If you think you’ve seen or heard some stupid things at theme parks imagine what the employees have witnessed. The Amusement Park Tales is a blog that chronicles a ride operators experiences at an unnamed Ohio amusement park.
Under the pen name MAL, the blogger shares her “most ridiculous stories”, from her time working in a park’s kiddie section last summer. Reading her stories of stupidity, high drama emergency stops, close calls, and strange guests might help you get your theme park fix in the dead of winter. It’s been so cold that those sunny theme park trips seem light years away.
Check out The Amusement Park Tales.
What’s Your Take?
What do you think of Amusement Park Tales? What are some of the strangest or dumbest things you’ve encountered while visiting a theme park? Leave a comment below.
January 14, 2010 at 17:44
Thanks. This is a great website and might check it often. (I still like yours better, CC!)
January 14, 2010 at 17:51
Kiddy rides take up too much space, time to build, and energy to operate. and they are louder than larger rides. Take Six flags Great adventure, Bizarro is silent compared to a kiddy coaster a few meters away! Kiddy rides should be taken out of parks and put in zoos and carnivals. Thrill rides should be in theme parks. In some parks, there are 3+ kiddy areas when that space could be used for a thrill ride or another coaster!
January 19, 2010 at 02:29
Also, the money generated from families and kids visiting parks helps to pay for those thrill rides. I would imagine if kiddy rides were taken out of parks (and you lost the family/kid revenue) you might have fewer thrill rides or have a somewhat bare park with an expensive pay per ride system.
January 15, 2010 at 02:52
Yeah, but adding kidde rides makes theme parks alot more family freindly, and families take up most of the theme park visitors, so their an important key to sucess.
January 15, 2010 at 06:35
Prof. BAM, Bizarro's actually quite loud! Six Flags had B&M leave the box track hollow so it would make a roaring sound, and I love the sound! I'd say it makes more noise than Runaway Train (if that's what you're talking about). GADV is my home park and it will be forever!
January 15, 2010 at 13:53
sorry, but i think Prof. BAM ment Six Flags New England, not great adventure
January 16, 2010 at 04:33
Ther`s no Medusa at New england, amd Batman: the Dark Knight dosen`t have a kidde coaster nearby, while SFGAdv. dose have a kiddie coaster next to it, even though I can`t say it`s too loud. Perhaps s/he was talking about the rattling sound made by kiddie rides, different from the roar of large thrill rides.
January 17, 2010 at 04:50
How boring and typically american. Worked at theme parks for the past 4 years, and even the people working one year can write better stories than that. She just sounds like a miserable person who doesn't wanna work there!
January 17, 2010 at 09:46
Don't be so critical, TheRider! At least say that in a polite way! Check out CC's newest article, "A Coaster Enthusiast's Resolutions", second section. I think it would be fun to work in a theme park, even if it's in the kiddie section. Maybe I need to apply for a job at Carowinds…
January 17, 2010 at 13:13
I know were not supposed to get in arguments but whats "typically american" supposed to mean?
January 19, 2010 at 13:03
i translate it as: "Im Jealous"
January 19, 2010 at 13:08
Nice one, Quil.
January 21, 2010 at 03:08
thanks.
January 19, 2010 at 06:59
After working at an amusement park one summer, I found that the worst part about operating a ride was dealing with the parents. lol
January 20, 2010 at 05:40
I bet. Reminds me of her story about the parent that had the ride ops check her kids seat belt several times and then again while on the lift hill.
January 21, 2010 at 03:03
Why didn`t they themselves?
January 21, 2010 at 18:45
When I worked in Kiddieland at Kennywood, parents were not allowed inside of the ride fences … something about insurance. Lifting all of those kids was backbreaking work. The ride most dreaded by employees was the little boats that go around in a circle.
January 22, 2010 at 13:09
I bet Judy. That would be quite a strain on your back to have to bend all the way down into those boats. My daughter loved that ride at Carowinds. She was really upset when it was over and she realized that she had to get out.
March 1, 2010 at 18:42
Is the link broken or did something happen to the website?
March 2, 2010 at 04:01
?
March 2, 2010 at 13:46
yeah… it says blog not found…
March 3, 2010 at 03:02
oh! sorry, i was a little blank at the moment.
March 5, 2010 at 02:51
She must have deleted her blog. I was wondering if the unnamed park would have a problem with her telling these stories. It can still be accessed for now via Google if you click on the "CACHED" link in these search results: <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=amusement+park+tales+blogspot&btnG=Search&hl=en&rlz=1C1CHNG_enUS331US331&sa=2" rel="nofollow">amusement park tales blogspot</a rel="nofollow">
It'll be gone for good soon.