Arbors and water fountains

Don't take it personally, Travis. ;-) I was just playing with a real observation that I've made. I think Meijer really does scent their stores to get your money. But more of in a way that people will want to spend more time in a pleasant environment that smells nice.

That's not to say that no businesses use negative tricks to get your money, because there are definitely those scenarios.

wtf is a "shaded arbor"? no one else so far has asked, I made sure.

Whenever I visit a park on a Hot Day I'll usually ride the wettest ride (Such as a "Splashwater Falls" Chutes ride first, so I'll be soaking wet (and cool) while I enjoy my day at the park. In 2011 I visited Sea World in San Antonio. The first thing I did was attend the "Shamu" Show. I deliberatly sat in the front row, and when Shamu did his act of throwing water at the spectators I re-enacted the Fraternity Initiation Scene from the Movie ANIMAL HOUSE. Every time I got splashed I yelled out 'Thank You Sir! May I Have Another!" <LOL>

Enjoy your day walking around soaking wet. That's the absolute worst feeling in the world to me, unless I'm in swim trunks.

Soaking wet clothes and especially shoes, to me, are 100000000% worse than all the other stuff parks do, like having heat radiators placed under the midways, oxygen depleting fans in the trees, and salt being sprayed directly into my mouth so I'll buy a drink.

One of my pet peeves about most parks is not a lack of water fountains, but that most of the ones available are room temperature or worse There's a few notable exceptions at Cedar Point, but other than that....

It's reached a point where I'm *almost* as thrilled to find a COLD fountain as I am a great roller coaster.

For a few years there, the fountain at the exit of Alpie was placed on a pedestal as "the ultimate drinking water source in a park." Since then, other parks seem to have caught on to the novel idea of chilled water. I love Diet Coke more than the next guy - but on a hot day, less caffeine and more water is the better answer.

bjames - here ya go (no luck finding a pic of one in a park):

Hershey will give you free ice water if you ask

Most of the time I just get a few cups of free ice water. It's usually less time consuming than trying to find a water fountain, and always cold. Indiana Beach is the only park I can think of where they will not give you water. But in my experience you can get free water from any stand at any Six Flags park, Silver Dollar City, Cedar Point, Disneyland, and so on.

Sea world announced the free water in Friday. In regular sized cups. In fact I've been to several parks that push free water on days in the 90s. Carowinds does it.

I have yet to be denied free water. I only wish CF would use standard cups, their 6 oz cups do not cut it. When Im at a CF park I always ask for at least 2 cups for myself.

The only park where I was ever denied water..ice or otherwise..was Canobie Lake. And it was bleeping HOT!

I have seen at Cedar Point when the temperature gets above 90 degrees the ride ops during their loading/unloading spiel encourage people to get free water from the food stands.

Tekwardo said:

Sea world announced the free water in Friday.

Pfft! I want my free beer back!

You know how often I hear that when I tell people where I'm working?

You would think that Cedar Point would be more than happy to create shaded queues for its most popular attractions, considering the attendance they have, and the amount of hours their guests stand in line for just one ride. Those flimsy canopy covers over the Queues at Gate Keeper, Top Thrill Dragster, and Millennium Force, do nothing to keep you from getting baked by the sun.

Raptor and Blue Streak probably have the worst Queues in the park, as there is no shade for Blue Streak's Queue at all, and a majority of Raptors queue is just a big sun box. And, that is one reason why I will not ride Raptor if the wait is more than 30 minutes. Another thing I noticed that they are doing, is turning off the mist machines in the Queues.

I noticed guests at M-Force figuring out the mist machines and turning them on, only to have a queue employee come down and unplug or turn them back off. But, as soon as they are gone, a guest just gets up there, and turns them back on again. Though, I agree with LostKause. They would not be selling drinks in the Queues, if the did not expect sun drenched thirsty guests.

You would think that with the extra money they are making on selling those drinks in the Queue, They would use that money to make their Queue areas nicer, and make their guests happy.

Disney probably has the best Queues in the country. I don't understand, why parks that make as much money as Cedar Fair does, doesn't see the value in creating a better guest environment. Being a red head that easily gets a sunburn anywhere. I would certainly appreciate an attempt.

Glad to see that they are attempting to bring shade back to MA. If any park has lacked shade, MA is probably the worst on the list.

rollergator said:

bjames - here ya go (no luck finding a pic of one in a park):

Oh thanks. I was just being a bitch, I knew what he meant.

Timber-Rider said:

You would think that Cedar Point would be more than happy to create shaded queues for its most popular attractions, considering the attendance they have, and the amount of hours their guests stand in line for just one ride.

You would think that with the extra money they are making on selling those drinks in the Queue, They would use that money to make their Queue areas nicer, and make their guests happy.

No, no...see, here's the thing: You would think. I would not.

I don't understand, why parks that make as much money as Cedar Fair does, doesn't see the value in creating a better guest environment.

No surprise. Are people (other than yourself) screaming for more shade in the queues? Is Cedar Fair inundated with complaints from guests about the overabundance of sun?

Because if not, there's your answer.

Edited to add: What the hell is "extra money"? I mean, aside from the buckets of it that I possess in my extra money room, I really don't understand this term.

Speaking of money rooms, it's time for my daily swim in my gold silo. Now, if you'll excuse me..

My university campus has retrofitted several drinking fountains to include special water-bottle refillers. I would love to see these at parks. Guests who purchase souvenir cups or Dasani bottles could quickly refill them with water and stay hydrated throughout the day.

It's no fun waiting in line at a food stand just to get a free, cold water refill.