The other day I had went to early entry to find a crowd of people by the Orion entrance, blocking the way for passholders. The park needs to close the front gate for non-passholders until 10am, and maybe they could open the gate at 9:50 on days that are more busy.

The park usually only allows non-passholders into the front half of International Street prior to the official rope drop at 10AM to keep the crowds moving. The plaza between security and the front gate is not large enough to hold everyone that may be there for the rope drop, and it is harder to control who can get through with that smaller space. The solution to this issue is to employ associates to direct pass holders and ticket holders to direct and separate the crowd just inside the gate — something that Six Flags is not willing to do. 

I feel like before the 2019 I street renovation they had a gate on the right side of I street near LaRosas that you would have to go through and show your pass to an associate there during Early Entry. 

I thought there still was one. They definitely had the gates up before 10 earlier in the season. 

The only thing I remember for early entry were two ropes across the street with security in the middle. Show them your gold pass and proceed.

If I remember correctly last year, the entire park was open, but you had to show your pass at the ride.

Disclaimer: I'm not a passholder ERT kinda guy so I could be mistaken. 

@BeeastFarmer that is correct. ERT at KI is different from Soak City. I've been 3 times for ERT this year and the whole park has always been open. You then go to one of the ERT rides and show your pass. They see it, then let you in line for the ride. What @CartersCoasters is referring to is the line up of regular people outside a ride waiting until 10:00. They should not have been blocking the pathway for passholders, so that would be the fault of the crew member working for not moving them out of the way

Interesting. That definitely doesn't seem as good of a method as holding most guests on International Street and only sending pass holders toward the ERT rides. Could the change be due to the reduction in staffing? I can't imagine a great reason to let guests into the rest of the park before anything is open, unless the rope drop crowds are just that insanely large. 

This year and last year, they let everyone in at  the same time, but when you go to the rides that are ERT, they make you show your pass or you are not able to go into the line.

On 7/4/2025 at 10:07 AM, Diamondback_Is_King said:

@BeeastFarmer that is correct. ERT at KI is different from Soak City. I've been 3 times for ERT this year and the whole park has always been open. You then go to one of the ERT rides and show your pass. They see it, then let you in line for the ride. What @CartersCoasters is referring to is the line up of regular people outside a ride waiting until 10:00. They should not have been blocking the pathway for passholders, so that would be the fault of the crew member working for not moving them out of the way

Not even the crews fault. The worker kept saying "the only way your getting in is with a gold or prestige pass" but people still crowded. I get people want to make the most of their day, but listen to the workers.