Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

We left at 4:17 A.M and we were making great time until just outside Lansing. We hit a little bump if you will
We took the Impala from
http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/4/web/820000-820999/820...1_full.jpg

And we upgraded it with that "deer dent fascia", I know that look is hot right now and everybody is going for it. I was driving down 96 and in the left lane, and in the right lane I notice someone hitting their brakes hard. So I am thinking hey, must be a cop around right? Not paying attention to the far left side of the road. Because hey bright lights make you look right?

So as I am looking out of the corner of my eye I made that deer dent upgrade to my car
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/kicker15L7/DSC03290.jpg
Yeah....custom bumper, grill, impala emblem, fog lights, an entire head light...as you can see.

This wasn't going to stop me, I rip off the plastic headlight housing that is dangling and check for transmission fluid leaks and see if we still have a radiator working good. We do! You may now pass go and collect $200 almost....

The day at CP was like any summer day with tons of long lines.
We had 2 roll backs in ONE RIDE on Maverick. Well kind of...we didn't make it that far up the lift hill...reverse back....then tunnel came and we didn't have enough speed to make it out of the tunnel. So we get shot out again. All in all we spent 30 minutes probably on Maverick around 9:30 A.M. We learn Maverick goes down permanently later. If only the bad news ended here folks...

Now I hate to sit and whine, but I am here.

We go to East of Chicago and pig out for $6.99 a person, good value and good food for the price. Now I am great with handling money, keeping track of things, not losing things usually. Now key word is usually.
My girlfriend entrusts me with her identification, debit card card, and around $40 in cash. I myself have $70 in cash, debit card, credit card, ID, and 2 platinum passes in my wallet. In between 4 PM and 9:00 PM and riding Magnum, Mantis, Wicked Twister, and TTD. We lose my wallet.

We submit a claim to CP lost and found who honestly were rather....not helpful. They were almost rude even as if this problem happens every day (which it does), but hey we are two college students who spend a lot with you folks. We have nothing now, and it is my fault for not renting a locker in this instance and trusting my coat with zippers mind you to hold my wallet.
So we have ride op's making min-wage doing track searches at the end of their shift checking for lost and found. Now my wallet wasn't found by TTD, Magnum, WT, or Mantis crew.
But it is dark as hell out and I seriously question the ability to scout all of Magnum's track in the dark.
Anyways...so now we are waiting for a western union from my dad, we hope season pass center will let us in the park tomorrow even though it is going to rain. We hope to continue to "nag" and try and find this wallet.

I can understand how CP feels...they came home with multiple cell phones, and it is not like we are the first or the fourth that day with lost items. We just lost "everything". Literally we cannot go home because we cannot afford the gas to get home until we get money through western union.
Maverick was down all day. The lines were steady heavy in every ride including Power Tower which was only running 1 of the drop towers.

What annoys me about CP lost and found / CP police / CP ride-ops is their relatively laid back approach to the process. "Fill this form out, if we find it we'll call you". Okay gee thanks. I was hoping we could work a better way to resolve this.

Their suggestion to me was honestly "do you have someone who can come pick you up?" Yeah 4.5 hours away from here and that is all kinds of practical.
I seriously am going to pray that CP has a thorough inspection of the grounds around the coasters every morning and my wallet is recovered.

Not that this matters but my bumper was a limited run, and only something like 60 were ever produced. Aka I can't find that bumper anymore. How cooool?

Lines were long for everything...Magnum was almost an hour all the time it seemed, Power Tower was 30 minutes for the drop tower, walk on for the shot up.
Skyhawk was a walk on at 9:05 but we didn't check back every again. Someone had said it shut down as well.

Millennium Force was running good and so was Top Thrill Dragster. Raptor kept a consistent 1-1.5 hour long line.

Tofts even had a line to the door. Subway is yes more pricey, and when I say more pricey we are about double the cost of that $5 dollar foot long...song. So more like six dollar six inch.

I seen many more people with beer in line this year, and I noticed no problems. Smoking seemed to be on the decline, but these are the most loyal of customers who do know "the rules".

Right now I am just in shambles. My car...all messed up....my wallet gone. No charges have been made to my accounts, but I have to now get new Michigan drivers license, VFW card, American Legion card, Insurance card, school card, library card, credit card, debit card, and countless other things. Oh yeah cancel my old paycheck and re-write me another one as last weeks paycheck was in my wallet. What a nightmare guys...

Maxair was down as noted...Skyscraper is sitting in the Soak City parking lot.

East of Chicago is sure awesome for $6.99 when compared to what you get in the park for $6.99, but it is a carb fest.

I wish CP lost and found treated us all as very valuable customers. But what can they do? Call in a helicopter with a spot light and send a team of people out to find my wallet? I guess that is unreasonable.

Lesson #1, bring only a debit card, ID and platinum pass.

Bayshore is okay, very close to the park and kind of a mobile home camping experience if I may say. I will add to this later. We are going to head to Steak and Shake now that I smell like camp fire.

Oh yeah thats the second train tonight that has went by, and third ambulance / police car siren that has went by. This Bayshore location does have some....downsides. Honestly though you get a lot. A kitchen, your own "place". Kind of cool in its own way. It is definitely kind of fun in its own way. Not the "Breakers" way, but that kind of camping way. You feel like your camping for sure.

What makes me laugh is I manage to "baby" my digital camera, MP3 player, 93 cents in change, some lip balm, and eye drops and keep them all day, but lose my wallet.

I brought my North Face coat in for the reason that it is A. comfortable and cool, but B. ZIPPERS. I feel so helpless in finding my wallet, and I would pay CP to find it / offer reward even. I would buy $60 industrial flash lights and find it with my girlfriend at 3 in the morning just what ever it takes.

A man and his wallet....we grow together, and you just can't replace it like it was nothing.

Let this be the great lesson. Put your car keys, wallet, valuables, and etc in lockers. CP owns these lockers, if you lose your locker key...you might get charged like $5 to open it or something but dude...your stuff is there.

Last edited by factory81, May 11, 2008, 2:05A

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

Yeah that stinks about your wallet. I know that I always do my absolute best to find anything that a guest lost, whether it be a wallet, phone, wig... but the sad fact of the matter is that a lot of the time (especially at night) things are darn-near impossible to spot. In the case of Magnum, we have a mile of track to search, and only one person is sent out to look for stuff. When you don't know exactly what you're looking for, exactly where to look, or even IF the article was lost at YOUR ride... trust me, it's tough. Don't assume that because the kid is making minimum wage that he/she doesn't care, because most of us do. My sympathies go to you, really. I've lost stuff on rides before as well, and I know it's no picnic. I'm also sorry the employees at Lost and Found didn't seem terribly worried about it, but I guess that's just human nature. Let us know how things turn out.

---

Californian in Ohio

'08 - Magnum crew
'07 - maXair / Magnum crews
'06 - Wicked Twister / Skyride / Millennium Force crews

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

I have been able to narrow it down to Magnum or Top Thrill Dragster, and if its Mantis...it's under the water.

Wicked Twister and Power Tower have a pretty small area to search, and we as guests can basically look for it ourselves.

My concern is Magnum and its huge length of track. One of the ride ops said he sent a guy out 3 times since 4 PM to search for lost items.

The shocking thing is the endless amount of cell phones people lose (and seem to be retrieved).

But yes I am worried that my dark colored wallet would be easily overlooked especially at night by someone who might not even be looking for a wallet in particular. So I am going to try and hit up the rides tomorrow and see if I can offer some sort of $50 to whoever finds it reward. If thats allowed....

I frankly just need my wallet back. My car, insurance isalready taking care of that mishap. I also turned pro-deer hunting on May 10th, 2008. Year round lets mount them suckers on walls.

I don't mean that CP employees might not do their job the best because of their pay (although it could contribute to morale), I think that some employees could be a little new to the task and yes, not able to spot out some items especially in dark times.

In other news though. Maverick was problematic all morning, and I got yeah one of the seems like few rides on it. Also got on Skyhawk, Magnum twice, TTD twice, MF once, WT once, Raptor once, Power Tower 2 times. Mantis once.

Honestly when I see how many cell phones, hats, and glasses they had Iwould too be like "yeah yeah, fill it out, we get this all the time"

It's very unwise to take a valuable item on a thrill ride period. Wallet or ear ring.

I see your on the Magnum 08 crew. Let it be known there is a fossilbrown wallet that has a 33% chance to be out on your territory man. Itis dark brown which makes it something that could seem like a clump ofdirt.

I will at least buy 4 pizzas for your crew or something like such if you find my wallet man.

Last edited by factory81, May 11, 2008, 3:48A

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

It will be a opening day you will never forget. I hope you get some sleep before you go back to the park. Looks like you have been up all night. The best thing about this nightmare of a day you had, is the companionship that was with you. Someone to stand by you when everything else goes wrong. You will make it home. You will get the things lost replaced. I hope your day in the park today is better than yesterday. Good luck.

Last edited by poiuyt, May 11, 2008, 5:43A

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Dan

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

Sorry about your luck.  I hope your wallet will turn up somewhere.

I'm glad I decided not to go on Opening Day, being that the crowds

were the same as last year as you described.  Yeah, Bay Shore has that 

lovely train wakening experience feature.  My brother and I stayed there

for Coastermania last year.

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

That was the car you bragged about in the other thread? What a shame. Anyway, this thread and the other trip report has lowered my excitement factor tremendously.

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

Alright, I'll play bad guy on this one. I've been on both sides of this one, having stuff lost and also being the ride op out to find things every night.

It does suck every time you lose something on a ride, I know. But at the same time, nagging on ride operators because they didn't find it under their ride isn't going to help. Also, while ops are sent out around the day to walk the track area, they're not able to go into the low zones around the ride, meaning any area where the track gets close to the ground (which is where most of the items end up) they're not able to go into and look around. That's only done at night and first thing in the morning.

The minimum wage remark isn't appreciated, I might add. For some of us that minimum wage job is our reason to wake up and drive across the causeway every morning. I hope you don't make remarks like that at the park to the employees themselves.

Whatannoys me about CP lost and found / CP police / CP ride-ops is theirrelatively laid back approach to the process. "Fill this form out, ifwe find it we'll call you". Okay gee thanks. I was hoping we could worka better way to resolve this.

Unfortunately, if the approach was any different, rides would be down all day because people lost a cell phone on the ride. We'd have to take it down to look in the low zones for an item that might not even show up. I don't get how the process can get any more effective without people complaining about rides being slow or down due to lost articles.

Iam going to try and hit up the rides tomorrow and see if I can offersome sort of $50 to whoever finds it reward. If thats allowed....

Bribing employees isn't going to work. In fact, in our training we are told not to accept bribes. Several times, at that. So I'd suggest against doing this before you get talked to by security, but at this point I'm sure it's too late, you're probably already at the park.

Trust me, I feel really bad for you, I know exactly how it feels to lose a wallet, or something on a ride (in my case, a $400 digital camera). But try putting yourself in the employees shoes in this, and realize that they can't go hand over foot because of one lost item.

I hope you find your wallet, I really do.

---

-Jon-
2008 - Roving Team Leader (Michigan's Adventure)
2007 - Maverick (Cedar Point)
http://www.cheezonastick.net

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

So you left one of those dead deer I passed along I-96.

Best place to keep the wallet? Back pocket, I have never had a problem, and since I am sitting on it for every ride (except Mantis) I doubt I ever will.

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Goodbye MrScott

John

Goodbye George. You will be missed.

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

The best place to keep a wallet is in a zippered pocket or a buttoned down/zippered cargo pocket. If none of those options are available, I have a change pocket in some of my other shorts, which allows me to carry my SP, Credit Card, and I usually take a 20 too. My cell phone, wallet and keys are worth the extra money for a locker if I cant be sure they will not fall out.

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

I usually have my manservant Cato carry all my gear for me.

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Mike
R.I.P. Geauga Lake: 1888-2007.

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

Good luck.

Any news yet?

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Life is a highway and a roller coaster. Ride on!!
2008, the season of new beginnings...
Josh S, proud possessor of a 2008 Cedar Fair Platinum Pass

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

The rule I always follow is to lock my wallet in the trunk of my car and only bring my season pass, debit card and car key with me to the park.

I lost a watch on Magnum once (watch band pin broke) and, much to my surprise, the watch arrived in the mail later that week. I think the workers do a great job of finding things, and if you don't get your wallet back, I would bet it landed in the water on Maverick.

---

I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

Factory81, I feel for you. A few years back my boyfriend had just bought us new cell phones and ended up losing his on the Raptor. I know how bummed the rest of the day he was. So I can only imagine how you feel about losing your wallet. Hopefully something will come up.

We had to go through the same process as you did with filling out the paperwork and dealing with lost and found. They were kind of considerate. But I think that they need to realize even though they find a billion things a day, it still hurts when you lose something personal. So they should think of every person as a different situation.

Anyways, I hope luck finds you! And atleast you got to be at CP while a lot of us dreamers had to sit at home and wait our turn. lol.

---

"You wanna, you gotta, you hafta hold on, Cedar Point...HOLD ON!"

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

Well there is the cash, and some gift cards that cannot be replaced in the wallet. My social security number is also in there, and CP also charges for re-issuing ID's. So somethings all can't be replaced.

Many of my comment were in the "heat of the moment" and I still am upset about the issue. Especially after today.

Sunday 5/11/08 Experience

We get to the park at 9:05 A.M because we want to get in and wait out the rain. We tell the parking lot people we lost our wallet with our platinum passes and we need to go in to Lost and Found and speak with them and he lets us in.
We than went to the season pass center and tried to explain what happened and the kid really didn't seem to get a whole grasp of the situation and said, you can just use what you used yesterday to sign in.

Yesterday (as in Saturday) and until the computer systems are all changed over, we had to sign in on a paper sheet, and get a piece of paper saying Michigan Adventure Platinum pass Visit or something along them lines. Juggalotus will know whta I am talking about.

Anyways, it says on this ticket "parking not included". Okay, we'll get to this later.

So we get let in the park fine with our Saturday's one day admission pass (which I guess we weren't supposed to, but anyone who reads "Platinum Pass" should realize we can come as many times as we want".

So we than go to the guest services to ask if we can get our cards re-issued. They tell us we have to go to the park that we bought it from to get it re-issued. So... this becomes a problem later on...

Anyways we leave the park for lunch and come back stamped and all. But when we come back I try a more honest approach because well we we're going to CP to ride the rides. I tell the guy up at the main parking toll we lost my wallet with both of our platinum passes in it, but we have these (those Michigan Adventure Platinum Pass Visit receipts) that make it pretty clear that a Michigan Adventure Platinum Pass holder has a one day ticket for CP.
I went to college now, so this would tell me that a platinum pass holder had to received this. Anyways, the lady wouldn't let us park for free. And I am explaining ma'am, your computer system will not recognize MIA cards yet, etc and we are platinum pass holders or else how would we get a "Michigan Adventure Platinum Pass Visit" one day pass for CP?

She than says you need to visit the season pass center up front and to the left in the blah blah blah and get your pass RE-ISSUED. I go ma'am I spoke with a very nice lady today who made some phone calls and promptly told me that I could not get my pass re-issued at CP.

So then she gets frustrated and calls up her manager and is now saying things like "yeah this is me again". And she explains that we we're already one step ahead of them in trying to get some platinum passes back.

Anyways, Cheryl the lady who wouldn't let us in. Said plain and simple if you don't have your plastic platinum pass card....we have to charge you for parking. Even if we "know" your a platinum pass holder, even if you were a CP platinum pass owner and we had your name in front of us on the computer.

So I paid $10 parking and just left saying a bit angry saying this isn't how you want to increase per guest spending in the park.

There was a much nicer older lady at the lost and found center on Sunday who did offer a bit more sympathy. She even called all the rides in which we thought we had lost the wallet on and asked them if they had found the wallet.

I want to see if there is a way I can get my $10 I paid for parking reimbursed somehow still. And I find CP's lack of everyone being on the same page a bit frustrating. Aka Cheryl the parking lot person was like if you have a season pass just go to the season pass center and renew it. When she already knew herself...that MIA and CP's systems are not working together. Aka CP has no knowledge of me being a platinum pass holder.

The only way I can think of getting reimbursed "quickly" is by getting ahold of the people at the soak city lot entrance who had us write our names down and check off MIA as our platinum pass park. Have them fax Cheryl in the parking lot booth that copy proving we are season pass holders, and then I prove to Cheryl I am in fact... Ryan.

I hate having an I.D. because well now I can't even prove who I am to someone you know?

I've never had to use Western Union until today, and if my dad hadn't sent me cash I wouldn't be here right now. I would be about 266 miles away from Sandusky without any gasoline, no wallet, no money, etc.

Juggalotus, back pocket method is not a good choice because there is a 25-50% chance I had my wallet in my back pocket and it fell out.

Also I was wearing a north face coat with 3 zipper pockets, and my wallet resided in one all day...or so I thought. So even still.

My new rule is all I need for the park is my drivers license, platinum pass, and debit card.

TTD was having problems whenever it was open Sunday after the rain storm, but also had extremely short lines. Skyhawk, Power Tower, Magnum, and more we're all walk on rides. Raptor, MF and Maverick had 20-30 minute waits, but Maverick also had problems still on Sunday (Saturday it was down all day). Wicked Twister walk on, Mantis walk on.....

God kicked me in the nuts with the deer, God stomped on my body and left me for dead with me losing my wallet, Sunday God gave me 48 degree weather and rain until 2 PM and then 5 hours of superb ride time. The rain kept all the crowds away.

Bayshore, eh. Some wall outlets had issues, the water tastes and smells funny. There are trains that go by probably hourly. You definitely do need to bring your own blankets and towels. But like my girlfriend says it is a kind of "luxury camping" in a sense.

I did enjoy having my own table to work on, futon, picnic table, fire ring, etc. But taking that shower this morning was just uckkkkkkk.

Last edited by factory81, May 12, 2008, 1:29A

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

It says Michigan Adventure Platinum Pass visit.

How can you say there is no parking included? Parking for what? If I am a platinum pass visitor...that includes parking.

And if I wasn't a platinum pass holder, how did I get that receipt? I was kind of mean with the lady. I was saying, so you do not believe I am a platinum pass holder is what your saying? "No I believe you", and than I refer to the coupon, and you did read (which I had been going over multiple times over) "Michigan Adventure Platinum Pass Visit".
"Yes I did". "So you are assuming I got this from someone else and am trying to use it to get free entry and parking?"

She than goes out and says that everyone that had let me in the park today was wrong, and I technically should have paid admission to the park today as well.

I didn't make too big of a fuss in the end. I explained my case, tried to see if she could see things from my perspective as a paying customer who has also had an unfortunate twist of events. She was just enforcing the rules. While I might not agreed with them, it is something I will have to take up with her superior if I wish to get any sort of reimbursement.

Last edited by factory81, May 12, 2008, 2:07A

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

I know you min wage employees work hard and I am sure you try your best to do your job as expected every time.

Pete, by process of elimination we know that the wallet is lost on Magnum, Mantis, or Top Thrill Dragster.

We used my wallet at 4:07 PM to buy dinner at East of Chicago, and since 4 pm we only rode those rides besides Power Tower and Wicked Twister. Both of them being incredibly easy to find lost articles on considering the surrounding area / size of the ride. A ride op would notice if a wallet fell on the PT because it would land damn near right on the guy.

I have some faith because no one has used any of my cards yet or tried to....and my wallet is dark brown. If you were walking Magnum it could look like a clump of dirt. And it might take a few people to pass by before they even notice it.

My worst nightmare is that it fell in the Mantis pond.

Honestly I want the wallet, platinum pass, gift cards, and cash back because everything else can be replaced for free. $30 wallet, $15 for new platinum pass, $130 cash, $70 in gift cards.

I could care less about the rest even though the rest is important, they are all items that I simply have to just get new copies of where as the wallet, cash, and gift cards I cannot just call up a bank or clothing store and get my gift cards reimbursed.

Thirsty Pony is got some awesome garlic parmesan wings.

I can't believe I didn't explode this weekend. I was just "sad", and not in the mood for any games kind of deal..

I will hopefully be back for a day trip this Friday to the point, and maybe this Sunday.

Sunday though, MAN how about them relaxed rain policies? Magnum, Mantis, Millennium Force, Power Tower, Iron Dragon, Skyhawk (I believe...) all running in the rain.

It got mightyyyy chilly Sunday morning / early afternoon. That 48 degree freezing rain thing really got the people out of the park.

Last edited by factory81, May 12, 2008, 2:49A

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

Just a thought. You last used your wallet at East of Chicago Pizza. Perhaps you lost it in there?

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Jeff Putz for President 08'

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

Do you have ADD?

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Greg
Here we go Brownies Here we go Woof Woof

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

Yes to ADHD, and these long paragraphs are after several hours of sleep deprivation if that counts for anything.

And East of Chicago does not in fact have it

Last edited by factory81, May 12, 2008, 9:06A

Re: Opening Day Weekend (hell on earth as we know it)

factory81 said:
Sunday though, MAN how about them relaxed rain policies? Magnum, Mantis, Millennium Force, Power Tower, Iron Dragon, Skyhawk (I believe...) all running in the rain.

It is great that they changed the rain policy back to where it should be from what they did last year. I'm sure it will give people who only come once a year a much better day if that day happens to be rainy.

---

I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.