Visiting an Amusement park park 101
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- This is a 101 video on some of the basic you will need to plan and execute a list to your local or regional theme or amusement park. These are guidelines and you will need to consult your final destination to fill in the blanks.
If you are lacking in the visual department, glasses straps are a must. They work very well and even Toro couldn't take my glasses off of me. Even so, i bring my backup glasses and leave them in the car. I don't want to get stuck hours from home because i can't see to drive. Another good idea is you are traveling with other people: have someone in the group carry a spare key for you. Same reasoning behind it.
@@kendonagan5535 ah! Good points! I always worry about dropping the keys. Much harder to find than a cell phone.
I recently visited kings dominion and made such a rookie error in not bringing my strap for sunglasses. Had to ride some coasters in the bright sun. Was a road trip so I had a lot of things to pack and just forgot.
SFOG changed their policy to not allow glasses even WITH straps. I was furious. Especially after they said to put them in my pockets on a whippy invert..
@@kmccurdy21 that is crap. I mean I get it, but it's also crap. Are we supposed to just ride everything and not be able to see a thing?
@@kendonagan5535 They literally sell the athletic straps in the park. lol. I really wonder what caused Over Georgias management to make this decision.
All great advice! I’d just add this: with kids, get pictures of them right before you go into the park, taken wide enough to include entire outfits and shoes. That way, if someone goes missing, you can show park security exactly who you’re looking for, and hopefully locate your tiny human quickly.
Good tips! Perhaps a bit overkill if you're running to a local park for a few hours of fun, but definitely worth keeping in mind if you're spending a full day out or traveling some distance to the park. A few other things I have on my personal checklist...
-For parks I don't visit frequently (less than once a year), I'll spend a bit of time browsing the website to get an idea of what attractions the park offers and what I'm most interested in experiencing. I also like to go on Google Maps and use the satellite image to get an idea of the layout of the park and where each of the major attractions are located.
-Eat breakfast before arriving, either before leaving home or en route to the park. While riding coasters on a full stomach is generally not advisable, doing so on empty can be just as bad.
-Decide in advance what 3-4 rides you're going to do first so you can beat the crowds and not waste time. The first hour is extremely valuable at most parks, so wasting as little time as possible will maximize your ride count. Once the park fills, specific order of rides matters a lot less.
-If you are sweating at all, employ the drinking fountain rule (if you walk within 50 ft of a clean, working drinking fountain, stop and hydrate). If you have a bag, bring a bottle of water or two into the park with you as well (most parks will allow unopened bottles inside).
-In addition to using them for water rides, I like to stick smaller items in plastic bags along with the larger ones. Your keys may slip out of a buttoned pocket on their own, but the chances of losing a bag containing your keys, wallet, and travel sunscreen are far less likely.
-If possible, eat lunch either before 11 A.M. or (more likely) after 2 P.M. to avoid the rush. If you're also planning to have dinner in the park, aim to eat before 4 P.M. or after 7 P.M. if possible.
-If you are feeling off at any point, it's immediate break time. Even if you have to exit a line or skip a ride, the consequences of not listening to your body are much more severe.
Lmao the bounce back time as you get older is no joke!! Cedar point has been my home park for the past 35+ years, I went 10 times last year, and It takes me several days to recover now lol.
@@oldschoolsteve5116 no joke at all. I hold on to the restrains all the time now because I don’t want to hurt that bad the next day.
I find I now need to get in “coaster riding condition” at the start of the year. It takes a visit to shake off the off season and get back to being able to handle the inversions and zero g.
Totally feel that. Cedar Point is my home park too. My daughter and I LOVE Magnum still, but wow, she can handle it a lot better than I can every year 😂
When going during a big event, go to the park during the event, not before or after the event.
Like you said, hydrate! You don't want to pass out on the ride, and graying out on a roller coaster while dehydrated can be super uncomfortable as well.
Also, if it rains, stay at the park. Go to an indoor attraction or restaurant to stay out of the rain. By the time the rain ends, you'll typically be greeted by much shorter wait times for everything which will result in a more fun day at the park.
The best thing on Iron Gwazi is the zipper pouch below the seat. Keys, wallet, phone, etc. have a safe spot ... absolutely brilliant!
@@FloriDUH_JBot that’s nice.
Bang on.
My go to is cargo shorts, a Tilley hat and a Columbia cargo/fishing shirt.
No sun burns.
All the pockets.
Look like a middle age dad (guilty)
@@EdsStuff76 some times you put looks aside for not dying in the heat and sun. haha!
A tip for people who live in wetter climates: always bring a poncho or packable jacket, and a plastic carrier bag. About 1/5th of all my theme park trips in the UK have ended with me being soaked to the core. Wet enough that the portable charger inside my bag breaks from water damage. You can easily stop this just by getting out all your stuff when it starts to rain and lining your backpack with it. Sometimes living in the UK is not fun 😂
@@zakb5757 I don’t like the plastic ponchos. Just makes me feel extra gross. Last Disney world trip we did we just got soaked to the bone. Oh well.
With the little ones I used to bring the festival style sticky wristbands and write my phone number on them and make them wear them. Luckily never had an issue but it helps in case they wonder off like little ones like to do.
@@Mr_Al3x good idea.
Wonderful idea!
Great tips, RRM! As anxious person myself, I appreciate you including anxiety for a reason to take breaks. I also really like the idea of making your backpack look distinct, so that someone won't at least accidentally pick it up in the station. Also- the tutorial on how to check tire tread was so wholesome, extra dad points to you, sir. Thanks for the consistent and excellent content, I'm so happy to see your channel has taken off and undoubtedly will continue to do so. Cheers.
@@nuttyfruitloaf I’m enjoying everyone on this channel is so positive and I feel like it’s a genuine community. I done need millions of subscribers I just want a community that values the basics. I think that’s all I can ask for.
@@ryantheridemechanic When can we expect your Discord server? LOL
@@Colaholiker don’t have enough time to manage that.
@@ryantheridemechanic I'm sure there will be volunteers 😎
For trips to Florida, as a local, one thing I bring is a small towel. Sounds gross, but this is the ticket, a clean hand towel, dish rag, cooling rag etc. Humidity in Florida at Busch Gardens Tampa today is 78% in the morning and 86% at night with a high temp of 95 f. This means your sweat has a harder time actually evaporating and effectively cooling your body, the towel will allow you to wipe yourself down and aid in that evaporation process. It also helps keep the mix of sun screen and sweat out of your eyes or off your clothes. Also if planning a trip down here, drink more water than you can ever imagine. Odds are you are still more dehydrated than you should be. This goes double for drinking alcohol. Busch offers many drink options and so do festivals like Food and Wine at Epcot. Like Ryan said about his Monsters, for every beer, drink at least a water if not 2. Your kidneys and the park EMTs will thank you!
@@philippconner2818towel is a good idea I’ll try that next time.
Hitchhiker's Guide Approved
@@RUclips.Commen-tater Some say I am a hoopy frood who always knows where his towel is!
Spare clothes is a must, for sure. Just yesterday I was at Kings Dominion, it was overcast and drizzling and I was going along having a good time. All of a sudden, just after pulling out of the station on Grizzly that drizzle turned into a downpour. Needless to say I was completely soaked by the end of the ride, and while that experience was fun, sloshing around in damp clothes all day wasn't a nice prospect. Fortunately I had fresh everything to change into in the car, including a beach towel. Thanks Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for instilling the wisdom to always bring a towel.
The pouring down rain happened to me on Intimidator 305, it was super painful but super fun.
Love the checking your own car comment! On being prepared with spare clothes and whatnot "better to have and not need than need and not have"!
@@juanacho our road trips include a barf bag as well. Learned that one the hard way.
Great video and suggestions Ryan!
@@MagnoliaStreetTV thanks
I went to BGW in June for my Birthday! The amusement parks hit different when you’re older lol. Loved the coasters that I rode. I got entirely too hot that day and left about 4 and went to the hotel and fell asleep 🤣
I try to get a good idea of the layout of the park before I go. Some parks have a difficult layout if you have never been there. I also carry tissues in my pocket, too now because of a bad nose bleed I had in line this summer.
@@LTCoasters I honestly watch RUclips reviews on parks before I go for the the first time. The home park people give lots of good tips to help time management
Thanks dad. Great advice.
If u ever want to make a trip up to Michigan adventure then to Cedar point and do it like more then a 3 day trip like hit Michigan adventure on Thursday and Cedar point on Monday there is many of pavement tracks u can come to over the weekend then hit the park afterwards
You are making a lot of good points there, but compared to me, you're over-prepping. 😂
As much as I like the idea of having a cooler in the vehicle, that wouldn't work for me, as most of my coaster visits are part of US road trips. Living in a different part of the world, I would have to take the cooler on the plane - I guess the problem there is obvious. Even if I can check two bags for free.
The free water thing is something you better don't expect outside the US - I have never seen this anywhere in Europe. Also (and that's another thing I frequently use at US parks) - those drinking fountains, that are usually located near bathrooms - they aren't common everywhere around the world, but very helpful if they exist. When I was at Carowinds a few weeks ago, they even made announcements reminding guests to stay hydrated, mentioning the free cups of water. Before that, I was under the impression that this is just some secret not too many people know about.
When it comes to getting enough sleep - try that on a road trip, where you don't just have one day at the park sandwiched between two three-hour drives, but do that for 10+ days in a row. I guess I am about the same age as you, and I can tell you, it feels terrible after the first two or three days (add jetlag to the mix for good measure) - but after that, it starts to feel better.
I don't usually wear a hat like this, I wear a baseball cap. It also protects my head from the sun, but it has the added benefit of fitting in a pocket of my pants so that I know where to put it when going on rides. But having something to protect your head is absolutely vital. One thing that I think is important that you didn't mention is a strap for the glasses. If you are like me and your sunglasses aren't just for a lot of extra coolness (and a little eye protection), but proper prescription glasses, or if you just want to keep them on while riding, it's better to have a strap for them. I noticed that parks more and more seem to not allow you to keep glasses on unless they are secured - in the past that applied mostly to the most extreme of rides, but now even some family coasters. With straps, I could even ride Steel Vengeance with my sunglasses on.
You are making a very good point about a meeting spot. A good year ago, I visited a park together with a 10-year old and her mom. We didn't agree on a meeting point (we should have in hindsight) but we gave the kid a piece of paper with both our phone numbers on it, instructing her that if she gets lost to just walk up to the next souvenir shop, or food/drink outlet and tell the person working there that she lost the adults she is there with, indicating that she has the phone numbers to contact us. Fortunately, we didn't need it, but being prepared for that to happen was important to us.
Your "one year of no backpacks" reminds me of my terrible experience at Darien Lake. I don't carry a backpack through the park, all I need goes in zipper pockets of my cargo pants. But, like so many people with higher tier memberships/season passes at Six Flags, I was carrying my all-season drink bottle. Sure, taking it *on* a wild ride is a stupid idea and this not permitted, but on no ride there it was an issue to leave it at the station. Until we got to Ride of Steel, where an employee at the entrance told us, we can't bring it there - we wither have to rent a locker ($5) or throw it on a pile over there in the corner. I am not particularly concerned about anyone actually stealing it, but I want to make sure that when I get off the ride, it's the bottle that has my germs on it and not someone else's. Of course there was no point in arguing with the ops guy there, he was just enforcing whatever stupid rule management came up with. So we went to guest relations, where I was told it was too dangerous (what part of not taking it on the ride but leaving it at the station did you not get, buddy?), and the only "help" offered was that he could assist me in canceling my season pass. Needless to say we were not in the best mood when leaving the park.
Another thing to plan ahead for is to get familiar with the layout of the park and where which attraction is. I can see how most parks did away with free park maps at the entrance, as most of them ended up littering the shrubs anyway (people are stupid). But while some parks have big park maps on display all around the park, others either have totally useless signs (Hersheypark, I am looking at you) or just none at all (hey there, Carowinds). At least the latter gave everyone in our party two skip the line passes each (no Dippin' Dots though🙄) when I suggested to guest relations what a great and novel concept park maps on display would be. 🤣
@@Colaholiker maximum comment!!!!
Another idea for little ones are to attach Apple AirTags to their shoes so you could track them if needed
I heard free Dippin' Dots on the 5th Tuesday of every February.
Cargo pants/shorts for life! :D
@@Jingles8302 I need to get some good zipper pants.
@@ryantheridemechanic Same! I've only been able to find cargo pants at my local Walmart so far, can never find them in any others stores unless i look online.
@@Jingles8302 I normally see buttons. For fashion that’s fine but to ensure my things stay with me, I want zippers!
@@ryantheridemechanic Right, all of mine are 2 squares of Velcro on each pocket. Haven't seen a zipper or buttons on cargo pants in a long time.
We wound up getting a six flags membership because we're in the same boat, three hours from sfot and three hours from sfft. I love to drive, so it's really not too bad the ice chest with snacks mid drive was a total game changer!
@@Skawn7125 right. How come at the store I can’t decide what to buy for snacks but as soon as as I get to the first gas station I know EXACTLY what to get hahaha!!!
Ryan should come to Cedar point.
Give his take on the coasters there :)
Especially ride magnum’s magic seat which is car 1 row 3
@@vitiate5093 just waiting for a trip sponsor haha!!
@@ryantheridemechanic lol nice!
Having worked Disney Attractions for 9 years I can offer a few tips. 😂 1. Ignore the imaginary sign in the parking lot that reads “Leave your brains in the car”. 2. Pick any Cast Member of your choice and very innocently ask them what time is the 3 o’clock parade. 3. Shut up about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and just ride the stupid thing (if it’s working). And remember to refrain from Eating, Drinking , Smoking and the use of flash photography! 😂
I think its valid to complain about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure just not to a cast member as they cant do anything about it
I won't harass a cast member, but fuck Tiana's Bayou Adventure
Do not set a meet-up spot near the main entrance area.....
Because that is where EVERY group sets a meet-up spot. It's too crowded and chaos filled. Pick a spot away from that busy area.
Depending on the park, keeping loose drugs in a sandwich baggie is going to get you hassled by security at baggage check. If you don't want the extra weight and used space of the pill bottles, buy boxed pills that are sealed in blister pop-out cards. These are typically water resistant and have company labels on them, which will get you less hassled at check-in.
I always, without fail, pack at least one or two small protein bars in my fanny pack. I have blood sugar issues and cannot take the chance on not getting to eat. It spikes my anxiety, and then my otherwise fun day goes to heck.
I will also spend the money on the all day drink pass when I can. I’m terrible at staying hydrated without it!
@@CritterCrossingFam you know how to do it so that’s a huge plus.
Oh yeah. The ziplock bag for your phone. I have a whole box of ziplock bags in my suitcase for when I go to parks. Works just as well too for if you carry a leather wallet. Last thing you want is a leather wallet to get wet in light colored shorts or pants. It will bleed and stain your back pocket and you won't even realize it.
@@robertstephens5185 plus the smell of wear leather not the best.
lol listening to this while PM’ing my vehicle before a trip. Ha!
@@ArtBarn591 good job!
Just to append a comment I made on your last upload, Ghoster Coasters just confirmed last night there likely won't be an update on TT2 next week. A spokesperson from Cedar Point said they're waiting for word from Zamperla & they know as much as as we do. Nothing. :(
@@Shark_Builds_Bro figures
Could you do a video talking about the regulations surrounding coaster forces? I know different countries have different standards but it would be cool to learn how manufacturers account for this in their general design language. Sorry not sure if this might be beyond your own scope.
not sure if I understand enough to dive deep into the F24, but I can look into it.
@@ryantheridemechanic appreciate all your efforts. Your videos have taught me so much (and I thought I already knew a lot) I’m always checking for torque sealant now 😂
Ryan, you think you can do a video on how these rides work?
Bumper cars
Carousel
Pirate ship
@@sebasllaura7254 nice classics. Yea I could definitely do those.
So while you were talking about hats, and earlier loose article procedures, there's one thing I've been curious about for a bit now, and I'm curious if anyone has an answer
A few years ago (pre-pandemic), I saw a guy who was boarding a roller coaster with a baseball cap on a couple rows in front of me. The ride ops instructed him to take it off and hold it by the adjustment strap on the back for the duration of the ride. I mean, it worked, he didn't lose it, but I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with having that as a loose article procedure.
Anyone know if this is acceptable practice or not, since I guess a hat falling from a ride would hurt significantly less and cost significantly less than a phone?
@@noname117spore I think it’s down to the park and even the ride. Rides that cross pathways arb high speeds have a lot of potential to injure someone with a loose article. Disney, big thunder, you can get on. Sense it’s slow moving and doesn’t cross trains or people you can get on holding a soda, popcorn, hat sunglasses and recording a video the cast member will just look at you and say “….. hold on to that stuff. Dispatch!”
@@ryantheridemechanic I mean, sure, that makes sense with Disney and Big Thunder, but I think the former points of "high speed" and "crosses pathways" apply better to Carowinds and Fury 325 where this happened.
So Ryan. Question (has nothing to do with this video) But Drive Tires, they are in the station, on top of lifts, before lifts, on transfer tracks, basically they help propel the train fwd or move them back if need be, but since they are small and they only provide an “Aide” in moving trains around, Do they ever go flat? Or ever need replaced? Or is this something that no one pays attention to?
@@jackschissler255 yes they do wear down and they can go flat. Pneumatic styles will wear roughly 20mm in diameter then they need to be replaced unless they pop before that. Solid ones can also wear about 10-20mm before they are replaced as well. I’ll make a video on it.
Nebraska Mention! 🥳🎉
@@janesisco haha! Go big red!
Here’s one: close all navigation and irrelevant apps on your phone once arrived at the park for battery longevity.
I just take whatever fits in my fanny pack. driver's license, park pass, credit card, sun block in stick form, chap stick, phone, ibuprofen, Imodium. I keep a Stanley 40 ounce with ice water in the car and I make use of the water fountains when I'm in the park. wear comfortable shoes
@@dindog22 you will definitely know if you picked the wrong shoes about mid way through the day.
@@ryantheridemechanic I did flip flops once. never again. I'm not stupid enough to do high heels at a park
@@dindog22 insurance guys spend a lot of time with us look at holes in the ground to catch high heels. Who’s wearing heels. Let alone stelitos to get stuck in a tiny hole?! Only time I’ve ever seen this shoes was on a guy my size during Halloween event. But insurance must feel it’s big enough problem to spend a lot of time on it.
taking a shot every time you say water (the shot is water of course)
@@knowitallandy haha!
You will certainly stay hydrated if you do that😂
Ryan the car mechanic
@@CoasterHunter7 I do what I can. A lot of vehicles out there that…… shouldn’t be out there.
@@ryantheridemechanic That's one big difference between what I see in the US and Germany. In Germany, there's a mandatory safety inspection every two years (the first one for a new car after three) for all vehicles, so a lot of rustbuckets don't get that far. In addition, a lot of people follow the manufacturer's maintenance plans, taking their cars to the shop to get things taken care of (with living in a house that's all yours being less common here, so is having a garage in which you can tinker with your car, so there's a lot less car DIY going on in Germany)
@@Colaholiker that’s probably a good thing. A lot of cars here should not be on the road. As far as inspections states typically just check engine emissions
I guess worse case on a hot day you can walk out the park sit in an air conditioned car drinking water.
Are you in lincoln?
@@nwjt close. I’m in Omaha just 45 min from Lincoln
@ryantheridemechanic ahh us too. Heading to wof this weekend. Started watching you last month. We went the cedarpoint and were looking for insight on tt2
@@nwjt nice. I have yet to go to cedar point but I hope to make it maybe next year this year is going by so fast and I’m a slooooow planner.