Worst Experience at a park

Hey everyone. I was just wondering what was your worst experience at a park. For example, about two years ago some of my junior high school's coaches organized a non-school sponsored trip(they used to do this every year but aren't this year) to Atlanta. It consisted of leaving the junior high at around four in three charter buses, then that night we went to a Braves game and checked into the hotel at about ten or so. The next morning we were supposed to go to White Water. When we got to the parking lot there, there were no cars in it. We got up to the gate and when we got there said they were closed for construction. Keep in mind that we had bought our tickets in advance and they had sold us tickets on a day they were CLOSED! The coaches talked to someone and a few weeks later at lunch anybody on the trip got two free tickets, so my dad took me and a friend that summer. Because they were closed, since we were planning to go to Six Flags that night until closing and then go back the next morning, we went back to the hotel so people could change and went to Six Flags. The lines were so bad me and my friend only got on two rides which were Batman and Cyclone. We were lined up for GASM, but it broke down. The only good thing was that it was mother's day the next day when we were going back so there were NO LINES at all. We got on every coaster there except for Deja Vu(Closed) and the Mine Train(Didn't feel like going on it). The longest line of the day was a hour wait for Superman because it had just opened a few weeks before and the line the day before was 3 hours.

I'll bet you are going to get a lot of responses about a well known post-SF owned park in Ohio. Maybe this thread should have a rule that the Six Flags park in ohio isn't included in this topic because it was in a legue of it's own and simply doesn't count. Otherwise this may become a SFWoA bashing thread.

Take or leave my suggestion.

My non-SFWoA worst park expierence is anytime I go to a park by myself and am not allowed to ride a ride because they have "no single riders" rule. I HATE that. I am an adult. I've rode a lot of rides a lot of times and I know what kinds of forces to expect.

Last time I was at Kennywood (A wonderful park, by the way), I couldn't ride Thunderbolt, Wipeout, and maybe a few more. I mean-Thunderbolt? The most popular woodie at the park and I can't ride it because I'm alone?

I know the real reasons have to do with witnesses and such. But I am a grown man. It still doesn't make any sense to me.

It's happened at a few more parks that I can't really remember right now. I usuially have company when I go to parks so it's not a reallyreallyreally big deal.

My worst experience was at SFGAm last August. I had a wednesday off so I decided to take the kids and two cousins there. Being a wednesday I figured that there would be no lines. Was I wrong. Wizzer 1 hr 30min, Demon 1hr 45 min, American Eagle was into the tent area in front , Superman 3hrs. RagingBull que all filled and out in front of the basketball game. Most flat were about 30 to 45 min waits. It was a horrible day due the fact that the next sunday was the last day to use those read to succeed tickets expired. So never go to Six Flags the last week those tickets are good as everbody waits to use them.

Hands Down Six Flags St. Louis

A few years ago I went with my sister to one of the first days the park was open (02 I think) At one moment in the day these coasters were closed:
The Boss
Batman:The Ride
Screamin Eagle
Mr. Freeze
and to top it off NINJA!!!

It was a perfect day out and I couldn't even ride the coasters. I was so mad I asked for a refund, and they couldn't even make that happen. That was my worst experience EVER in a park.

Oh and I forgot to add to that, on this day SFStL was trying out this new 'Wait in line once, ride twice' thing where if you stayed in the line, you could ride the coaster or flat 2 times in a row. All the lines of the rides over 45 minutes!!! Grrr!

A day at C.P. with only five rides ridden in 14 hours!

Another instance at C.P. was at coastermania 2000.

Rode Raptor and BlueStreak e.r.t. before park opened

and MeanStreak and Magnum e.r.t. after closing!

rained very heavily the rest of the day causing a retreat to the motel.

By the way has anybody beaten the odds and actually rode every coaster in one day at Cedar Point? I have never been past the count of 7!

Stark Raven Mad last year at Holiday World. Not because of anything the park did, but because of the senseless tragedy that occured there during the event. It was the saddest I've ever been in a park. I hope to God that I never have to experience a day at a park like that again...

SFGAm two years ago or so...

pile of human excrement on ground about 10feet from the washroom. said poop had beeb there for a while as it had been STEPPED IN!!

saw sweep walk right by and do nothing.

worst...experience....ever!!!

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rsscbell said:

By the way has anybody beaten the odds and actually rode every coaster in one day at Cedar Point? I have never been past the count of 7!

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Several times. Haven't tried it since Dragster though. Actually, every time we've gone to CP without the kids we've done it (every coaster but Gemini Jr.) - that's 14 in a day.

Just start in the back. Use the Magnum Entrance. You can get Gemini, Magnum, CCMR, and Woodstock (and Gemini Jr if you have a child to ride with) before Mean Streak opens. Hit Mean Streak as it opens and take the train. Score a quick Iron Dragon and Corkscrew lap. Slow it down with a moderate wait for Wildcat.

Realistically on days the park opens at 10am, it shouldn't be later than noon or so by the time you get off of Wildcat with it being the only real wait you'll have run into. That's 8 (9 if you take the kiddie credit) right there.

Then it's Blue Streak, Disaster Transport, Wicked Twister. As long as it's not a weekend, that shouldn't be more than 2 or 2 1/2 hours at worst.

You're up 11 (or 12) by 3pm.

If you can't hit the last 4 in 8 hours (summer hours) then there's a problem.

Just our plan of attack, but it's worked consistently for years. You mileage may vary.

EDIT - and if you're a hotel guest you can score either MF or TTD before the park officially opens leaving just 3 coasters in 8 hours to end the day.

*** Edited 4/25/2004 6:20:10 AM UTC by Lord Gonchar***

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Zero-G said:

You can go ride the Wipeout at Kennywood singularly, but not the Starfish at Geauga Lake. Not because we really wanted it that way, but because we had to enforce that rule to pass inspection.

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Jes, do you think that they don't want single riders on Starfish because people have fallen out of it on two different occasions? Better safe than sorry... especially on a death trap. ;)

I love Cedar Point! I seem to be lucky picking days when most of the coasters are walk-ons. I have not been in a couple of years. Most of the reason for that is who really wants to ride a coaster alone anyway? I actually love to stand in hour long lines it just makes the ride so much better. I like to take my time at the park and space out the rides so there is still one last coaster to ride before the time at the park ends.

P.S. I can't say the same for PKI though. In my opinion only one coaster there is worth the time.

Idlewild's opening day last year because we were all ready to go, got to the park and it was closed due to heavy rains.

P.S. I can't say the same for PKI though. In my opinion only one coaster there is worth the time.

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Well, you know what they say about opinions, they are like buttholes, everyone has got one and most of them stink!

My worst experience at a park was at Cedar Point about 9 years ago. I think i was 9 years old, we where there for 2 days in the middle of July. The lines for even the stupidest rides were huge. I just remember waiting 2 and a half hours for Raptor. The worst part was waiting an hour for Disaster Transport, I was so disappointed with it. To top off the long lines, Magnum was broken down the entire time we were there, and both times we tried riding Gemini it ended up breaking. I havent been back to Cedar Point since then, but I am planning at summer trip with a bunch of my friends for a weekend road trip. I hope it will be a better experience.

I never really have bad experiences at parks, but my "worst"(and I say that gently) was at SFOG when I was seven. The lines were really bad, and I didn't get to ride the new Batman Coaster because I was too short. I didn't care though.

I love every visit to a park, because they are so rare.

Phantoms revenge rules,

My advice to you is that the best way to avoid long lines is to stay away from parks on weekends, especially durring summer. I fear you will have the same experience at CP this time as well.

Go on a weekday early or late in the season, like Spring or Fall.

^ I'm going to second that. You shouldn't even be complaining about a park if you went on a weekend in July/August.

I figured I would be hearing more 'unusual' stories, rather than ones about a coaster being closed.

My worth expirience at a park was my first trip to PKI at the age of 17. We didn't have the option of staying over night (due to age), so I was going to brave the 4 hour trip back home that night. To make a long story short, I realized that I lost our car keys about 1-2 pm. We looked high and low, and asked here or there. I eventually had to call home and mom and dad made the trip east to bring me a set of keys. I didn't enjoy myself for the rest of the day. I felt guilty for being there and even worse when I thought of my parents making that drive over for just me. Oh well...

Now I bring a couple sets!

Pre-Dragster, there have been several times that I have gotten half the coasters in the park by 1130.

My worst experience was PGA last summer, after a 4 hr flight from Indy, I arrived at the park to find it packed, being that I was jet lagged, I had no patientce with lines, I actually waited in line for Grizzly for over an hour, and that was it! I spent 5 hrs in the park before I was drop dead tired and only got one ride on the worst coaster in the park! Of course on the same trip a week later I got to ride every coaster at SFMW by 12:00 of course the 105 degree temp made for a small crowd that day, So I took the wise choice and headed to the air conditioned comfort of the California Railroad Museum instead of more rerides.

The only "worst" experience I had at a park, not counting the actual experience with whom I took to the park...

...would have to be back in the year 2003. Back then, things seemed different... well, the day sure started fine and dandy. It was a pleasant mid-August afternoon at this little park called Cedar Point.

...everything seemed to be open. Dragster was testing early and wound up opening in the AM. We then decided to get a few afternoon hand-stamps for Magnum & Millennium Force for early evening, and head for Dragster after the waterpark. Well, wouldn't you know it... at around 4pm in the waterpark, all of the water all of a sudden stops flowing.
"WTF?! Why are we waiting? C'mon, I really wanted to try the family tube slide!!!"

A little look to the right, and there's Magnum stuck on the lift hill... a little look to the right, and there's Millennium Force stuck on the lift hill as well. Wouldn't ya know it... it's a power-outtage.
We're chased out of line... and everything just goes quiet. Not much else to do except go another round of the lazy/adventure river before it closes...

...then that closes! My Draster mug isn't getting filled with pop anymore, but instead whatever water they can dispense since their machines aren't workin'.
...we soon realize that this is pretty serious, despite not having any radio contact....
...so eventually, we had to leave the park, sans-Dragster & the hand-stamped coasters. Took like an hour & a half to travel about 2 miles to the campground.

Of all the days in all the years in all the decades of existance... this was the day that the Northeast decided to have the biggest power-outtage in their history of outtages!

**sigh** at least people remember when I went, but still left a bitter taste in my mouth because of the lost ride-time, and the pain-in-the-ass ride back to camp.

The somewhat good part? CP did kind of make it up to guests to come free during september weekends or a discount on the halloween weekends, but I never had the time to make the trip there again, so it was kind of useless.

My worst experience ever was at Kings Island. I got an early headache from Face/Off and SOB, but I thought I would be okay. Later on in the day I rode Flight of Fear and SOB back to back, and I thought I was going to die. I actually turned green, just like one of those damn peeps in RCT! My head was pounding, I was dizzy, and I was sick to my stomach. I had to lay down on one of those metal benches with holes in it the rest of the day while my friends continued to ride the rides. It was horrible to say the least.