5/31/2013...Rant!

[dorneydude]

Ironically, I was at DP Friday to bregudgingly renew my pass. Nevermind that I called and learned the price has risen to $117 after they told me the $111 price was extended and that it was not going up anyway…just the 6 mo payment plan would be gone. I have some in-laws with kids and they were looking for someone to take them on rides now and then…I figured, what the heck. Well, I dropped my own daughter there at 7pm…recall that’s the time WWK closes…another thorn in my side because folks who work can’t really work till 5pm and get to the park with any quality time left…that’s a rant for another day. It took me 35 minutes to get her in , turn around and get out. Who ever created the new drop off / pick up thing is an absolute idiot. I never had this issue until the last 2 years.

Of course there was no where to park at this time and no way to get over to the other lot so I decided to renew my pass later when I picked her up.

BIG MISTAKE.

It seams DP has new pickup policy this year. You pick your kids up on Rt 222! I have never seen such a crazy dangerous mess in all my life. Word must be out that the new pick up / drop route designed by the afore mentioned idiot is a distaster because numerous kids were sitting on the curb along Rt222, dancing around the grass, drifting into the street, crossing the street etc etc….several were indeed pick up by their parents. Once off Rt22 and entering the park many parents were stopped before the toll booth waiting for their kid to jump in, making a u turn and high tailing it out of there!

I guess DP is too cheap to have the police there any more…it was a real free for all. As I was waiting to get in I called the park security to let them know someone was going to get hurt and to mention I did not like the fact that I had to sit and wait while parents clogged the line waiting for their kids to jump into there cars.... BEFORE they actually got into the park! Again, they then make the U turn and take off. I never saw any one show up. I do know the police were called…I heard that call got thru while waiting on line. BTW, the pick up fails because different kids come out at different times. If your kids is not there, the line stops and waits! The have barricades up and new curbing...its not made to accomodate the traffic they have. There is only way out and if the car ahead of you is waiting…you wait….and we did..90 MINUTES to get in and get out.

I strongly recommend that anyone out there dropping off kids use your kids pass to get thru ‘regular parking’ entrance…that will eliminate half the wait anyway. In fact I will try to use that entrance for pick up next time as well…though I suspect they close that off as it gets nearer to the park closing time. I feel bad for the kids working the park. Rt 222 should be used for entrance only at closing time and all other cars funneled out through the toll booths…but then I’d guess they’d need to hire a few more kids…that cost will be less that they loose in a lawsuit when someone gets hurt.

I never did get my pass. If I do, I think it will be renewed on line!

[djw44]

Wow that is so dangerous! I wonder what their rationale was on that? They really need to do something about 222 because it is so dangerous to visitors in so many ways. It is dangerous to cross over to the hotels and businesses over there as a pedestrian, the intersections heading onto I78 from 222 are dangerous because people fly through there after going on the 222 Bypass (I lost a car there) and more. They need to figure out something because people's lives are at risk on that road on a daily basis when the park is in operation.

[dorneydude]

The park has always denied being repsonsible and to some degree I agree with that. I think though they could make it more difficult by making this are and 'enter only' area at closing. There are always people going for fast food or ice cream or staying in a hotel..but the whole drop off / pick up mess is actually encouraging new faces to be in the street for new reasons.

[Yoshi]

Sounds like a disaster. I'm not sure if they could do this or not but Great Adventure has a good set up for drop offs. They have a lot just for drop offs and pick ups away from the main lot. There is a shuttle bus (it seats maybe 20 people) that goes right to the main gate so those being dropped off don't have to walk and they don't really have to patrol the drop off area since it is so far from the main entrance no one would want to park there. Maybe Dorney could set up the overflow lot to be used like that and have a bus running back and forth between the overflow lot and main entrance. I know it would be a problem on summer weekends but most of the time it looks like the overflow lot isn't being used.

[dorneydude]

something needs to be done. They have what used to be the season passholder lot...maybe 50 - 100 spots and now this really is just a big chaotic circle where cars go in and park, or sit along the curb and you wait for kids to come out...when you leave (assuming you can) you must merge into the ONE lane that is exiting the park. Sometimes the area is also halfway blocked off which really negates the whole dropoff thing anyway in that you can not get real close to the front gate to drop them off. I can see why parents drop their kids just off 222...its not that much further a walk from where they sometimes let you get to.....not saying I agree with it but who wants to wait 35 minutes to drop a kid off and 90 minutes to exit. A simple and safe solution would be to only allow cars to enter (pick up) along 222 close to closing time and everyone exit in the rear by VooDoo. A small manned gate might even deter pedestrians from leaving there as well. If it hurts business across the street, let them send over a shuttle.

[Hooky965]

I never did that checkpoint, but I'm kinda glad about that because I had heard that it was (and still is) a mess. The tough part is that from the park's perspective, it's probably not a great priority because the entire idea of drop off/pickup takes away from the bottom line (less gate admission, less parking, less incremental sales). It's likely viewed as an unfortunate inconvenience, rather than the potential safety problem that exists currently during peak times. I think that the best, although least likely solution would be a specific and guard railed lane at the main parking entrance which would extend to the area close to the park entrance and then loop back toward the entry point. I think that this would take the kids away from the traffic and route the pickup traffic away from merging blind on 222 and place them at the traffic light instead. The one possible hiccup with this is that the medical office is close to that location, and as such, it needs to be open at that point in the event that ambulance crews from outside the park need to gain access.

[nathanaelerik]

Oh god... of all roads rt 222.

[dorneydude]

RE:
less gate admission, less parking, less incremental sales...

I dont' think its less sales...if there were no drop off parents likely would not get the kids a pass or let them go. The 'new' mess they created is likely and attempt to collect every possible parking $ they can....in the past I suppose you could say you were dropping off a kid and then just park for free and stay in what was then season passholders area. Of course if anyone in the car had a pass you would be entitled to park anyway for free anyway. Only those buying single day admissions citing dropoff would be able to faked there way in. The current mess eliminates that to a degree...you could still claim dropoff and park in that area....unless they then ticket empty cars. All I know is someone will get hurt and CF will be sued.

[Yoshi]

There is a sign up saying you can't leave your car unattended in that area but I'm not sure if they will issue a ticket or if there is any consequence for it at all.

[dorneydude]

Well there are many cars parked there..ie unattended. Nevertheless the area is in fact a parking lot but used as a dropoff. Consequently you pull into a loop that wraps around the parking area..its a single lane. It would work great if the kids were all there lined up ready to leave. The trouble is that if the car ahead of you is waiting for a kid who is still on a ride…then everyone from that point back waits…..unless someone pulls out of a parking spot and you can exit the line…pull into the spot…hope your kids finds you and then merge back into the one lane existing drop off into the one lane actually exiting the park onto Rt. 222 without killing someone in the process. Its without a doubt the stupidest thing I ever saw…I have no doubt there will be an accident and DP will be found in part culpabale, I mean I know sometimes things look good on paper..but even on paper this had to look stupid.

Perhaps the situation will change in an upcoming week.