Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas Eric_Gieszl Posted: Views: 44827 On Tuesday afternoon (July 31) I went to Six Flags Fiesta Texas to check out the waterpark for the first time and to take a ride on the soon to depart Rattler roller coaster, but so much for that final ride. I’ll report on the waterpark later, but for now I’ll share the disgusting customer service I experienced and something that I sadly have come to expect from Six Flags Theme Parks. After waiting roughly 20 minutes at the turnstile to the loading platform for The Rattler, Paul the Lo-Q attendant says, “You can go.” “No thanks, I want to wait,” I replied. There is only one row left and about three rows from the rear. I have experience riding in the back and I don’t want to spend the remaining two hours in the park with a headache. He insisted, “You can’t wait, you have to go.” Why is he being so aggressive? I do have a choice, no one can force me to ride and I don’t have to ride at this immediate moment. So I replied “Oh yes, I can. I don’t want to ride in the back half of the train it’s too rough. I don’t have to be in the front row, but anywhere in the first four will do.” It’s a simple request. “You’re not allowed to wait. If you don’t want to go then you need to go to the end of the line” gesturing in that direction. Now how is going to the end of the line going to resolve my desire to ride in the front rows? “Then I want to speak to the ride operations manager” and I stepped aside to clear the way for others. He didn’t bother to fill the empty row and instead walked over and spoke to one of the ride attendants briefly, asking them to call the manager I assume. Paul was losing his composure. I watched him. He turned around, came back at me, put his face within inches of mine and said in a threatening way and with aggressive tone, “Listen, you have two choices, you either go now or you go to the end of the line.” I again said, “I want to speak to the ride operations manager.” I was in disbelief. What an a**hole. I hadn’t raised my voice. I didn’t threaten him. I wasn’t upset or mad and in a calm manner I simply asked to speak with the ride operations manager. And I wasn’t impeding the operation either as I had immediately stepped aside, but I’m not going to let a teenage punk push me around. There is a proper way to give directions and Paul has chosen his words poorly. I also believe he didn’t like the fact that I might get my way with the manager. Yes, I have a way of killing people with kindness and getting them to accommodate me. Another train pulls in and Paul crosses over that train to go to the control booth where he gets on the phone. He returns after speaking on the phone and this time he tells me he is going to call security to which I reply “That’s not necessary I just want to speak to the manger in charge of this ride.” I didn’t argue with him. I didn’t explain my reasoning, nor was I trying to be confrontational. What Paul doesn’t know is that I’m fine with walking away, but I want to try to get my way with the manager and if that’s not possible then at the very least I will share my disgust for the seating policy, which should have been posted at the entrance to the ride. No where does it say that I won’t be able to select my seat. However, at this point I also want to address with the manager how poorly Paul has addressed me and how he has threatened me as well. More time passes; I tweet about this incident on @roller_coaster and continue to check email on my phone. Paul is losing his demeanor at just the sight of me standing there and his body language is showing aggression. Clearly he can’t handle his job. He crosses over another train to use the phone once again. Shortly thereafter a female security officer and get this a police officer shows up as well! I asked to speak with the ride operations manger and instead I’m met with security and the police. This is embarrassing and an outrageous response to my request! I never made a scene. I didn’t harass the employee. I didn’t question or even ask about the policy. I didn’t raise my voice. Why is this necessary? Paul spoke briefly with them and they turned to me to ask me what was going on. I explained and within seconds they both acknowledged through body language and their own statements that there was no situation here and they shouldn’t have been called. I wasn’t upset I just wanted to speak to the manager in charge regarding my desire to sit near the front of the train. The police officer was even sympathetic to my request acknowledging, “It is a rough ride.” He immediately left and I suggested to the female security officer that we should just leave and walk over to guest relations. Am I making a big deal out of nothing? Possibly, but it was the manner in which Paul handled the situation, his choice of words and the way he spoke to me that made me press on. At this point I’ve lost all interest in riding The Rattler and would rather address Paul’s rudeness. Having security and the police respond was embarrassing, but fortunately aside from Paul and the two ride operators whom he spoke with no guest in the area would’ve had any clue what was going on. While I was waiting for the ride operations manager, two more guests voiced their displeasure for not being able to select the seat of their choice. This proves my point that this is not a customer friendly policy! It’s especially rude on a ride that is closing in a matter of days. Why can’t people get the last ride in the seat of their choice? At the bottom of the emergency exit stair was the ride operations supervisor who appeared to be too afraid to come to the platform fearing that some lunatic must be up there. What a pathetic display of Six Flags’ management. I spoke to her briefly, but she seemed to be unable to grasp my concern. In route to guest relations I spoke with the female security officer who was kind and apologetic for the situation. She shared that it was the third complaint she’d received about the employees at Rattler that day. She even added that she doesn’t know what’s up with these kids and why they feel they can treat people in the manner in which they do. Out of all the employees I would interact with she had by far the best customer service skills. Why is she in security? Walking into guest relations, with my security escort, I encountered a young teenage girl who was clearly ill equipped and in experienced with dealing with customer matters. It took me seconds to conclude she would be of no assistance. I asked to speak to the ride operations manager to which she had no luck summoning. I wasn’t surprised. Realizing Paul was a Lo-Q attendant (“FlashPass” as Six Flags calls it) I instead asked to speak to the Lo-Q manager. Lo-Q, like Smarte Carte is a concession or vendor that operates within Six Flags parks and with their own workforce. The manager arrives. I explain the situation and while he is apologetic to a point and acknowledges he will speak to Paul later he says he is simply doing as he was instructed. That’s great – Six Flags and their vendors instruct their employees to direct guests in a hostile manner and use threats. Wow! I tell the manager that Paul needs to learn a lesson in his young life and he should be fired. I then ask him about this horrible policy for the ride to which he incorrectly responds that it is Six Flags Policy. I correct him and say that “No, it is not Six Flags Policy as I have been to nearly every park and not very often have I experienced a policy of not being able to select my seat on a ride.” Déjà vu at Six Flags Magic Mountain may have been the last and it was inconsistent, as more often than not they would honor requests for the front or back rows. He corrects himself saying “It is Six Flags Fiesta Texas policy.” Fine, I then ask him what is the best theme park operator in the world. He smiles thinking he knows the correct answer and replies “Six Flags!” “Wrong! Disney is the best theme park operator in the world and at a Disney theme park this would not happen. Disney is able to entertain and control 16 million guests a year in a single park. They assign seating on their rides, but they have no problem honoring requests and they do so with a smile. If Disney can do that at Magic Kingdom with 14 million more guests in a year then why can’t Six Flags Fiesta Texas do the same?” He has no answer. He offers nothing further to appease the situation and this just goes to show how amateur Six Flags is and how management endorses the bad behavior of their employees. I tell him at this point I want to leave, never return and I want a refund for my pass that I’ve only used twice before today. He says he can’t handle that, so we walk back inside. What happens next just adds to an already horrible experience. Inside at the guest relations counter is a new face, Elizabeth, the supervisor, along with the young female employee I spoke with earlier. The female security officer has long since left realizing I’m not a threat, just a guest who is rightfully upset. I speak to Elizabeth, explain the situation and just tell her how disgusted I am with Six Flags as a whole and how embarrassing it was to have the police and security called when I simply requested to speak to the ride operations manager. I ask her how she would feel if put in a similar situation to which she has no response. My tone is more forceful at this point. I’m not going to make a scene as that solves nothing, but I’m growing tired and more annoyed. I tell her I want a refund for the pass to which she says she is sorry, but she cannot offer a refund on a processed pass. She states stupid policies like it says no refund on the back of the card among a few other reasons. She offers no concessions or anything more to right the situation, so I tell her it’s a shame that her bosses leave her so ill prepared to deal with matters like this. I then asked to speak to her manager to which she refused to allow me to! She explained the only thing she can do is have the other young lady fill out a form with my complaint and it will be forwarded to the appropriate party and that I can request to be contacted. This is ridiculous. I just want to leave, so I tell her I don’t want to fill out the form and instead I want the name of the general manager and the address to which I can send a letter. She tells me she is not allowed to give me the name of the general manager or the address for the park . Did she really just say that? She did. The general manager of Six Flags Fiesta Texas is apparently too pathetic to field guest complaints and hides behind his hourly employees who serve as his gatekeeper. Is it Elizabeth or management that is beyond pathetic at this point? I inform her that I will have no problem obtaining the name of the general manager or the address for the park. The situation has gone from a threatening employee to now a supervisor who works in guest relations who is lying. She ended by saying something to the extent of “The whole thing is really a shame as you came her to have fun right?” Yeah, so much for the fun part! Disgusted and fed up I walked out, left the park, and walked to my car swearing that I wouldn’t return to another Six Flags park. In the 16 years since I started UltimateRollercoaster.com I’ve visited parks regularly, all over the United States and I’ve never been treated worse. Last night at home I immediately found the name of the general manager - Martin Bozer. In fact, his name appears on the Six Flags web site on the Fiesta Texas contact page and the address is directly beneath his name. http://www.sixflags.com/fiestatexas/footernav/contact.aspx Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Martin Bozer, Park President

17000 IH-10 West

San Antonio, TX 78257 It is no secret, so why did she say she is not allowed to give it to me? She is a liar. At this point I’m fed up with Six Flags! Your facilities are dirty, your policies are unfriendly towards paying customers and on nearly every visit I run into an employee who just destroys the experience, this one in particular is one of the worst examples. Why do I even bother to patronize your parks? I visit Disney parks multiple times a year and hand over without hesitation $850 to be an annual passholder (20 consecutive years) even though I don’t live in California or Florida. I stay in their hotels and spend money on food, beverages and merchandise. I love the experiences I have at their parks and when something goes wrong, which is rare, they’re willing and well equipped to right the situation. Needless to say I’ve decided to publish this experience on this site for the thousands of daily visitors to read and will be forwarding it to Martin Bozer, plus Tom Iven, Director of Park Operations, West Coast and the CEO of Six Flags. Is this really how you want to treat your guests? At this point I could care in the least about a final ride on The Rattler. I’m done with Six Flags. My business will go to the other local parks that I respect like SeaWorld and Schlitterbahn and when I really have the urge to visit a real theme park I’ll travel to Disney or Universal, the best operators in the business. Eric Gieszl * This post was modified at 8/1/12 9:55:18 PM * Post Reply Reply +Quote

frontrow by at 8/1/12 5:18:49 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Post Reply Reply +Quote Wow, what a terrible experience. My only visit to SF Fiesta Texas was in 2001, and I remember the employees weren't very friendly. What is surprising about this is management's reaction. The last few years Six Flags has been trying to strengthen their employee friendliness. Last year at SF Great Adventure, and this year at SF St. Louis and SF America their effort was very noticeable. If this is taken to a corporate level, I have a feeling the situation will be handled correctly. Six Flags as whole is trying to rid itself of this kind of reputation. I think you should tell them who are and how many people post on this site. I think members of URC should email the corporate office and express our concerns about this situation. We should put pressure on the corporate office to insure that this type of thing doesn't happen again to someone else. We go to parks to have fun. When you have something like this happens, it defeats the purpose of going to parks.

Cyclone_Phil by at 8/1/12 6:22:40 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas



I do hope this isn't a sign of the decline again. With this story I hope more people speak out against the management of that park and forces a change. That is terrible about what happened to you eric. I dunno how good/bad things have gotten since my last visit to SFGAdv in 2008, but in 2008 I had a great time and thought things were pretty good overall. I hope that one park doesn't discourage you and boycotting the entire chain as a whole. It sounds more like punk teens thinking they can jerk you around because there's almost nothing we the gp can do about it (like some sort of revenge for what they take in school).I do hope this isn't a sign of the decline again. With this story I hope more people speak out against the management of that park and forces a change. Spread the word and fight the power! * This post was modified at 8/1/12 6:24:43 PM * Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by djw44 at 8/2/12 12:42:16 AM

#First World Problems I understand why you were so upset, but at the same time, the kid was just doing what he was told. Corporations are not very flexible and the fact that he followed what he was told says he was doing it right. Judging by your attitude you are like "pshhh they are young, just some young person does not deserve my respect, I am entitled to everything." Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by darque at 8/2/12 12:45:24 AM

For what it's worth, here is my email to Six Flags regarding the way you were treated. Hope you enjoy it.

---------

I use to be bitter towards Six Flags since it appeared all the company cares about is making money. A month ago I was at the Georgia park and had an amazing experience of generosity and kindness. Then I read about how you recently treated a customer illy for not wanting to be seated in the rear of a coaster train. If you don't want to give a pleasing Disney treatment to your guests, at least take a page from your sister park who does. F*ck you Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by rollermonkey at 8/2/12 1:03:01 AM

As a former 6F employee (2 seasons in rides and one season of in-park security) at a different park, the in-park security officers at our park were hand picked for customer service skills and more. Maybe they still do that part right at Fiesta Texas. As far as Lo-Q employees are concerned, they are generally some of the worst in the 6F system. They got your money when you got the Qbot, so customer service skills are unimportant. They know that any complaint will go to 6F not Lo-Q, because 99% of people don't realize that the guy (or girl) in the 6F uniform being a turd isn't actually a 6F employee. It's a shame that 6FFT performed so poorly in this case. The GR response to the whole issue is what surprised me. Those people are supposedly the last chance to diffuse a situation before it leaves the park. They should have done better. At the park I worked at, you'd have been given a couple gold exit passes by the rides supervisor and boarded onto the train immediately. I guess that day the only thing bigger in Texas was the failure of 6F. Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by FL_Funnies at 8/2/12 1:23:47 AM

You sound like a bitter, self-entitled thinking individual that expects everything. There's so many things wrong with this post I can't even begin to comprehend them. I have no problem believing you for a moment that Fiesta Texas has horrible customer service, but your logic is full of fallacies. You claim to be an experienced theme park visitor, yet you immediately ask for the attractions operations manager the moment you don't get your way. Really? You should know your first resource is likely to be the supervisor. You probably would've had more luck asking for the supervisor, who probably would've just accommodated your request from the start and avoided the mess. Later, you wish for a refund on your pass, but you've already had SEVERAL visits (which far exceed the value of the pass)??? Really??? You think you're entitled for a refund after exceeding the value? NOT EVEN DISNEY OR UNIVERSAL would do that. They'd laugh in your face. You also hint that there was 'nothing further to appease the situation'... hinting at concessions or free handouts??? This further leads me to believe you were looking for something for free. How does free food compensate for a ride policy that is still broken? How does this relate to you 'just wanting to complain about the FlashPass system'? Then you attempt to berate the idea of filing a complaint? You clearly sound uniformed about the procedure at Disney that you are so fond of. In the same circumstances, you would just speak to a guest service representative - NO ONE from rides/attractions - and also be asked to fill out a complaint form. This post, and you, are nothing more than someone who thinks they deserve everything and escalate the problem to the fullest extent... and it's pathetic, absolutely pathetic, how you think you can use the internet as leverage in your meaningless vendetta. * This post was modified at 8/2/12 1:26:57 AM * Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by dolfanum13 at 8/2/12 2:16:22 AM

Post Reply Reply +Quote The people saying you were the one out of line is a joke. Theme park prices are through the roof these days. To think that simply asking to sit in a certain row is such a big deal is insane. Im 6 foot 6 and in most cases have to ask to sit in the 4th row which in some cases on rides is the handicap row. Meaning more shoulder and leg room to accomadate bigger guests. No difference then not wanting to ride in a certain row to prevent from getting sick. If I asked to sit in a certain row and then had a teenager get in my face would end in bad results. You held your composure and handled the situation well in my opinion. Having the cops called on you is a joke. I also after that point would be looking for a refund or some type of compensation. Not thinking Disney or Universal would take care of their guests is by far the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Im guessing they never stepped foot inside a Disney or Universal park.

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by Tudayishere at 8/2/12 2:36:48 AM

Sorry to hear about the bad experience you had at SFFT, but to be quite honest, I have to believe you made a bad situation worse by spending a great deal of effort analyzing why the problem started in the first place. I have had my share of bad employee experiences within SF so I know it goes on. SF Human Resources is not perfect and once in a while an individual lacking in customer service skills gets through. Fortunately, I have not had an unpleasant experience in nearly a decade. The park employees at my home park in Georgia have gone above and beyond to be friendly and courteous. A big 'ditto' for Texas' other SF park, SFOT, which is in my opinion the best park in the chain. I just went to SFGadv and SF-America (Balt/Wash) last week and had an outstanding time at both parks. My only complaint up there was a thunderstorm that moved in and shortened our day in SFGadv. I do not doubt this individual(s) you encountered was rude, and park mgmt does needs to know about it. But I hate to say it, you used far too much vinegar that day. Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by KCForce at 8/2/12 3:21:12 AM

Eric, Sadly I too have encountered problems at Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags Magic Mountain - both involving the Flash Pass system. At Magic Mountain in 2009, I received the worst customer service ever,from both the operators at Superman and the Flash Pass Manager, and like you with Fiesta Texas, I will not ever return to Magic Mountain. At Magic Mountain, we went to the Flash Pass que at the appointed time and waited and waited at the designated door, but no one ever came and opened it up. So I went through the regular cue to get the attention of the que attendant. What followed was a total fiasco. Basically we got our ride, but had to assert ourselves as we had waited almost 20 minutes beyond the appointed time before we were allowed on. Keep in mind we paid over 200.00 for the premium Flash Pass with reduced wait, and the park was not crowded that day - with the exception of X and what was Terminator Salvation, which we had never ridden so we got the Flash Passes so we could then pay and extra 10.00 each to ride these two rides with a reduced wait as they each had ques that were hours long. So, we had asked to have a ride supervisor come and meet us, to which we were told we'd have to go to Customer Service, which we did. Then I asked to receive a phone call in a few days when I back to MO from CA. We did, however it was just a message stating they'd try to reach me at a later time. Never heard a word back. So, we went to the Flash Pass to share our concerns about we had paid over 200.00 for the two of us to enjoy a day with reduced wait times and that for the most part we got that, with the exception of Superman. I could not believe how rude the manager of the Flash Pass was. If I had heard him talk that way to a customer I would have fired his butt on the spot.

The second time we had trouble was at Six Flags Over Texas with the Flash pass attendant in 2011 at Batman. He was making us wait, though there were empty ques and seats on each train over and over and the regular que was full and NO ONE in que for the Fast Pass Lane. I politely stated to him, almost verbatem, "Hey, just wondering why you're making the regular line wait over and over with empty lines and seats when the regular line is really long today", to which he replied, "Don't worry about it, it doesn't concern you."!!!!!!! I immediately went to the exit of the ride and asked to speak to a supervisor, who showed up about 20 minutes later. The supervisor, ducking accountability told me that the Flash Pass employees were not Six Flags employees, but worked for Lo-Q or whoever the hell that horrible company is and that he'd speak to the Flash Pass employee's supervisor. When I offered to go with him to the Flash Pass employee and state my concerns and what he had said to us in front of him, he declined. Um, this is Six Flags. It's your parks, I'm YOUR customer. But you can't help me with the rude employee because he works for an outside company? Total BS. So with your experience and mine, this makes 3 parks and 3 separate employees who don't work and are not accountable to Six Flags who have unnecessarily offended and power-tripped on CUSTOMERS!

Here's the deal with Disney, Six Flags; at any Disney Park, any guest can request and get ANY seat they prefer on ANY ride at ANY time without having to pay extra and are ALWAYS accommodated WITH A SMILE!

The fact of the matter is most guests do not request specific seats. And really, what the hell does it hurt for a customer to request a specific seat, none the less an area of a coaster train that won't beat the hell out of them? Really what does it hurt? And in the case of Magic Mountain, I paid a HUGE amount of money for the privilege of a reduced wait to be treated like crap.

Take the Flash Pass system in house and hire your own staff for these positions. The current Flash Pass staff at several parks are rude and NOT doing a good job, and seem to be on this power trip. Not a good way to keep customers.

Now, I must say Six Flags St. Louis is the BEST at customer service and it shows. The employees smile, wave at you, ask you how your day is going and address their customers concerns themselves without having to be overly reliable on their supervisors. Honestly back in the 80's this park was my least favorite in the world. Now it's one of my favorites and we have bought season passes (we live 250 miles away) for the past four years. This is the park that should be the Six Flags model for customer service and operations. Even on slow days, most coasters have two trains running, making most of them walk on rides. Sadly, this is how I remember my local park (now owned by Cedar Fair) used to be. So Eric, I send you an open invitation to come to Six Flags St. Louis so you can see there is at least one shining example of a good Six Flags park. Let me know when you're going and I'll come and meet you. I'll go so far as to say they won't disappoint you and you'll have a good time. My ONLY beef with this park is that all of their Halloween attractions are pay extra, when my local park on the other side of the state doesn't and has way more offerings. At least they do get one thing right. Six Flags better address these issues with their premium Flash Pass service. And from reading your report and based on my own experiences, they DO have an issue with Flash Pass Customer Service. Can you imagine if an airline treated their First Class passengers this way? They'd go out of business. Six Flags should teach their employees who work with Fast Pass the one thing that has stuck with me since my youth - which was a long time ago. My manager always told us, "The Customer is not always right. But the Customer is ALWAYS the Customer!" Good words for all employees everywhere to live by. Peace,

KC Post Reply Reply +Quote

Eric_Gieszl by at 8/2/12 3:37:02 AM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Just to clarify I wasn't using a Flash Pass. This employee who works for (Flash Pass) Lo-Q was working the position at the merge point of the two lines which happens to be within the loading station. He interacts with guests using the Flash Pass and those who are not. I didn't once see anyone use a Flash Pass either. I also want to point out that this employee (Paul) should be fired for one reason - calling security when there was no reason to do so. You've all heard the story about the boy who cried wolf one too many times or someone who yells fire when there isn't one in a crowded space. It's the exact same thing. If a guest asks to speak to the person who is in charge (supervisor, manager, lead or whatever they're called at that park) you call that person. I'm really sorry this entire thing wasn't caught on camera. I'd share it without hesitation as I did or said nothing to provoke the treatment I received. * This post was modified at 8/2/12 4:21:34 AM * Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by OMG_KON at 8/2/12 4:01:27 AM

Hey Eric, I wanted to share a story about one of the last times I went to my local Six Flags park as well. My local Six Flags park is Great America and I went about already 10 times during the 2010 season. When we got to the park me and my friend, Jeff purchased a Flash Pass and decided to ride Raging Bull all day. We decided a Platinum Flash Pass would be worth it, just to see how many rides we could get in in one day (for those that don't know, Platinum cuts down the wait time to almost nothing and you get to ride twice). We got to Raging Bull and started our day. The First ten or do rides went smoothly and the Lo-Q employee letting us on the ride was having a blast seeing how many rides we were getting in. But then problems started to arise. Maybe after about ride 15 we were asked to get off. Jeff and I questioned why we needed to and we were told "Because you didn't get back in line". We explained how we have the platinum flash pass and we have the right to ride twice, and not only that, we went to the Lo-Q employee EVERY time we got off the ride to get back in line to ride. After arguing for a few minutes we finally got our ride. When we got off we got a dirty glare from the employee. I wanted to shout "LOOK! WERE GETTING OFF AND GETTING BACK IN LINE!", but I am considerate of those around me and I didn't want to start problems. We get in a few more rides and then once we get seated for probably our 20th ride we notice security talking to the woman that tried to get us off the ride. She was pointing in our general direction and talking with both security guards. We got our ride and when we returned they were gone. Once again the next few rides went smoothly then all of a sudden a park guest gets mad at Jeff and I for getting a second ride. He demands him and his family get on the ride now and we were then told "You need to move to different seats". Hmmm... Really? because I payed for this, and no where does it say that I am obligated to do that. A small argument erupts and me and Jeff give in. FINE, we'll sit in two open seats, but its wrong. We sit down get our ride in and go back around. At around this time some of the staff got changed around if I am remembering correctly and the next 10 or so rides were really just a pain when we came in for our second ride. We got no help with telling other guests that we get a second ride, we got dirty looks constantly from the staff and on top of that we were constantly being questioned about if we went back in line. We kept witnessing them going onto the callbox (I assume talking to the Lo-Q employee?) but nothing happens. So we were about to ride number 40. And it happens again. We get accused of not getting off the ride and going back in line. HELLO? Its your job as employees to see to it that we get two rides and exit the ride. Its not that complicated and I promise you I would not inconvenience any other guests or employees if I could. We always got out two rides, exited and got back in line, we would never abuse a system that already does so much for us. And just like clockwork, security was called once again. They stick around to witness us get off the ride and get back in line. They didn't question us or say anything, they literally just watched us do what we have been doing all day. Finally the end of the day is upon us and we are going in for ride number 50, the last one of the day. Jeff and I decided to end our day with a bang, riding front row. Nothing really happened on that last ride, but damn did we get some nasty stares from the employees. They treated us like we were doing this to aggravate them. Something we decided to do for fun, just became such a huge hassle and the employees really took away our fun experience and gave us hell for something we payed good money for. We turn in out Q-Bot and ask who we can talk to about our truly terrible experience. we were pointed to Guest Relations and surprise, surprise! They won't doing anything about it! we were offered to fill out a form for a complaint, but we explained that we wanted to talk to someone about our experience and get some of our money back for causing us trouble. We were offered the form and nothing else. I mean what the hell? If I have a complaint I can bet your ass that complaint form isn't going to solve a damn thing! Is that form filled with magic that will return the $100+ dollars I spent at the park on such a poor experience? We said screw it and left. It was a really bad experience, and its something I never went fully into detail about. There were two other occasions that year when I did get a Platinum flash pass and both were a way better experience, granted, but you know what when I go back to the park and ride raging Bull it really doesn't feel the same anymore. The staff wasn't fun that day, and there were problems with us purchasing a Q-Bot from the start. There is quite a list of stuff I could compile to improve the experience for the riders on Raging Bull, but you know, every other time I rode another ride at the park the staff seemed to be happy, friendly and having a good time, like we were. It was only that one ride, and its the ride that caused problems that whole season for me. I can even say that it isn't necessarily because we were "whoring" Raging Bull all day. Jeff and I returned to do the same thing with Giant Drop until the park closed, and we managed to get 64 rides in, and the staff on that ride was fantastic! Six Flags honestly needs to get their act together when it comes to forming ride staff. Even just that one experience in the park makes me not want to go back to the park, because if I did, I would once again get the flash pass and possibly ridiculed for using it in the ways it was intended. To this day I have not returned to my local Six Flags park. -Mark Hansen Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by micmouse35 at 8/2/12 6:10:19 AM

Post Reply Reply +Quote I have a question - do all parks going to this Q-bot have to emply the Lo-Q employees?? I saw recently that Universal is trying out the Q-bots, but some of the employees in Orlando looked scruffy and not very happy to be at the park or around customers.....almost bored. I was curious if this is filtering to Universal or if it was just an off day for the employees that day. I've only been to the Hollywood Universal, and have had great experiences there.....where as I've never had a bad experience at Disney - and if I did, someone quickly rectified the situation. I'm really sorry you had such a bad experience - it doesn't make for a fun trip.

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by IwantIceCream at 8/2/12 8:28:35 AM

Paul and Elizabeth **cked with the wrong person. I would have posted bail for you if it had come to that. :-) IwantIceCream Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by mrstoneking at 8/2/12 9:27:53 AM

So nice to read that I am not alone. Three years back, with two nephews in tow, we entered The Rattler station platform. There were literally six people on the train, all riding in the front cars. No one else was in line. We went to the front two rows, and the Titmouse operator told me we had to sit elsewhere, rudely stating that we could not wait for the next train. After I told the Titmouse that I arrived from Ohio, paid the full gate cost, parking, and the "Best Deal $39.99" for a bucket of fries, eight chicken strips, and four sodas, and that I would ride where I wanted, the train was dispatched. While I made the incident known to their useless suit staff and, later, Guest Relations office upon our departure, it was a lasting memory. In my situation, it would be different if the park were closing and only operating the final train for the day; however, it was around 3pm and there was no one else in line. There were two trains operating, as well. A more recent episode with Six Flags involved my contacting Great America on May 9th with regards to having a private tour, the $425 per person gig. No one returned the call. I rephoned last month, as my band and entourage, a total of 16 people, were slated for a near-by gig. Even with high profile people in our group, the Titmouse there never bothered to contact our office until after the work day ended. Suffice it to say, we made alternative plans. Apparently, the $6800 we would have paid does not matter to these people. Heap Big Warning, folks! Karma is consuming them. Mr. STONEking STONEking's Island Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by Darkwings at 8/2/12 9:57:14 AM

I'm sorry, but did you guys read the same post that I did? Assigned seating is a fairly common practice, and will frequently vary even within a park depending on the ride. "Eric" was not entitled to choose his seat if they were assigning seats on Rattler... period. Lots of employees will accommodate guest requests, but sometimes they won't. The bad employee "Paul" in the story should be ashamed, but only because he escalated the situation more than he needed to, and was rude to the guest. He was met with a guest request that he didn't want to accommodate (which is, by the way, totally fine), but instead of dealing with it politely, he threw his hands up and called security. That was wrong. But. Everything else that Six Flags staff did was nothing but courteous in the face of a guest who had long since decided that they were going to throw a fit and try to get some free stuff out of it. From the moment that Eric got to guest relations on was the epitome of douchebaggery. Any sympathy I had for him was absolutely erased the moment he got to guest relations. Let's break this down:

"I then ask him about this horrible policy for the ride to which he incorrectly responds that it is Six Flags Policy. I correct him and say that “No, it is not Six Flags Policy as I have been to nearly every park and not very often have I experienced a policy of not being able to select my seat on a ride.” You not experiencing assigned seating at other rides doesn't entitle you to pick your seat on Rattler, and it doesn't make the manager wrong. The sense of entitlement here is nauseating. You disagreed with a park manager and threw a hissy fit to try and get your way. You argued semantics while simultaneously admitting that assigned seating is something you've seen before, thus ruining your argument in the first place. But it continues...

"Fine, I then ask him what is the best theme park operator in the world. He smiles thinking he knows the correct answer and replies “Six Flags!”

"Wrong!" Is... is that a joke? What a freaking jerk. Going up to a manager who was not involved in your crappy experience and ridiculing him and his employer, yeah, sure, I bet that made you feel good about yourself. This is the story of a grown-ass man throwing a toddler hissy fit and being upset that he wasn't coddled and appeased.

"He has no answer. He offers nothing further to appease the situation and this just goes to show how amateur Six Flags is and how management endorses the bad behavior of their employees." No, it goes to show that he recognized that the guest had passed the point of reason, and was just berating him to try and get free stuff. "Good customer service" isn't always bending to a d-bag guest. Sometimes you just let them vent, and you go, "you know, maybe it's not the worst thing if this guy never comes back to Fiesta Texas. He's kind of a jerk."

"I tell her I want a refund for the pass to which she says she is sorry, but she cannot offer a refund on a processed pass. She states stupid policies like it says no refund on the back of the card among a few other reasons. She offers no concessions or anything more to right the situation, so I tell her it’s a shame that her bosses leave her so ill prepared to deal with matters like this." YOU EVEN ADMITTED IT. NEWSFLASH: YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED TO FREE STUFF. Being a jerk to the staff or having a bad day does not entitle you to free stuff, and that's not bad customer service. Not only that, but holy crap - you want a refund on a season pass? A season pass that you say yourself you've already used repeatedly. That's f***ing rich. You then proceeds to go on a tirade about how Six Flags parks are dirty and the employees are mean and how you're just fed up and done. For however poorly Paul handled it, Eric handled it exponentially more poorly from the moment he left the station to the moment he posted this here. This is the kind of guy that gives enthusiasts a bad name, and I have absolutely no sympathy for him whatsoever. Post Reply Reply +Quote

drachen by at 8/2/12 10:05:02 AM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

For the record, Eric, I think you're totally justified in being upset to the point of publicizing it here. And I'm glad that Lance over at Screamscape took the time to link this forum on his page. Your story got crazier and crazier as you went along. The human being in me could not believe it. Sadly, the park-goer in me could. I too first read your account, thinking you were using the flash pass. I've seen other parks limit where you can sit when you have one. Even if that was the case, his actions are not justified. It's even worse that you were just in the normal queue, trying to ride in the front of the train. There are many coasters where they assign seats, and I understand that sometimes for operations sake, ride operators are to fill the train or not load it lopsidedly. But if you want to wait for a particular seat or part of the train, you should be entitled to it as a paying customer. And you are certainly entitled to be treated better than that, by a ride op that seemingly has issues dealing with people. I'm glad your getting your story out across the web. Enough bad publicity will create change. There are a lot of new names on the board in this thread too. To them I say, Ultimate Roller Coaster is great and has the best forum I've come across. Knowledgeable, respectful, and not too busy that you get lost. You should hang around. drachen

Coaster to Park Ratio: 4.94 / Steel to Wooden Ratio: 2.56 / Wooden Coaster Percentage: 28%

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Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by IwantIceCream at 8/2/12 10:39:50 AM

drachen said:

There are a lot of new names on the board in this thread too. To them I say, Ultimate Roller Coaster is great and has the best forum I've come across. Knowledgeable, respectful, and not too busy that you get lost. You should hang around. IwantIceCream = The Artist Formerly Known as AtlantaCoaster - I have been around for years. :-) An add-on to this topic - I remember witnessing "inconsistency" in operations at Six Flags Over Georgia back in the early/middle 2000s when it came to policies regarding seat selection - particularly if Lo-Q was involved. There USED TO BE designated rows for Lo-Q users - no selection permitted - though I think this practice was a trial and later discarded. Probably was a test during an early Lo-Q year. I seem to remember something at one point athat Lo-Q had "purchased" hose particular seats as part of its agreement. I THINK this probably ran into the basic issue of "Why does participation in Lo-Q mean that the rider forfeits seat selection priveleges available to thos in the general line?" Just some observations that I remember from way back when. Eric's experience differs due to the mis-handling by "Paul" (i.e. rudeness and arbitrary escalation - both training issues). It seems there is probably a disconnect between Lo-Q training and Six Flags training (AT THE VERY LEAST). With Love, IwantIceCream (aka AtlantaCoaster) Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by djw44 at 8/2/12 10:57:56 AM

Post Reply Reply +Quote Quite frankly, I would only expect this sort of grown up childish behavior from a Blobb Alvey type, but it seems that it is more rampant than I thought. Grow up.

drachen by at 8/2/12 11:47:30 AM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

I don't see it the way many of you see it. I do read a little bit of entitlement in Eric's actions after the guest services encounter, but all he wanted to do was ride toward the front of the train, which he should be allowed to do - especially if he's been able to do it before. Eric was angry at that point, so I can see where he would act accordingly. The real issue is that Eric was not the one to escalate the situation - the ride operator and the guest services girl were. Whether a customer is irate or calm, if they have a complaint you need to know how to take care of them, even if that means not giving in. These two employees were obviously not properly trained, or even were unqualified to handle the situation. The fact that talking to someone - anyone in park management was denied to a camly-complaining guest is wrong. Whether or not you agree with Eric's complaint, or think he went about it the wrong way, or shouldn't have played the Disney card, or think he acted entitled, you can't say that Six Flags Fiesta Texas handled the situation correctly. * This post was modified at 8/2/12 1:06:18 PM * drachen

Coaster to Park Ratio: 4.94 / Steel to Wooden Ratio: 2.56 / Wooden Coaster Percentage: 28%

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KevinReid by at 8/2/12 11:57:05 AM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

FL_Funnies said:



You sound like a bitter, self-entitled thinking individual that expects everything. There's so many things wrong with this post I can't even begin to comprehend them.

I did a search on this user and surprise it is your first post! Regards

Kevin "since 1997" Reid Post Reply Reply +Quote

Rollercoaster_freak220 by at 8/2/12 12:35:45 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Post Reply Reply +Quote This all could have been avoided if the ride op would have been polite. Even if he didn't let Eric choose his seat, a simple "I'm sorry, but you may not choose your seat on this ride because..." would have solved it. There is no reason for the confrontational attitude, and ESPECIALLY no reason to call security, let alone the POLICE! After treatment like that, why shouldn't he be entitled to AT LEAST a sincere apology??? I think the Disney thing shouldn't have been brought up, as that didn't solve anything, but the situation should never have reached further than the ride station in the first place.

Eric_Gieszl by at 8/2/12 1:23:16 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

For those of you who think I was trying to be entitled you’re crazy, but that’s your opinion so be it. I wish I had never walked into this situation or encountered this employee at all. My life would be better because of it. This entire event could have been avoided had the employee chosen better words. The words he used were a challenge. The same can be said in a more polite and courteous manner to which I might have accepted fate, walked away, which I’ve done before, or still asked to speak to the manager. I like everyone else have a right to defer to management if I am unhappy with the answer I receive. There is nothing wrong with this route and I think this person took that personally. After I asked to speak with the manager or whoever was in charge (who cares what their title is at the park) he should have at the most said “Sir, the manager is on his way.” And then he should continue to go about his business. Instead, he issued me a threat, do this or else, and then issued one more by saying he was going to call security if I didn’t ride now. Asking to speak with the manager warrants this? Well if you’re trying to spite the customer then I guess so. He clearly didn’t want me to win before the manager or supervisor, which is the wrong attitude. I was once a teenage employee for AMC Theatres. I was later a manager for them and then a F&B Director for National Amusements. I have lot of experience dealing with customers in all sorts of situations and I learned a lot from those early jobs. Employees are hired to follow and enforce policy in a friendly and courtesy way, but managers may at their discretion bend or not follow policy. I cannot tell you how many admission tickets I’ve refunded after a movie has been watched, concessions I’ve refunded after they’ve been eaten and after the refunds we would issue free passes for them to return. Asking for a refund is a reasonable request after all I had been through and the number of times it has been used is irrelevant. Why would I want to return to the park? Aside from security, no one was sincere in dealing with the matter, so at the end I decided to throw that out there. I really didn’t expect to receive one, nor did I really care if I got one or not, but I was curious how they would respond. No one who visits any theme park should be treated the way I was treated. To those of you who’ve sent me anonymous email threats in response to this posting, including threats of violence I want to thank you for your kind words of support and add that you’re pathetic for saying things like that while hiding behind a keyboard. * This post was modified at 8/2/12 2:16:51 PM * Post Reply Reply +Quote

Eric_Gieszl by at 8/2/12 1:25:37 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Rollercoaster_freak220 said:



This all could have been avoided if the ride op would have been polite. Even if he didn't let Eric choose his seat, a simple "I'm sorry, but you may not choose your seat on this ride because..." would have solved it. Thank you! Post Reply Reply +Quote

Eric_Gieszl by at 8/2/12 1:54:23 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Darkwings said:



"I then ask him about this horrible policy for the ride to which he incorrectly responds that it is Six Flags Policy. I correct him and say that “No, it is not Six Flags Policy as I have been to nearly every park and not very often have I experienced a policy of not being able to select my seat on a ride.” You're using the wrong language. Entitlement is one thing and customer expectation is an entirely different thing. From my perspective this is an unfriendly policy and I expect more. I don't see how anyone would want assigned seating. If you do then I will declare that you're the first! Regarldess, it's a lousy policy and pointing out that the industry's best operators (Disney) don't impose such punitive policies on their guests is a valid point. I never admitted to the manager that I've seen it in practice either. You're mixing my comments on the situation with what was actually said. I've always felt Six Flags could resolve some of their issues by just looking at their competitors for solutions. It's a horrible practice and that's the end of it. Darkwings said:



You then proceeds to go on a tirade about how Six Flags parks are dirty and the employees are mean and how you're just fed up and done.

Again, the above was never said to anyone at the park. It's my comments on the site or the thoughts in my head at the time. I think you think I was yelling and being rude to the manager, supervisor and employee at guest relations. I was not. The conversations were done in a normal tone of voice and in a respectful manner. Finally, I never label myself as an enthusiast and I don't drop names either. Saying I've visited most of their parks says nothing more than I've been to a bunch of Six Flags parks. Regardless, enthusiast or not, people should not be treated in this manner and both roller coaster enthusiasts and those who are not appear to dislike the assigned seating policy as I witnessed while waiting. If I were a "true" roller coaster enthusiast do you think I would skip on a final ride? * This post was modified at 8/2/12 2:47:28 PM * Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by Mar247 at 8/2/12 2:07:16 PM

When someone is visibly upset yet clearly wrong I think it's always fair to go directly to their manager. Although we try to "leave our problems at the door" I think we can all say we have or have jobs or careers and that none of us are perfect in doing so. We can't ever imagine what was going on either the young mans life or mind and in yours. The managers are on payroll for those matters and you could have easily received a discount from them for your fast pass. When someone is just so aggivated and it was going on since before you got there... Truth be told they are not listening to you and just seeing you as the reason for their punishments... It's just the psychology of people. What's going on in your life? Is everything going the way you planned? Or maybe your a high power/decession maker and your use to calling the shots? Whatever we carry we have to just solve the problems and not be the problem. Post Reply Reply +Quote

Eric_Gieszl by at 8/2/12 2:10:18 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

IwantIceCream said:



I THINK this probably ran into the basic issue of "Why does participation in Lo-Q mean that the rider forfeits seat selection priveleges available to thos in the general line?"

Bill, you bring up a great point for a different thread. I've stated before that the assigned row approach for FlashPass is wrong, but I wasn't using it in this case. Post Reply Reply +Quote

ray_p by at 8/2/12 4:34:40 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Eric_Gieszl said:



To those of you who’ve sent me anonymous email threats in response to this posting, including threats of violence I want to thank you for your kind words of support and add that you’re pathetic for saying things like that while hiding behind a keyboard. The above sentence is truly a sad reflection on today's society. Someone voices their opinion, (which is a completely valid one), someone else thinks differently and immediately makes threats. Pathetic is too nice of a word for these fools. I fully support the "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion" routine, but it seems more and more that if you are even in remote disagreement about something with some rube on the internet, you're berated, threatened and harassed through e-mails. The fact is that Eric paid his hard-earned money to enjoy a day at a Six Flags park. That was a choice he made that should have made the execs at SF happy. Eric chose SFFT over thousands of other vacation options. They should be grateful he chose them to spend his cash at, and above all that, he even "upgraded" by going with a Q-Bot to cut in front of the unwashed masses. When you pay more for a premium service, there is absolutely NO excuse for how this punk "Paul" treated Eric. None. If anyone has a valid excuse as to why he acted like that towards a paying customer, I'd love to hear it. I actually applaud Eric for staying as calm as he did for so long. I guarantee I would have been having a much different discussion with park security as they escorted me from the premises. I don't tolerate idiots talking down to me at an amusement park, retail store (I'm looking at you best Buy), restaurant, etc. If you don't like your job, quit. It's that freaking simple. Eric, I am sorry you had to deal with this and appreciate you posting this. It will definitely make me think twice before I go to SFFT. Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by classicdj at 8/2/12 4:48:41 PM

Hi Eric- Wow. I have to say, I visited Fiesta Texas way back in 2007 and I wanted SO MUCH to like the park... but the experience was truly the worst ever. I sent the following letter to Martin Bozer afterwards: (sorry for the length- but it was pretty bad): Dear Mr Bozer, It was with great anticipation that we visited Fiesta Texas on July 24, 2007, for the very first time. Although I am a big roller coaster fan, I also enjoy family attractions we can all experience together. I must say that I was immediately impressed with the physical location and beauty of the park. Unfortunately, everything I experienced, following the walk from the parking lot, diminished my enthusiasm. Please don’t get me wrong; I really wanted to like the park after reading so many good things about it. It started with the agonizingly slow admission process. Processing tickets, searching bags, and metal detector screening all taking place in the same location was a nightmare. Many other parks separate these processes, and the lines seem to move much quicker. In fact, I was quite surprised that Fiesta Texas did not implement a “rope drop” procedure like so many other Six Flags (and other) parks do… it seems to keep folks happy by getting into the “Main Street” a little earlier (and would create some extra revenue, too). Although I was in line at 10am, I didn’t actually step into the park until 10:17am. Quite a frustrating way to start, and not a good first impression. We immediately headed to the “Rattler” roller coaster. I was confused that it was still closed (about 10:25am) because the “These Rides Not Operating Today” sign in front of the ticket gate gave no indication that it was closed. I asked a nearby attendant and he said it “always opens at noon,” and that they “have to nail in all the boards that have fallen off the day before.” (!!) Huh? Another employee said that the maintenance guys have to check it, and the staff has to come in to operate it. It is of my opinion that this is a major, if not the signature ride, of the park. Shouldn’t maintenance be done before park hours, and staffing be in place by 10am, if that’s when the park opens? I asked why this wasn’t noted on the “closed attractions” sign out front (or in any park brochure) if this happens every day. The response was a shrug of the shoulders. “The Rattler opens at 12 noon” placed outside the front gate would be an incredibly easy way to solve this problem. I then asked to speak to a park supervisor. The employee said, “there are no park managers out here” (!! again) and he would call someone, After 20 minutes and two more phone calls waiting for someone to arrive, I decided to go to the park office (Hospitality House). A young lady named Laura helped me by giving me some "Back of the line" passes to make up for our lost time. By now, the time was 11:15am and my family had yet to experience any attraction, so we used the Passes for Tony Hawk’s Big Spin. As we were about to board the ride, it shut down, for what I learned was a bloody nose. I know things happen, but the entire ride was shut down because, “A hazmat guy has to come out to clean it up,” said one ride attendant. I understand that. But we waited. And waited… and waited. The employees hung around, and laughed and talked with each other… it appeared as if they welcomed the unexpected break. If a simple thing as a bloody nose can shut down the park’s newest ride for over 23 minutes, there are issues to be worked out. We finally left without riding (we did ride later, however) and headed for the High School Show. We went to Rockville for the 12:15pm Show. As we headed to the door (about 150 feet from the building) the attendants shut the doors. We tried to open them, and even went to the side to try and open another door. The attendant came out and said, “Sorry, show started.”

Me: “We can just go in the back row”

Him: “No, sorry”

Me: “It's a joke, right? The show just started about 60 seconds ago!”

Him: “Sorry, no late seating”

Me: “Then can I speak to a manager, this is a little ridiculous.”

Him: (pretty rudely, as if I should know all the park policies) “There are no managers here. (!! A third time- getting hard to believe) If you want to complain, go to the front of the park.” And then the door shut in my face. Now, I’m really starting to get upset. I truly find it hard to believe that there are simply no supervisors or managers in the park. I have never had this happen anywhere before, including Disney. Disney, as other parks do, typically fill the last rows of theatres with latecomers. Not doing so is pretty guest-unfriendly, especially after what we witnessed later. I did finally read, “There is no late seating to our shows at indoor venues” in the park guide. Although I don’t agree with it, I guess I get it… to preserve show integrity, etc. I simply think there is a better way to handle latecomers and preserve show integrity at the same time. However…

We saw a show called “Encore” at a large indoor venue with picnic tables. Not only did they allow late seating, the doors remained completely open during the entire show (which I have to admit, was kind of distracting to us watching the show). I thought this was completely inconsistent with the stated park policy. More upsetting was what we saw when we finally did get to the High School Show. There was a pre-show that started with Hula Hoops and kids, that lasted about 4 minutes, it started about 2 minutes before the posted show time. As soon as the pre-show started, the attendants shut the doors and strolled away. I witnessed two attendants who basically wanted to shut the doors as soon as they could, (two minutes before showtime) so they could go on break. The theatre was half full and could have accommodated many more (during the pre-show). Did the employees really go on break? I don’t know, but that’s what it seemed to me, and guests’ perceptions are reality. It was like we (the guests) were a big inconvenience to them. I understand Fiesta Texas has the reputation for excellent shows. During the 2:15pm High School show, there was a speaker that constantly gave loud, knocking feedback (enough for the performers to look up to the ceiling a few times and roll their eyes) and lapel mikes that gave spotty reception on two of the performers. After the show, I asked one of the performers if the speaker gave them problems all day. She said, “It’s constantly doing that, they say we are getting new equipment soon” (!!- a fourth time). An experienced technician would simply kill the offending speaker during the show… but to learn it’s been busted for a while, without being fixed, and still being used, floored me. Unfortunately, there is more…

The next show we saw was skateboarding/BMX type show. Although the show started, the doors remained open for people who were buying popcorn in the lobby to come in and walk down the aisles. Then my wife pointed out the obvious: In the indoor theatres where food is being sold (revenue creating areas) it simply doesn’t matter about late seating or show integrity, because the park is making money. But in the High School theatre, there is no food service, so the late arriving guests to that theatre simply lose out. Also, about the skateboarding/BMX show, my 11-year old asked me if the performers were two street gangs fighting each other. There are quite a bit of gang references (colors, fighting, etc) in the show. Now, I’m no prude, but is this really an appropriate storyline? Especially when Fiesta Texas uses metal detectors at the front gate? Not taking away from the performers (all were quite good, if not excellent), I question how Fiesta Texas earned the title of Best Shows. After seeing other shows at Silver Dollar City, Dollywood, Disney, Universal (and other parks), all with better storylines, no technical problems, more elaborate sets and special effects, and much more guest-friendly policies, I have to wonder what the voting guidelines are. I am not saying we did not enjoy ourselves at Fiesta Texas, but I don’t see anything that would warrant a return visit. It was a bit below average (and a little frustrating) experience. We visited Sea World the following day, and they also had attractions that opened later than 10am. However those attraction opening times were all clearly noted in their park guide. They also allowed late seating to every show, in the back (upper) sections of the theatres. And, more importantly, almost every single employee at Sea World was friendly, smiling, and welcoming. We love visiting all types of amusement and theme parks, large and small. I hope our visit can help you better shape the experiences and attractions at your park for your future guests. I did receive a response, which was all boilerplate copy-and-paste except for this: "Under no circumstances will we open a major, technical ride like the "Rattler" until it has undergone it's rigorous safety inspection." Um... yes... I know. But why are you bringing in the crews to walk the track at 11am when the park opens at 10am? Six Flags- how I want want to love you. Why do you make it so hard??? Post Reply Reply +Quote

frontrow by at 8/2/12 6:03:24 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Post Reply Reply +Quote I can't believe some people are siding with SF Fiesta Texas, and sending threatening emails to Eric. Are you people insane? If something like this happened to them, they would have never handled the situation as well as Eric did. I have had disputes with employees at parks, mostly at my home park Kennywood. After having to put up with an idiot, you are entitled to something. It's called an apology. By notifying management, you may prevent this from happening to someone else. In Eric's situation he had to deal with one idiot after another. The only person that was remotely helpful was the female security guard. This is something that should be taken to the corporate level, because apparently no one at SF Fiesta Texas is mentally capable of handling a simple dispute. I don't blame Eric for going to the lengths he did. I took simular measures at Kennywood before. When a situation escalates to a certain level, you owe it to yourself not back down and follow it through until you find a result that satisfies you. On this site I complain about Kennywood's employees and tell my non enthusiast friends to go to Cedar Point or Hershey instead of wasting their money at Kennywood. The sad part is I really love the park itself, but when you deal with idiots, it takes the fun out of the whole experience. For some of the new people posting, I have this to say. Here at URC we don't always agree, but we try to respectful towards one another. Most people who post regularly will go out of their way to help you. We even try and meet up with each other at parks. This is the best coaster forum. We don't insult each other or send threatening emails. This site is not for the type of crap.

Cyclone_Phil by at 8/2/12 6:11:55 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas *NM*

amen to that. I will repeat my earlier stance: I would try out the other parks in the chain first before having an outright boycott of the chain as a whole. If anything, I still recommend keeping SFGAdv as an option at the very least and hope that park is enough to keep your views of SF in a slightly favorable stance. It could just be certain parks have their asswipes while others might not. * This post was modified at 8/2/12 8:45:12 PM * Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas *NM* by BenJ at 8/2/12 7:23:14 PM

Post Reply Reply +Quote sorry this happened to you eric. no surprise coming from six flags though, their employees and park operations are TERRIBLE. i live in VA and six flags america is just plain awful. i've been there a few times but refuse to go back. hopefully the manager of the park contacts you/realizes who you are/your impact in the enthusiast community. what a shame.

cellocoasterdude by at 8/2/12 7:34:44 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Hi Eric, If I were to base my opinion of Six Flags on my last visit to SFOT or my only visit to SFNE, I would not want to ever patronize them either. Fortunately, I have had enough good experiences within the chain that I will not let a couple of bad days allow me to miss out on what can be a good thing. I would have never made it to opening day at SFGAdv, and ridden El Toro or Kingda Ka if I would have gone on a boycott. Yes, management needs to know why people don't like their company. However, don't let these punks and losers drive you away from what you enjoy doing so much. Just my two cents, -Tim Post Reply Reply +Quote

Patripman by at 8/2/12 9:39:52 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Now you know why I havent visited a Six Flags park in 11 years and believe me I dont miss it one bit. Great Adventure was no adventure and we swore off any of their parks after that visit in 2001. Patripman Post Reply Reply +Quote

Great_Ump by at 8/3/12 12:41:35 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Eric, I had an issue with the SF website and payment processing back in 2009 on the SFA page. After not receiving a call or a response back from then Park President John Winkler, I contact SF HQ and the matter was quickly resolved. You may want to go that route. Joe

Great_Ump

(stealing Kevin's thunder, another poster since '97) Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by gh1garyhits1 at 8/3/12 5:48:35 PM

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA YOU WERE THAT PERSON!!!! I was working at the games that day and I was like what the hell is going on when I saw the commotion and the guards going to The Rattler. I asked my security guard friend what was going on and he said some idiot is being stubborn. Thanks for making my day interesting by having people playing my game waiting for their family members. I honestly think you should have just let the person(s) behind you get in front and then you could have gotten the entire problem done with. The person was probably just frustrated with you because they probably got a LOT of your cases so that person lost their patience. * This post was modified at 8/7/12 10:26:02 PM * Post Reply Reply +Quote

drachen by at 8/3/12 6:04:15 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

gh1garyhits1 said:



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA YOU WERE THAT PERSON!!!! I was working at the games that day and I was like what the hell is going on when I saw the commotion and the guards going to The Rattler. I asked my security guard friend what was going on and he said some idiot is being stubborn. Thanks for making my day interesting by having people playing my game waiting for their family members. Thanks for further proving Eric's point. drachen

Coaster to Park Ratio: 4.94 / Steel to Wooden Ratio: 2.56 / Wooden Coaster Percentage: 28%

Facebook: Search Park Connoisseur Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by jmkb02 at 8/3/12 6:07:47 PM

Post Reply Reply +Quote I just want to say that I agree with Eric on what he did with the situation. I recently visited SFFT and SFOT on a trip this past spring. We were there on opening weekend and the following weekend as well. I had several issues that I saw at SFFT and one of which was definitely customer service. We bought and processed our passes there, purchased food, and obviously rode rides. We experienced a lack of customer service in every aspect but especially on the rides. I live in southern California and regularly visit Disneyland and California adventure. No SFFT is far from a Disney park, but they still should have some sort of training for their new employees. We were told several times that "we had to sit there, or didn't have a choice," but when we visited that same ride a week later or went for a re-ride, there were no issues as long as we would be willing to wait for the next train. Very inconstant, and one of which was rattler. We also received cold food and the disgust on the faces of the employees made me fear that their would be "non-edible" objects in my food. My point is, In my opinion, SF across the board has always lacked in customer service. I have been to four SF parks and that is the only thing that is consistent with them.

Overbanked by at 8/3/12 7:45:53 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

All I can say is wow. I'm sorry about that experience Eric. It's sounds like typical SF d-bagy behavior by their 'friendly' staff. Unfortunately some SF coasters won't allow you to sit where you want (which is unreasonable) just like the haphazard seating placement on X2. I just came back of a crazy coast to coast park trip down Interstate 10 which included the coaster Cannonball Run at Waterville USA, in Gulf Shores, AL; SFFT (7/28/12) Every adult coaster except Pandemonium, and Boomerang Coast to Coaster) SFMM (one side of Colossus was down, and the non-coaster Lex Luthor was down) and Knotts Berry Farm. I'll do the TR's later I'm SO tired; That's my first and LAST time driving coast to coast. * This post was modified at 8/5/12 7:21:07 PM * Post Reply Reply +Quote

Eric_Gieszl by at 8/3/12 7:56:45 PM Re: Opening Day Report Here

That is too funny. I was there opening day March 3, 2012 as well. I never posted a trip report, but it was a mixed day with plenty of issues and since we’re on the topic here goes. Arrived at Fiesta Texas 10:30 am and waited a ridiculous 50 minutes to get into the parking lot. The lanes weren’t moving hardly at all. When we reached the attendant she said they were having computer problems (slow was her description). The park should’ve gone to the old school method of just collecting cash and waving people through and there should’ve been a lane for pre-paid, which they could scan later in the day. Again, no one from management is being creative when they’re in a bind. After a couple of rides - Poltergeist and Superman - I got my season pass processed. Processing was fast, but I what I discovered got me mad. Those who purchased the promotional $19.97 ticket for opening weekend, could upgrade to a pass for I believe another $35. I paid $69.99 plus a $5.00 processing fee ($74.99) at home that morning for the same exact thing! That’s really a rude statement to your guests. What they should have done is upgraded all of the regular passes that were processed on the same weekend to the premium pass (you just get discounts throughout the park) for no additional charge or given you a coupon for free parking on one visit. That gesture would’ve changed my opinion of the entire situation. So now we haven’t even had lunch and I’m already in a “I hate Six Flags mood”. We walked to Sangerfest Halle for lunch where there is a large, air-conditioned food court with multiple stations. Now look what I find on the counter at the front of one of the stations greeting everyone: That really gets you in the mood for lunch doesn't it? That disgusting tray sat there the entire time we were in the food court. Multiple employees, a supervisor and someone who appeared to be a manager passed it and chose to ignore it. I wasn’t surprised, this is Six Flags after all. Here is what I got for lunch a Taco Salad: Needless to say the salad was awful. The photo speaks for itself. I paid $15.93 for the Taco Salad and a 12oz Bud Light. The salad was poorly made. My friends didn’t like their meals either and we all wished we had left the park to have lunch off property. A Taco Salad is very easy to make and to improve this one would be easy. For $9.99 I expect much more! If you need a better example go to Taco Bell as they sell one for less than five dollars, but just in case here is what you should do. There should be a scoop of refried beans on the bottom, which there was not. They should have shredded iceberg lettuce, not leaves. I prefer ground beef over the dried up beef jerky (fajita beef) they provided, but that’s a matter of preference. They should give you a nice helping of shredded cheese creating a layer over the entire top. You should top it off with some diced tomatoes, onions for those who want them and a scoop of sour cream. They should give you a side of jalapenos, a side of salsa and attempt to up-sell you on a side of guacamole. For the toppings on this salad they all came in pathetically, small one-ounce dipping sauce cups and that was just shredded cheese, jalapenos and salsa. The rest of the afternoon was overall fun. We paid to ride the go-karts and rode most of the major rides. I rode Rattler and was able to select my row, which of course was the front car. My friends rode in the front row, I rode in the second. They hated the coaster. In the final hour we ran into another negative situation. At about 5:15 pm we got in line for Superman. We waited 20 minutes to get into the station and then got in line for the front row. Two trains were on the track, but the line was crawling and they were stacking the second train every single time for several minutes. It was pathetic. When I get in the station I see the problem: There are three attendants working, but only one is checking restraints. The lead (red name tag reveals all) and another employee are at the control booth, talking and talking and talking. The lead is not doing the work at the panel and she never comes to check restraints. Also, not only is her lack of help slowing operations, but so is her talking. I’m annoyed, but with friends who’ve never visited the park. When we finally board I say to the pour employee as he checks mine- “What is your lead too good to check restraints?” He looks at me and says, “She is worthless and won’t help.” I replied with a comment that I won’t post here, but he laughed at what I said. We rode and left as the park was closing. We went to the Yard House for dinner across the street, but I told my friends - Isn’t it amazing how a few incidents can real sour your opinion of the overall park? * This post was modified at 8/3/12 8:01:30 PM * Post Reply Reply +Quote

RobLec by at 8/3/12 9:38:58 PM Re: Opening Day Report Here

Eric_Gieszl said:



I replied with a comment that I won’t post here,

but he laughed at what I said. The problem is that any remark that anyone might make regarding that pair would be thrown right back as being "racist", even if it were not even remotely so. And so they continue to watch as the one, lone conscientious employee continues to do the work of three. Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by vvelez5 at 8/3/12 11:55:50 PM

Post Reply Reply +Quote Not sure if its happened to you guys. But I contacted Six Flags Fiesta through their Twitter account and posted a link to this letter and asked them why do they treat guests like this. The outcome? I am not blocked from accessing Six Flags Fiesta Twitter feed.

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by vvelez5 at 8/4/12 12:25:07 AM

Post Reply Reply +Quote I for one do not understand the difficulty in accommodating a guest. I've worked on coasters and a fast paced one at that. It isn't difficult to do and also the idea that being in the guest service industry that a simple request denied by an employee can turn someones day into a horrible one is upsetting.

Cyclone_Phil by at 8/4/12 12:44:55 AM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

vvelez5 said:



Not sure if its happened to you guys. But I contacted Six Flags Fiesta through their Twitter account and posted a link to this letter and asked them why do they treat guests like this. The outcome? I am not blocked from accessing Six Flags Fiesta Twitter feed. You were blocked or not blocked? Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by vvelez5 at 8/4/12 1:05:01 AM

Cyclone_Phil said:



vvelez5 said:



Not sure if its happened to you guys. But I contacted Six Flags Fiesta through their Twitter account and posted a link to this letter and asked them why do they treat guests like this. The outcome? I am not blocked from accessing Six Flags Fiesta Twitter feed. You were blocked or not blocked? sorry meant to say blocked. Not sure where that "not" came from Post Reply Reply +Quote

NotSo by at 8/4/12 1:46:45 AM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

I am kind of having a hard time believing security and police were called that quickly. Is there more to the story that got left out Eric? I have been in situations where I thought I was being reasonable, nice, and respectful, but have later been told I was a cocky jerk. Perhaps Eric you were a little cocky towards Paul, maybe? Maybe? But if it happened just like you say, I see nothing wrong with the escalation process you took. Six Flags dropped the ball (if your story is true) with their guest relations bigtime, and I applaud you if you indeed never return to their parks. If it was me, I would have just dropped back a few people in line and if Paul gave me a problem I would say I feel sick. They hate cleaning up puke, you would have been fine with that trick. I should write a book on beating the park rules though.. Post Reply Reply +Quote

Cyclone_Phil by at 8/4/12 3:22:36 AM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

vvelez5 said:



sorry meant to say blocked. Not sure where that "not" came from Ok, just making sure. And that is just crazy that you would be blocked just for posting that. smh Post Reply Reply +Quote

Eric_Gieszl by at 8/4/12 10:51:35 AM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

You're not the only one who is now blocked from the @SF_FiestaTexas Twitter account. I've only used their handle in a single tweet. Not that I really care, but that just proves what a awful park and company this is. What's the point of blocking a public page. You can view it when logged out! NoSo, It wasn't all that quickly. I was probably maybe 8-10 minutes for the manager. This park has police working in the park, so they weren't called to the property. There isn't anything to add to the story. I hoped to ask the manager to make an exception to their policy and the kid didn't call the manager or supervisor, he called security. I wasn't asked to leave the ride. I suggested we walk away to go to guest relations where I felt they'd be able to better assist me. At this point, after all of the various replies, a few of which I've received via email one in particular that was much worse than mine I'm done with Six Flags period. I found out Six Flags security at another park threatened to detain a friend of mine who worked at a high-level in the amusement industry because he took video of an employee at one of their rides verbally assaulting him. This adult, was there with his two young children. I'm not going to attend any of their parks at all for the foreseeable future. I knew it was a mistake when I set foot in that park on opening day in March. -Eric * This post was modified at 8/4/12 11:35:36 AM * Post Reply Reply +Quote

cellocoasterdude by at 8/4/12 11:43:53 AM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

I just had some great rides on the Rattler, and a wonderful day at the park... Of course that is the New Mexico Rattler, and Cliff's. I don't think I will be boycotting the Cliff's chain. TR will be forthcoming, but they treated us very well, and we were easily able to get half-priced tickets (they were even handing them out in front of the gate!). The pizza wasn't bad either. I am sorry about what you experienced Eric (but not surprised), and hope that SF will fix their issues so that all of us can enjoy the good things about their parks. Of course we still have Disney, and even Cedar Fair. And Cliff's... -Tim Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by seaskiguy at 8/5/12 11:28:01 PM

This sounds like a very frustrating situation. I don't actually blame the kid at the ride, rather I blame Lo-Q and/or 6F for inadequate customer service training and management's inaccessibility. The kid was frustrated because he probably just didn't know how to handle the situation. Right or wrong is irrelevant in some ways. I was in management in the ski industry for years, and if a customer was upset with a lesson or anything else, I wanted to know. Regardless of who was "right", I always introduced myself, and shook their hand and apologized for their frustrating experience, and thanked them for taking the time to talk with me. (No apology for anything specific, for liability reasons.) We always talked and it typically ended up with me asking them what I could do for them to make their experience better. If they said a refund, fine, however 99.9% of the time they just wanted to be heard, and, frankly, I wanted to listen. This is not rocket science, it's just civil behavior and interest in your business and customers. I truly appreciated that they spent their day with my operation - I consider it flattering. A small refund will go A LOT further towards good PR and word-of-mouth than standing on some ridiculous principal. This kind of behavior roles right down from the top, and their lack of personal followup just underscores the real problem here. Let me give you a great SFMM story. A friend and I went to SFMM a year ago to ride the new Green Lantern. We loved this crazy ride and re-rode many times. One of the attendants noticed and gave us an exit pass to have a special ride. This was certainly against policy, but let me tell you, I remember this and how it just helped make my experience so good that day. Cudos to that young kid for such a nice gesture. * This post was modified at 8/5/12 11:46:30 PM * Post Reply Reply +Quote

SirWillow by at 8/6/12 11:58:10 AM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Unbelievable. It's bad enough that Six Flags will treat you this way, it's even worse those hiding behind their keyboard and thinking that this sort of behavior and lack of response to the guest is ok. It is absolutely not ok. I've worked for 3 different park companies now (Busch Gardens Tampa, Walt Disney World and currently Silver Dollar City) and that sort of treatment from one of their employees would not have been tolerated at any of them. You absolutely have the "right" to choose the seat they offer you or wait for the next train to get a seat more to your liking. For whatever reason. You are the paying guest, customer, and it is their job to accommodate you in something small and simple like that in an effort to give you the best experience possible. Period. Anyone who doesn't think so simply doesn't understand what basic customer service and common courtesy is. But it's amazing how many people don't. For a simple explanation of it, do a google search for Bob Ferrell's Give 'em the Pickle, or you can watch the full 20 minute video here:

http://www.lavalearning.com/main/index.php?Itemid=62&catid=48:customer-service-skills-&id=123:give-em-the-pickle&option=com_content&view=article It might help some get a clue. Worse, not only did they not give the seat or let you wait (a very simple request), they then refused the just as simple request of fetching their manager. And then to make it worse called security and the police when they weren't needed. That employee made a simple situation into an overblown one- which is lack of training and complete idiocy. And that further shows up at guest relations. The proper response there should have been an apology, and admission of screwing up (which they did) and some form of remedy- an exit pass for a ride or two would have been an appropriate response to make up for not riding Rattler due to this, and the lost time and embarrassment. No, they can't do that. And they can't offer refunds or find any way to make a paying guest happy? That's just ludicrous, asinine, and a host of other words I could add. It's inexcusable. Six Flags at this point should be offering a full refund and an apology letter. But I doubt you'll ever get it. I certainly didn't when Cedar Point did something similar to me. Those two companies just don't seem to "get it" and then they wonder why they seem to struggle so much. Post Reply Reply +Quote

Fatsoccerguy191 by at 8/7/12 8:45:37 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Post Reply Reply +Quote i don't know much about Rattler, but I heard when it "closes", it's going to be re-themed and re-opened.

Fatsoccerguy191 by at 8/10/12 8:08:40 AM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

That's such a terrible experience. I'm so sorry you did not enjoy your last experience :(. Six Flags workers are always rude, it happens to everyone, but this, has gone way too far, a worker talking to someone who PAYED money to have an enjoyable time, embarrassing him in front of many other people, shame on Paul. You have the right to choose what seat you want! Some people do have problems with other seats, if you couldn't choose, then what the hell is the point of having air gates?. You might as well have them in a straight line, like kindergartners!., and for him threatening you is outrageous, I would have said. "If you don't back up, I will call the REAL police here!, not some crappy Six Flags Security's!, I'm sorry you that you didn't get to ride Rattler. Cedar Fair parks are better than I guess. The staff are ridiculous and come up with more surprising rules at Six Flags parks nowadays, too bad I live near one. In this case I'm not defending the theme parks anymore, because the people's enjoyment is my number 1 concern, not some dumb amusement park, that comes up with a new surprising rule every year. I am sending an e-mail regarding this. BTW that food looks worse than the lunches they serve at school. That's why I never buy their food. * This post was modified at 8/10/12 8:17:22 AM * Post Reply Reply +Quote

GoYanks34 by at 8/10/12 10:36:16 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Eric, That's horrible that you had to deal with that. I had no idea that the people who scan the Q-bot were not SF employees. How are they not responsible for their actions? That's not right. And I cannot believe people threatened you via e-mail. I can only assume they were not regular members of this board since all of the out of line comments are from posters I have never seen before and probably never will again. It's actually quite sad that they think you were in the wrong. I did the same thing when I had that horrible Dorney trip and I got no where and no one in upper management was anywhere to be found so this is not limited to SF parks unfortunately. Sorry you didn't get your final ride. Jen Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by Frissbeking at 8/12/12 10:37:23 PM

I haven't posted or read here in a long time but decided to today, and I'm glad I did. I've been pondering where to visit next summer, Texas being one of the options as I had an excellent visit to all 3 major TX parks back in 07. This is unreal. I managed for Wendy's for 11 years, I know the differences are huge, but if anything like what you described happened under my watch, I'd be fired on the spot. I applaud you for being so calm with this, my patience ran out just reading the first 1/4 of your "report". The fact that upper management doesn't want to do anything, you've been blocked from their Twitter, and the all around lack of giving a sh*t around the park really leads me to believe the park won't be open much longer, especially if SW keeps doing what they do. Eventually it will just be over run with the type of crowd that no one wants to be around, the "good" employees are the ones working the shows. They can't get good equipment to work with and I'm sure any type of talent scout won't stay in the park long. I could rant and go on and on about how ridiculous this all is... but I'll end here for now. I hope all is well with you otherwise Eric! It's been a long time, so long I didn't know you left California! Hope to see ya sometime soon, PPP possibly? * This post was modified at 8/12/12 10:42:50 PM * Post Reply Reply +Quote

Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas by skc2000 at 8/17/12 9:47:25 AM



With a coaster track record of 379 coasters i have been to every major theme park in the USA & canada. i am on SSI disability.the reason why i am disabled is because of a bad relationship with my parents.With a coaster track record of 379 coasters i have been to every major theme park in the USA & canada. Now every park is different.sometimes i have to pick up a little booklet from guest relations which lists all the rides & i can only reserve one ride at a time(the ride operators check the booklet to see if i allready reserved another coaster that i didn,t ride yet).Other times i can reserve more than one ride at a time.One time they gave me a QBOT for free at no charge that i had to return before exiting the park.Another time they gave me a slip that i had to return when i ride the coaster.one time at six flags magic mountain i had to wait at the exit till it was my turn to ride.Every time was different. Now from all the times that i have walked up the exit ramp to ride the coaster they never allowed me to pick my seat on the coaster.This has happened at every major theme park weather it was six flags, cedar fair, disney or any other major theme park.Now being denied the option to wait for a particular seat i don,t like that either & just like eric i like to ride in the front too but i never make a fuss out of it.i just take the seat that they put me in & enjoy the ride.There were a few times when people standing in the regular line saw me board the coaster from the exit & they were very upset at that.One time as i was reserving a coaster another disabled person was also reserving the coaster & just like me he was asked to come back up the exit 20 min later & he got a little upset that he was told to come back 20 min later.

the ride operator tried explaining to him that that,s the rule but he wasn,t very happy about it. & i will tell you something else very interesting too.Compared to the abuse that my parents have done to me things like this don,t bother me at

all. skc2000 Post Reply Reply +Quote

SirWillow by at 8/17/12 11:06:32 AM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

skc2000 said:



i am on SSI disability. Now every park is different.sometimes i have to pick up a little booklet from guest relations which lists all the rides & i can only reserve one ride at a time( You hit on the major difference here- you're disabled. The parks have put in place special procedures to make it easier and more accessible for the disabled. They vary because there is no set rules for what they must do and, honestly, most of them go above and beyond what is required. But regardless, they were options that you received free with admission. Eric PAID extra. Not only did he pay extra, but what he was requesting was not out of line. He didn't demand the front row, he asked for a place closer to the front due to how rough the seat they were ordering him to was. The extra charge he paid plus the reason for- and ease of meeting- his request should demand that they meet it. And most parks, even for the disabled, if they request a reasonable accomodation (can I move closer to the front vs. front row, or vice versa) will be happy to do that. I know that Disney, Busch, and Silver Dollar do from experience working at all three of them. And how would you feel if you made such a request and the ride operator not only went ballistic about it but then called the police to escort you off? And you want to say they're being reasonable? I don't think so. Post Reply Reply +Quote

Great_Ump by at 8/17/12 3:39:24 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Eric, It's been a little more than two weeks. Has the park responded at all to you? Joe

Great_Ump Post Reply Reply +Quote

mugen828 by at 8/17/12 5:35:10 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Wow. I am just reading this. Kind of too late to post my thoughts and get into the discussion. I feel bad for you Eric, that's a crazy situation. I feel overall...that Six Flags as a whole, does not do a good job of customer satisfaction. I would go as far as to say they to a terrible job, but that wouldn't be fair to some of their employees, whom I know of at my home park, that do a great job. I feel like you were in the right, and somehow got thrown through a wild goose chase of superiors and crap. I am confused in the story a bit still...because you mention that Paul guy as the fast lane checker, and that he was the one who denied you to wait for a row. Now I have no idea what Rattler's line structure is like, but he shouldn't have control over the rows you wait in. Usually the rows are AFTER the fast pass scan point, so how does he have control over what row you wait in and such. Like I said though, I don't know what the station looks like, how they run the ride, and to be honest after reading so many replies and such after the OP it's a bit of a blur lol. In the end....NO ONE, and I mean no one should EVER get within inches of your face and intimidate you. I would have had security called on HIM! That was the part that set me off reading it. I feel like all of this could have been avoided somehow though too...I am in your corner though Eric. If it were me...I would have waited in the row I wanted to ride in. I don't know if that's what you did, or Paul stopped you before you got to the row, but that's what I would have done. - mugen828

157 Coasters -- Favorite Coaster -- Nitro (SFGAdv)

117 Steel -- 40 Wood -- Home Park: SFGADv Post Reply Reply +Quote

Eric_Gieszl by at 8/17/12 7:26:52 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

There is an update, but I just haven't had time to sit down and write what I want to say. The park contacted me the Saturday immediately following the incident. I'll try to sum up the response a little later today. Post Reply Reply +Quote

frontrow by at 8/17/12 8:53:09 PM Re: Farewell Rattler, No Farewell Awful Six Flags Fiesta Texas

skc2000 said:



i am on SSI disability.the reason why i am disabled is because of a bad relationship with my parents.

With a coaster track record of 379 coasters i have been to every major theme park in the USA & canada. Now every park is different.sometimes i have to pick up a little booklet from guest relations which lists all the rides & i can only reserve one ride at a time(the ride operators check the booklet to see if i allready reserved another coaster that i didn,t ride yet).Other times i can reserve more than one ride at a time.One time they gave me a QBOT for free at no charge that i had to return before exiting the park.Another time they gave me a slip that i had to return when i ride the coaster.one time at s