When was the worst time you had at a Theme Park?

[Joe21498]

Mine would without a doubt be SFA last May. This was the worst park experience of my life. It was on a weekday and the weather was okay with a bit of light rain. The main problem was the staff.

 

My group arrived around 3:00 P.M. and the park appeared to be relatively empty. We first got in line for the inverted boomarang. We waited 45 minutes to ride the ride when the line was basically a five minute wait. The crew was useless. They were sending out a train once every 10 or 15 minutes.

 

After that we headed over to the Wild One. The time I spent in line here was the worst i've ever had. The line was only in the station area but once again we waited forever to ride. During this time we had to deal with members of the staff playing ring tones on there cell phones over the public address system that is supposed to be used for safety reasons. Let me tell you it is awesome to listen to 15 seconds of every rap song over a PA system. Also while in line other guests kept cutting in line and even re-riding the coaster when people were waiting in line for there seats. To top it off some girl with a huge order of fries decided to leave the ketchup from the fries 3 feet from a garbage can on a railing. Then the poor guy behind her put his hand on the rail not looking. He eneded up knocking the ketchup all over his clothes. Needless to say he wasn't happy and I don't blame him cause the garbage was within a reachable distance.

 

After we rode the Wild One we went to ride Joker's Jinx. The same themes continued here. Massive amounts of line jumping and a staff that was useless. They were running two trains but they never needed them both since they launched the train every 20 minutes. They were to busy talking and not working to do anything. After about 2 hours wait for a 10 minute wait we rode the ride.

 

Then we rode Superman with the same line jumping and slow staff. After that we rode the Batwing and then the park was closed.

 

Three days after we were at the park there was a shooting in the parking lot and I believe that without a doubt because that place was out of control. The park looked to be in a good condition but the staff and guests there were just useless and rude.

 

I will never go back to SFA in my life. It is the worst park on the planet in my personal opinion.

[nemesis-storm]

Mine was probably at Fantasy Island when most of the rides were shut because of the wind. I didnt think it was that windy.

 

Nothing new there then

If that's your worse day at a park your lucky indeed.

[coasterguy4]

Mine was at KBF. It was a weekday and every ride had a 2.5 hour line and they all constantly brokedown. I got 2 rides that day (Boomarang and Supreme Scream). The food non-existent, rude employees, that was the only time I ever got pist at Knotts.

[CoasterExpert13]

Well, I remeber back August 24th, 2000, when I Geauga Lake was renamed "Six Flags Ohio"...I rode the Serial thriller (Thunder Hawk now) and come off the ride with a bloody nose and a headache...I didn't want to ride or talk to anyone for like 2 hours of the day...later on I was back to normal.

 

At my homepark, Kennywood on July 13th, 2005 (My Birthday)...some dork in the front seat on the Jack Rabbit thought it would be funny to spit a hocker in the tunnel...which flew backwards and landed on my face. I punched him when I got off the ride..I hate fighting, or confrontations all together..but spit is spit...his mom complained to the park officals...I had to sit in the guest relations office for the rest of the day 6 hours, they wouldn't even let me just go sit in my moms car. Besides it was a little over 90 degrees...i'm sweating and the some lady was talking to the clerks behid the desk, while holding her baby.....who was crying non stop....probably because the baby just took a sh*t as it smelled of hot saturated poop...it was bad to the point my eyes started to water.

[Canobie Fan]

Hmmm last year I had 2 really crappy park days...

 

SFDL in May -

It was my first vist to SFDL in 5 years... And it still sucked.. It rained all day... Only 3 coasters were opened.. All were only useing one train... ANd most of the flats were closed...

 

SFStl in June -

Oh my god did I hate SFStl.... Got to the park late because the highway was a parking lot.... Got to the park in the middle of a big ass thunderstorm.... Rain stopped and it got very hot.... Got BTR,Ninja,RKMT,SE (BIG let down)... After I got off SE I went down to Boss... It was closed.. So I went on Xcal... By the time I got off that Boss was back up... As I got in line the sky got dark... The closer I got to the station the darker it got.. But I got my ride (BIIGGG LET DOWN!)... Then in the time it took be to jog from Boss to MrFreeze the skys opened and once more I was in a big ass thunderstorm... So everything was closed... And my time was up... So yeah... I got 5 of the coasters in like.. 3 hours with 2 big thunderstorms.. Just not a good day.

[ktglads]

Mine would definitely have to be Cedar Point, July 17, 2004 - it basically rained all day, so I think we got on about 5 - 6 rides. To top it all off, I decide its a good idea to climb the guard rails at Gemini since there was noone in line to get through the lines faster. Since it was still wet, I slipped, fell and managed to break both bones in my leg. So being taken out in an ambulance and having to spend several days in the Firelands regional hospital (I did get a month's vacation from work out of it, though) would be my worst time at a theme park

[arlen23]

The worst time i ever had was when it was cold and i sat on Roaring Rapids and go soaking wet, that time was my first time on it and my friend and I were laughing at this man for always getting splashed and he got mad and tried to eat us. But the bad time didn't last long.

[suppadnikka05]

The worst time i had was when me and my family went to disneyland, we paid so much money to get in and found out none of the rides were working, everytime we would get in line for something it just broke down so we ended up leaving since nothing was working that day

[TwistedTrack]

Why would someone want to read about someone having a bad time at one of the places they would love to visit?

[CoasterExpert13]

^curiosity i guess...it also makes for intresting conversation

 

I have another one: Cedar Point, June of 2003.

 

I visited Cp with a friend, it was a fair day, bright out yet it looked of rain. As our normal routine, we hit Raptor first. Great ride as usual (though I lost a shoe after the heartline and had to wear flip-flops for the remainder of the day...anyhow we then headed for Mantis. My favorite ride in the park, as we waited in line, so guy decided to take a piss in the corner of the lines...When asked why by Mantis staff, he said he couldn't hold it...then he became loud and ignorit for no reason, got into a shove match with the employee named Jeff. It further escaladed into a full blown fight in which I accidently got punched in the mouth (Jeff ducked)...I was bleeding quite a bit. Then a security guard arrived and took me by the shoulder and that pissing guy out of the lines...they though we were fighting because I was bleeding. I tried to explain but my mouth was now in full blown pain. So I just sat in the secuity place in pain, trying to hold back the tears. Then finally; after about an hour, my friend found me and we decide to leave....I was quite pissed..I didn't get to ride but one thing. But the park did give me a ticket for another day.

[USRoadTripper]

I will be the first to say that my worst park day ever was in Disney World!

It was me, my mom, my aunt and my 6 year old cousin, in July of 1997. We were at Disney MGM Studios, and the park was absolutely shoulder to shoulder...the only comparison I can make was what the Olympics looked like in Atlanta in '96! We waited two hours each for Muppet*Vision, the Backlot Tour and The Little Mermaid *PLUS* a two hour wait to get pizza at Pizza Planet! The place was swarming with Brazilian tour groups, so not only was it crowded, but the crowds were chanting and singing non-stop in a different language! Oh god, I shudder to even think about that day!

What was so funny was that no other day of that trip was even close to that crowded! And I've never even seen it even remotely that crowded since.

 

-Julie

[coasterguy618]

^^^Because probably all of us here on the boards had at least ONE bad time a theme park. And plus, maybe I am just curious.

[shesaidboom]

Last August at Hershey Park.

The first day my boyfriend and I were there it was raining, but was still pretty crowded. Half the rides were closed, which was understandable because of the rain. The park operations on the rides that were open were terrible. Most of the coasters that were open were only running one train even though the lines were over an hour long, and it took at least five minutes to dispatch once they were in the station. A rideop who was checking lap bars on Lightning Racer got a phone call during a lap bar check and instead of finishing the train, she answered the call and finished checking lap bars when she was done! I didn't know they could take phone calls while they were in the station. We asked a rideop on Great Bear [which we waited nearly two hours for] why they were only running one train and she told us that they didn't want to transfer another train onto the tracks in the rain.

 

After riding everything that was open, except Comet since the line poured out into the midway and it was also running only one train, we decided to get our Roller Soaker credit since we were already soaking wet. Bad idea! Obviously you get wet on Roller Soaker, but we had no idea that it was as bad as it was. My fault since I suggested going on it. We came off the ride freezing cold and decided to buy towels since we're lame and can't handle being cold.

 

To make matters worse the hotel we were supposed to be staying in that night turned out to be disgusting and we decided to find another one. We got turned away from several hotels based on the fact that we looked young and they assumed we wouldn't be able to afford their prices. I know you're thinking "well they might've been full", but I actually called a couple hotels and on the phone they said they had rooms available and when we walked in they said they were booked. Right. We finally found a nice hotel after nearly two hours of searching.

 

Luckily we decided on two days at Hershey and our next day was much better, besides the fact that it was completely packed.

[ruffcub]

When I was last in the US my partner had only one day left before returing home so I (being the coastery one) had to make the decision between Knotts and SFMM. Having heard so much about the wonderful X and other rides, we hired a car and made our way from Disney to MM.

 

Yeesh. Of COURSE X was broken down, as was Revolution (which, while mild, is a coaster I had wanted to ride since I was young - bit of an icon really), plus several other rides. The rider ops were uniformly surly, the food attendants the same, and the whole place had a skeezy, ghetto, blah feel about it. As I had overhyped the park we ended up having a fight about my terrible choice of parks, wasting his last day, etc etc - then we got lost coming back to the hotel.

 

It was the lowest point of a wonderful (Disneyland, Knotts, BG Tampa, and others) trip!

[Nrthwnd]

# # # #

 

Disneyland - Easter Weekend - 1980

 

'Nuff said, hmmm?

 

[phazan]

This happened a loooong time ago, but I still remember it.

 

It was at Disney Land, and I was there with my cousins family who lived in San Diego, and my family. It was raining ALL day. Everyone was wet the whole day, and it was very crowded. At night, due to lack of communication, a few people from our group got seperated in a crowded gift shop. Earlier, my dad was VERY sick with food poisining, so he was wating in the car for everyone to come back. We were supposed to be back in about 15 minutes to leave, but since no one knew where eachother was, no one could leave! It took a long time (I cant remember how long, but it was in fact long!) to get back to the car.

At the end of the day everyone was very tired, and my dad was home barfing in the bathroom!

Its weird after reading through all of these stories, a lot of bad days were at Disney Land, the happiest place on earth!

[Nrthwnd]

^ Hey - DL was the first theme park to have it's Happiest First Day, declared as Black Sunday...or whatever day that was.

 

Fountains not working, or not enough. Still warm asphalt with women's high heels sloooowly sinnnnnking into the siiiiiidewalkssssss. Rides breaking down.

Counterfiet Opening Day Tickets numbering something like....10,000?

 

Whatever day we've all every had - I'm sure it don't (not even mine there) compare to what poor Walt and his company went thru "that day."

 

[sixflagstloldschool]

Pride Day at SF St. Louis 2003! Had no clue it was Gay Pride Day, all the rainbow chains, shirts, necklaces, writing on ones shirt. socks, tennis shoes and very verbaly announcing he loves boys??????? What the heck! Not even the slightest clue triggered anything off, then standing in line and my 5 year old sees 2 guys providing air to one another via the lips, LOL, and he ask what are those 2 guys doing, as I scramble to obstruct his curious view. How do you answer that!!! NOT that I have any problems with what the lifestyle does "Behind Closed Doors" or on their property or living quarters, these guys were close to hitting a home run if they could of!

 

That has no place in the park unless they want to privately close the park for a private outing!!! Needless to say we left after two hours of endulging our two boys through something to be private made public for all to see, we had passes so the day was not all lost, we just come back on another "normal "day!

 

One of my worst days ever to have to explain that to a 5 year old, and why we were leaving! He was not happy, but again celebrate pride day at the local county or state park, not at a theme park where innocent young kids expect a family theme park as well as parents! And before the bashers start going, An admission was paid by all and all had a right to enter the theme park, Does not give them the right to disrespect other families from enjoying their day, and us to shelter our kids from their behavior, I have friends that are of this lifestyle and have the respect around families and go about normal lives but dont make a show out of it while waiting in line for a ride, or for a Cold Beer at the ball park!

[CycloneMan]

I'm sorry to sound mean, but that sounds a bit homophobic. But I can understand you, not wanting your five year old to see anyone kissing. I'm trying noty to sound mean here!

[Jon Sabo]

Ok...I actually have 2 worst moments...both are seperate situations, but perhaps can relate to "both sides" of the coin....explanation as follows:

 

Disney World-FL &&& Epcot...it was crowded, hot-humid (typical FL weather) and many attractions were open/closed/open/closed....and so on...well...we finally wanted to take a break from the action and decided to eat....well? the food was expensive to say the least and it was COLD!...we asked for food that was hot (or a new serving) and the manager (of all people) told us that we couldnt exchange our food (request) that we paid for it and thats what you got...OMG talk about customer service...we then went to complain at the GR and the woman their was on her "happy-face" and told us for some S**t reason that was park policy...please!...anyway...to add to the days 'fun-filled*cough* day' we experienced a typical afternoon FL thunderstorm and then just decided to head home....oh...and Monorail stranded us about a 1/3 of the way out..lol.....

 

**2nd worst moment (Working at BGE-Williamsburg)- I was the lead/sup. for BBW and I swear my day started off on the wrong foot when I lost my ID (it was found in employee lot), so I had to scramble to get mgr to sign me in.....This was a Saturday (12M operation back then) and needless to say that the 2nd shift lead/sup. called in SICK! (later to find out they went to concert and had sunburn from beach..lol). So? who had to "volunteer" to stay?...ummm ME (doink* on head). To add to the misery, my second shift crew was ALL FEMALE...wait....that may sound like a dream, BUT, they ALL were having their female time of the month issue...I kid you not. The ride during the evening kept breaking down....had an axle problem on train 2 and remove it (ran 2 trains from about 6pm-til close..FULL Que!)...and then had a series of goofballs get sick on BOTH remaining trains....(God can this story get any worse?)..Well...it was hot...humid...and the crew (women) was cranky...and "moody"..lol...I rather put in a request for God to just have a train run me over in the station...Well, as the nite was ending.. (thank god) we finally had about the whole bottom Que line out...when (SHHHHH****TTTT) we LOST THE #2 LIFT GEARBOX.....hmmmm evacuation?...YEP...(I was safer in the a/c control room....lol)...after that...we had VERY LAST train and a heavy-set woman threw up in the train....on exit ramp....up the stairs/across the bridge (leaking into the entry que-line) and so on....we had to have this cleaned up before we leave....well...since I had such a miserable nite with the crew....(I just sent them ALL home and I would clean it up myself)......the next morning...(yes MORNING..I had to open next day 8am)..I got a card and flowers on the control panel from the le femme crew that gave me such a headache nite before...lmao....I'll tell you what....working 2 double shifts in a row w/ little sleep sure puts a straing on you...especially with iritating guests (you know the ones) and typical humid VA summer....makes for a "b*tchen day"..lol...

[Deadromanticx]

Geauga Lake (or SFWOA at the time). We were on vacation in Ohio. We'd done CP a few days, then went to Cleveland a few days to be tourists, then had PLANNED to spend a day at SFWOA. I had been quite sick the entire time in Cleveland. So SFWOA day, I'm feeling pretty good, and hoped I'd be up to riding some stuff. I went on Steel Venom, (I think it was Superman at the time), and got off feeling like I was about to throw up. I felt bad too, because the park was quite empty and it could have been a good day. I lay on a bench for about a half hour while my brother and sister rode X-Flight. After that, I still wasn't feeling any better, and the HOT sun wasn't helping, so we decided to head out and go home early (9 hour drive). Overall, just a terrible experience.

[sixflagstloldschool]

I'm sorry to sound mean, but that sounds a bit homophobic. But I can understand you, not wanting your five year old to see anyone kissing. I'm trying noty to sound mean here!

 

Not HOMOPHOBIC at all! Not that I want him to see any one kissing, that happens, a public kiss is ok. A light romantic way of saying those special words. But this went a little further than the respectible smooch, Remember the scene from Nightmare on Elmstreet, in her dream as she is on the phone and Freddies Tounge come out of the phone, That was the scene. That was down right disrespectful for my kids to have to see or anyone at the park that day! Straight or Whatever!!

[mike541x]

Wow sounds like ppl wernt pleased at SFA. Well i got there because its the closest park near by.

 

My worst experince was at SFA. We get there during fright fest. S: ROS had an hour wait. Which made it worse was that it got stuck on the lift hill almost at the top so everyone had to walk down. Wild One these girls kept switching seats so the lap bars were locking and unlocking 7 times. The fright fest senery sucked because they tried to put lights the shape of a fruity pumpkin in the Jokers Jinx tunnle. Batwing was closed and a train was at the top of the hill with all its harnesses up and there were employes doing something to the railings on the catwalk. The Tower Of Doom's line was longer then the queue line. My friend and I were getting mad. The only roller coasters we went on was Mind Eraser and Roar, which was the only thing that made us happy.But on the way out my friend and I got in a fight with some employes who were being @$$holes. But the next day we went to PKD which was a WHOLE lot better then SFA.

[Scaparri]

Six Flags St. Louis in '02. I went on a Saturday in May. I mistakenly thought St. Louis was an hour behind so we (my friend and I) ended up getting to the park an hour after it opened, so everything was already packed. Every ride had a righteous line. The Scooby dark ride was new that year and even it had a line well over an hour. We did Mr. Freeze (I think we waited an hour or an hour and a half), then headed over to Boss. After waiting about 45 minutes, the ride broke down. We waited for quite a while before we finally realized that the Ferris Wheel was broken, Mr. Freeze hadn't run for a while, neither had Screamin' Eagle, and Batman was stuck on the lift. The entire park had lost power. It didn't regain power for another hour and a half. At the end of the day (by the time we had to leave and head home), we had ridden Freeze, Eagle, Batman, Boss, and Ninja each once. That's it. It was quite a frustrating day, but experiencing Freeze with only a lap bar for the first time was worth it alone.

[307]

We went to William's Grove to ride the Cyclone. And it was raining.

 

It took us forever to find the place [the sign which said "TURN HERE" was covered by shrubbery], and when we did and we finally got in - nothing was running. We waited over an hour, and no, they weren't going to open Cyclone.

 

So we were there, sitting in the train - and nothing. No ride. And now it's gone.

 

WORST. MORNING. EVER.