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?

[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

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"

[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 .

[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.

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. 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!

Three whole feet! Wow! ( )

[iAMpaste001]

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

[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??? lol try riding a 250 foot drop freefall ride and tell me if that was scary.

[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

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.

[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.....