Sunday, March 1, 2015

The One About What Not to Do

By: William Supko
These opinions are my own and may not necessarily reflect those of The Coaster Crew.


Hello Coaster Crew members, fans and friends!

Great news, the blog is coming back and it will soon have a new home on the Coaster Crew website. We will start posting new blogs on here until the new space is ready. We hope to bring you at least one new blog a week. If you'd have an idea for a blog or you'd like to contribute as a guest blogger please send us a message at coastercrewblog@gmail.com.  And now, on with the show.



Here are some things we should stop doing ASAP.

1. Please Stop Comparing Everything to Disney

Seasonal amusement parks around the country do not have the budget to put in highly themed queues and rides. They also don't have the budget or time to have a highly trained staff. While every park should strive for good, clean, safe fun, there is no way it will entertain and delight in Disney fashion.   That is great. Diversity and variety are the spices of life.  Also there are no 200 foot plus roller coasters on a Disney property and a Disney ticket on average is $40 more than most major theme parks.

2. Please Stop Complaining About the Prices

Understand that there is a lot that goes into an amusement park pricing (so much so that we'll go into that on another blog soon). Ticket prices and food prices average out to around the same amount in parks of the same class. Do your research before heading to the park. Very few people pay full price
for entry and most amusement parks list where you can get a good deal on their site. Those lines you already hate so much would be so much longer if the park made tickets cheaper.

3. Please Stop the Selfies

This one's for you if you just complained about how long the wait was and then sat down and immediately began snapping pictures before securing yourself into the ride. Stopping a ride attendant and asking them to snap a picture is also holding the ride up. “But it only takes a few seconds” you say. Well multiply that few seconds by hundreds of people and it's a pretty big chunk of time wasted.  This equates to less ride cycles which equates to longer wait times.

4. Please Stop Blocking the Midway

Your group is so lost and you need to look at the map. Your group split up and it's time to meet back up. You just ran into that guy that was your neighbors brother when you were in second grade. None of these things are good reasons for stopping in the middle of the midway. If you need to figure out where you are going, meet up with your group or unexpectedly run into someone pull it off to the side of the midway. You're less likely to get bumped into or run over that way.  You're also less likely to irritate other park guests on a hot crowded day.

5. Please Stop Line Jumping

Having to go to the bathroom is not a valid reason to leave the line and then return. Needing to go get a drink or meeting up with someone that saved your spot aren't valid reasons either. There is no reason you should be walking past someone in a queue. Before entering the line make sure you are well hydrated, no one needs to use the restroom and your entire party is together.  Line jumping isn't fair to the people that use proper line etiquette.

6. Please Stop Ignoring the Height Signs

Height requirements are set by the manufacturer. The park may also have a bit of say in what they want the height requirement to be. In no way was the height set by the operator that is refusing to allow your kid to ride.  Please stop yelling at her or him. Almost every park everywhere across the USA has height and health requirement signs at the front of the attraction. Please don't blame employees for your failure to read them. You should care enough about your child's safety to understand what the requirements are to ride before getting into the line.

7. Please Stop Assuming Your Opinion is Everyone's Opinion

Everyone has different tastes. What you call a lame little kiddy coaster is some 5 year old's (or less adventurous adult's) favorite ride. Some people prefer a rough classic ride to that of a smooth new coaster. Some people prefer B&M to Intamin.  Some people don't even know what B&M and Intamin are! There are varying levels of enthusiasts in the amusement industry. Please don't bash or disregard someone's opinion (as long as it's worded as an opinion and not hate or trolling) just because they don't have the knowledge you do.

8. Please Stop Bringing the Kitchen Sink

These days people seem to be all about bringing in these huge bags. If you happen to bring in one of these bags be aware of your surroundings. If you bump into someone please apologize. Also, don't get angry because ride attendants won't allow you to keep loose articles on a ride. It's not because they care about your articles getting damaged it's because they want to make sure all of the considerate riders don't get injured by your loose articles.

9. Please Stop Waiting to get Home to Complain About a Situation

Having social media and email these days makes it so easy to go home and write a scathing letter or review. People often go to social media sites like Facebook and write these long detailed accounts but don't mention something before leaving the park. This makes it more difficult for the park to handle the situation properly and it makes the reviewer less credible. If you encounter poor guest service say something before you leave. If you see safety hazards ask to speak with a supervisor immediately.


Thanks for reading, see you on the midway soon!
-William

Are there any things you don't agree with?  Anything you would add to this list?  We LOVE interaction and conversation.  We also welcome negative feedback. We would like to remind you that comments that are hateful, trolling, spamming or are not constructive will be deleted.

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