Worst time you ever had at a park?

[Movieguy]

What is one experience you had at a park that you always try to forget?

 

For me it was when I went to Geauga Lake in the late 90's. Not for the park itself, but the people there.

 

There were these two girls who showed up at every place I went. The first time I saw them, one of them simply said "What's your problem, ugly boy?" I tried to forget it, but every place I went, there they were. Like a bad rash, they just wouldn't go away. They'd make fun of my appearance, and my clothes each time, either in my face, or behind my back.

 

I went to Sea World the next day, hoping to have a better time, but sure enough, the girls where there too, and brought their boyfriend with them this time as they'd make their little snide remarks any chance they got. God, if wasn't such a restrained young man, I would have strangled one of them or cussed one of them out. I hated those girls.

 

Kinda explains why I'm a bit of a loner, and don't really approach women too often. Too many bad experiences.

 

But enough about me, have any of you had sucky days at a park before?

[Sir Clinksalot]

Karen and I tried to "educate" one of our unknowing friends on what a true theme park is by taking him to IOA (his previous park knowledge consisted of Carowinds and the more heavily themed areas of the South Carolina State Fair). He was concerned about being a third wheel, so he insisted on bringing one of his friends along... a fella by the name of Graham.

 

Over the course of a long weekend, I came to hate Graham. In fact, I even learned to hate the name Graham. He brought such a massive dose of cynical negativity with him, it managed to cause everyone to have a lousy weekend. The guy took a little nap in Cafe 4 at 5 in the afternoon. What the hell is that about? I wanted to leave him...

 

Oh, and he was a "my gun didn't work right on MIB" whiner. What are the odds of getting a bad gun two rides in a row?

 

We're using much more stringent screening methods from now on. If we ever get stuck with another guy like that, we're dumping the body in the Seven Seas Lagoon.

 

Second worst trip? Does having to go to a wedding at a Renaissance Festival count?

[BuffaloCoastin]

I've had a couple less than stellar trips, but my most disappointing would have to be last year's class trip to Paramount Canada's Wonderland. I had been planning the trip for more than a month, and I was pumped I was gonna get tons of credits (13 coasters I had never ridden! ). Unfortunately, for some reason I couldn't fathom, that park was packed on a Thursday in mid-June. Long lines galore. Our plan was to just do the circle of the park. This didn't work because:

 

1) We waited an hour for Top Gun, which is no different from SFDL's Mind Eraser, and feared waiting that long for every ride.

2) Dedicating the entire day to coasters was not a viable option.

3) 80% of my friends are real sissies when it comes to coasters, so I had to keep going along with different groups of people that were willing to ride something.

4) Tomb Raider broke down when we were in the station, after waiting 1/2 hour

5) We had to leave at like 7

 

So, when all was said and done, I had done 4 coasters and didn't even complete all the flats, which are what PCW is good at. At the end of the day, I couldn't help coming home feeling more than a bit disappointed. :?

[Canobie Fan]

At SFDL 3 weeks ago.. I got to the park after going to MFI.. By the time I got to SFDL it was raining.. SROS and the woodie were both only running 1 train... and the boomerang was the only other coaster open...

 

Viper... The SLC.. The kiddie coaster... the wheel.. "UFO".. The eneterprize.. Sky COaster.... Go Karts.... Many kid rides... The raft ride.... Scrambler.... RodeoRoundup (closed after I went on) the boats.. ALL CLOSED!

SFDL is by far the WORST park I have ever been to.

[BuffaloCoastin]

^ I'm glad you got a good impression of my home park. You would think that a park that's only open 1/2 the year would be prepared to operate in any weather, btu apparently not. They usually do suck about the trains, it's no surprise to see only 1 on each Predator and S:ROS. I was going to jump to the defense of my park, but then I realized you're about right about everything...Now I'm just depressed. :?

[Movieguy]

See, it's like I've been saying. SFDL is the neglected child of the SF parks. The reasons this place is so inferior to all the other parks is location among all other things. For example:

 

1. The shitty Upstate NY weather. (it is ALWAYS raining up here!)

 

2. The State Government sticks its nose in everything. Nothing ever gets done in this state, thanks to all the red tape and bickering in the legislature. It's no wonder businesses are leaving.

 

3. Not enough people live up here to generate interest from SF. Especially when all the the young people are leaving. Hey, would YOU want to live in a cold rainy place this day and age? (Why am I still here? I can't find work anywhere else.)

 

4. Taxes, taxes, taxes! This probably belongs in 2, but I have to stress this part. It seems that the NYS government's answer to everything is "find something else to tax!" Can you imagine a company like SF trying to operate in that enviornment?

 

You know what they should try here? A big indoor park. I'm sure my Buffalo friend has heard at least once about Syracuse and the DestiNY USA project, which would take the carousel mall there and add a HUGE expansion to it, one that would make the Mall of America look like the tiny Pyramid mall here in Ithaca. Plenty of room for a park in a place like that, I'd say.

 

Unfortunately, something's happened. And if you guessed that the State Government has halted the thing in loads of red tape, and given it an uncertain future, you're absolutely correct!

 

So be sure to keep your eyes on the news when the Pyramid company opens it's planned massive mall in Pennsylvania, or Ohio, or Jersey, or anyplace else other than here, while our State legislature wastes time arguing about whether the "NYC liberals" were to blame or not.

 

*sigh* welcome to New York

[Canobie Fan]

^ I'm glad you got a good impression of my home park

 

Sad thing is.. It wasnt my first trip.. I went in 99.. and all that was new is the slingshot TORNADO!!!11111!!! The topspin and umm.. the splash boat... lol

[Coasters 4 ever]

I think it was in 2001, I went to PKD but was too short to go on anything but the Scrambler and log flume. To make things worse, on the Scambler I sat with my 28 (then 25) year old brother. He was squishing me so bad I could barely even breathe! Also, when we went to Springtime in the Park at Hershey about 1 1/2 months ago, I didn't know that Midway America wasn't going to be open, so I was a bit dissapointed.

[FlyingScooter]

It was twenty years ago at CP.

I was nursing one of the worst hangovers of my life and the temp was like 95 degrees.

Everything i rode made me sick. Even the Carousel was out to get me.

The upside: One of the ladies in our crew took very good care of me.

[Outatime]

I'd have to say it was June 1st, 2004, at the Magic Kingdom. Yeah, it was the day after Memorial Day, but the place was PACKED. You couldn't move anywhere in some places. Not only that, but 12 --- yes, 12 --- strollers rammed into me on that day. It was just extremely miserable. And after waiting 45 minutes for a parking lot tram at 10:30pm at night, I swore I would never go back to that park again.

 

I wound up going back two months later though.

[SixFlagsTexas]

Earlier this year I went to SFOT on a concert day on Saturday :shock: . All I could wait in line for was Flashback, and waited an hour and half for an un-enjoying ride. After that, I waited 45 minutes in line to order a burger! I think they later said that 50+ thousend people were there, although I could be wrong...

 

At least the concert was enjoyable.

[bgwfreak]

One time I think it was in 2001 the year that Acrophobia opened I had a terrible experience on that ride.

 

There was this huge group that was cutting in front of all of us and it was probably an hour wait.

 

Well I called one of the attendants over when I got up to the ride and told them.

 

The people of course denied it and started to make ugly faces and such at me.

 

When I left the ride they were waiting there for the rest of their group and they started making more comments.

 

They knew they were guilty and mad that someone had done something.

 

Well to top it off, the security guard came and asked them if they did it. They said no and she left! She didn't do a thing to them.

 

So I felt like at this point this gang of people was going to do something to me if I met them again in the park, so I left for the day.

 

When I got home I wrote a letter to the park and they never even responded!

 

After about 2 months of waiting on response (that never came) I tracked down the email address for someone at the park and complained to them.

 

They at least appolgized, but didn't send me a free ticket or anything and since it was their fault that I felt in danger, then I feel like they should have at least done that.

 

I didn't go back to park for another year at least and that was in fall of 02 for Superman. If they hadn't added S:UF I probably wouldn't have gone back until this year.

 

It really proved to me that it's not even worth complaining about line jumpers. All the park is going to do is endanger your life.

 

They should eject line jumpers from the parks, that would stop it. Just thowing them out of the line doesn't do a thing.

[Sir Clinksalot]

Sad but true, bgwfreak.

 

That's part of the reason I shave my head before we go to parks. Somehow I can exude a little more of a menacing vibe when I'm shiny.

 

That system doesn't work quite as well if they see me riding the weirdass cow thing in "If I Ran the Zoo," however...