Lockers & Personal Belongings

[sourstraws214]

Hi - so glad I found this discussion page. 10 friends, including myself are going to DP in PA this Sunday. We plan to hit up the roller coasters first - then head over to the water park and finish the night riding more thrill rides. So my question is, I know many of my girlfriends will have purses or be carrying their phones and have sun glasses, etc. I know the parks offer lockers but are there temporary lockers before each roller coaster/thrill ride? I don't want anyone to lose their items but is there some place you can put your belongings before you ride and then retrieve when you get off? I know this main question is silly but I honestly don't know what I should suggest to everyone. I want to be prepared beforehand. Thanks in advance!

[Dorneyman27]

This is not a silly question and I am happy to see you planning ahead. Each ride on the ride side has a secure spot to put your belongings while you ride. It is great because there is no cost and the only people that have access are the people who are riding at the same time you are. I've never had problems with that, so it is very safe.

I would recommend a locker for when you go to Wildwater Kingdom. I have heard of people getting their stuff stolen because they didn't get a locker. That is rare, but I would never take the chance. The lockers are located just beyond the main gate at Wildwater Kingdom. Try to do Wildwater Kingdom first so that all of you can get two large lockers to share. They have a limited number of large lockers and they sell out quickly. Also, the waterpark is least crowded in the morning. The large lockers are about $20 each, but if everyone in your group divides up the cost for two large lockers you each only have to pay $4. That is not bad, and all of your stuff will have no chance of getting lost or stolen.

Have fun!

[Jamaxiu]

"It is great because there is no cost and the only people that have access are the people who are riding at the same time you are. I've never had problems with that, so it is very safe. "

I did agree with this until today. My son left his phone at Hydra ride and when we get back to the boxes the phone was gone. The DP personnel did not know what to do so they call security guy. After waiting about 30min the guy show up and he wrote the report that phone was "lost". No details how it happen. Then I was told to go to LOST and FOUND (for what?). I asked for security manager so maybe he is able to pull footage (there are at lest 4 security cameras around boxes). Sorry for my hope - they dont have time to check them out. He said that later he will check the recordings - but then I think: how he will recognize my son (who put the phone into box) since he doesnt have the photo of my son. They dont give a sh.t about ur property. The easy way is put the sign that they are not responsible for lost property. I call South Whithall police and reported stolen phone - the officer told me that it was his 4th time someone lost the phone on Hydra (since nobody gives a sh.t - maybe this is done by DP personnel - they only have an access when we ride). I wonder if this is the easiest way to get hands on someone phones? Since nobody cares why do not continue this procedure.

I'm looking for a way to go after DP authorities. They needs to do something to have our stuff better protected - it is not too difficult.

[Hooky965]

I don't usually respond to 6-year old threads, but in the event someone is reading this and is trying to make some sense of it, I felt compelled.

FIrst things first; it is true that the park doesn't put the security of your personal property first and foremost in their mind. That place is reserved for safety. Simply put, the job of every employee at the park is primarily the safety and security of the guest. That's a job that they are trained for and highly capable of doing. That's the reason why there isn't a person on the platform guarding personal belongings...their attention is to the ride operation itself.

Second: the tone of the poster is one of someone who was upset, and that's understandible, however accusing park employees of theft is out of line.

Third: I can't exactly recall what the layout of the cubbies is on Hydra. I don't remember if they are open or if they have sliders. The latter style can be used when there are two trains in operation, thus opening only to the correct side when the appropriate train pulls in. If they are open (without sliders) and there are two trains running, that's something that should be changed. Once again, I just don't remember how it is on Hydra.

Fourth: This person's account of what it was like going to security and lost/found is likely accurate. The employees followed protocol; guest is missing an item, check with lost/found is SOP. As far as looking at footage or not, it's entirely possible that the employee likely gave a "corporate answer" at that point, but I'm not sure exactly what the level of expectation would be to pile through footage of a crowded plaform in the hopes of maybe finding an image of the person who might have taken the phone. The park doesn't use facial recognition software, so its not like they were likely to do much even if they saw it.

Fifth: The best method of handling personal property that I have seen is on the piers in Wildwood. Before you get on an attraction like the Great Nor'Easter, you have to pass through a detector. If something is in your pockets...anything....you have to take it out and put it in a locked combination locker outside of the platform (I believe these lockers are free, but time locked). This is a great system, but it probably works well down there where huge queues aren't as big of a problem as they are in a place like Dorney.

that's enough time travel response posting for today.