Are all SF parks this shabby? (kinda long)

Ok, I’ll admit I’ve only been to my home Six Flag park this season but I was really disappointed with the condition and was curious if their other parks are like this. I have a season pass to Gadv and have been there 8 times. Each and every time I become disgusted by the lack of upkeep around the entire park. Whether it is weeds growing through cracks, rusted signs or pathetic landscaping, I have never been as impressed or pleased as I would going to CP or Hershey Park. I know Six Flags does not market their chain as the “most beautiful” park by any stretch but they could make an attempt. Recent examples include a bathroom that you could spend 3 hours reading in because of the writing in the stalls. To make that bathroom visit even more pleasurable was the sinks being clogged with towels because the trash can was overflowing. There were names (and other items of interest) carved on the mirror glass. Then the character café is completely falling apart on the outside and many of the rides are in major need of paint. At least GASM is finally getting painted but that still doesn’t help all of the weeds growing through the old, discolored stones underneath. How about the signs while in line for GASM that you can barely read describing other SF coasters? Even the park maps are faded and are outdated. Has anybody noticed the TV’s while waiting in line? They turn on everyday but only show snow (you have to get close to notice this). Many people actually enjoyed watching WB cartoons while waiting in line. I could go on for 3 more pages covering everything from gum to smoking, etc. but I won’t. I’m sure I’ve already gone too long for a post but this is starting to piss me off. Many people like myself take great pride in their home park and hate to see it being ruined. Hopefully the Gadv staff picks up the pace a little to combat these annoyances at our park! At least they have great rides, which keeps me going back over and over again!

Peace out

Not all SF parks are like that. Some need a little more attention than others.

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.:| Brandon Rodriguez |:.
http://www.coasters2k.com

Six Flags' newer parks like SFNE and SFA are pretty clean and have all fresh paintwork, and brand new, unfaded signs and maps. I think they are slowly working on each park. My home park is Great Adventure as well, and I notice these problems. I am dreading the day when Nitro's new look becomes just as trashy as the rest of the place. Personally, I wouldn't mind not getting any attractions for next season if they just spent the off season completely cleaning and re-doing the park.

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--Chewman
http://greatadventure.8m.com

Chewman has a great point! I wonder how many of us would prefer rehabbing the rides we already have over getting one new ride and letting the others suffer from neglect? I'll bet it would be cheaper and more effective for some parks to simply fix existing rides (retrack/resurface/repaint). New rides get all the press and attention (and lines), but older coasters, especially woodies, require TLC every so often. On a related note, cleaner parks (HW, IOA, HP) don't get trashed or vandalized in large part BECAUSE they keep their parks clean. Going to a "pre-vandalized" park, or one with overflowing trash cans, generates more problems with litter, grafitti, and serves to encourage overall bad behavior (smoking in lines, gum on the ground, cutting in lines). I notice this activity more in SF parks, and I beleive staffing is at least partially responsible.

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rollergator - intent on improving the "guest experience" - coming soon to a park near you *** This post was edited by gatorwoodie on 8/7/2001. ***

I went to Six Flags Great America a week ago and thought the park was ok except the layout (One big circle) Leaves the paths packed and the trash was a bit of a problem. I think this park would be fantastic if they could somehow find a couple of places where they could stick in a few more paths and hire some sweepers (Like CP and Valleyfair)

Other then that I liked the park quite a bit.

Obviously this is the first season you've had a pass.The park is in greatly improved condition compared the past few years. While I'd agree Hershey and CP are currently much better maintained, a great amount of improvement is happening in both appearance and staff at SfGadv. Keep your eyes on what is happening at the soon to be crown jewel of the Six Flags chain.

Even though I've been a season pass holder since 96',(skipped 2000)I have noticed very little improvement. Sure the short stretch of the boardwalk looks great with the fancy sidewalk and new paint but that does not excuse the factors that keep it from otherwise being a great place instead of an ok place to go with great rides. I also like gatorwoodies point of pre-vandalism. If you keep a place clean, other improvements will automatically follow. If they really plan on turning this into a resort by 2005, they have a long way to go. I love going there for the rides and getting away from everything but they will never get people here for a "real" vacation unless they clean up their act. Hopefully that does happen because it will only make the park better!

I'm in the UK, and my homepark is Alton Towers. When a Brit visits the states, they usually return with impressions of how impressive everything is in the states, from size of cars and meals to fantastic customer service everywhere,(when compared to the UK). Last year i toured Ca, PGA was great, SFMM and SFMW, although they had great rides, were disappointing. SFMW- Kong needs a paint job, Medusa is over a car park, which still has line spacers painted underneath it, as is Roar. Colossus needs attention, and there is no excuse for not running flashback, if it makes too much noise, SFMM have now had over 2 years to move it. The above stories of graffitti etc had reminded me of things i had actually forgotten about SF. I completely agree, spend less on new rides, and a whole lot more on maintenance. Alton gets a new coaster every 4 years or so, but the park, castle and gardens are immaculate.

Valleyfair Fan: It useed to have a path that goes between Deja Vu, and connects on the other side, so you wouldnt have to walk through Southwest territory, but this year they changed it:(
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"Thank you for challenging the Raging Bull-We hope you enjoy the rest of you're day, here at Six Flags Great America"

So it's a bad thing that you can walk by every major attraction in the park without back tracking? I guess IOA and Epcot pretty much suck for that same reason then?
Jeremy
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"Nobody writes about the planes that land." Steve Salerno Washington Times 7-10-01

I can't believe this,I give up!!! I guess i need to go to every park with a badge on that says park inspector and, I guess i should bring a magnifying glass while i'm at it.Forget enjoying the rides and, the sounds and, smells, I will just ruin my good time by noticing all that's wrong with every park I visit.Maybe i should carry a sanitary cloth and wipe down all of the rides before I sit in them.

You know what,I have a better idea, I will bring a pad and paper and write down everything I can find wrong and submitt it to guest realtions complaints department.Maybe i'll have a better time at the park if I walk around looking for things to complain about.I don't know how you enjoy the rides if you spend alot of time analyzing the place.::::end Sarcasm:::: .Believe it or not, there are alot of better things I can find to complain about in this world but, what good is it going to do me???

~*Rickyswmn*~

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~*Rickyswmn*~

sfkk is one of six flags lower tier parks and doesn't get the tlc it deserves. even though sfkk is closer, i'd rather go to pki.

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Vortex rules!!!! (still)

My home park is SFOT, I was there in July and the park was clean, at least to my standards!The bathrooms were clean, and I didn't see trash all over the ground and the trash cans were not overflowing! The only trash I saw that was bad was waiting for Runaway Mountain, they had trash floating in the water where the waterfall is! I really have never been to SFOT and the park looks trashy! I think it depends on the days you visit also,of course weekends might be worse because the volume of people coming through there is immense, and it has gotta be hard to keep up with the traffic! I have to say that some people are PIGS too, no manners they just throw there trash wherever they please.I think also if people would take more pride in the park they visit it would not be so trashy.
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TITAN CRAZED!!

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bigjas said:
"sfkk is one of six flags lower tier parks and doesn't get the tlc it deserves. even though sfkk is closer, i'd rather go to pki.

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Vortex rules!!!! (still)"

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Same with SFEG. Al least SFKK has a B&M coaster.

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Current Favorite Coasters:
1)Raging Bull 2)Millennium Force 3)Medusa (SFMW) 4)Vertical Velocity (SFGAm) 5)Dueling Dragons (Ice)

2Hostyl: I'm not saying that IOA or Epcot is planned poorly. Nor am I saying that its terrible that you can walk by every attraction without backtracking. But with this comes increased traffic to the main path. Side paths would help take away traffic from the main path. Another solution would be to widen the exsisting circle path, like IOA and Epcot, which would help handle the crowds a little better.

Rickyswmm: If the comment was directed towards me, then no I don't go to a park looking to analyze the bad stuff. Its just something that I noticed when I was there. SFGAM is a good park. I just think it could be even better if they had people that swept the paths. I Don't mean to nitpick, and I didn't think I was (as there was quite a bit of trash in queues ecspecially B:TR).

I'm not advocating bashing about little things, such as "This coaster was lame I didn't black out" but I don't see a problem if people make statements about where the park has problems and offers a reasonable solution.

Just my $.02

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"And then you say oh what a lovely tea party."
-Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

I love Great Adventure as much as the next guy but that place can get really dirty. I guess its kinds like NYC, no matter how much you try to clean it, it will always be dirty because of the vermin that live in it.

Valleyfair Fan said:
Rickyswmm: If the comment was directed towards me, then no I don't go to a park looking to analyze the bad stuff.

Nope,it wasn't directed at you.I have Sfgadv as my homepark and it just blows me away that I never noticed anything the Author of this topic mentioned on any of my 25 visits to the park this year.I never go there looking at the cracks in the sidewalks or, the rocks that are under GASM to see if there is any grass growing through them.

All that comes to my mind is, the rides and, coasters that I am going to enjoy,the smell of the Funnel cakes,cotton candy etc... The sounds of the coasters that roar and the people that scream from excitement while riding them.The beautifully landscaped and shaded lakefront section at the park where my son plays in the well manicured grass while my husband and I sit back and watch all that's going on around us and we get a break.The two kiddie sections(which the author voted 1 be removed)which bring huge smiles and laughter on my sons face and we get to see his excitement for the wide array of rides he has to enjoy because,gadv caters to everyone.

This is how I see my homepark!!I am sorry,i don't buy it.I can't look ay my homepark in such a bad way when it brings so much enjoyment to my family.

~*Rickyswmn*~

I was at SFNE last Wednesday and had a terrible time. I took out a magnifiying glass and noticed a bruise on the side of my head that I got from the wave pool in that terribly designed waterpark. I remember all day, the bueatiful SF signiture scent of trash, as well. Not to metion there was an uncountable number of closed rides including Flashback for most of the day as well as Double Trouble and plenty of others to choose from. More on the designing part, I wonder what genuise designed the stairs going to DC... All park goers want to do is walk in more single file lines. I notices some more trash recenly added to the descusting collection hanging from Cyclone's queue. Thank god their getting a B&M next year, and the walkway plan for the new area seams to look halfway decent. But i'm sure SF has a limit on the quality that will change those plans.

Ya know Rickyswmn, it seems everyone looks at one thing in their own way. As you said, GAdv caters to everyone... Well shouldn't this include people who notice more? Must you complain about how some people feel an amusement park should look?

Most important part: riding the rides. We go to ride. I would never ruin a good time because of what something looks like. I do worry about the condition of things in years to come because of the lack of maintenance and I also shouldn't need a bottle of PineSol to go to the bathroom. I still have a good time each and every time I go but there is still something different about a park that seems to care more. This is what I've noticed about CP, Hersey, BGW, WDW, etc. Yes, compared to maybe 10 years ago it is a major difference but couldn't it be better? I love my home park and have been going there for more than 15 years but I am still wondering when I will see any major improvements. I'm not trying to start a flame war or anything.....I was really curious if the other SF parks are like this to see if it was a park wide problem or a Gadv problem. Don't let what I mentioned above keep anybody from going to Gadv. Some of the ride operators are awesome and the ride selection is great. I'm only ranting because sometimes the little things make it even better.