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Worst Thing About Theme Parks

What is it.

From Zackiel Marsh
Posted October 22, 2011 at 7:27 PM
What is the worst part about theme parks? What part can't you stand and you wish would go away. For me it is all the lines and the crash at the end of the day when you are so exhausted.


Comments in chronological order. Most recent at the bottom. Scroll down to respond.

From James Rao
Posted October 22, 2011 at 8:12 PM
Lousy, expensive food, and common, midway rides.

From Mike Gallagher
Posted October 23, 2011 at 10:53 AM
1. Long lines
2. Very Long Lines
3. Ridiculously Long Lines
4. Parking Gouging
5. Dark Knight at Great Adventure

From Tim Hillman
Posted October 23, 2011 at 12:57 PM
I have two.

1. The theme parks that don't have enough rides and attractions to provide you with a full day's entertainment yet want to charge you a full day's admission price (DAK and DCA), and

2. Theme parks that don't have a good mixture of rides (all coasters and no or few dark rides).

From Robert Niles
Posted October 23, 2011 at 3:09 PM
One problem, and one problem only: Lack of fun.

Lack of fun can have many causes - gauging prices, indifferent or hostile service, rides that aren't worth the wait. But I've dropped a ton of money and waited hours at park where I had a blast, so money and waits aren't always buzzkills by themselves.

But not having fun at a park? That's the thing I hate most.

From Andy Milito
Posted October 23, 2011 at 4:33 PM
Long wait times. I'm a very impatient person.

From Lauren Hayhurst
Posted October 24, 2011 at 4:25 AM
Rude / unfriendly employees

Long queues - esp those in a boring queuing area, those with distraction are not so bad

The pushchair / wheelchair patrol - when users go too fast in a crowd and nearly run you over, im a very conscientious person, and look after my gran in her wheelchair, but ive had my ankle gouged twice

As for the crash at the end of the day...I always liked this feeling of happy-tired...

From Mike Gallagher
Posted October 24, 2011 at 6:02 AM
Lauren,

I got hit in the back of my ankle just this Saturday..by my ex-girlfriend who was pushing the wheelchair. I don't THINK it was intentional...:)

And I like the crash too...yesterday I got home at 12:30 and dozed off three separate times. I certainly didn't sleep much Saturday night..my crash usually comes the next day.

From AJ Hummel
Posted October 24, 2011 at 11:09 AM
In no particular order, these are my top five:

-Unnecessarily long lines: I don't mind waiting but when the length is due to slow operators or only running one train I get annoyed.

-Rulebreaking Guests: These mostly come in the form of line jumpers or people who sneak cameras onto the rides. The first contribute to wait times, and I've been stopped on several rides so operators could come remove a camera.

-Overpriced/Poor Quality Food: I know park food is expensive, but if the park is going to charge $15 for a meal it better not be lower quality than the McDonalds across the street.

-Crowding on Pathways: This occurs mainly at Disneyland, and is when the walkway is so crowded you have to push yourself through.

-Poor Attempts at Theming: This doesn't mean rides with a poor theme, but rides that a park attempts to theme with minimal effort. I feel that a ride should either be fully themed (not necessarily to Disney Standards, but we'll say at least the standards of the Batmans at Six Flags Parks), or the park shouldn't bother with it at all.

Most of these are annoyances as opposed to things that will ruin my day, as I almost always have a good time at any park.

From Brian Emery
Posted October 24, 2011 at 12:00 PM
While standing in line and realizing I keep smelling flatulence from others…

Missing a hot woman walk by with a wet top on because of a water ride…

The price of a Beer….

From Andy Milito
Posted October 24, 2011 at 1:46 PM
Brian, yours are so.....different. In a good way.

From N B
Posted October 24, 2011 at 10:48 PM
Ummmmm.... Brazilian tour groups of 500 girls and 10 foot high piles of backpacks thrown anywhere. I do like blowing past them multiple times on rides in the Express line, however.

From Rob P
Posted October 25, 2011 at 3:42 AM
People.
Not all people.
But you know the ones I mean.

From Brian Emery
Posted October 25, 2011 at 6:03 AM
Thanks Andy - just keeping it humorous.. But I am also being honest..

From Fred Koury
Posted October 25, 2011 at 10:27 AM
Oh man the Brazilian groups are the worst for sure!!!!!So rude

From Kelly Bean
Posted October 25, 2011 at 1:53 PM
I'm going to say the carzy amounts of, uh, "crop dusting". What are those people eating on their vacations? Ew!

From Andy Milito
Posted October 25, 2011 at 1:53 PM
A little racist, Dom? I kid, I kid :P

From Mike Gallagher
Posted October 25, 2011 at 5:44 PM
My thought exactly, Andy..except for the "I kid, I kid" part.

From chris cona
Posted October 25, 2011 at 6:15 PM
Lousy expensive food, long lines, and crowds of people

From Colton McLaughlin
Posted October 25, 2011 at 7:28 PM
1. Unfriendly/unhelpful/rude employees.
2. Long lines: I don't care if it is the greatest queue EVAR; I'll wait through it once, then do single riders' the rest of the time. Or FastPass.
3. Rude people. Paying to get in does not mean you are any better than everyone else who paid to get in.
4. Rides that hurt. 'Nuff said.


And Dominick, who are these aforementioned "bad guys"?

From Skipper Adam
Posted October 25, 2011 at 8:18 PM
Racism issue aside, I think you are thinking of the large tour groups from Brazil. Statistics show that Brazil has the highest number of visitors to WDW and USF while Mexico is low.

I think the Brazilian groups are annoying. They are a loud, overly happy and excited culture. They can be rude unintentionally and clog the lines.

Not defending anyone, except me, in saying they can be annoying. It's not their race or country or anything like that, it's simply that they have different levels of what is appropriate behavior than Americans.

From Rob P
Posted October 26, 2011 at 2:53 AM
I don't think Dominick really meant his comments to be racist so let's not escalate his , perhaps flippant, observation into something it wasn't meant to be.

From Mike Gallagher
Posted October 26, 2011 at 6:06 AM
Dom, it was just the tone, and specifying Mexicans..and as someone else did earlier, Brazilians. I've encountered countless Caucasian and African-American groups at parks who are guilty of the same behavior.

From Fred Koury
Posted October 26, 2011 at 7:33 AM
It's not the ethnicity Mike. The point is certain times of year there seem to be big retreats by groups of people who happen to be Brazilian or in Dom's experience Mexican and they happen to be very inconsiderate when they are collectively in a group to the other visitors at the park. Please don't be so sensitive. And yes there are plenty of other people of all shapes size and colors who can be rude too.

From Mike Gallagher
Posted October 26, 2011 at 8:07 AM
"It's not the ethnicity, Mike"

Exactly my point, Fred. It doesn't matter to me what color or race they are. They're taking away from my good time at a park. Referring to them as "dumb Mexicans" and "speaking Spanish on the rides" is where the ethnicity was brought in, which I feel was unnecessary.

And I HOPE I'm done with this aspect of this thread.

From Fred Koury
Posted October 26, 2011 at 8:49 AM
I see your point about tone Mike. However, don't slant it in your favor to prove it. In Dom's defense he never referred to anyone as "dumb Mexicans" he said "stupid Mexican field trips" where the word stupid was designated towards the trip itself. Be fair if your going to be critical please.

From Randy Stellar
Posted October 26, 2011 at 9:28 AM
When the rides you wanted most / traveled there for are closed for the day. (And yes, stop talking about racism).

From Brian Emery
Posted October 26, 2011 at 9:37 AM
I think a group of excited Bazillion woman is intriguing… What not to like…?

Now a group of excited Bazillion men would just ruin my day.

From Mike Gallagher
Posted October 26, 2011 at 10:11 AM
Yeah, Fred, I meant to type "stupid" and typed "dumb" instead. I guess that makes me both :)

As stated above, I'm no longer interested in the "other" aspect of this thread. I'll let it lie. We all have opinions, and we're all entitled to them. It's one of the things that makes us human.

From Fred Koury
Posted October 26, 2011 at 11:18 AM
Well said mike....thinking about now perhaps brian has the best point of view;)

From Mike Gallagher
Posted October 26, 2011 at 12:28 PM
Considering how Brian once used this forum to insult me, I'm not sure about that, Fred. Although his posts above kind of put what he said about me in context..you know, "consider the source."

From Brian Emery
Posted October 26, 2011 at 12:50 PM
I am sorry Mike, but I do not recall insulting you…

But anyway moving on, nothing to see here..

From Mike Gallagher
Posted October 26, 2011 at 1:04 PM
Selective memory..we all have it, Brian :)

From Derek Morse
Posted October 26, 2011 at 1:12 PM
My wife and I both agree that its people just standing around in the middle of the park with no clue where they are going, forcing you to dodge them as you go. Now, we are Florida residents and spend a lot of time at Walt Disney World, so we know our way around. I do understand that it can be overwhelming for a first time visitor or tourist, but if you need to stop and get your bearings or look at your map, PLEASE, move off to the side or sit on a bench, do not stand around in the middle of a heavy traffic area looking around dumbfounded. I can't tell you how many people I've almost collided with because of this.

From Brian Emery
Posted October 26, 2011 at 1:18 PM
Mike -
Well I am not saying I would not insult someone, I am simply saying I do not recall it. But if I did, I am sure I had good reason to… hahaha

But really I am truly sorry…I will now go kneel on a frozen pee and say three hail Mary’s as my penance…

The major problem with the internet is that you cannot apply “tone” in a thread..


From Mike Gallagher
Posted October 26, 2011 at 1:36 PM
Brian,I could post on the thread to get it back up to the top, but I'm not vindictive that way. But my memory is long for certain types of things.

But a few more lines like the "frozen pee" one above will go a long way toward healing...:)

From N B
Posted October 26, 2011 at 9:32 PM
I forgot to mention I really dislike those 3 foot wide rental "strollers". I have seen 10-12 year old kids being pushed around (mostly foreigners) and four kids packed in like a clown car.

From Rob P
Posted October 27, 2011 at 4:05 AM
oh and those who pretend to be disabled to get to the front of the line. How sick is that ?

From Albino Pygmy
Posted October 27, 2011 at 11:23 AM
-Brazilian Tour Groups, with their loud and overly happy chants and dance as they scream and point out "Elephante! Elephante! Yay!" To which, I've tailored my spiels to just pointing at animals and shouting the animals names on my cruise, ending with an overly ecstatic "Yay!" There was one cruise where I had their group leader translate for me to the rest of the boat load, and then I got them to do a song and dance for me at the unload dock, that was magical.

-The feeling of opening up your wallet to cobwebs and moths flying out.

-People who check their brains and common sense at the turnstyle.

-Stale churros.

-Having someone else find your car and insist you're trying to steal their car.

-People abusing GAC cards and wheelchairs because they're lazy.

-The feeling that the day is just too short to get all what you want to do, done.

-Leash kids.

-People forming a line just to take a picture of a monument at that very spot where the picture sign is at.

-Stroller hell.

-Having a giant mouse run a tourist trap.

Ok I'm done.

From Andy Milito
Posted October 28, 2011 at 3:23 PM
Why all the hate for foreign people?

From Mike Gallagher
Posted October 28, 2011 at 4:42 PM
I'm still trying to figure out why it's rude to speak one's own language. I thought we put this aspect of the discussion to bed, but I guess Dom's playing alarm clock and waking it up. *YAWN* Five more minutes, Mom? Pleeease?

From Andy Milito
Posted October 28, 2011 at 7:46 PM
Technically, Mike, Albino Pygmy brought it up.

From Zackiel Marsh
Posted October 29, 2011 at 6:00 AM
Can we just stop all the stereotyping on this thread. Just because some certain ethnic groups seem to be more excitable and leave a bad impact on your trip doesn't mean you should criticize an entire race. It is just a stereotype because It have seen quiet tour groups who act fine. Just drop any mention of another race okay.

From Andy Milito
Posted October 29, 2011 at 7:22 AM
I agree, let's just drop the subject entirely.

From Anthony Murphy
Posted October 29, 2011 at 7:42 AM
I would push it out to talk about generally rude and obnoxious tourists at the theme parks/

They are pretty scary at SFGA and none of them are foriegners.

I think people are leaning towards international tourists because they usually are in giant groups. They are generally fine, but large crowds, no matter where they are from, are annoying

From Giovanny Cruz
Posted October 29, 2011 at 8:18 PM
I hate the long lines
Expensive food
Expensives snaks
Rides that the theme is bad
And rollercoasters that give you headchics

From Carrie Hood
Posted October 30, 2011 at 6:18 PM
My number one pet peeve at any theme park:

People who leave their brains locked in the trunk of their car for "safe keeping" then act like complete ********'s with some sense of entitlement because they too paid admission.

From Anthony Murphy
Posted October 30, 2011 at 6:30 PM
Carrie summed up my thoughts exactly!

From Alex Nigh
Posted November 13, 2011 at 1:53 AM
The worst place to go if you don't like Mexican field trips is Knotts Berry Farm.

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