Designing Season Pass Benefits That Drive Usage — and Make Renewal a No-Brainer

Expanding on our last post (yes, the one with the bold toddler in high-visibility swimwear), we’ve had plenty of operators reach out with questions about passholder loyalty strategies, usage perks, and how SeaWorld, Aquatica, and even Six Flags are pulling off behavior-based loyalty better than most.

Let’s dig in.

Because it’s mid-June — which means many of you reading this are:

• Finalizing your 2026 pass perks, and

• Planning to put them on sale in just a few weeks.

There’s still time to rethink your approach.

If you want passes to fly off the shelf and renew without friction, you’ve got to do more than offer “the rest of 2025 free.”

Your Loyalists Already Bought This Year’s Pass. So... Who Are You Talking To?

The "rest of the season free" model only works on new or late-season guests.

It does nothing for your most loyal users — the ones who bought in February, showed up on opening day, and already brought a friend during the spring promo.

If your goal is to:

• Keep them engaged this season

• Drive mid-summer return behavior

• Lock in their 2026 renewal long before you ask for it

Then you're going to need more than a discount or a drink deal.

You need engineered usage.

What Engineered Usage Actually Looks Like

SeaWorld, Aquatica, and Six Flags are proving that when perks are tied to action, not just access, you change the game.

They’re building pass programs where the benefits aren’t fluff — they’re intentional nudges toward return behavior.

Examples of what they’re doing:

• Timed redemption windows to control flow and create urgency

• Kiosk-only or app-based redemptions that drive in-park movement

• Tiered access that gives guests a reason to level up

• Usage-based challenges like “Visit 3x this month, unlock a bonus”

Six Flags has taken it even further with their Pass Perks program — milestone rewards, engagement-based tiers, and ongoing surprises that keep passholders checking in and showing up.

These aren’t just perks. They’re patterns. And they’re working.

And Let’s Be Honest: SeaWorld’s Kiosks Are Always Broken

But the perks still work.

Because the redemption isn’t the value — the return behavior is.

Even with imperfect systems, they’ve managed to engineer repeat visits by focusing on what matters: designing for movement.

Your system doesn’t have to be flawless. But the logic behind it needs to be deliberate.

Want a Program That Pulls Guests Back In?

Use perks to shape patterns, not just reward purchases.

Here’s a framework for perks that build loyalty by driving usage:

Behavior-Based Perk	Why It Works
Unlock a plush on your 3rd visit in 30 days	Gets families to plan return visits proactively
Spend $25 in-park, get a mystery reward next visit	Ties revenue to future behavior
Scan 5 different areas in the park, unlock priority ride time	Encourages full-park exploration
Offer a rainy-day mobile-only bonus at 11 a.m.	Increases app engagement and drives traffic on slow days
Create Passholder Tuesdays with exclusive access or perks	Trains off-peak attendance patterns
Complete a summer passport, get a fall VIP invite	Builds long-term visit cadence and habit-forming behavior

You’re not just giving guests something. You’re giving them a reason to come back.

And If Your Tech Can’t Keep Up?

Many of you are working with loyalty tools that weren’t built for this level of strategy. But that doesn’t mean you’re out of options.

If your platform doesn’t let you easily track visits, redemptions, or perk usage — you can still work around it with intention.

Ways to build tracking into your program today:

• QR code-based check-ins across the park

• Manual scan challenges tied to simple in-house reporting

• Email-based recognition: “You’ve visited three times this month — here’s your next bonus”

• Zone-based perks that can be scanned at kiosks or handled by staff

• Behavior-driven emails or app push notifications based on visit history (even if manually pulled)

Better tech helps. But even without it, you can build systems that reward repeat visits.

And While We're Here — Let’s Talk About Price Strategy

If your early bird deadlines have “last chance” extensions three times a month, guests notice.

Eventually, they stop believing you. And worse, they stop acting.

Here’s a better approach:

The Usual	The Upgrade
End dates that move every week	Quantity-based pricing: “Only 100 left at this price”
Generic flash sales	Progress-based unlocks: the earlier you buy, the better the perks
“Final day” emails with no real urgency	Countdown-based tiers tied to real-time availability

Scarcity works — but only when it’s real.

Your guests are trained to ignore what you don’t mean. Use pricing strategies that build trust and drive action without relying on gimmicks.

TL;DR

If you’re building your 2026 pass benefits now — and planning to launch them soon — you still have time to design a smarter system.

One that doesn’t depend on discounts. One that doesn’t rely on flashy perks. One that drives repeat usage and makes renewal an afterthought.

Give your guests a reason to come back three times in 30 days, and you won’t need a flashy email campaign to sell next year’s pass.

You’ll already have earned the renewal.

What we’d love to hear from you:

• Are you still relying on “get the rest of this year free” to drive pass sales? Why?

• Have you shifted your launch back to Black Friday? What worked?

• What perk has actually moved the needle for return visits in your park?

Because building loyalty isn’t about giving more.

It’s about designing smarter.

Let’s talk about usage-driven loyalty. That’s where next year’s revenue lives.