KoasterKid's Parent Here.
Needed to express our extreme dissatisfaction with SFO. I have been attending parks my whole life and have never seen a major attraction like this operated so poorly. The day was a bust from A-Z.
The place was very crowded but less than half the park was open (and 11-7 park hours). They gave you a flyer after you paid parking that the park is in partial operation due to low attendance. [yeah right]
1st- if you put any more people in this poorly laid out park you would have grid lock.
2nd when many people have come from hours away, taken vacation etc, who would turn around and go home at that point?
If they were honestly trying to notify the public, why wouldn't they post ride closings on their website daily?
Listening to others in line, our feelings seemed representative. Heard several patrons giving park supervision %*///##$%&, and I was thinking could'nt have said it better myself.
Supposedly the reason for the low operating rate was a labor shortage. The employees appeared very disorganized, unmotivated and there were as many chiefs as there were indians. Turnover time on many rides was sluggish at best.
It was a very hot day, the water park was shoulder to shoulder but only the wave pool, kiddie pool and 1 kiddie slide was open. Speaking about the wave pool, they have some crazy policy that they empty it frequently and make guests stand on the shore while the life guards play in the waves and paying guests watch. What is this?
My kid was turned away from 2 attractions at the point of entry after completely waiting in line due to some unposted policy interpretation. What is worse, is that later that day, observed 5 instances of the same thing totally ignored.
As the icing to a wonderful day, we returned to our car to find it had been rear ended while we were in the park. Maybe another satisfied guest in a hurry t 氀攀愀瘀攀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀 伀渀 愀 瀀漀猀椀琀椀瘀攀 渀漀琀攀 琀栀攀 瘀椀氀氀椀愀渀 眀愀猀 瘀攀爀礀 最漀漀搀Ⰰ 攀瘀攀渀 琀栀漀甀最栀 椀琀 戀爀漀欀攀 搀漀眀渀 漀渀挀攀 愀渀搀 眀攀 栀愀搀 琀漀 挀漀洀攀 戀愀挀欀 愀渀搀 猀琀愀爀琀 漀瘀攀爀 椀渀 琀栀攀 氀椀渀攀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 渀漀琀 眀漀爀琀栀 愀氀氀 琀栀攀 漀琀栀攀爀 栀愀猀猀氀攀猀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀䤀 爀攀挀漀洀洀攀渀搀 琀栀愀琀 瀀攀漀瀀氀攀 瘀漀琀攀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀椀爀 搀漀氀氀愀爀猀 愀渀搀 猀攀渀搀 愀 洀攀猀猀愀最攀 琀漀 琀栀椀猀 渀攀眀 洀椀猀琀愀欀攀 漀渀 琀栀攀 氀愀欀攀 琀漀 最攀琀 琀栀攀椀爀 愀挀琀 琀漀最攀琀栀攀爀⸀ 吀栀攀爀攀 愀爀攀 琀漀漀 洀愀渀礀 漀甀琀猀琀愀渀搀椀渀最 瀀愀爀欀猀 琀漀 栀愀瘀攀 琀漀 瀀甀琀 甀瀀 琀栀椀猀 琀栀椀猀⸀ഀഀഀ ⨀⨀⨀ 吀栀椀猀 瀀漀猀琀 眀愀猀 攀搀椀琀攀搀 戀礀 䬀漀愀猀琀攀爀欀椀搀 漀渀 㠀⼀㈀㜀⼀㈀ ⸀ ⨀⨀⨀
Sounds like SFO is up to their usual tricks. Did you get a discount price since only part of the park was operating? When I went last year -- on opening day, no less! -- several of their rides were still in pieces on the ground, others simply not there,no shows open, and not all items were available at the concessions. And we paid full price, no discounts. We spent less than half a day and went home, vowing not to go back until we heard they cleaned up their act. Apparently they haven't.
BTW, what was the policy being inconsistently enforced?
I was there yesterday, Sat. 26th. I got in free as a guest. Yes, I should not complain as a freeloader but my report of my trip can be summed up as all of the above in KoasterKid's thread. I feel real bad for thise who had to pay, considering the fact that it was total gridlock on the midways yesterday.
The policy that frosted me, was not posted and was inconsistently enforced was wearing swimming shoes in the gotcha games in the Looney Tunes boomtown. My son and daughter waited in line 20 minutes only to be turned away as they were up because the ride op determined that swim shoes were not really shoes. They came back in tears. Later that day we tried again after they put their tennys back on. There were 5 kids on the ride in swimming shoes. I guess what made it worse was that today's swim shoes, boat shoes and tennis shoes can be very gray. This may sound minor but in combination with all the other bologna that day....
Also they need height gages at the entrance to all restricted rides. Don't wait until a kid has waited in line for 45 minutes and in the seat ready to ride to kick him off because he is borderline. (heartbreak once again)
At least at CP you know where you stand.
Too much fun and enjoyment.
Koasterkid's Dad
I was there on Sat 26th and have to agree with Vince it was total gridlock. The biggest waste of time and money. Dare I say it was better when they were just plain old Geauga Lake?Thats just my opinon.
I had a great time at SFO a couple of weeks ago. They have some great coasters and even if the waits should be 5 minutes and are 15 min. its better then cedar point where it should be an hour wait and is. At somepoint in the day every coaster at CP had at least an hour wait. Everyone says its no doubt the greatest park in the world but IMO IOA and BGW kicks its booty.
I have to agree with all the downsides to SFO. We went there as the last stop on a coaster trip 2 weeks ago and found nothing but a poorly run operation. What was up with that Batman stunt show? We've seen it at several other SF parks and enjoyed it (yeah it's alittle cheesy, but still). However this one was obviously just thrown in there as an ofterthought (no stadium, sitting on the grass, lots of obstructed views).
As for the coasters, I've been on better. I actually coan't comment on Serial or Batman as we skipped them due to not being able to find a wait time. Villain was very painful. They call it a woodie, but could someone correct me, isn't that structure made of steel, meaning it doesn't have much "give" to it? Raging Wolf was actually pretty good. Superman, big snooze! Other than that point where the ride throws you into your restraint at the top of the back hill, I was bored.
Way too crowded, not enough room to move, no operators at the entrances to enforce rules (no smoking in the queues, or at least cut it down some), no wait time signs, and food choices that didn't amount to much made us leave early. Good thing we got discounted tickets from AAA.
-Shady
You think your day was bad at SFO? It took me over 5 hours to get to the park when it should have only taken 2! I went on a Saturday and the traffic was backed up for miles and miles and miles and miles. And what made it even worse, we were moving about 2 feet every minute (probably slower!). Then when we were almost to the park, the car would not shift out of first gear.
If you wanna read the whole TR, it is right here:
http://www.coasterbuzz.com/forums/thread.asp?ForumID=13&TopicID=1565 -------------
Bryan, AKA CPbanshee
cpbanshee@excite.com
Good point Bryan, I had forgotten (or at least tried to forget) the lack of decent roads in the area. A small 2 lane highway is the main thing that gets you to the park? And they don't even have a traffic light there! When you leave, plan on turning right because you'll never leave if you want to turn left.
-Shady
I wish someone would say something good about SFO, because I really want to go there. But with all these negative TR's I'm thinking twice about considering a trip there.
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Goliath: The most intense Hyper in the world.
O.K. (SFO is a great park),But I still would not waste my time and money going there.Sorry SFO fans.
*** This post was edited by coaster chris on 8/30/2000. ***
LOL!!!!!!
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Goliath: The most intense Hyper in the world.
If you have a season pass, go check out Villain and S:UE. I wouldn't pay full price though...
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The new KING of coasters:
SFNE Superman
Unforgettable!!!
would u like some cheese with ur whine?
I had a great day at SFO, but I was there with the GOCC(Greater Ohio Coaster Club) get together. I found the lines to be acceptable and the water park to be great. Looney Tunes Boomtown is a truly unique attaction that is also fun for adults. Wish we had one of those at SFA! Though I did notice that It took the parking lot almost an hour to empty. Thankfully, I got to spend that time ridding Knight Flight and Villian over and over again :-)!! Though, I would not go there paying full price or without that extra ride. Waiting in line an hour to leave is NOT my idea of fun.
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Six Flags America IS a Six Flags park!
Hey Shady a lot people do call Villain wooden, they also call it one of the best wooden coasters in the country! Once again though I had a great time at SFO, even if many people didnt.
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Top 3 parks
#1-Islands of Adventure
#2-Busch Gardens Willamsburg
#3-Cedar Point
OK, but I still consider several other coasters (that I've ridden anyway) better in the wooden category. Names such as The Beast, Comet & Wildcat (Hershey), Racer/Rebel Yell, etc. I guess Villian just seemed too small for me and still painful to ride. I don't mind pain if it's long driving helixes like Beast, but these were short turns that kept driving the lapbar into my gut. Again, it seems I'm in the minority for my dislike of Villian, but that's OK. If we all liked the same things, coasters would be pretty boring wouldn't they? :-)
-Shady
SFO is my favorite park. My favorite ride out of any place is the Villain, but sometimes the lap bars are a little too heavy and they fall down all the way on my lap, which won't provide much air over the hills.
I know the park has it problems, but they'll work it out over a period of time. If any of you want a better day to go to SFO, go soon during Fright Fest. The crowds are usually light and you can get some awesome rides on The Villain at nighttime.
The park closes Oct. 29th!
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Chris Boddy
Coasterchris2000@ureach.com
AOL IM- CoasterChris2000
