What annoys you at amusement parks?

[iAMpaste001]

Okay here we can all vent about those little things that drive us crazy when we're at a park. Come on, I know there must be something that bugs you...
I can think of two things right now:
1. When groups of people can't decide if they're going to ride a ride or not, so they stand right in front of the entrance of the line so all the people behind them who know they definitely want to ride can't get on until those people make up their minds, and
2. When people can't get the names of the rides right and repeatedly use the wrong name. Like a lady at CP who kept screaming at everyone "I RODE THE MAGNUM FORCE!" Or my mom is really good at this, always calling the WildCat the Wild Mouse and Snake River Falls "Old Mill Scream" (the name of a log flume ride at Opryland, TN we rode 13 or 14 years ago).

I feel better! Anyone else want to take a turn now?
:D

[CedarPoint89]

(at Cedar Point) Okay, The Charlie Brown Guy in a suit, i wanna punch punch him for making the Berinstine bear ppl in suits hybernate!!! (even though i di used to watch charlie brown, and every now and then i might pop in charlie Brown christmas (only on christmas) ) I think its because i grew up with the berenstine bears at cedar point, its like a part of my toddler life is gone.

[iAMpaste001]

Okay, if you ever do punch him, you either have to make sure I'm there or get some really good pictures because that is one of those once-in-a-lifetime things you do not want to miss.

[Xzentrificenceo]

Five foot tall rats.

[Harpo]

Inattentive ride operators, pathetically inefficient ride operations, excessive litter, rude staff, and insufficient quantity of water fountains. I doubt that I need to mention the name of the park operator that I think has all of these problems in abundance at many of their 39 parks.

But, of course, stupid people at the parks are also a nuissance. When I worked at Cedar Point, we used to log some of the stupid things we saw. One of my favorites was the lady who pointed at the kiddie Dodgem cars and asked her daughter, "Would you like to ride the pony, dearie?" I also enjoyed the lady who, on a rainy day, said, "The weatherman said there was a chance of thunderstorms. He never said it was going to rain."

I feel there should be a Constitutional amendment allowing immediate torture for anyone caught sticking gum onto a ride, lamppost, tree, etc., whether by placement or throwing the gum. For such people, perhaps some stocks could be set up, forcing these people to watch their favorite rides for the rest of the day without being able to ride them, while also permitting (and encouraging) all other guests in the park to stick gum on the person in the stocks. Similar punishments could be meted out for anyone caught defacing a ride or items in the ride's queue.

[CedarPoint89]

Talking about defacing and vanddalizing, did you see the end of the line (the stairs) on Villian SFWoA, its was insane!!! the whole wood wall all the way up the stairs was written on carved on big profanic words in permanent marker, what if a little child saw that in line and started reading the wall out loud (it would be funnny) but bad

[RCT2fan08]

I agree with harpo about "Inattentive ride operators, pathetically inefficient ride operations". SF Great America is the closest park I can get to, and it must be company policy to not greet, smile ar act like you are enjoying your job. I used to work at a Disney Park, and the #1 thing they stress is to go out of your way to treat the guests wonderfully, smile, say "hello" etc. But I guess that would be out of the question to have their employees do that when they are only open 5-6 month out of the year and most likley wont see them working there the next season. Also it looked like they have a staffing problem. We rode the Viper about 30 min. after the park opened and ther were 5 workers there, when we rode it again areoun 6 pm there were only 2?!?! That dosent sound to safe. But the one thing I can praise them for is the lack of litter i saw. I noticed maybe 2 or 3 garbage cans overflowing but that was about it. If only thay can make them smile :) .

[flgirl]

At Disney World they have at least 20 people dressed up as Mickey Mouse, but you can never find one.

[iAMpaste001]

It looks as if for many of us, a more concise answer to the question would simply be "Six Flags" :haha:

[Xzentrificenceo]

Now, Now, I am sure that if I looked I could find problems at CF parks. Lets not get all high and mighty on them, while they may do some things better than others parks every park has room for improvement. I have found many things at Disneyland that really irked me on my last visit.


SFI is very repairableand all it will take is one eye to open to the issues that their parks seems to have. For that I have a plan.

[ragingbegal]

In as few words as possible:

"Other guests"

see also: "Coasterbuzz members"

[IEATPASTE001]

People named Tim From Chicago, find those people in the most absured places!





Actually Know-it-all General Public retards that think they know everything about a ride cause they just found out what a Hyper-coaster is, offender in question, some moron on MFer, "Have you ever ridden this ride?"-Me, "Yeah, well kinda, not this version but the one in SFNE is comparable."-GP Idiot. JUST BECAUSE THE TRACK LOOKS THE SAME DOESN"T MEAN IT IS A CLONE YOU FREAKING JACK... sorry had to vent. The GP really bothers me. And "Magnum Force is a great ride."-Old Grey Lady that was holding up the line for MFer, "Oh really? I didn't know Cedar Point now has 17 coasters since they already have Magnum and Millennium Force!"-Thought by Me. Take the time to read something and maybe you wont fly out of the train you brainless idiot! sorry more venting.

[iAMpaste001]

Hey Xman, don't worry, just a little joke about SF. I know they have their good points too and CF isn't pefect . :D

[raptorrvnge4928]

Oh hell no CF isnt perfect, take a look at Michigan Adventures...LOL. Besides Shivering Timbers and Wolverine Wildcat, this is the very first park I have been to that I would say that the waterpark is better than the theme park. It just seems MA is a bit understaffed, though they do have short waits for any given ride...I'll give em that.

[Harpo]

Originally posted by Xzentrificenceo
SFI is very repairableand all it will take is one eye to open to the issues that their parks seems to have. For that I have a plan.

I am curious as to what your plan would be. I have written letters detailing the the problems at many of their parks, including specific examples and suggestions on how to improve. I've talked with GM's, and with multiple Guest Relations offices. The result? The parks seem to continue to get worse, with the issues I've mentioned apparently being completely ignored.

Heck, it was a year ago that I warned Six Flags that their inattentiveness issues could lead to a fatality exactly of the nature of the one that recently occurred in New Orleans.

Looking for companies that are better? Based on my travels and observations, here are a few: Disney, Universal, Cedar Fair, Kennywood Entertainment, Hershey, Paramount, and, marginally better, Busch. It's not that Cedar Fair is perfect -- there's ALWAYS room for improvement (I don't believe perfection is attainable), but Six Flags, in my views, is running a distant last place in the quality race. (Busch has some very attractive parks, but their attentiveness isn't quite where it should be, either. But, it isn't as bad or as blatant as at Six Flags. And, keep in mind, I'm not viewing just one park -- I'm looking at multiple park operations.)

Sorry, I guess it was my turn to vent! I get huffy about safety-related issues, especially when I believe them to be easily avoidable.

[Xzentrificenceo]

Well I can't go into more detail right now. As for the safety issues at SF parks the 3 I have been to I have not seen this. In fact from what I have seen at these parks they have been very alert. I have seen them hold up the tamest of coasters for a height check, and then say no to the rider.

[Harpo]

I think you've actually hit upon one of the problems, but it's more of an efficiency problem. They really should have someone perform a height check before the kid ever gets onto the coaster, rather than pulling them off the ride for a check. It would avoid delays, reduce the possibility of a shorter person slipping by, reduce the number of kids who wait in line for a ride they can't ride, and avoid scenes on the platform when removing a rider. On Rattler at Fiesta Texas, I saw a couple of kids who I'm quite certain were too short, but they slipped by without a height check.

Of course, people should check the height of their kids before getting in line. But, many people fail to think of it. Others take an attitude that it doesn't apply to them, hence they ignore the height requirements. Still others think the kid is close enough to the height, so they try, anyways. There are many parks with a staff member at the entrance to the queue checking heights. It saves a lot of time and trouble on the platform.

[fasterthanlight]

I hate it when I have to sit next to screaming people on rides. It is like a "height bomb". When we get halfway to the top of the lift hill, the screech starts. I think the ride operators know I am sitting next to a screeching monkey. They just sit there and laugh (in their heads) because they know. The reason they know is because the same screaming people get on the same ride 100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 times.:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: ARRRRG!

[Harpo]

I only scream on the REALLY scary rides, like Woodstock's Express and Cedar Creek Mine Ride. That 3 foot drop on Mine Ride is quite frightening!

[IEATPASTE001]

Yeah you nearly peed on me when we went on it the last time, i was like man this ain't no water ride! Snake Riverfalls is that away! ;)

[fasterthanlight]

:eek: Three whole feet! Wow!:eek: (:haha: )

[iAMpaste001]

Well no, not quite three...I think his fear made Harpo exaggerate :p

[RctExpert1]

Originally posted by Harpo
I only scream on the REALLY scary rides, like Woodstock's Express and Cedar Creek Mine Ride. That 3 foot drop on Mine Ride is quite frightening!

those rides???:weird: lol try riding a 250 foot drop freefall ride and tell me if that was scary.:p

[Harpo]

250 foot freefall? Nah, that's a piece of cake.

Heck, I've done the 400 foot plunge from the top of Top Thrill Dragster. Still a piece of cake. I've also done the swooping drops on a wire of the sky coasters. Still not a problem.

But those coasters that take you up 50 feet and drop you 3 -- ooh, that's scary!

(I've only been on a couple of coasters, you know. There are only 398 different coasters in my log from the past 4 years. If all goes well this weekend, that number will hit 400 tomorrow.)

[RctExpert1]

good luck:up: ;)

[T_5]

My main problem with theme parks is that there's not enough of them in my neighbourhood :(

[iAMpaste001]

Here's another thing: LINE JUMPING! Ken (IEATPASTE001) and I were at CP today and we were in line for Millenium Force. We were about halfway through an hour and a half line when the kids in front of us called their friends on the cell phone and told them to come meet them in line and just go in front of everyone, thus skipping the first 45 minutes of the line. So when they did, I went and got a security guard to kick them out. Here's the problem. I'm about 2 feet tall and have the hardest time finding anyone in crowds, especially a line that keeps moving. Rather than waiting with me until the people passed us, the guard kept telling me to take him to the people and I couldn't seem to find them! Ken kept waving his hat but everytime I saw him, I'd just lose him again as soon as I started cutting through the line with the guard. Finally we reached them and I wanted him to kick out all 7 (the original four plus the three cheaters) but he only took out the two guys who jumped (the girl kind of blended in with her friends). But in the end, justice was served because the remaning five left to see what happened to their friends. I can't stand people like that! Yeah no one wants to wait in lines but hey that's part of riding the rides. You can't get your way all the time. :mad:

[IEATPASTE001]

People with Blue bags and accents, then talk really loudly and run into you with said blue bag, I dwear if we weren't in Camp Snoopy i would have taken the foriegn poophead out! how tough are you? you just got beat up by a guy wearing a 14 year old magnum hat! sorry, the guests at the park today were unruly and needed a beating!

[iAMpaste001]

Okay another one I witnessed today (and yesterday): People asking really stupid questions. One we heard yesterday while in line for Dragster was "So is this ride bigger than Millennium Force?" No, CP is just billing it as it's fastest and TALLEST ride. And today a girl asked at 10:00 at night why they weren't giving Freeway stamps to Magnum. I said "they start giving them out in the morning, they only give away a certain number and they've all been taken by now." and she said, in a really annoyed tone "So like they just stop giving them away when they run out? That's so unfair!" No, when they run out of Freeway stamps, they give away special invisible freeways. They're so special that no one can see them, not even the ride ops which explains why they never let you on with an invisible Freeway. COME ON! Doesn't the phrase "they ran out" imply that there are no more to be given away?

[Joshua H]

I really get upset with parks that have 3 or more trains for a coaster, and no matter how long the lines get, refuse to run more than one train. (because it's not Saturday, maybe?) Especially when I know it's not a staffing problem, because there are 5 or more operators standing around sipping sodas...Don't get me started.....

[Harpo]

It did seem like Friday's guests at Cedar Point were a bit obnoxious. And that's quite unusual -- normally the most obnoxious guests in the world show up at The Point on Sunday. Their schedule must have been off. Maybe they forgot a couple of Leap Years?

By the way, Paste & Paste, was that your really sickly sounding car horn I heard as you were leaving The Point and I was coming in? I didn't get your voice mail until I was in the parking lot, so I really didn't expect to see you on the drive out, hence I wasn't looking for you, so I mostly ignored the sickly sounding horn!


For those keeping track: On Saturday, July 19th... Since I started recording my parks/coasters in 2000... Fun Spot in Angola, IN became my 116th park, with Afterburner being my 400th unique coaster. (Zyklon was #399, Little Dipper was #401.) Amazingly, there wasn't a brass band anywhere to be found for a celebration. My friend cancelled on me, so the fanfare was shared by me, myself, and I. I am gladly accepting donations to help pay for all these visits! :D

[iAMpaste001]

No I don't think we honked at anyone...we did look for you in the line of Dragster hopefuls, but didn't see you there. We probably passed right by each other at some point without noticing. I'm guessing you didn't get your ride on Dragster that night. I guess that means you'll just have to make another trip back to The Point, as much as you hate going there. ;) Maybe the other Paste and I can meet up with you there again before the season ends- we had a great time on opening day! :D

Oh yeah- another stupid question I heard on Saturday: While we were sitting in Frontier Town, right by the Mine Ride, a lady asked my sister-in-law "Can you tell me how to get to Frontier Town?"

[Harpo]

Heck, I could fill the entire forum with stupid questions that I've heard (or heard about)!

One friend of mine worked at a foods location. She was asked, "How much is a 90 cent Coke?" (They had Coke instead of Pepsi in those days! It was also cheaper way back then! I guess I'm dating myself a bit. But then, I have to -- I can't find anyone else to date! Ooh, that joke's bad, even for me. Forget I said that.) Anyway, the answer was, "Um, 90 cents?"

Later, we joked about it, figuring the answer should have been something like: "Well, there's the Coke. That's 90 cents. Would you like this convenient cup to hold it in? That's an extra $1.50. Would you like it with ice? That's another 30 cents. Without ice? Exception charge of 40 cents. Then there's the service charge of 75 cents. Finally, there's the gratuity of 85 cents. Total, with ice, your 90 cent coke is $4.30. Without ice, it's $4.40. Have a nice day."

Working at the Guessing Game, where there's a 7 foot tall scale, I was quite surprised when someone came up to me asking, "Can you tell me where that thing is where you get yourself weighed?" I couldn't help myself. I turned and took a hard look at the scale, then I turned back to that person, and I said, "I have no idea." He walked away.

I would frequently get guests who would point to the scale and ask, "What's that?" Naturally, I responded, "That's the most sophisticated barometer you'll ever see. We also use it as a scale."

In 1986, I was working in Frontiertown. People would often come up to the Frontiertown Guessing Game (or, as we sometimes called it, the Frontiertown Information Booth) asking for "White Water Canyon." Well, since we had a White Water Landing and a Thunder Canyon, naturally, I sent them to White Water Canyon -- hop on the Ohio Turnpike, take I-75 south. Near Cincinnati, look for signs to Kings Island. There, you'll find White Water Canyon.

I think one of my favorites, however, was when someone would walk out of the arcade, come up to me at the Guessing Game, and ask, "Do you take tokens?" The answer: "Why sure. You just stick them in this slot here. [lifts up arm and points to stripe on uniform.]"


Oh, I got to the park right about 8 PM, which I believe was the time you indicated you left the park. So, it's possible that we passed on the Causeway!

[aquahippo]

Well, the only parks I've been to in the last 5 years are Cedar Point and Disney World. The main beef I had with Cedar Point was the outrageous price for food and that it was horrible stuff. Disney World was better in that aspect, although it obviously didn't have all the coasters.

[Harpo]

May I ask where you ate at Cedar Point?

In general, amusement park food is very expensive. Holiday World is a very rare exception. (Actually, of the 116 parks I've visited, that's the only one where I would consider the food to be reasonably priced.)

As for Cedar Point, they have an exceptionally wide variety of food. The quality also varies widely. For example, the burgers at Johnny Rocket's are the best in the park. On the other hand, I won't touch the Burger Patio burgers. I think the pizza at Macaroni's is very good (I particularly like the Three Little Pigs pizza), but the pizza at Corral is a grease bomb. For foot long hot dogs, the best bet is Round Up in Frontiertown. If you want a wide selection of good food at a relatively cheap price, go to Midway Market. It's an all-you-can-eat buffet, which includes beverages and real ice cream (among other items) for dessert. If you're looking for something more substantial, at a somewhat reasonable price, you can get good steaks at Breakwater Cafe near the Sandcastle Suites hotel. For a higher price, you can get some exceptional food (steaks, seafood, etc.) at the Bay Harbor Inn next to the Marina. Bay Harbor is the only item on the Point that is open to the public year-round. I don't particularly care for ribs, but I understand the ribs at the BoatHouse (also next to the Marina) are very good.

Basically, I recommend avoiding Corral, Burger Patio, Sky Ride Refreshments, and Stockade. Due to their locations, they tend to be the busiest, hence their food is slapped together faster than at most other locations. (Personally, I also avoid Los Gatos, because I don't care for Mexican food, and I can't stand Chuck Wagon, but I know some people who like it.)

Places I generally try to visit include Johnny Rocket's, Midway Market, Trails End, Macaroni's, and Round Up. When I stay overnight at the park, there's nothing I like better than a giant chocolate muffin from the Poolside Deli at the Hotel Breakers! Yummy! When I have time for a sitdown meal, I'll usually pop out to Breakwater Cafe.

If you know where to look, Cedar Point has lots of great food choices. But, if you go for the quick stuff, you're likely to be disappointed.

[aquahippo]

I'm pretty sure that I ate at one of the "slap it together" food shops. If I had known there was a Johnny Rockets there I definately would have gone...there is one of those at a local mall and it would have been loads better than the crud I got. I expected the food to be expensive but I thought I would at least get half of my money's worth. Disney's food was about the same price but all of it was good, no matter where you got it.

[Harpo]

I'll partially agree -- I actually had a couple of questionable meals, one at EPCOT and one at the Magic Kingdom, but I think they may have just been "off days." Most of Disney's food is quite good, however.

[billybgate]

Hmmm. I've noticed that you guys have a few complaints about your american parks....

Though the one complaint i have about Alton towers is the cost of FOOD too. £18 for 2 main meals, 2 drinks and 1 pudding!!!!! Grr...
And some of the souveniers too i guess....


Though on another point, as far as i know (i've not really looked into it!so tell me if i'm wrong) there haven't been any deaths apart from the "Pepsi Big one" at Blackpool a few years ago( i think)

Maybe the UK has better grip on Health and Safety issues?

Jo
http://66.227.101.70/contrib/dvv/cwmddd.gif

[Harpo]

Actually, on the safety issues, I think it may be more a matter of volume. In general, 6 deaths at U.S. amusement parks would be considered a really bad year. The number is usually smaller. But then, look at the number of parks. I've still got quite a few parks to visit, but I've been to 116 parks in the past 4 years -- 114 of those were in the U.S. Most of those parks have never had a fatality. A few of the parks have had multiple problems. On top of that, most of the fatalities come due to a person making a mistake as opposed to a failure on the ride. This year, there have been 4 reported deaths at U.S. parks. One of them was rider error -- a woman stood up on the coaster, breaking the rules. Two were operator mistakes -- one case where a manager was fixing a coaster, and was hit from behind, and one where an operator started a ride when the area was not clear. The fourth was a case of a girl choking on food while on a coaster, having ignored the signs instructing her that food and beverage are not permitted on the ride.

They're all very sad, but not one of the fatalities was the fault of the ride -- they were all human error. It relates to a comment I've made many times. The rides are large machines, and need to be treated with the appropriate respect. Used correctly, they can be very safe and lots of fun. Used incorrectly, they can be deadly.

[raptorrvnge4928]

The only thing I can find off hand is Raptor. The biggest thing that annoys me is the very end of raptor. If you havent ridden it, you wont have a clue what I am talking bout.... I love Raptor, its my favorite inverted coaster, if not one of my favorite rollercoasters period.... But I hate the very end of the ride. You know, the final turn back into the station. I have no idea how to describe it. After you make that final turn into the brakes, the banking just flips back into normal mode, very violetnly as well... not very gradual.... So that is my peeve, if you have no idea what I speak of, my apology... just had to vent and get it out.

[IEATPASTE001]

Yes the end to raptor is unfull filling and painful, but very intense! just like the rest of the ride. i think the ending could have been better with a cut-back!

[iAMpaste001]

Yeah I agree about the end of Raptor. The first time I rode it, I didn't know about it and I literally thought I had a concussion. The same thing happens on the cobra roll, but fortunately not as bad. I guess the trick is to keep your head forward at the end, but even then it's pretty rough. A funny side note on Raptor: I took my mom on it for the first time in May, and there's that part in the middle where the train passes over a green metal platform and they usually use trim brakes there. Well they didn't so I was happy about it and yelled "YEAH! No brakes! No brakes!" For some reason my mom thought I said "Don't breathe!" and she was trying to hold her breath for the rest of the ride. I guess that's just my mom for you...:rolleyes:

[raptorrvnge4928]

Ok, after going to CP this weekend, I never thought about this one until then. This occurred when I was in line for Wicked Twister... The thing that bothers me the most is watching people acting like they are running on that ride when it rolls through the station... I have no idea, it is just lame. Secondly, I hate the kids that try to be funny and scream the WHOLE way through any given coaster... lift hill, first min drop, block brakes... you name it, they are screamin.... not because they are scared, because they are trying to be funny. AHHHHHHHHH

[thorp77]

I'm new to the forum and I had to reply to this thread right away when I saw it....

The thing that annoys me the most is pushy patrons running to the next attraction, I recently went to Canobie Lake Park in NH and a group of younger kids almost plowed over my 3 year old son because they weren't watching where they were going. :rolleyes:

[CoolestCoaster]

Well there are some things I hate at parks to..

1. Well the first has to be ride operator rudeness. When I work at SF I try to be very nice. But some rudeness at other parks in the state, are just inacceptable.

2. Trash. Plain and simple. I hate to see graffiti all over the railings, walls, props for queues, and all over the windows. IHATE this so much. Even though I love SF they could improve, but if they don't, oh well they still RULE IMO!

[TopThrillJunkie]

THE MUSIC!! i swear everytime i go into a line at cedar point that has a DJ i hear the same song "Big Yellow Taxi" the cover the counting crows did *shakes head* i like the song but not enough to hear it 4-5 times in one day "they paved paradice and put up a parking lot" well thats great! dont play that song so much!!!!

[RCT2fan08]

The music at SF Great America isn't that bad, most of the time I dont even notice it. But what about the couples that cant afford a room or wait till the get home!:eek: Parks are supposed to be family friendly, not make out point. lol. Not to mention the groups of people that need to throw back a few cold ones in the parking lot. I know the price of beer is high, @ $5.50!!! but if I can take a day off, they could too!

[Toxikfoxx]

"(at Cedar Point) Okay, The Charlie Brown Guy in a suit, i wanna punch punch him for making the Berinstine bear ppl in suits hybernate!!! (even though i di used to watch charlie brown, and every now and then i might pop in charlie Brown christmas (only on christmas) ) I think its because i grew up with the berenstine bears at cedar point, its like a part of my toddler life is gone"

I feel for you man, but DON'T DO IT!!!!

True story. When I was about 19 or so, I went on vacation with my (ex) girlfriend, and we decided since we we're in Florida, we should go to disney world land - whatever. I had never been, and she used to love it. So, 15 minutes into the park, we see the characters from Winnie the Pooh, and I wanted a picture with Eyeore, seeing he's my hero ^^ My other half decides to get a pic with Tigger, 'cause he's her favorite.

I'm all done, and I'm about to take her pic when I see tigger grabbing my girls a**. So I got a little mad, ok, A LOT mad. I droped the camera, and popped tigger in the stomach a few times, then knocked his ass out. I'm not proud of it, but he deserved it. WELL, there we're about, oh, 5,000,000 kids in that one area and they all saw me kick the bejesus outta tigger. I get mobbed by angry 8 year olds, and the cops come to (I think) save me. Nope, I ALMOST get arrested, and I now have a lifetime ban from Disneyland.

Happiest place on earth 1
Nick 0

[TopThrillJunkie]

I would have to say, I'd do the same *nods*

[iAMpaste001]

Totally understandable. Tigger was never my favorite anyway, he always seemed a little shady ;)

[2kool4you]

Here's something that ticked me off at Walt Disney World, Here's what happened: I was riding the monorail, right, well as soon as i sit down, all these black people crush me to the side, well just when it couldn't get any worse, They set their baby like right on top of me, So then i have to stand.

[RCTXtream]

Some of you might know I dont like little kids like my little brother. What I cant stand a parks are little kids yelling and screaming for no reason. The worst is when you are trying to sit down and rest for a while until some little kid has to sit next to you and scream. Its ok if they scream, I just dont want to be around them when they do it.

[IEATPASTE001]

People who are just out right dumb, asking when the ten o'clock lasar show is gonna be on!


Kids spraying each other with breath spray on the carousel(sp?) Littering in front of a darn trash can!

[Inonespin]

For some weired reason I do not hate anything at parks because I kinda know what to expect and I go there still so, it should not annoy me

[iAMpaste001]

Personally, when I go to a park, I expect to ride some rides and have a lot of fun, which I do. I also expect some people to behave like idiots, but personally, expecting that behavior doesn't make it any less annoying to me! PASTE and I went to CP yesterday and we noticed a lot of people who were too impatient in lines- not leaving any room for the people in front of them, pushing against us, making us feel really super crowded. One girl in line for WT was practically walking through PASTE the whole time and she kept hitting me in the butt for some reason- sometimes with her camera bag which she kept swinging back and forth and sometimes with her hand. I say if just moving your hand makes you hit the person ahead of you, back off!

Also, we all know about the TTD breakdowns and how they don't let people into the queues until the ride's running again- you wait oustide along the black fence. SO many people saw the whole line of people by the fence but still stood right next to the gate by the attendant, as if by ignoring the line and just standing in front of everyone in line they would actually get let in first.

[redroban]

Tigger at Disneyland was bad, T'Foxx? Very interesting. Back in '95 a group of us at Epcot met up with the Tigger there and he was groping the women. We were not amused.

My annoyments...
1. Food. I've had airplane food better than what is currently served at SFoG and Carowinds (home parks). I've been going to SFoG since I was a wee grasshopper back in 1970, and the food just gets worse and worse. The Lickskillet Barbeque shack was vile the last time I was there. Grease all over the floor in the visible kitchen, an inch of water sprayed over that and not draining well, dirty, unkempt, staff that kept chatting with each other and made customers que for 45 minutes until one yelled at them, and then the barbeque was ice cold. Carowinds was a bit cleaner, but my favorite from days ago, their Fried Chicken place next to the entrance to the County Fair section, quit serving good chicken and started serving overcooked overbreaded chicken nuggets. Is there good food at any SF? Don't know. But my nephew and I went to SF in Chicago two years ago (my first time) and there was a buffet in the Spanish section. It was not glamorous but it was decent. I kept saying "Why can't SFoG take a cue from here?!" Great food? Epcot's Land Pavilion's rotating restaurant. Trout with green capers and fresh baby carrots from their garden project. Yum!
Harpo, you're well traveled. I know you have SF concerns, but have you seen any SF that does food at least decently?

2. The bone-wrenching stop on the old Free Fall at SFoG. I thought I was going to need medical treatment.

3. SFoG removing the suspension bridge that joined the front of the park to the back. Now everyone has to travel one measley path connecting the two halves. Build another path SFoG! Better yet, bring back the bridge! (I liked the bounce...) Kentucky Kingdom had a similar problem when I visited them 5 years ago, but I heard rumor that they built additional bridges over the road. True?

4. Changes to wood coaster seating. YEOWCH! I'm a big guy and this new insert stuff was pinching even my skinny friends. It made the once delightful Great American Scream Machine and Georgia Cyclone extremely painful. It really felt like it was compressing my hip sockets. I've seen it elsewhere too, though I forget where. Please make seats less snug or better yet...adjustable!

5. Midway barkers who shout challenges to your masculinity if you choose not to game at their booth. "Punch Out a Smartmouth Barker" now there's a midway attraction I'd pay to do! :D

6. Relegating the old fashioned cars to a dull track. Okay, this one is picky, I know, but my friends and I get such a kick from clowing around with these track protected cars, its a shame someone didn't rethink the concept with better scenery and layout. Most of the time it looks like they don't know what to do with them. (I actually did rethink the concept for RCT2. Hmm, I'll have to post it in the forum.)

[Harpo]

I've not yet found any good food at a SF park. It's been mediocre, at best.

However, good food is rare at most amusement parks. Sometimes it's a matter of being VERY familiar with the park in order to know the best places to eat. For example, I know Cedar Point better than some of the current employees at the park. (I should -- I've been visiting the park for 34 years, and worked there for 4!) Lots of the food in the park is mediocre, but there are some locations with really good food. It's just a matter of knowing where to go.

I have found some really good food at Knoebels Amusement Resort, Holiday World, EPCOT, Universal, and Knott's Berry Farm, but those are really the exceptions. Considering that I've been to 116 parks (117? I'm debating on counting the Michigan State Fair, which I visited on Wednesday of this week -- I did ride their coaster, too), being able to only pick 5 where I thought the food was really good demonstrates that amusement parks generally don't provide great food.


OK, gang, what do you think? Should I add the Michigan State Fair and it's coaster to my list? Or should fairs not be counted? The final decision, of course, will be made by the judges (me, myself, and Fred, my alternate personality). But, opinions are gladly accepted!

[redroban]

Harpo, I'm unfamiliar with the Michigan State Fair. Is it a permanent ride setup like Kentucky Kingdom is (as the Kentucky State Fairgrounds)? If so, I would count it.

If it is a carney coaster (mobile) then I would suggest starting a second category: Mobile Parks, and count the locations/carnival companies involved.

34 years at Cedar Point? Man, are you blessed! I'm too far south to get there without saving my pennies for a while. :( That and Islands of Adventure are the tops of my wish list.

I realize there are budget concerns, but I keep thinking that if parks put one or two GOOD restaurants in the park, the restaurants would definitely pay for themselves. And you would still have the cheap-quality food for the kiddies.

I remember reading about that now-defunct idea for a Garfield the Cat-themed park near Indianapolis, and that their highlight restaurant was going to be a gourmet Italian place (Garfield's favorite for those who don't get the comix). I always thought that would have been a swell idea.

[Harpo]

Well, that's a bit tricky. The Michigan State Fair takes place on a permament fair ground (oddly enough, the Michigan State Fairgrounds), with lots of permanent structures. But, the rides are brought in by Wade Shows.

Incidentally, I finally decided to count it. After all, it's still a coaster. And, I already had previously made a tactical decision on the definition of a park. Under my definition, a location with rides counted as a park, thereby allowing the bookkeeping to be easier. As a result, New York New York casino in Vegas (as an example) counts in my books as a park.

Besides, the Michigan State Fair is the only time I've been on a roller coaster by Wade Shows, so I can feel rather certain that it's not a duplicate!

Oh, as for the 34 years at Cedar Point, it is true that, for my first year, I was 3 years old. My first ride was the Mill Race. Before leaving the park on that trip, I told my parents, "Someday, I'm going to work here." Sure enough, I did! That year was also the year that Cedar Point was celebrating their centennial, hence the grand opening of the Centennial Theatre.

I just hope I can keep the streak alive for 34 more years! (And beyond???)

[Mousing]

Hello RCT fans
What annoys me when I go to the parks is kids running round from one ride to the other
Will the ride be there two minutes later...YES
Will they get on any sooner....NO

I will admit that it did bug me that people in wheelchairs dont have to wait in line...we are all there for a great time. BUT...in May I took my elderly mother to Disney World for her first trip and she could not walk round all day for 12 hours so I got her a wheelchair
no waiting, no lines, best seats and front rows for fireworks and shows...wheelchair hire is worth its weight in gold.
Mousing

[iAMpaste001]

Know-it-all people who DON'T know it all!

I was at CP on Monday with three other people and we were going to ride Raptor in the front row. As many of you probably already know, the station has special areas with extra queues set up for people who want to wait specifically for first or last row. The four of us got into the first row queues and immediately, this girl waiting for the second row tells us "you can't wait for the first row. It blocks the entrance and no one else can get in." Well we weren't blocking anything, but we squished together and moved forward anyway, so that there was room to spare behind us. Then she said, even more rudely, "I SAID, you CAN'T wait for the first row, it blocks the entrance and holds up the ride!" Now this girl was not even working there and besides that, she was paying so much attention to yelling at us that she was holding up the train in the station by not getting on. So I very calmly and politely said "This area is set aside specifically for those who want to wait for the first row. If we were causing a problem, the ride host standing at the entrance of the station would tell us, but she hasn't. They're trying to load the train now so I suggest you get on and enjoy your ride because they're waiting for you and that is what's currently holding the ride up." and I smiled but she was so mad at me. I don't care, I never raised my voice, I said everything calmly and nicely. I understand guests all trying to pitch in to keep the rides running smoothly, but if you are giving wrong information AND being extremely rude about it, that's just ridiculous.

[Mousing]

Nice one...you tell em...and with class too...even better :p
MOUSING

[ti2gr]

I've been going to SF Great America Since the park opened, and I must say that the food was much better back in the days when Marriott ran the park. The variety and the quality of the food was great and the prices were not too high. In the new orleans section they had cajun food, Yankee Harbor had seafood and an awesome clam chowder etc. After Six Flags took over, the cajun restaurant switched to spaghetti, and the seafood restaurant became fried chicken. Now I live in the Orlando area, my only gripe now is not enough theme parks in the neighborhood. (LOL)

[Harpo]

Just came from a weekend at Great Expenditure, er, Great Annoyance, uh, Great America. The fried chicken was fairly good, but not great. I'd rather have Frankenmuth chicken, or Mrs. Knott's chicken.

Does Deja Vu at Great America ever operate? I've now been to the park 3 times since that ride was built, but it's always closed! Very annoying!

Superman is a very nice ride, although I wish it were longer. If you get the chance to ride it, be sure to try the back seat -- going into the diving drop, that seat is incredible! The ride is FAR superior to X-Flight at Worlds of Annoyance.

Why is Great America's Batman so bumpy? I've been on lots of the Batman rides, and that's the bumpiest one yet. I don't recall it being that rough when I rode it a couple of years ago. Are they just not doing sufficient maintenance on it? In contrast, The Great White at Sea World San Antonio is a clone of the Batman rides, and it was the smoothest version I've experienced, and it was really cooking speed-wise. Clearly, if the layout is the same, there must be something different in how the rides are maintained.

[redroban]

Chicago's Batman was the first of the B&M Batmans, yes? When I rode it 2 years ago, I was suprised that it was not as smooth as the one in SFoG, but I always assumed that it had aged poorly compared to its younger siblings.

[Tangent360]

Poorly run parking lot trams. I was at Seaworld San Diego a couple of weeks ago and the way they run their trams is retarded. It had been a long day and we really didn't feel like walking halfway across the parking lot to my car. So we waited for a tram. And waited. And waited. Then finally 3 showed up at once. (Nice scheduling) Then just to make it even better the tram didn't stop at any of the coned off sections that demark tram stops. Instead it just went straight to the other end of the parking lot leaving a tram full of people wondering why they had been driven from one end of the lot to the other with no stops in between.

Groups of people who seem to feel like they need to use up every possible inch of walkway. There'll be a group of 10 people and not only do they walk at a slow strolling pace, but they are all side-by side ensuring that you can't easily get around them. To make sure they cause as much inconvenience as possible they also stop at random times in the middle of nothing to consult a map. These are probably the same people that stop in the middle lane in rush hour traffic if they get a flat tire. PULL OVER, PEOPLE!

Lack of shade in hot climates. It's Southern California, you're the busiest during summertime where it commonly reaches 100*+, and you don't bother to set up enough shady areas to keep a tiny fraction of your guests cool. Brilliant. The last time I was at Magic Mountain groups of people were congregating in the shade of lamp posts!!! Take the hint! Congratulations on installing that water misting system 10 years ago. Now maintain it so it actually mists water again instead of just producing a feeble drip of water.

No notifications of what rides are down at the entrance. Is this really too much to ask? Especially if the brand new ride I just watched a commercial for before leaving home is broken down I'd like to at least know about it before I've paid for entry.

[BigBadWolfBGW]

When I was seven or eight, I went to Blands Park in PA(now called DelGrosso's i think)and I rode my first roller coaster, Zyklon.Well on my second time on the ride,the operators stood there for about ten minutes without pushing the trains out of the station,just talkin about who knows what.

[Harpo]

You're right, it is now called DelGrosso. That's too bad -- I was there in 2000, and I thought Bland was a perfect name for that park!

While the park was thoroughly unimpressive, their water park did allow me to have my first experience on a "water coaster." That was part of the reason I made a point of getting to Schlitterbahn this year -- I'll tell ya, Master Blaster at Schlitterbahn is far better than the water coaster at Bland's, er, DelGross Out's, or whatever they call it now!