. Then again, in reverse, to go back home.
I mean, it sounds about what I do for groceries? Drive fifteen minutes to the store, find parking, walk through the store to get my stuff, drive home, takes an hour-ish. Then I gotta cook when I get home, so she's probably got the better deal here.
Yeah, there have been times when I was depressed, working night shift, and only eating one meal a day, so going to the grocery store was also the only place I'd actually see another human. It's more efficient to shop for a week or a month at a time, but then I'd've just been a shut-in.
$300 for a season pass with food. Go twice a week in the spring/summer, 20 weeks * 2 times a week * 2 meals = 80 meals. That's $3.75 a meal + transportation. Go more and the price drops further.
Fun fact: the name Six Flags refers to the six governments Texas has been under as the original park was named Six Flags over Texas. The flags specifically:
The first and last cruise I went on, I was sitting in the sauna in the morning when about 6 guys all in their mid 60s came in and openly started talking about the previous night and who was swapping partners that night.
Cruises aren't particularly cheap, they're generally $100-300/night, per person, which is similar to a hotel. If you want a nicer room,that'd extra. They're pretty affordable as vacations go, but hardly close to a permanent living arrangement.
I live in rural Wisconsin and the retirement homes around here cost more than that for independent living where residents get 1 meal a day free, an emergency pendant and a weekly maid coming through to clean. Living on a cruise ship can easily provide more accomodations than that for less cost
I dont want to eat that much amusement park food. That being said, I wouldnt mind it several times a week. Might still be a deal. I also would enjoy the rides. Altho maybe not as a senior.... ok streching and working out are totally something ill start doing again soon. If only to be able to enjoy roller coasters on weekdays as a senior citizen.
It's probably done to actually be able to afford to eat... Not because they want to.
But at least they are getting exercise, without researching I would suspect inactivity hurts seniors as much if not more than diet. Plus interacting with people helps their mental health
It's quite important for elderly people to exercise regularly. An hour walk every day would be great for that. I assume they're also interacting with people or just enjoying watching people enjoy themselves too, or just people watching, so mental stimulation is also good.
I need you to understand that walking an hour in a walkable city and walking in an hour in an American suburb is like comparing a literal walk in the park with walking on a tight rope for an hour.
I've lived in both. It's a shit show in the vast majority of the US. Sidewalks deliberately end to prevent 'the poors' from entering adjacent neighborhoods. There is zero shade, trees, seats, or any form of refuge as a deterrent from homeless people. Once you start walking somewhere, there are no shops, restaurants, or water, or bathrooms until you reach your destination, where you must spend money. Public transit takes a minimum of 3x longer than cars, and that's if you live in a big city. If you miss your bus, you have to wait an hour for the next one. A shop that's only 200 meters across the highway can end up becoming a 5km walk due to lack of crossings. Each crossing alone can take you 5-10 minutes to cross due to the sheer width of the underpass, number of segments in it, and the infrequency of stopped traffic.
Also, people own guns in the US, pedestrian density is low, homeless people who might be desperate and mentally ill people are not cared for, and paths are not always fully lit. That means you better be sure you can walk back by sundown or else risk robbery, assault, and death.
That's only if there is a walkable path the to amusement park.
Most amusement parks are either located further out from the city, surrounded by a massive parking lot, or is enclosed by highways and non-walkable car infrastructure.
Take Six Flags Magic Mountain for example. If you look at the satellite view, you'll see that the closest residential home to it is a 46 minute walk despite being only 1000ft (300m) away from it. It's completely unshaded with literally nothing in between the house and the park. If you get a heatstroke, you're shit out of luck.
No, its not the healthiest, but you could do worse, and uh... yeah, do the math on if you just only ate costco hot dogs and pizzas and such, 365 days a year, and that alone is well worth the yearly membership fee.
Maybe also buy some vegetables.
Frankly I'll be amazed if Costco can maintain their food court prices, I am pretty sure more and more people are just going to actually do something like this.
Massachusetts costcos are required to allow liquor sales to the general public, you just walk in through the exit door, past the membership/cust service desks, and you hit the food court before the liquor area. They only check memberships cards at the entrance door.
I don’t remember if they make you scan your membership card at the food court or not; if not, I imagine than that’s also available to non-members.
You need one to get into the building though, or well, you at least need to be in a group with someone who has one, and a lot of locations only have a functioning indoor food court.
2026 All Season Two Meal Dining Plan Enhance your visits and enjoy a meal every time you visit now through the end of 2026 with All Season Dining! Max of 2 meals per day.
I don't know if it's that good of a deal. According to that website it doesn't apply to the pizza cafe or the funnel cake factory. If it doesn't apply to the funnel cake factory is it even worth it? Is living?
It is usually the whole season for Six Flags, which can be spring break to Labor Day along with weekends for Halloween and Christmas time. Some season passes also include free parking.
And if you like to travel, you can get a pass that works for all Six Flags theme parks.
You might be able to get a meal plan from a lot of universities as well, but they might require you take classes occasionally and they close for the summer.
Except then, you're eating the crap Amusement parks serve. If you're 80, and just looking for the door, then I suppose that would be okay.
It's not all amusement park crap like cotton candy and fried dough. Depending on which one you're at they have regular restaurant fare like burgers, chicken wings, tacos, deli type sandwiches, etc. It's probably more salt than you want every day but that's true of restaurants in general.
yhea, still not the best diet. but still ok.
Hell, my now closed amusement park had plenty of options that would even have vegetables. Maybe not the healthiest of vegetables, but with choices like chinese beef-with-broccoli and such you could get a varied diet.
Yeah, but funnel cakes.
Funeral cakes.
Funerals would be much more lively if there were funnel cakes.
Fun-erals
Fun-eral cakes!
My grandmother's funeral had tacos!
Mmmm, butt funnel cakes...
Crap amusement parks seem like a solid alternative for social security and pension plans.
My grammy is 100 and eats Taco Bell and Pringles all day.
You can also basically permanently live on a cruise ship.
Dead in months for sure.
Years. There was a dude who looked like tanned leather that had drainage lines sawed in, but he had been doing it for twenty some years. Insane.
Is that the ship that goes upside down and all the stuff falls out of your pockets?
“Across the street” is still like a half hour between home and food. This seems impractical.
Actually, it's a win at that age. You get out of the house and can interact with lots of people, that's something most old people need more of.
Still faster than cooking, too.
plus regular walking is incredibly important.
and most people, (not just elderly) are way too sedentary.
even if the food is the typical amusement park junk food, it's probably better than being sedentary at home and driving to fas goods
Idea for a nonprofit: subsidized food, but it doesn't deliver, and you have to walk really far to reach it. Like a restaurant in the middle of the woods where there's no parking for two miles, at the top of a steep hill, etc.
Goodbye American obesity!
idea for a for profit.
a restaurant (in America businesses must have a minimum amount of parking). but we only have seating, all food comes from a rotating selection of food trucks that will occupy the parking lot, meaning you have to walk there to eat.
There used to be a spot near me that did exactly this. It was awesome.
Walking from the nearest house to Six Flags Magic Mountain takes around at least 50 mins. If you don't believe me, check on maps.
That's 50 mins of no shade, water, bathroom, or other pedestrians. If you get a heatstroke, you have few options. You can call an Uber and hope they are willing to illegally pick you up on the highway, pay for emergency services, or hope a good samaritan helps you out.
This isn't unique to this location, this is just how almost all American amusement parks are. They are located somewhere out of the city for cheaper rent, with the expectation that everyone arrives by car. This is why they are surrounded by highways and have very few walkable paths and entrances on the outside.
I get that it would be impractical in the US specifically. I just didn't think about you guys.
Six Flags, the amusement park mentioned in the post, are all located in the United states with the except of two in Canada and one in Mexico.
Faster than cooking? When you cook regularly you figure out quick meals and meals that take some prep. Quick meals are pasta with a sauce that takes less time to make than it takes the pasta to boil, stir fry, even most curries are ready within 30 minutes. Breakfast is quicker, even with toast or fried eggs.
Not saying it's not ingenious what she does, but cooking doesn't have to take a lot of time is all I'm saying.
Of course, that works. However, I was thinking about cooking the same meals you get at the park (assuming you guys have actual restaurants in there).
You'd have to drive at that age, too.
Too european for that, I thought you meant half an hour by foot. Most old people shouldn't be allowed to drive anymore.
I'm saying a half hour all together, driving across the street and into the massive parking area, finding a spot to park, walking from there into the amusement park, and finally deep enough into the park to find a restaurant. Then again, in reverse, to go back home.
You got something better to do?
For every meal, every day? Yes.
I mean, it sounds about what I do for groceries? Drive fifteen minutes to the store, find parking, walk through the store to get my stuff, drive home, takes an hour-ish. Then I gotta cook when I get home, so she's probably got the better deal here.
You do that for every meal?
Yeah, there have been times when I was depressed, working night shift, and only eating one meal a day, so going to the grocery store was also the only place I'd actually see another human. It's more efficient to shop for a week or a month at a time, but then I'd've just been a shut-in.
$300 for a season pass with food. Go twice a week in the spring/summer, 20 weeks * 2 times a week * 2 meals = 80 meals. That's $3.75 a meal + transportation. Go more and the price drops further.
At least in the US
Yes, that's where all the Six Flags properties are.
Fun fact: the name Six Flags refers to the six governments Texas has been under as the original park was named Six Flags over Texas. The flags specifically:
There was this dude on reddit who did this scheme for 7 years.
https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/six-flags-dining-pass
Lol
I worked at Six Flags years ago and the food there is just awful. Contains basically everything you're told not to eat. No wonder some people like it.
I have met many retired people who basically live on cruise ships.
thats my dream retirement tbh
get hammered on a cruise til it kills me 😂
Don't forget all the partner swapping and group sex!
And Norovirus!
Wait... I think I may have been taking cruises wrong this whole time...
The first and last cruise I went on, I was sitting in the sauna in the morning when about 6 guys all in their mid 60s came in and openly started talking about the previous night and who was swapping partners that night.
Yeah we destroy the planet, but it's cheaper than not to, and we're old anyway
Cruises aren't particularly cheap, they're generally $100-300/night, per person, which is similar to a hotel. If you want a nicer room,that'd extra. They're pretty affordable as vacations go, but hardly close to a permanent living arrangement.
There cruise lines that offer 3 year cruises for just $30k a year... https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/3-year-cruise-mv-gemini/
That $2.5k/mo is actually ridiculously good when you consider it includes everything.
That's... actually an incredibly good deal!
Cheaper than a retirement home, and with doctors on board.
It's really not.
100 bucks a night is only 3k a month, so yeah it is
I live in rural Wisconsin and the retirement homes around here cost more than that for independent living where residents get 1 meal a day free, an emergency pendant and a weekly maid coming through to clean. Living on a cruise ship can easily provide more accomodations than that for less cost
by like half to a fourth for a good retirement home
like 60k a year in OR
I daresay permanent residents aren't paying that much.
Until you get sick of eating amusement park food every day... and it's not that great for you, either.
Do you want to pro long your time in America?
Some of these places have sit down restaurants.
McDonald's is a sit down restaurant
And they serve salads
🤮
And you have to deal with the constant noise, car and foot traffic living across the street from an amusement pack. That sounds awful.
I dont want to eat that much amusement park food. That being said, I wouldnt mind it several times a week. Might still be a deal. I also would enjoy the rides. Altho maybe not as a senior.... ok streching and working out are totally something ill start doing again soon. If only to be able to enjoy roller coasters on weekdays as a senior citizen.
It's probably done to actually be able to afford to eat... Not because they want to.
But at least they are getting exercise, without researching I would suspect inactivity hurts seniors as much if not more than diet. Plus interacting with people helps their mental health
I sadly await the future news report that thousands of retirees die from starvation when Six Flags enshittifies and then cancels their meal plan.
I'm sure they would if a lot of people did this.
The season pass is like buying a gym membership.
there should be laws in place, if you buy a season ticket, they can't take things away that we're expected upon purchase.
They'd just not include it in the next season...
that sucks, but acceptable at least.
Thats…exactly how the law already works?
That’s not what keeps company lawyers profitable.
in theory
It's quite important for elderly people to exercise regularly. An hour walk every day would be great for that. I assume they're also interacting with people or just enjoying watching people enjoy themselves too, or just people watching, so mental stimulation is also good.
You're bothered about walking checks notes an hour??
I need you to understand that walking an hour in a walkable city and walking in an hour in an American suburb is like comparing a literal walk in the park with walking on a tight rope for an hour.
I've lived in both. It's a shit show in the vast majority of the US. Sidewalks deliberately end to prevent 'the poors' from entering adjacent neighborhoods. There is zero shade, trees, seats, or any form of refuge as a deterrent from homeless people. Once you start walking somewhere, there are no shops, restaurants, or water, or bathrooms until you reach your destination, where you must spend money. Public transit takes a minimum of 3x longer than cars, and that's if you live in a big city. If you miss your bus, you have to wait an hour for the next one. A shop that's only 200 meters across the highway can end up becoming a 5km walk due to lack of crossings. Each crossing alone can take you 5-10 minutes to cross due to the sheer width of the underpass, number of segments in it, and the infrequency of stopped traffic.
Also, people own guns in the US, pedestrian density is low, homeless people who might be desperate and mentally ill people are not cared for, and paths are not always fully lit. That means you better be sure you can walk back by sundown or else risk robbery, assault, and death.
If you're retired and have a yearly pass, an amusement park is not the worst place to go for a daily walk. Aside from peak days.
That's only if there is a walkable path the to amusement park.
Most amusement parks are either located further out from the city, surrounded by a massive parking lot, or is enclosed by highways and non-walkable car infrastructure.
Take Six Flags Magic Mountain for example. If you look at the satellite view, you'll see that the closest residential home to it is a 46 minute walk despite being only 1000ft (300m) away from it. It's completely unshaded with literally nothing in between the house and the park. If you get a heatstroke, you're shit out of luck.
You're really selling the American Dream there, late. Yee-fucking-haw !
It's America, all of the food is unhealthy
Some people I have met eat that for every meal already.
I don't know how, but there are families I have met that only ever eat McDonalds for every meal.
Even my wife when I met her subsisted on KD, corn and twizzlers.
I eat a ton of hot dogs. Reasonably 100 a year. Cheap as fuck.
The cancer can fight the microplastics
dude what doesn't cause cancer nowadays
Almost everthing can cause cancer lmao.
All the meat, overcooked things, alchool and more
Costco membership, only eat from the food court.
No, its not the healthiest, but you could do worse, and uh... yeah, do the math on if you just only ate costco hot dogs and pizzas and such, 365 days a year, and that alone is well worth the yearly membership fee.
Maybe also buy some vegetables.
Frankly I'll be amazed if Costco can maintain their food court prices, I am pretty sure more and more people are just going to actually do something like this.
Costco Membership, only eat the rotisserie chicken.
It is far healthier than the hot dogs, and pizza.
I don't get why pizza is considered trash food...
Ah yes the "It's a salad argument"
Croutons, Tomatoes, and Cheese. Often Assorted Meats...
You don’t need a membership to eat at the food court
This used to be more true than it is now. More centers are requiring folks to enter through the main entrance and scan a membership card to enter.
Not all locations, but more are moving this direction. The two nearest me did within the last year.
Massachusetts costcos are required to allow liquor sales to the general public, you just walk in through the exit door, past the membership/cust service desks, and you hit the food court before the liquor area. They only check memberships cards at the entrance door.
I don’t remember if they make you scan your membership card at the food court or not; if not, I imagine than that’s also available to non-members.
This is why a lot of them have completely separate entrances. Local laws.
You can still do it with the pharmacy. Usually that's embedded in the 'health' (because almost none of it is really healthy) section.
You need one to get into the building though, or well, you at least need to be in a group with someone who has one, and a lot of locations only have a functioning indoor food court.
At least for the ones near me you just tell them youre getting food and they let you in through the exit.
they wont for the foreseeable future
it draws ppl into the store and drives sales they wouldnt otherwise get. "i want a $1.50 hot dog" and while youre there may as well grab some TP etc
If you're mostly eating hot dogs then a bidet might be a good investment too. Luckily Costco sells both
yeah i think the kirkland brand bidet is called "the lumberjack"
They actually do pretty good with the food court. Even if you only ate the hot dog deal, the membership price would cover it.
Old people so poor they can only eat amusement park garbage food = genius?
Have you been to an amusement park? She’s doing pretty well for herself if she can afford those prices.
The 2026 2 MEAL ALL SEASON DINING - PRESTIGE ADD-ON at Six Flags near LA is $99 for a whole year, and includes 2 meals a day, which sounds bonkers.
I think you have to add it to an annual park pass, but that sounds like a great deal assuming you don't mind eating park food.
Wow, thats crazy. I'm used to parks having almost movie theater prices for food.
I know a senior citizen that did this at Knott's Berry farm amusement park.
Not that one.
Don't wait, become a carnie TODAY
Not sure if I saw the right prices, but that seemed like 25 cents a meal.
Amusement parks have meal plans?
https://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/store/season-add-ons
Honestly, it does seem like a relatively cheap source of food if you live nearby and actually like what they serve.
https://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/things-to-do/restaurants
And you do have at least some variety, too.
But that’s on top of the season pass right? Which is $79? So that’s like $180. And then how long is a season? Is that year round? Or three months?
But even if it’s only three months, that’s one hell of a deal. They have to be losing money to this old lady.
I don't know if it's that good of a deal. According to that website it doesn't apply to the pizza cafe or the funnel cake factory. If it doesn't apply to the funnel cake factory is it even worth it? Is living?
It is usually the whole season for Six Flags, which can be spring break to Labor Day along with weekends for Halloween and Christmas time. Some season passes also include free parking.
And if you like to travel, you can get a pass that works for all Six Flags theme parks.
I wonder if they charge for parking... that would kill the cost savings.
Good point. Though the lady said she lives across the street. So just a big ass parking lot to walk through. Then get your cheap meals.
As a kid, I imagined I'd do this with Disneyland.
But now a days, I don't even wanna go there for a day.
Genius
You might be able to get a meal plan from a lot of universities as well, but they might require you take classes occasionally and they close for the summer.
Have you seen what those cost these days?
You better of living next to Costco
Not to be racist, but how is this white people twitter if the guy posting is a black man?