CP and SFWoA Opening Day Comparisons
First off let me say, that I love both parks and will go back to each park hundreds of times this year. This was only day one out of 150+ days. The novel below is just to let people know how both parks started out their season all around. Everyone on this planet should make a trip to Ohio this year! I had fun at both parks and many things happened. Shawna and I got to meet a lot of people. This novel is not meant to destroy ANY park by ANY means. Hey I love ALL Ohio Parks!!!
A-F scale
Rides:
SFWoA- X-Flight is reclining on the lift now and is A LOT better than last year. Double Loop was down (taking off the old harness pedals and putting on auto parts that arrived late). Serial Thriller has brand new head pads that actually make you want to re-ride it again in the same day! S:UE was great. Villain was running only one train, but the crew was fast. There was some small line cutting but the park security took care of that right away. C+
CP- Mine Ride had the best crew hands down?They were doing their job while having fun! MForce only had two trains running (and the girl who was telling people where to sit made an old school nun look loveable.) Shawna and I did a have a small problem with line cutting and there was no one to be found. We waited until we got all the way up to the loading station so we could tell someone, which we saw them pick up the phone but didn?t see anything happen. Corkscrew had all 3 trains on! Blue Streak was beyond words?.WOW! Disaster Transport has effects now, and I think it has made the ride so much more entertaining! Magnum was having all sorts of problems with its lap bars but was still running great. All of Cedar Point?s rides were running great for opening day! A+
Guest Relations:
SFWoA- When I had 4 questions throughout the day and asked employees, 2 did
not know the answer, but one was able to walk me over to someone who knew. I meant a few head people who actually took the time to ask me what I thought about the park. Shook my hand and actually told me to come back again! It was a BIG difference from last year. This park is also under new management. A+
CP-Wednesday we asked the season pass office what exact time does Joe Cool get in to the park? They told us, "9:30am. Since the gates open at exactly 10am." I called Sat. morning to guest information and was told the exact same thing. We got there at 9:30am and didn't get any ERT. Gates were already open. We asked 6 employees right off the bat and 2 managers. No one knew why the gates were opened or knew what was going on...didn't even bother to help us find out. We went to guest relations at the front gate. NO one knew there either. Why? Because the actually people who knew where on break and they were just covering with the phrase, "We really don't know what's going on. We are just covering." We asked if we could talked to someone and they gave us a number. Shawna had to call it herself on her cell phone and have someone come down. The person, Nancy of guest relations, wasn't too happy at the other girl. She told us she didn't know why they told us that because she had a paper that gave the JOE Cool times. And it was 9am today! We asked if we could have that paper since we didn't get one. She said no. She gave us another one that we already had. She said the times were CLEARLY (and she stressed that) posted on the Internet. Can someone find the JOE Cool times posted clearly on the CP Web site? It says opening times. But not gate opening times and there are no times for Joe Cool entrances! And I can tell you they are VERY different. I now know after talking to yet another person at guest relations the actual JOE Cool times (if you would like know them just e-mail me. Which was the same sheet Nancy couldn't give me. F
Landscaping:
SFWoA- I couldn't believe all the stuff SFWoA has already done, especially compared to years in the past. They have a lot to do but it looked very nice. Many trees, trimmed, tulips, etc. And lots of things growing. B+
CP- CP is one park that this time of year if it's growing, it's an Annual. CP starts its entire flower planting around mid May. But everything they did have looked nice and it looks like they have all their flowerbeds ready for the flowers. Oh we did see what I think is the World's Largest Tulip...I kid you not, it had to be 7 times the size of a normal Tulip. It was right as you come out of Silver Dollar down on your right. CP still has a lot to do
though in the next two weeks. B+
Park Shows (this is a tough one since it?s opening day but SFWoA did put forth an effort):
SFWoA- Even though it?s opening day SFWoA put forth a great effort. They had Diamond Rio giving a free concert to those who paid to enter the park! I?m not a big fan of country, but what a great way to start off the year. Everyone was dancing, yelling and having a great time! They were awesome! They also had the Sea Lion show already up and running! A+
CP- I know it all has to do with the college situation. I really wish they would use the Stadium for an opening day show or something? They did have a few bands march through the park. B-
Food:
SFWoA- In fairness to CP, I did not eat at place where I was served. But where I did eat the fries where good. The staff was fast and got my food to me piping hot! The barbecue chicken on the Wild Life side is still the best around, and the fries on the Wild Rides side were great (Not to mention 15% off where ever I ate in the park!) A
CP- Fries where awesome and the ice-cream is the best out of any USA park! I ate at Silver Dollar at night and we ended up getting a waitress who really didn?t know what was up (I don?t think she has served before.) We ordered some drinks and some ACE friends sat down next to us. 18 minutes went buy and they didn?t even get greeted, drinks, or server. We got our drinks. We asked who was serving our friends, and she didn?t know. Some other people sat behind them. 25 min went buy and still no server (mind you we were talking a lot.) They ended up leaving and didn?t want to wait any longer. Shawna went down to talk to the host and get a server for the other people behind our friends, who have been waiting. A guy finally came over to them. I have served in the past, so I know it can be confusing, but you should know your sections. Silver Dollar also raised their prices quite a bit. $2.50 for a Pepsi? Theme park prices yes, but not expected at Silver Dollar like last year. We did get our free appetizer, which was quite good. C- (based upon the service.) If I didn?t eat at Silver Dollar?A
Security:
SFWoA- Six Flags has metal detectors at both gates this year and hands out a pamphlet as you pay for parking telling you about these procedures. There was security all over the park stopping any type of rowdiness or line cutting. I also give them two BIG thumbs up for stopping anyone from smoking in line or at the concert!! The person wasn?t even able to get a ?puff? before a cop asked them to put it out. Nice job security! A+
CP- Amazingly the world?s largest amusement park doesn?t have metal detectors this year (at least not that I could see or went through.) They do have a VERY good security crew so I assume they know what they are doing. I didn?t see very much security throughout the day, but I have also been told CP uses some plan clothes security along with all their cameras. I only had one incident with some line cutting because there was no one guarding the line like usual. Nothing bad though. A-
Overall:
SFWoA- This park, as of opening day, is unbelievable!! There was so much to do for the whole family. Every where we went people were having fun in the park. Employees where very nice, doing there job and just having fun!! I can?t wait to come back again!!
CP- Since I know some of the stuff that happened this morning should not be placed on other people I will make a judgement on that. Disregarding the server and guest relations?The Park looked great today! Sunny, warm, and all the coasters where running like it was the last month of coaster season! Mind Ride crew made the day for us and the whole train was yelling, ?Mine Ride!!? Cedar Point always does a great job with keeping all the crowds dispersed and today was no exception. I love this park and always will no matter what. I can?t wait to come back 150 more time this year!!
To some things up, both parks are running great this year! Sure they both have things to work on, but that?s why it?s opening day. Anyone who can breathe air should make a trip to Ohio this year!! It?s going to be a phenomenal year for all Ohio parks. All the coasters are running great, each Ohio park has something knew, and some old parks are even opening back up! I hope to meet and see many of you throughout the year and say hi, or take a few laps on some coasters! Have fun. And enjoy all the Ohio has to offer! Thanks for reading.
* The writer does not take any responsibility for anything that you read or has been written above. Since he believes a keyboard holds all the right answers if you just hit the right keys.
:)
"The Future of Roller Coasters"
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http://OhioThemeParks.com
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Bob Hansen
A proud CoasterBuzz Member
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