Six Flags Magic Mountain

Seasonal amusement parks are gearing up for another few months of fun, thrills, fried decadence and wallet gouging. However, with a little planning and research, you can enjoy the first three without the last one.

If you haven't been to a Six Flags lately, you won't know that it, too, has adopted a strategy popular at airlines, hotels, and on cruises. It's charging customers extra for smoother service. The Flash Pass is the chain's for-rent gadget that grants guests the right to leap to the front of the long...