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Heads up, Park Closed Today 5/11
44 posts
• Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2
Anyone going to the park today should know that Six Flags closed at 12pm today due to high winds and overall crappy weather today.
Somewhere in Florida a village is missing its idiot. He can be found in Washington D.C.
Wow that really sucks if you did bring your mom or anyone for free today.......Good thing we went yesterday. Sorry to anyone who drove up there.
SF trips 09 = 15
SF trips 10= 11 SF trips 11 =7
Correction: SFGAm closed at 12pm noon today because the park was losing money because so few people were there.
Here's my TR: Called on the way up at 11:20am - we were told the park would be open until 5pm. Arrived at 11:40am, right around the time the rain stopped. The parking attendant let us in. We started walking to the entrance, at which point in time a guest told us "better hurry, the park is closing at noon." We got up to the entrance, but the park wouldn't let us in. Despite being told the park would be open until 5pm, 20 mins earlier, the park decided to close 5 hours earlier than that. A few children were at the entrance crying because they couldn't get in. One of the upper management made a smart ass comment to me when I went up to the entrance to voice my concerns. We were in the area for about the next hour+, and it didn't rain at all, and the sun was just about coming out - almost. On the way home, it didn't rain at all until I got home, and that was at around 3pm. Still, the rain was never a downpour. On the way to the park, it was just drizzling. Rides, from what I saw, were still running. The *only* reason the park closed is because no one was there. They didn't care all about the people who had just arrived or who had arrived earlier, all they cared about was saving money, and to hell w/ people that took their day, their money, and god only knows how much they wasted on gas to go to the park for a day. If they were just going to be open for two hours today, they should have never opened at *all.* The park needs to set a policy that they're going to open at least 5 or so hours to see if the weather clears before closing for the day. To open for only 2 hours, during DRIZZLE, then close, when it STOPS raining, only because the park is dead is so completely idiotic, it makes my head hurt just thinking about it. So in summary: first trip to sfgam this year: # of rides: 0 # of hours the park was open: 2 # of hours I was in the park: 0 money spent on gas: ~$30 (non-refundable) # of hours of my life wasted: 5+ My "Six Flags experience" for the day - Priceless
Yeah that is the same thing that happened to me. i talked to some guy there and we said it was because of the weather i told him look at sky its not raining! it was windy but i have been there when it has been worse. i was taking my mom there. but they gave us a free ticket and a free parking pass.
They should have gave everyone there a free season pass for all the troubles and the overalls s.hity-ness of the park.
The park needs to train there employees better instead of worrying about lockers and smoking. Last weekend I went to the park and I needed to run back to my car to get my parking pass stub. I got a re-entry stamp and they didnt say a word. Then I came back to the gate not even 3 mins later and they said we couldnt get back in the park. They were like " you missed it by 1 min, theres nothing we can do". YES THERE WAS! They could have just let us in the park, they saw our stamps. Then I went to quest relations and they didnt give us anything! We should have gotten a free ticket or a boarding pass. Yeah, I agree that the park is becoming a lesser and lesser value every time I go this season. And the prices and limitations keep coming. MOD NOTE: Don't swear at people because you got ripped off. Just not worth it. [read]
^Just because you forgot somthing in your car dose not meen you should get anything, maby you should have checked to see if you had it before you entered the park.
God bless NIU
Next SFGAm trip: Today May 1st SFGAm '10 ride count-53
No, I didnt forget anything. And the person stamping hands should have said something.
[read]
Today really disappointed me.
It was light drizzle from 11am-noon and most rides were up and running between that time. The Rain stopped around noon and the weather has been nice since. If the rain was going to keep up, and the rides were unable to open I expected the park to close early (I was thinking 3pm at the earliest). The noon closing completely caught me by surprise, especially since a majority of the rides were open and the weather was getting better. The park didn't even wait to see how many more guests were going to show up when the rain stopped. I was lucky enough to get there around opening. So unlike Cryptkeeper I got into the park and was able to have some fun for two hours before the park closed. The park gave us Free Tickets on our way out, but I'm a passholder...it's great for whoever I bring in the future. But useless to me. Refunding the money I wasted on gas going there and back is what would have been appropriate compensation in my opinion. Go Bulls!
Dave - SFGAmWorld Webmaster
O, sorry my mistake.
But ya, I was about to go but I checked the site and it said it was closing at noon so i didn't bother going God bless NIU
Next SFGAm trip: Today May 1st SFGAm '10 ride count-53
Totally agree with Dave, everything. I was also thinking that they might close early, like around 3, but definitey not noon. I could not believe it when I heard it. I'm pretty disappointed they didn't wait and see that the weather was going to clear out and more people would come... I think they just lost money by making that decision, but what do I know?
Oh boo hoo.
E.. The weather was crappy, the park had every right to close. Yes it was crappy that you all drove out there and wasted gas money and I'm sorry, but the park can close if they wish. The forecast was for off and on rain the rest of the day and there was a wind advisory. Winds were high most the day and it probably wouldn't have been the best of days at the park. So they closed it. Sure it might have been because of low attendance, but the very root of the problem was the weather and it is very easy for the park to cite the weather in the cause of the closing. That said, reimbursing gas money is a ludicrous idea. I worked at an outdoor restaurant, when the weather was bad we often closed early. Sometimes people would arrive and discover that we were closed, that really sucks for them but we didn't pay their gas money. Airlines often cancel flights due to low booking or bad weather, if you arrive at the airport, they don't pay for the gas you spent driving there. I think there was a breakdown of communication in the park that led to some of you getting frustrated. Perhaps not everyone, and some people who really should have known (like Customer Support), gave out false or invalid information. Again that sucks, and I'm sorry, but just calm down. Maybe I'm just playing the part of the devil's advocate..
While I feel for everyone that went today and had to leave at noon, and also for those that called the park, only to show up and either not get in, or left right away, there is something I will say on this.
When I worked at the park, I remember talking to supervisors and upper management about the case if there is not a certain amount of people in the park on a given day by noon, the park would close. I don't remember the exact amount, and it has probably changed since then, but the point is this: It costs the park a certain amount of money to operate the park each day. That cost is off-set by the guests. There is a point where you are not making money in a given day, but loosing it, as there is not enough people in the park to turn a profit. That number is low, and I thought it was between 1,000 and 1,500 people. If the park did not have that by noon, regardless of the weather, they would close, as they were not making money that day. So, while the weather did not help things in the morning, I think the main reason they closed is that they did not have enough people in the park to make money today. --Brian
What a mature comment. Nice, moderator, nice. 
The weather was not crappy. Please stop stating this as a fact. You were not there. You do not know.
Why do you keep bringing up winds? The only ride closed due to winds is Giant Drop - and that happens every once and awhile. The wind had nothing at all to do w/ anything. And it just "might" not have been because of low attendance, but was because of that...no "might" about it. And the reason there was low attendance is threefold - it being Mother's Day, it being a SUNDAY (crowds almost always arrive late on Sundays), and light rain in the morning. I have no idea why they just allowed 1.5 hrs. for people to arrive, and then threw in the towel. They should have never opened at all if that's what they were going to do. Whoever made this decision made a bonehead move.
Actually, there wasn't a breakdown of communications. When we arrived at 11:40am, one of the park's upper management stated that they had just decided 10 to 15 mins ago to close the park for the day. This was a very, very last minute decision made only 1 hr. 15+ mins. after the park opened. That's just insane.
I don't think you're playing. 
No, I'm stating FACT that the weather was crappy. http://www.weather.gov/data/obhistory/KUGN.html Rain was falling at 11:50. (well that is 5 miles from the park, but I highly doubt that is far enough to make a difference)
I bring up winds because there was a wind advisory out at the time.
That was issued this morning. It was expected to be a windy and bad day today. Like I said in the other thread, Sure I'm open to the fact that they might have closed the park due to poor attendance, but they have the excuse of the weather to fall back on.
5 miles isn't enough to make a difference even after I said it wasn't raining? Ok, I guess I could ask everyone else who was there at that time (you know who you are) to post to confirm that it was not raining at that time, but what would be the point? You have your computer data, and I was there and am speaking from first hand experience. You go ahead and believe your computer. But as I said, you weren't there and you do not know.
I bring up winds because there was a wind advisory out at the time.
That was issued this morning. It was expected to be a windy and bad day today. [/quote] So, is the park going to start closing now based on forcasts? That could get quite interesting...but isn't going to happen.
The weather was bad, and there were high winds. My parents were driving me back to school in Milwaukee from our home in the south Chicago suburbs, and our car was getting blown all over the road for the entire trip. We had to drive right by SFGAm as well. I can confirm that the weather was indeed poor.
Also, to whoever said wind had nothing to do with the decision: The wind always creates a drag force on the trains. If this force is great enough, it can cause the train to valley. Someone within the park seemed to think there was sufficient danger of this happening. Because of this, and the low attendance (which likely was caused by the bad weather), then closing the park seemed like the only option. It is unfortunate, and if it happened to me, I would have been very angry. 
Wow, just wow. When we were driving to the park, *our* car did not get at all blown around the road. How about anyone else's car? anybody..anyone? And I love your analysis on what someone in the park thought! Do you have a friend in maintenance? Could you explain to me why, if someone at the park thought there was sufficient danger for a train to valley, could you please tell me why every coaster in the park was open except Cajun, Whizzer (rain), and Eagle blue (I hear it had issues? shrugs) LOL! I love this analysis of what went down from someone driving down the interstate..classic. And how do you know what the "only option" was? You're not in SFGAm upper management, are you? Well, at least you would have been angry if it happened to you. At least there is that saving grace. Last edited by Cryptkeeper on May 11th, 2008, 11:59 pm, edited 2 times in total.
The only thing I I had almost blown off of my car was the windshield wiper at the beginning of my drive! Hahahahahahahaha!
Then why is that policy not listed on park maps and season passes? Usually, they just mention inclimate weather not attendance.
I'm surprised they followed that policy....
When I was at the park on Saturday people cut in the line for batman and a worker clearly saw them and people were complaining to that employee and they still didn't do anything. So much for a strict no line jumping rule.
You *might* want to clarify, before anyone gets the wrong idea, that this had nothing to do with any strong "wind" force blowing the wiper off of your car. Someone reading this might get the wrong idea. 
I dont doubt that the park lost money on 05/11/08 or would have lost alittle more if they didnt close, but that isnt a reason to close when you have guests who traveled to the park to visit. A company doesnt make money every day of the year, but you should take care of your guests every day they are at the park. Since they had seasonpass bring a visitor free day they knew it wasnt going to be a busy day anyway. This is just one among way too numerous example's where the treatment of guests come way behind the park trying to squeeze a extra buck out of there guests.
Once the park decided to open for the day the park should have stayed open till closing, unless there were severe weather conditions that would have forced a closure, and since most rides were operating that wasnt the case. They could have closed some food stands/games etc due to the small crowds, but not the whole park.
I can't say how the weather was at 11:50, because I was not outside yet...but I left my house at 2pm to go. It was mild out, and actually the sun was starting to peak out. The wind did not seem too bad, and I live in Gurnee. We drove the 4 miles to the park, and were surprised at the closed gate greeting us. I called and the guy basically said "Sorry, due to the high winds earlier, we had to close."
I agree with others, that opening day was much worse weather. It was 58 degrees out at 2pm. We were brining a few people with the bring a friend for free, and unfortunately, the next one is early June. I agree with Brian P. who stated the number of guests was probably 1000 - 1500. This was probably more of the determining factor than the weather. For what its worth this is from the FAQ on the SFGAM website: What happens if it rains? The park contains all types of activities, many of which are not dependent upon good weather, including indoor shows, games and arcades. While some rides and shows may close due to rain or wind, these rides and shows are opened as soon as the weather clears. Refunds and rainchecks are not offered.
Wow, I can't beleive that I am agreeing with Bob O for the second time.
I usually defend Great America in their decisions, but not this time. How can you defend this? We planed on heading up to the park at around 2:00, because it looked like the weather was getting better. I never would have thought about calling the park to see if they were open. I would have to agree that they closed due to lack of guests, which, if that is the case, is a really poor excuse. Opening day only had, what, 1,000 - 1,500 guests, and it was a little overcast, cold, and windy. I don't know, there is something that just does not seem right this year at the park. Maybe it's because Deja Vu, Splashwater Falls, and Space Shuttle are gone. If it walks like socialist, quacks like socialist, smells like a socialist, .... it's a socialist. Hope, and change we can believe in.
Everybody knows the rules for why they close, you cant really say its surprising. Everybody jumps on the bandwagon when theres a thread about six flags slowly getting out of debt, but when they do something to stop themselves for going deeper into debt (even if its only a little bit) people are pissed off. You cant be mad at the park for trying to cut their losses. You cant be mad at the employees because they are trained to run the park normally not to close it down early. The only people that you could conceivably be mad at is yourselves for not reconsidering the plans for the day knowing the weather was bad or the supervisors for not directing the employees in the manner needed to handle upset guests.
Its unfortunate that the park had to close, but it can only get better right? Remember, there's nothing but air beneath the chair.
44 posts
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