Lockers at SFA

I'm planning on going to requires riders on certain rides to put their belongings in lockers (that you have to pay for). I was trying to avoid that, and I was thinking about going to the water park around mid-day, and using one of those lockers, but I wanted to ride the rides for a few hours preceding the water park. Could anybody please give me some information as to which rides have this policy on lockers, or alternatively, some strategies that people have used in similar situations.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

They make you put fanny packs in the locker as well, just to let you know.

This pissed me off, as it was like they were making you pay for a locker.

Last summer every major roller coaster there with the exception of Roar forced me to use a locker.

There is a simple way to avoid this, keep the water park stuff in your car. You only need a wallet, cell phone (most likely at least I do,) and your keys. All of which can easily fit in cargo pockets. If you dont own a pair of cargo pocket shorts you should get some.

I wear cargo shorts with zippered pockets to parks since I don't trust Velcro pockets. The only problem is I don't know where to find them now. I bought them at Target years ago and have not seen shorts with a zippered pocket in any store this year or last year.

crazy horse said:
They make you put fanny packs in the locker as well, just to let you know.

This pissed me off, as it was like they were making you pay for a locker.

Strange the policy is different at each SF park. Great Adventure let's you take them on all coasters except El Toro.

I have yet to lose anything out of my velcro or button down (2 buttons) cargo shorts. The only thing I could see slipping out is keys, but I have enough keys on my chain and they are attached to a lanyard making them more bulky and less likely to slip out.

The only reason that I bring a fanny pack with me is because I carry a camera in it. I also have extra batteries.

We did a east coast trip last year that included 8 parks. Sfa was the only park that made me put it in a locker. The only exception was on El Toro at another six flags park.

I was at SFA last week and the ops at the entrance were adamant about the locker policy, making sure everyone had a clear understanding before they attempted to get in line. They also stressed that the time for them is 2 hours, (I don't know how that's enforced) so stow your stuff, and you'll have plenty of time to ride all the rides in that area. (Batwing, Superman, Joker, and while you're at it, Blizzard River.) Roar had storage bins in the station, and I think Wild One did as well.

It didn't affect me, cause I'm a minimal-carry, cargo short kind of guy. But there were a few school groups there and of course everyone had their enormous backpacks full of whatever they just had to have with them at the park that day. So there was a lot of bitchin and moanin, one girl screamed that she'd be glad to get a locker if they were gonna pay for it, and it went from there. One group of boys took their backpacks and attempted to hang em from the top of the wrought iron fence (right by the lockers) for safekeeping, only to have the op close the line, walk over and have the boys take them away again. It was a bit of a cluster, but once again, leave your stuff somewhere else and you wont have the hassle.

I used to use button cargo pants until late last summer. They failed me on El Toro( the airtime is that good!). Apparentlly there was just enough space between the buttons in my cargo pants for my glasses case with my glasses in them to slip out. Fortunately my friend was driving anyways and I had an extra pair.

After that I trip i found some zipper cargo pants at Wal Mart

This year's Levi's cargo shorts have snap buttons, which I like a lot better. The new design seems a little safer for coaster riders as well.

That's what I wear all of the time throughout the summer, even on days that I am not at a park.

I sometimes want to take an extra pair of socks with me and some deodorant for freshening up midday, but that can stay in the glove box in my car.

I have a big problem with these parks forcing people to rent a locker, essentially forcing riders to pay extra for each ride. They should have free lockers like IOA, in my opinion, or charge a very low price (a quarter?), if they are mandatory. I also have a big problem with people wanting to bring a suitcase full of crap into a park. Leave it at home or in the car, silly.

Only time I rent a locker is when Im going to go to a water park. I really like being able to shower and put on new clothes when I do that. I will not be doing that nearly as often now though, since if I want to go to a waterpark Im going to just go to Noah's Ark.

You know, I'm with you there. Going to the car to get my a swim suit before and fresh clothes after a water park visit is no fun.

I just got back from my trip (well, it was last Friday, but close enough). I found that all of the coasters had the locker policy except for Roar and Mind Eraser. It looks like the policy is mostly in effect to keep the lines moving and help speed up loading times. I guess that this is necessary because of the bumbling ride ops, obtrusive corporate safety policies, and ignorant customer base.

I have made a system that helps with keeping things in though. On days that I'm going to the waterpark, I wear my swim trunks around in the park, and put my stuff (keys/wallet/cell phone) in the pockets. Then I wear my regular shorts over top of them and put a belt on. Its a pretty good system, but its always interesting reaching in to get the stuff without having people around my think that I'm giving them a strip show. I also brought a fanny pack as well to hold my glasses case that I put by prescription sunglasses just before riding. I will warn though that it technically is against park policy to wear them on rides for some reason, so be careful.

Additionally, SFA has a chronic problem keeping rides up and running, which is especially strange considering how few rides they have. When we entered the park as it opened (10:30 AM), we went straight to the back for Batwing, and we found out that Batwing, SROS, and JJ were all closed, and didn't open until later in the day. That's half of the coasters right there (with the exception of TGS, the kiddie coaster). They also have shut down, and blocked off the entrance to the rainbow slides, one of my favorites as a kid.

It seems to slow down loading more than help load faster. I have seen arguments with ride ops and people in the station multiple times when someone was allowed to bring a bag or other item in line and then be told they can't leave it in the station. It causes stacking and slower dispatches.

At other parks that allow you to leave stuff in the station, I have witnessed faster loading. Bizarro almost always stacks with 2 trains, and always stacks with 3 trains and a lot of the time double stacks. Hydra is a shorter coaster and allows loose articles in line yet it's rare for it to stack for more than 10 - 15 seconds.

If they would take the money spent on someone at the entrance looking for loose articles before entering the line and allow the loose articles to be left in the station and had that extra person checking restraints instead, dispatches would be much faster.

They also claim it is for safety, Scream Machine didn't have lockers in 2008 and a small ride like The Dark Knight needed them yet a mega looper with 7 inversions didn't?