Associated parks:
None
Arrival: 11:30
Rode (in no particular order): Drop Zone (3), Hurler (2), Anaconda, Grizzly, Hypersonic, Volcano, Avalanche, Scooby-Doo coaster, Scooby-Doo and the Haunted Mansion, Space Surfer, Richochet, Rebel Yell forwards
Passed On due to line length: Flight of Fear, Shockwave
Comments: You pretty much had to put up with what ever line you waited in. They were long most of the day. Of course, The Hurler had no line as usual, as did Grizzly.
Observations:
1) Richochet wasn't open for some of the day. I believe it was running when we entered
2) A whole bank of water-fountains in front of Shockwave weren't working. There was no sign stating that. I believe that was one of two bathrooms where the water-fountains weren't working.
3) Once again, Hypersonic broke down. When we came back to ride Drop Zone again, we noticed a train parked at the top of the hill. They had many employees guiding people through the gift shop to get to Hurler and Richochet. It never reopened (big surprise). They did manage to release the train. Hopefully, no was on board when it got stuck.
4) No Sponge Bob movie in Action Theatre. Employee shortage?
5) DDR machine broken by Grizzly. Again no sign. Luckily, the arcade next to the Action Theatre was open and we played there instead.
6) Fairly slow loading of Drop Zone, although capacity is fairly high. We would notice them loading different sides at different times, instead of all at the same time. I don't know why.
7) No Triple Spin all day. Again, maybe it was running before we arrived.
8) Trashcans filled to capacity in queue for SD&THM.
Overall: The three of us had a great day (even though we missed some stuff). SD&THM is an awesome addition to the park, even with its low capacity. The three minute ride was some of the most fun we had all day. I scored 750, which is much better than I did on the one at Carowinds. It goes by quick, and you really have to be on your feet to hit all the targets. Would've loved to have tried it again. Next time.
I believe this marks my 2000th post. Yes, I need to get a life:)
Intamin Fan said:
The situation: High 80's, very sunny, crowded park, tons of tween cheerleaders running around for competition.Arrival: 11:30
Overall: The three of us had a great day (even though we missed some stuff). SD&THM is an awesome addition to the park, even with its low capacity. The three minute ride was some of the most fun we had all day. I scored 750, which is much better than I did on the one at Carowinds. It goes by quick, and you really have to be on your feet to hit all the targets. Would've loved to have tried it again. Next time.
It was good to see you guys and "catch up" a little, The park was very busy, but not overwhelmed...
We had a good day too, left at about 6pm I must say Kudos to the park staf for looking out for scared kids. They stopped grizzly briefly to talk to a kid who was scared at the ride was exiting the station, and he made it thru and even was smiling on the exit ramp.
The girl on space surfer, was nice to this kid whose father was FORCING him to ride, she made the father take the child from the ride, and he didn't ride. Sadly, as the kid was being walked out of the ride by his dad, the dad was holding him by the back of the neck with his fingers pressing into each side of his neck. As they opened the gate the father shoved the kid forward as if to throw him to the ground, the kid didn't fall. And once outside, the father (joined by the mother) proceded to verbally abuse this poor scared kid. At points during the abuse, the child ran behind his mother to escape from his dad......
I WISH I HAD THE MUSCLE AND NERVE TO KNOCK THIS GUY ON HIS BEHIND, IT BROKE MY HEART. Especially when his other kids got off the ride smiling and he hugged them, then they walked away, and this poor scared kid with his head down followed behind them....
The other thing I can't stand is peer pressure to ride a ride. I was riding Roar with a teenage girl last year whose friends pressured her into riding it. I looked over at her when we hit the turn by the on ride Camera. She was slouched down in her seat, crying and nearly passed out. She didn't like coaster but rode it because her friends wanted her to. She was so skinny, I was beginnng to think she was going to slide out of the seat.
Argh!
--Greg, whose parents weren't at all abusive, but has a water phobia that we suspect results from falling in a pool at 18 months...
--Greg
"You seem healthy. So much for voodoo."
"There's an orientation meeting that parents more or less need to attend, and most do. You can look around that room, and in five minutes you will realize that fully 1/3 of those kids are doomed, no matter what the schools do for them."
First off he's probably gonna be scared to death to go on any ride/coaster that has any significant height & the fact that his dad man handled & berated him for not going on a ride will definitely instill fear in him....the fear of his father doing such a thing if he ever visits a park again.
In a way it's understandable why the father behaved as he did,they probably had to wait a significant amount of time in the queue for the ride only to find that as their turn to board approached the child was having second thoughts about riding but that's still no excuse to handle the situation in such a manner.
It's that kind of conduct that can & does scare young children away from what can be considered a very safe & enjoyable summer pastime & they shouldn't even let parents like that into the park with their kids at all.
Did any park officials near the ride witness this event at all?if they did they probably should've given the father the boot right out the main gate,or even considered filing assault charges for his conduct...I mean imagine how the kid must've felt,what should've been a day of fun & enjoyment ended up turning into one of fear & resentment.
Sam, that's sad about the kid. To him, the Space Surfer probably looks really high and scary. I'll have to agree with one guy in line who said that the ride seems a whole lot faster (and might I add higher) when you're on it.
Sam, I was great catching up with you and the gang. I just wish you didn't have to witness a father treating his scared son the way he did.
When I was a kid, I always loved amusement and theme parks, but there were a ton of rides that I was really scared of and wouldn't ride: like coasters, thrill rides and dark rides because I was scared of the dark (I was a wuss then)! My parents didn't try and force me to go on these rides, but to convince me to ride and that I would probably love it. I never believed them, untill I built up the nerve each time to try these different rides. When they finally encouraged, not forced, me to get on a coaster, its easy to say, they created a monster! I wouldn't stop riding, and haven't since :)
The point of the story is my parents never forced me, and if I wouldn't ride, they either wouldn't go on the ride, or they would take turns watching my brother and I while the other parent rode.
I fear that that kid will never experience the fun I've had at parks.
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