The death of park maps (aka bitter old man yells at cloud)

I feel the same way about apps as Jeff, but the few that I do have and use regularly are all set up to not send push notifications. The only notifications I want are messages and calls.

Get off my lawn.

Same. I never understand people who have a row of notifications on their phone.

I walked into Kings Island last month and was surprised to see stands with park maps in them!

Holiday World and Kentucky Kingdom both also had maps-a-plenty available, though I don't recall that being the case at Indiana Beach.

Indiana Beach never gave away park maps as far as I am aware.

A quick comparison of what I can see on my phone at one glance vs what I could see on a paper map (Dorney's app and the paper map I got a few years ago). Attractiveness aside, the advantage of the paper map for navigating seems pretty clear to me.

Schwarzkopf76:

Those big park maps - the fold out one with characters flying out of coaster trains and people hanging out of spin rides? Totally miss em!

If the paper freebies go away completely, maybe we can see the return of those artfully drawn souvenir maps? Not sure if there would be a market for them - but the RCT peeps love 'em.

The app does have its advantages though. If I'm looking at what food choices are available and where the nearest restroom is the app is more beneficial. However, if I am just looking to find my way to an attraction a paper map or a pdf version of said map is elegant in its simplicity.

This is a similar trend at ski resorts. Maps were a de facto item available everywhere. But now apps along with the aforementioned GPS features are starting to become the only choice. This is terrible for an assortment of reasons:

• not everyone skis with their phones
• not everyone wants to get out their phones while on the snow or on the ski lifts
• cell coverage is terrible which makes the GPS shortened battery life all the more worst
• having paper back up copies of maps is important life safety item at the far flung sections of giant resorts where you may be far away from any people or support

Plus, having the paper maps is a nice way to reminisce about past trips.

As noted above, KI still has paper maps, but in the ultimate offense to OP they have also plastered over their in-park digital maps with stickers instructing guests to download the app instead. :)

I'm a non-smartphone person and so obviously I hate this. And even if I did have a mobile device with me, I wouldn't want to have to install your freaking app. But beyond my personal quirks, there is value in having them as a historical record. Not only is my box of past maps enjoyable as a nostalgia exercise, it also allows me to more clearly see when various minor features of a park (the kind that don't get a ton of publicity like a roller coaster closing) changed. Digital records are great, but digital isn't as permanent as people like to think, and it's better to have both physical and digital records for future park historians.

Besides Cedar Point, I also did not see park maps stowed in their usual spots at Michigan's Adventure on my one visit so far this year.

A printed map is larger and easier to read than a map on my phone, just like the Cheesecake Factory menu was much easier to read on an actual menu than on my son's phone. The app will replace the map for a lot of people OK but I don't think abandoning them altogether is a great idea. Print less and tell people they have to ask for it at guest services fine but not having one available at all and forcing everyone to rely on an app exclusively I don't like.

mmascolino:

This is a similar trend at ski resorts.

There's a weird new online market for this that I've noticed in some of the ski social media groups. A bunch of people moved to ski towns in the pandemic to the point that there's an employee housing crisis in many of them. Most places stopped printing up maps in 2020 so these people are trying to buy old ones online to frame and put up in their new ski place. Old ski map on the wall is sort of a token decor for any rented ski place and people are freaking out that they can't get maps anymore.

Went to SF Great Adventure today - no paper maps in sight (including in Guest Services where I had to go to get my refillable mug).

Am I the only one who when visiting a park for the first time doesn't even bother with using a map? I just follow the path in front of me and explore areas as I come to them.

I usually rope drop so I absolutely don’t, I want to know how to get to the headline ride before the crowd.

Same here - I want a plan if it is the first time I am at a park. Reminds me of the time I went to BGT. Prior to the gates opening I was looking at the paper map making sure I knew how to get to Sheikra. The woman behind me asked where I was going first. When I told her Sheikra she said the best way to get there was to take the train. Needless to say I did not take her advice and was rewarded with a solo ride on the first train of the day.

99er:

Am I the only one

Nope. The only time in recent years I recall needing a map is on a visit to Hershey. Despite being one of the parks I've visited most, there are a couple of areas there that always confuse me. I used the interactive map in the app I think twice all day and it was helpful. Otherwise, I typically just enjoy exploring, especially parks that I've never been to.

I haven't rope-dropped since I was a teenager.

I enjoy exploring on my own, but to tell the truth, as an enthusiast it’s hard to visit a park these days without having at least some knowledge of layout and location of the good stuff.
That policy of mine got me into trouble a couple of times though.
Hershey- I echo the sentiments of the place having a confusing layout. I got turned around and stuck up on a hill somewhere without a clue how to get down and around to a ride that I could see just right over there. I hate that place.
Six Flags Great Adventure- after I was back in Ohio I pulled out my park map to reminisce about my trip and screamed out loud when I realized I had missed a ride. It was the Dark Knight mouse ride and it was on a dead end around the corner and I didn’t walk over there just out of laziness. I was so mad-
Not that Dark Knight is all that great, but I missed a credit. Now I have to go back.
Europa- there are so many themed sections, so many buildings, and so many skinny pathways that I finally gave up and pulled out my English map, in the exact effort to avoid my mistake in New Jersey. The three parks I visited in Europe were all like that, especially Phantasialand where it was so confusing I had my eyes glued to the map the entire time.

I'm going to Phantasialand in October. I only have 1 day there and I will be using a map. :)

Hershey is definitely confusing, the bird aviary area at BGT has gotten me lost too. Even though it’s compact Kennywood has narrow paths and I find it easy to miss stuff. Magic Mountain was a bit daunting as well on my first trip.

Don't like looking at the map on your small phone? Just carry around a desktop computer (or even a laptop). Problem solved. Sarcasm aside, I haven't been to any parks in a few years so I hadn't noticed this trend, but it is sad to me. As a kid, I loved getting park maps and dreaming up my next trip to the park. I also enjoyed buying the souvenir maps that most parks had.

Similarly, I miss the old advertising flyers that you would see all over the place. The ones that are still printed don't have near as much information as they used to. I remember grabbing the new Cedar Point one to get a first look at what the new attraction was for that year. (I'm old, this is before we had internet to check that out way earlier.)