Your views on going to parks solo?

I guess I'm in the camp that there are good points to both visiting solo and visiting with others.

If I'm at an out-of-town park, if I am with other people, I prefer to be with just one or two people. People who understand that I need to ride from open to close and who are comfortable with splitting up if need be. If I spend the money on a trip to another park, I need to get the most out of it and not regret missing some of the rides because I didn't do a full day, or even worse, missing night rides due to having to leave to accomodate someone else.

At the home park, it is less urgent to get on everything on each visit, but I still often meet up with friends at the park, rather than go together, because one thing I NEVER miss is night rides and riding until the park closes, and that way if the person/persons I am with have to leave, I can stay.

Some advantages to being a single rider include single rider lines, such as on Superman: Tower of Power at SFOT where you can often bypass a line exceeeding one hour in length and walk right on the ride!

A disadvantage of course is "no single rider" rules, which I hate, but on the bright side can sometimes be bypassed with little hassle. At SFOT, for instance, if staffing levels allow it, you can get one of the employees working the ride to hop in for a "courtesy ride" on the log ride and antique cars, saving the hassle and awkwardness of having to wait for a group that you can be squeezed in with. This also guarantees getting a front seat on the log ride and being able to drive the antiques without inconveniencing other guests, because the employee doing the courtesy ride will of course let the guest sit where they want.

On the few coasters I've ridden where this was an issue, I've found crews will often call for a single rider to match up with you, even offering to let someone who is with someone else ride twice to fill the seat if need be, (once with the single rider and again with their party) so it generally hasn't been a problem. This used to be the case on Viper and Greased Lightnin' at SFAW, but this year they added unobtrusive seat dividers and single riders are now allowed on those coasters!

Frontrider *** Edited 6/15/2005 7:17:39 PM UTC by Frontrider***

I've never been to a park alone. I'm pretty sure I would be bored out of my mind. That is why I didn't go to BeastBuzz last weekend. I was really considering it, but waking up at 6 to go to an amusement park by myself didn't seem like that good a time. Instead, I crunked it up. . .

I just booked a flight to Baltimore for a coaster trip over Labor Day weekend. While I'm going to try my best to get some friends to go with me, or meet up with people at the parks I'm visiting, if I can't get anyone to go with me I'm cool with that.

I've been to Disneyland by myself several times when I worked there, and I just used the time to walk around, take pictures, ride what I wanted to ride and have a good time with me, myself and I. I'm actually looking forward to going on this trip by myself if need be, because then I can chill, take it easy at the parks and not have to worry about snapping 30 photos of a coaster or taking a bunch of video and having someone yapping in my ear about it. ;)

That said though, if I'm going to my local parks I definately want someone there.

Justin

Never go alone....take your digital camera. It's been my travelling partner on a few day trips to parks, and while I def. prefer to go WITH someone I know, there's been a couple times I've *accidentally* run into other peeps at the park...

signed, Guy Near Hulk... ;)

Word - If there is a trip to go on alone, it would be a CoasterBuzz trip. You may start off alone, but it is simple to find a buddy or group to tag along with.