American Adventure Park UK Complaint

[CherylStarUK]

Hi I am just writing this because I was really angry and I thought I would share it. Last summer I visted The American Adventure Theme Park in UK with a few friends we all paid 15 pounds each to get it. We were therefore very dissapointed when most of the bigger rides were shut and the log flume was being dismantled. Even my favourite pay ride the go-karts were closed so we all decided to leave after a few hours. Anyway after seeing other people complain about this recently I decided to send a email and tell them what happend.

 

The first email I got back mentioned absolutely nothing about my problem it was more advertising their park no word of refund or appology.

 

Dear Miss XXXX,

 

Thank you for you recent comment regarding your visit to The American

Adventure Theme Park in June 2005.

 

The Park was then and still is undergoing a major refurbishment to refocus

the Park towards families with children aged 4 - 12.

 

These plans have meant that some of our larger rides, which are not suitable

for the age group mentioned have been removed including the Nightmare

Niagara Log Flume and the Missile Rollercoaster.

 

However we did introduce new rides to the Park and still continue to do so,

with the return of the Rocky Mountain Rapids and the Yankee Clipper,

alongside the inclusion of more new family attractions including , Mini Mine

Rush, a family gravity coaster, The New York Dodgers, Dodgem Attraction, &

Harley's Angels, Harley Davidson Style ride on karts. We feel The American

Adventure has a lot to offer the new target audience and we will continue to

develop the Park for these guests.

 

The Prices were reduced at the start of last season to reflect these change

and have once again fallen further for the 2006 season.

 

Should you have any further questions or comments please do not hesitate to

contact me.

 

Regards,

 

Richard Flowerdew

Customer Services Manager

 

I decided to send them another email and got this very rude email back basically accusing me of being a liar!

 

Dear Miss XXXX,

 

Thank you for your recent email.

 

During the season last year, members of staff where situated at the main

gates and were informing people of the changes, alongside this all the pay

booths had signs clearly visible on both the end of the booth and also the

windows and also we had two cut outs of the Parks Mascots Rocky and Hugsy

with the identical signs stuck to them on the left hand side of the entrance

complex

 

There is also a large board on the left hand side of the pay booths, which

has all the rides the park has listed and is updated with open and close

signs for each individual attraction.

 

I feel that it is highly unlikely that you or any member of your party

managed to miss all of these information measures.

 

Regards,

 

Richard Flowerdew

Customer Services Manager

 

 

[MrMorgan]

Well, it's not really fair if you only show the mails that the park sent you and not what you sent them! Do you still have them? Please post them if you do.

[Canadmos]

Hm, not sure what you are trying to prove or argue with the park or whatever, but honestly, what do you really expect the park to do when you did spend 'a few hours' at the park even though the majority of the rides you wanted to ride were closed.

 

If I had something like this happen to me where I paid to gain entry to a park only to find most of the rides closed, I wouldn't have spent a few hours there. I also would not have written a complaint half a year later.

[Shockwave]

To be fair, AA's website had references about the park's changes all last year, so it wasn't like they weren't telling people about them.

 

If the day was rained out or there was a major power outage or something similar, they probably would have sent some money off vouchers out.

 

But this also raises the importance of planning a trip to a park to make sure your day isn't a big let-down. What rides will be open, weather, etc.

 

When I visited the park for all of 45 minutes last summer, they told me on entry that the Rapids, Log Flume, and The Missile were all closed. I was already aware of this, as the only reason I was heading to the park was to whore the Mine Train and Buffalo Coaster.

 

I had to beg my way in because I got there late in the afternoon, but after I told them I was only only going for the coasters I needed to ride, they let me in half price! I paid £7.49, rode 3 coasters, walked around the park once and left.

[waterviper]

Looks like you didnt do your homework to find out what was opened or not and chose to ignore all the signs that say what rides were closed.

I dont think the second letter was rude at all. All it said was that the signs were out there for you to plainly see and apparently you didn't see them. So it's not their fault or responsibility after you paid to get in. This is a good lesson for you to find out what rides are open or closed at the park which you choose to go to and to read the signs that are posted about ride closures aswell at the parks entrance.

 

Furthermore the first letter answered you as to why they were closed or being dismantled. Since it is your responsibilty to finding out the proper information about the parks rides, they dont need to appologize or to give you a refund. You are responsible for yourself they arent! Clearly they did their part to warn you, and you didn't do your part to heed it.

[CoasterPeep7]

I believe that last letter wasn't rude. I also agree with everybody else. This would be a good lesson and if you sent him a hate letter (or of that kind) I would apologize.

 

Welcome to TPR and enjoy your stay!

 

CoasterPeep7

[verticalzero]

AA needs to have a re-fit with coasters asap, I have been there many years ago and not impressed with any of the rides.

 

They need a "Goliath" (Walibi World) type of coaster and a Woodie, The Owners of Alton Towers and Thorpe Park should buy it and have a strip out and install new coasters.

 

Your better off going to Drayton Manor Park instead of AA

[viking86]

The Park was then and still is undergoing a major refurbishment to refocus

the Park towards families with children aged 4 - 12.

 

Im not sure if an Intamin megacoaster is suitable for families with young kids

[Homer]

They can still build a Goliath Junior thing though. [/sarcasm]

[DerekRx]

Seeing how you haven't yet supplied us with whatever your 2nd letter to him said, I'm still with everyone else in that the comments he made were not rude and you and your party couldn't really be THAT oblivious to the situation in the park that day, especially after what Shockwave said about there being signs and whatnot. Furthermore, if you were unhappy, you should have complained at guest services the day of your visit, not sending an email several months later. Let this be a learning experience for you.