Ugh... what a night. Sadly might've been my unexpected last visit of the season... UGHHHH.
So I didn't leave as early as I wanted to since Jason still had to get ready and whatnot... Well we left but did not get there in time for opening because of really bad traffic backups. First, on a normal street, there was a car on the other side that ran right over/into a fire hydrant and then into a tree. That really backed things up on the other side of the road, but not so much our side. Then on the tollway, it was backed up for 2+ miles because of a car fire on the other side of the road. There were other slowdowns... and there was one LONG backup that just took forever and at the end of it the only thing I saw was a Corvette that was pulled over. WTF is wrong with people? Whatever...
We stopped at McDonald's first. Then we got into the park at about... 5:30. First we waited for Whizzer. Great, it breaks down. No idea why, it was sitting in the station ready to go and they told everyone to go back. So lots of people leave, and we noticed how short the line was for front row so we got in that line. It took forever to get it working again. Once it was back up, which was about 6, we waited a few cycles and then got on. Great ride.
Next was Viper. I loveee this coaster at night. Especially in the rain... which it started to rain once our train was sent out. It was only a really light drizzle though. It was a great ride. Then we waited for Bull, which had one queue house open. Eventually it started raining harder and they closed the ride. We eventually got on in the back row, and yeeeehaw. I love Bull at night, and I for once had my lapbar up high enough the WHOLE time. Usually it goes down during the first drop, or after.
Then we waited for Eagle. For once both sides were running! We went on red in the front. WOOPS. It had started raining again but we didn't notice it til we got on. It looked like it was raining a bit hard. I was thinking... oh dear. After the first drop I had to cover my face. Halfway through the helix I just decided to close my eyes and it was an interesting ride from there with the eyes closed. Very very fun even though I wanted the view of the front row.
Then we went through Necro. I had lots of fun indeed! Chris, I said hi to you but IDK if you saw me, lol. I pretended to be afraid of all the characters, I'd be like "OMG it's the twins..." and they'd come up to me and scare the crap out of me. It was so fun. I wanted to ride BTR, but it was closed cause of weather. Oh yeah, Vu was closed all night. Next, we rode The Birds. For some reason I felt VERY sick from this ride. I could not get up from my seat at first. I was real dizzy and felt like puking. After that we rested, and after walking around, I decided I was too cold and too wet to wanna stay. I wanted to warm up in the car and go to sleep, so bad.
So we left. It was about 10. We went to McDonalds, and then headed home. As usual, I fell asleep on the way home. I woke up when we got to the first two tolls, but not the third, for once. Then I woke up and realized Jason was putting the car in park and we were on the exit path to Cicero Ave. I looked in the side mirror and saw blue flashing lights... I thought I was dreaming. I was like "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" He said "Yeah."
NOT A COOL THING TO WAKE UP TO. To say the least, it woke me up very much. I haven't been tired since. He got pulled over for speeding in a construction zone, going through 4 lanes quickly and without signaling... ugh. And then when he gives the cop his license, he comes back and says his license was SUSPENDED. And we had to call someone to come and get us since I only have a permit. Apparently his license had been suspended since June... I swear.
Just when you think life can't get any worse, it does. Today was possibly one of the worst days of my life. SFGAm was fun, but other than that... everything was not right.
I was going to process my season pass either today or Sunday. I forgot all about the tickets or whatever. But now after all this happened I am more than likely not going Sunday at all...
I signed up for the Deja Vu ride thing. I wanted to process my pass before October 28th. I was really looking forward to Sunday. Now, nothing matters anymore...
I also went last night. It seemed more busier then I thought it would have been. But still had a good night. Did not go on too much though since we got there at 715. Fun night though.
DejaVuGurl1203 sorry about your bad experiences but try to go sunday if you can so you can get into the ERT for the new batman coaster next year. and the ert event which hopefully wont be was busy.
I was also at the park yesterday for the last time this year.
The park did seem alot busier than normal for a friday night, I wish it had been colder which scaress off people LOL.
It was a good time and I did the haunted area by Demon which i found was short, but very well done and did a great job of scaring my younger daughter and thought the scare-actors were better in that area than what we saw in Necropolis where we saw alot of them just standing around and not as active as the ones by Demon.
And of course DeJaVue again wasnt operating, and my only real complaint was the 2 train operaton on RB which caused the lines to be MUCH WORSE than they should have been, but I guess it it helps sell flashpass's then thet is all that matters. Got into line at 10:05 pm and didnt get onto the ride till 11:02pm and this was a line where the first que area wasnt even full.
But kudo's for having both sides of AE open which made the line cery short.
Galvan316 wrote:^ Deja Vu cant operate in the Rain and neither can 2 trains on Bull.
Deja Vu wasn't even STAFFED last night. No one was even near the ride all night. Yet, it didn't rain for 3 or 4 hours until last night, and could have ran for half the night, yet the park didn't even bother getting ride ops for it. I'm sorry, but that's just awful. They staffed Whizzer (and Demon for that matter, and that didn't quite make it up the hill after the light tunnel at the end of the night, stranding riders who were evacuated and given hot chocolate for their inconvenience ), and Whizzer went down after half of the night I would imagine (due to rain), so why not Vu? With three days left in the rides existence, and the park couldn't even bother to staff it? For as much as people want to blame the rides reliability for it being removed, I think the park shares some of the blame for not getting enough staffing to run it on some days. We all know that's why it has been closed SOME days (not all) of its existence.
Too bad Shapiro and company aren't as focused on staffing as they are on kicking people out of the park who light a cancer stick in a non-designated smoking area. The park would be much better off if that was the case, IMHO.
As already stated DeJaVue wasnt staffed at all, which was also the case last friday, and had the sign up in the front of the park that it would be closed, so it was intentionally closed.
As for rain, most of the night it didnt rain and wasnt raining when the park opened or when it closed, so that isnt a excuse for why RB wasnt on 3 train operation, escpecially when the ride developed a long wait as soon as the park opened. Some one at the park in managment should have been able to see this and increase capacity to meed the demand. Wouldnt keeping all rides operating and staffed properly be family friendly???? Or are families happier when rides arent being operated and lines are much longer due to rides being run at less than full capacity???
They staffed Whizzer (and Demon for that matter, and that didn't quite make it up the hill after the light tunnel at the end of the night, stranding riders who were evacuated and given hot chocolate for their inconvenience )
Yeah.. Last night I noticed that demon had the tunnel lights turned on but they must have already gotten the train out of there. Do they just push the train up or how do they get the train around?
Galvan316 said:
Deja Vu cant operate in the Rain
It also depends on how hard the rain is. I've seen it run in the rain in a light drizzle. The park could have staffed Deja last night but they did not. I was sort of hoping for one final ride on it.. but, I guess I'll have to wait a year which totally blows
Next year for Fright fest, if the park seems like it's going to be crowded I may dish out some money for the goldpass... I hate waiting at Great America. I don't mind waiting at other parks but for some reason I hate waiting at Great America. 15-20 minute waits-tops
Too bad Shapiro and company aren't as focused on staffing as they are on kicking people out of the park who light a cancer stick in a non-designated smoking area. The park would be much better off if that was the case, IMHO.[/quote]
Have you not been reading the stories lately about SFGAm and smoking? They have been kicking people out and now are on a zero tolerance policy.
Staffing is always a huge problem this time of year. They can only do so much. You can't force people to work.
I finally retired the Sarah Palin signature because she is now 100% irrelevant.
Cryptkeeper wrote: Too bad Shapiro and company aren't as focused on staffing as they are on kicking people out of the park who light a cancer stick in a non-designated smoking area. The park would be much better off if that was the case, IMHO.
Have you not been reading the stories lately about SFGAm and smoking? They have been kicking people out and now are on a zero tolerance policy.
Staffing is always a huge problem this time of year. They can only do so much. You can't force people to work.
Yes, I had been reading the stories about the zero tolerance policy. I don't think you read, though, what I said. I was stating that the powers that be are focused on kicking people out for smoking in non-designated smoking areas, and that if they were as intent on doing that as they were on staffing rides, the park would be much better off.
Also consider staffing shouldn't be as much of an issue at the end of the season when many life guards move over to the dry park to work. Considering that all the water rides (Loggers Run, Yankee Clipper, Blood River, Splashwater Falls) and the train were already closed, which is already too much imho, having Vu closed, on one of its final days at the park, is inexcusable.
So, now the question becomes next year, when the park is low staffed, what coaster will the park close due to lack of staffing? As Vu always used to fit that category in the past, they will have to now close a different coaster to clue due to staffing. ..or, will they not do that? Will they close a flat ride or two instead, or in addition? It will be interesting to see how that turns out next year.
^O.K. so you named all of the water rides in the park as closed. Yes, it's been warm on a few days during FF this year, but normally, those rides are closed during October due to cold temps.
Alot of those Lifeguards are college aged. They are gone in October for school which alot of times is out of the area.
The train? I have no idea. Maybe someone working at the park can chime in on that.
I finally retired the Sarah Palin signature because she is now 100% irrelevant.
and my only real complaint was the 2 train operaton on RB which caused the lines to be MUCH WORSE than they should have been, but I guess it it helps sell flashpass's then thet is all that matters
Bolliger & Mabillard (as with most manufacturers) does not allow their rides to run 3 trains in rain.
At least it was running 2 trains. Cedar Fair parks only run 1 train on all coasters during rain now and CP coasters close in rain.
Cryptkeeper wrote: (and Demon for that matter, and that didn't quite make it up the hill after the light tunnel at the end of the night, stranding riders who were evacuated and given hot chocolate for their inconvenience ),
The only thing with the difference with the people controlling the smoking problem and the people who are ride operators is that the people kicking people out are all security. Security doesn't operate the rides the reason they are short in staff is because many of the ride operators were college students who can't make it to six flags once school starts. Most of the security guards are older and they have to staff more security during Fright Fest for the characters safety anyway. Personally safety is a number one priority especially because stupid people attack the characters all the time. Gurnee PD was there all of last weekend because patrons were acting so terribly. Also, smoking around the actors is also not safe and that needs to be controlled too, so thats why the policy recently got so stricted. Also, the announce every 15 minutes about the smoking policy and people still don't listen so its their own fault for getting kicked out they deserve it.
), and Whizzer went down after half of the night I would imagine (due to rain), so why not Vu? With three days left in the rides existence, and the park couldn't even bother to staff it? For as much as people want to blame the rides reliability for it being removed, I think the park shares some of the blame for not getting enough staffing to run it on some days. We all know that's why it has been closed SOME days (not all) of its existence.
which totally blows
I was stating that the powers that be are focused on kicking people out for smoking in non-designated smoking areas, and that if they were as intent on doing that as they were on staffing rides, the park would be much better off.
