Get a grip, people
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 5/18/11
Some of you act like this place is supposed to be Disney World or Universal Studios. Get a grip. I worked here for many, many years and yes, there are times when things went wrong and there were definitely rude workers. But not everyone of them. One person complained because the lines are too long. This is a popular park. The next closest, biggest thing is in Orlando or Atlanta. You came in July. There are going to be lines but you aren't going to wait an hour like Disney. And someone complained about buying a locker at the water park. Failed to mention you got your $8 security deposit back at the end of the day, didn't you? To the lady who was mad about pictures- Wild Adventures doesn't do the pictures. That's Qualex/ KODAK. Your calls haven't been returned by them. Guest Services is forwarding your messages to the KODAK supervisors. They're an independent contractor there. Complaining that the water park closed for thunder and lightning? I'd be happy that they kept me from getting electrocuted. I'm not defending everything Wld Adventures is about. In my opinion, it was much better before Herschend took over but you know, they still have record numbers of visitors every year so they must be doing something right. And if you would buy a souvenir cup for $7, you could get unlimited 99 cent refillls all day. Come in October through April and you won't wait in lines for rides or anything else, unless it's a big concert day. Yes, on slower days, at the kiddie rides, one person may be operating the 3 rides sections. It's called saving money. If 1 person was running each ride, it will be a terrible waste of money. I have been here many times with my child and one person was working (because we are smart and go at times when it's slow) and we never wait more than 3 minutes (the length of one ride) to get on what ride we want to get on. People are making something out of nothing. The reason they clear the rides completely before loading anymore, is for safety issues. By law, they are required to do so. Yes, maybe Disney doesn't. They are a different state and have different types of rides. You would be singing a different tune if your child was the one that didn't get cleared out of the exit line before the ride started and a rider's foot or a shoe coming off hit him in the head and killed him. Has happened at another, not-to-be-named theme park. If you come expecting it to be Disney World, you will be disappointed. It's not. Plain and simple. But it offers good entertainment and concerts. The water park has gotten a lot better with the addition of 3 attractions this summer. The animals get less attention, which I don't like, because that was the original premise of the park to begin with. I remember driving by, 15 years ago,when it was Liberty Farms, and seeing Bongo the giraffe hanging out over the fence. I first started working when it just changed to Wild Adventures and it has grown so much since then. The park ENDED at the kiddie area. There were some bigger rides up there then so it wasn't just for children. All in all, it's a really good price, if you get season passes. You've made up your money after the second visit. Buy a souvenir cup and bring it back, bring a picnic if you don't want to buy food. Or security is a lot more lax than they used to be and don't search bags anymore, like they did after 9/11, so just bring in some food and drinks. Oh and to the one complaining about it being in the middle of mowhere. Who cares? And the awful smell is Valdosta's livelihood, the paper mill. It's worse on rainy days because the smoke can't rise through the clouds so it sits. And you don't know what weather may have been coming or thunder an lightning. They have very high-tech radars. The cost to stay open may have been outrageous compared to the 10 families that may have come in that day. And you only saw it from the road and you know that the rides have wheels? You're pretty amazing! Me and my family will keep having fun!