Beware the lockers !!!!

[dansyr]

ok, I need to vent !!!!
Went to IOA on Mon. 3/10. We stayed at Disney but took a day to go to IOA and USF. We did this on our last trip also and had a blast. Well, not this time !!!!
First of all I have never seen such a rude bunch of teenagers in my life.
Let me get back on track about the lockers for a second. They now have a new policy that you cannot take any bags or loose articles on any of the coasters. You have to put your stuff in a locker. The lockers are free for a certain time period and then you are charged if you go over. Well, we went on the hulk and had to stow our bags in a locker. I only had a very small purse almost like a fanny pack but they would not let me take it on. So we spent 10 min in line to get a locker. The ride was great...Then we had to spend another ten min in line to retrieve the stuff from the locker. Went over to dueling dragons...line for the locker again...get in line for the ride ....spent the entire 35 min wait in line with a group of teenagers screaming....not just being loud .....screaming to hear the echo in the castle. I really wanted to say something to them but there were about 15 of them and I thought better of me against them kind of situation. finally get to ride...and the ride was great ...get off and now in line for the locker again...just when I get to the fornt a teenage girl cuts in front of me to enter her code in to retrieve her stuff...i honestly almost flipped. My bf jumped in front of me to get our stuff seeing how angry I was. Well guess what....all that time in line...our time expired and now we had to pay $2 to get our stuff out.......only problem is....my money is in my purse ...which is of course in the locker. So...my bf decides to go off to find someone who works there to open the locker ...after another 10 min the employee gets there and opens the locker....I offered her the $2 for what we owed...but she said don't worry about it...this happens all the time. OK.....I am now just about fed up and ready to blow the $ 200 we spent on passes and just leave....but bf wants to do spiderman ( even though he is just as irritated as I am)
So we do a couple other rides and decide to go over to universal. The people at Universal were much friendlier. Anyway...last ride of the day is Men in Black. Lockers again....this time bf and I get separate lockers..because I had done some shopping and needed more room for bags. Ride MIB .... since bf has no pockets and we don't have our bags....he lost the paper with the code. Now we have to find another employee to come and open the lockers for us.
Can you all feel my pain at this point.
I have to admit...USF and IOA employees are the best...they were friendly and more than willing to help. However, the total experience of the day was horrible. I don't think we will be returning for quite a while. Between 11- 7 we got in a total of 6 rides with one hour for lunch. Worth the $100 I paid for my ticket ...I don't think so.
Also....aren't there any employees to help when when people waiting in line become unruly... I know I was not the only one annoyed. Not to mention...the profanities that were being spoken very loudly.....I felt bad for the parents that had kids with them.
Anyone know who to write or e-mail to complain????

I just want you to know I am generally a very easygoing person...and have myself taken groups of teenagers to Disney for dance competition and none have ever come close to behaving like this.

 

[h20jag]

OK, good vent.
I've seen a locker (temporary) get issued that already had somebody's stuff in it Good thing it was honest folk that just closed it up and tried again. But, that was a year or two ago. Certainly they've improved since.
Best not to leave the family jewels in them.
Teen-agers banding together in the parks & raising heck? They usually get theirs in the end. Great to be around and see it happen too!!
Jim

 

[pheneix]

>>>Best not to leave the family jewels in them.<<<

OUCH! That sounds worse than being kicked!

 

[BarryHom]

How do you separate family jewels from the family to put it in the locker?

 

[YenSid1222]

Well, its not a new policy, it has existed since the park opened. I agree that the time should be longer at Dueling Dragons (The time free is based on queue length, and the people at DD have NO clue how to measure the time acurately) But overall, the lockers are a great way to take care of a problem. You see, most parks with a B&M coaster have people leave their belongings on the loading dock, which creates an opportunity for theft, as well as it takes longer to load, since the people have to walk through the train...put their stuff down...take their friends stuff...etc...etc...then get in the train. Well, solving that problem involves lockers. The same policy is true down the road at Sea World and further at Busch Gardens...but there you must pay for the lockers each time you ride. I will take the free ones, even with having to be around the clueless and rude, over having to pay any day.

Carry on articles has become a problem at theme parks everywhere of late. Now days, people like to bring EVERYTHING with them to the parks. I often wonder what in the world they could possibly need to have a huge backpack that is bulging...or my new favorite...bringing the rolling luggage. Bring it on the ride becomes often a safety issue. So, I think that Universal has the best policy around when it comes to leaving stuff off the ride. There are a few parks who will not let you bring it in at all, and tell you to leave it with a "non-rider". Well, I am usually by myself...think over that for a second! Seeing that the employee was able to give you your items with no problem, I think is great service.

Before I stop my lengthy discussion here...let me tell you a quick story about people carrying things on rides. I worked at Disneyland Paris' Star Tours for quite a while. I prided myself on how quickly I could get my StarSpeeder to turn over. I know how much I hate waiting in line, and would always do everything to be speedy for those waiting to ride my ride. Well, I would be zipping along...and then come the groups who have brought everything with them. So...I would have everything finished except for checking seatbelts and dispatching the cabin. And there we would all stop and wait while said group starts to stow the carry ons. Often, the bag was too big to fit, so...we then open the bag and start dividing it all up around the cabin. And always everything was stowed VERY well. This is where you start thinking to yourself...its a 4 minute ride...stick it behind your feet and lets go, we are not REALLY going to Endoor, its not like the airplane. So, everything gets slowed up...and then after the ride, we go through the same process over again. All in all, I would lose an entire cycle for one group of guests...thats 40 people less that could go through the ride that hour...when you start multiplying how much that can add up over 6 StarSpeeder in an hour, you can see the problem. SO>...I LOVE the locker idea. Let the guests take that time up on their own. I go to the park with as little as possible, or as small as can quickly and easily go into a locker.

As for the teenagers...they are everywhere at parks with thrills. Remember, we were all teenagers once. I just dont let their antics spoil my day. I would never let them affect my opinion of a park. Plus, I will take them over the Brazilian Tour Groups anyday of the week.

 

[dansyr]

I agree with you about the lockers being good in some instances. However my purse was more like a fanny pack...just big enough to keep money and my park tickets in. I shouldn't have had to put that in a locker. Not to start any argument...but I disagree with it being a policy since the park opened because I was able to take my purse on the same rides last year when we went.

The teenager thing......yes I was a teenager but if I acted like that my dad would've killed me. I've taken groups of teenagers to parks many times and they can act a little goofy at times but they have never acted like these teenagers. It is not appropriate to be shouting profanities...especially when you are in a place where there are a great deal of young children.

I guess it was not just one thing that put a damper on my day but the combination of all of them.

I just think the park itself has to work out a few glitches. Hopefully they do...because the rides and the general atmosphere of the park is awesome.

I just feel the park has slipped a little bit since last year. We went during the same time period and even on the same day of the week...but the experience was definitely not the same.

 

[DocBosch]

I remember going to Busch Gardens, and having to lock up our stuff whenever we wanted to go on a coaster. They used to hold your stuff at the platform, but at some point they got tired of that, and made anybody who got in line with baggage turn around and pay for a locker. From that point on it became logoical to me that you can't ride coasters with bags. That you obviously have to leave them somehwere, and that somewhere was a locker, that you would have to pay for.

When I found out IOA was going to provide FREE lockers, even if for a limited amount of time, for coaster riders, I thought it was great. Universal was compenstaing for their policy's, instead of making you pay for them.

I really can't think of any other way Universal could make it better. They can't have the lockers near coaster be free all the time, because then everybody would leave their stuff there all day. They have to have a time limit so that people won't take advantage. I've been to Universal dozens of times, and have never had to put money into the coaster lockers, but the day I do, I won't mind that extra dollar or two, compared to the convinience the free locker periods provide.

They give a print out with a code so that you can retrive your stuff (and so that no one else will). I can't see any other way for them to do this. And if you lose your ticket, then an employee will gladly open the locker for you, and will most likey wave whatever charge you owe. And I understand that you assumed you wouldn't have to pay for the locker service, and that's why you left your money in your purse, but the instructions do imply that there is a chance that you maybe have to pay some fee, so you can't say they didn't warn you.

What you have to ask yourself is, would you be willing to lose your purse, and it's contents, on the coasters, just so that you wouln't have to deal with the lockers? The difference between a fannypack and a purse is that a fannypack can be secured. If you could've secured your purse on your person somehow, then you should've shown the person who wasn't letting you pass. If they still didn't let you go, then you could've brought it to the attention of a superior, because it could be that the individual wasn't implementing the rule correctly. (A good way to secure a samll item is by placing it inside your shirt, if tucked in, or by sitting on it, if it's constitution allows).

A good tip for MIB is that you CAN carry on some types of item, they just try to urge people to get a (free) locker to make the loading process easier. If you have a small bag or item, you can place it in the pouches on the vechicles, or, if you have a backpack or shopping bag with a loop of some sort, then you can hang it on the hook in the same area. Aside from that (like too many bags) you would have to leave it in the lockers, or, due to the spinning, you and your belongings would be soon parted.

Now, I understand that you may have not liked the whole locker situation, but, given the fact that you can't take your loose belongings on the roller coasters, what other solution would you recomend?

As far as the teenagers are concerned, you can't really blame Universal. You can blame the kids, or atleast their parents (for poor upbringing). What I would suggest it to tell on them. These kids irritate me, mostly because they make employees, at times, treat me (as a young adult) as if I were one of them.

On my last trip to Universal I was treated very shabilly be an employee, but it didn't ruin the whole, great day for me. Even if you were mad about the lockers and the rowdy kids, don't let those little inconsitencies make you forget how much fun you had on the rides themsleves!

-Kevin

 

[dansyr]

Actually I do have a few solutions.

As far as the rowdiness of the teenagers. Dueling dragons has a very long queing area. I would have an employee stationed somewhere along the way. There really are no employees between where you enter and those running the ride.

As far as the lockers ...if the wait posted is 30 min give the locker a time limit of an hour. Give people a little extra time just in case. If I purposely go over the time limit.....I have no problem paying. My problem was the actual wait in line to get to my locker put me over the time limit.

There is a park near us with a similar coaster. When you board you stow your bags in a sort of cubby with your seat #. The employee then closes the door over your section and doesn't open it again until your coaster docks again. Never had a problem with that one.

These are just a few of my suggestions

 

[the Dark Marauder]

Originally posted by dansyr

As far as the rowdiness of the teenagers. Dueling dragons has a very long queing area. I would have an employee stationed somewhere along the way. There really are no employees between where you enter and those running the ride.

They dont have the staff for that, nor are they alotted the position that you seek.

 

[damo]

My solution is to use a fanny pack. We've always had to put things in lockers for the coasters. Last year was the first year we didn't have to put things in a locker for MIB and the agent in charge let us know.

 

[MsDisney]

Originally posted by dansyr
Actually I do have a few solutions.

As far as the rowdiness of the teenagers. Dueling dragons has a very long queing area. I would have an employee stationed somewhere along the way. There really are no employees between where you enter and those running the ride.

As far as the lockers ...if the wait posted is 30 min give the locker a time limit of an hour. Give people a little extra time just in case. If I purposely go over the time limit.....I have no problem paying. My problem was the actual wait in line to get to my locker put me over the time limit.

There is a park near us with a similar coaster. When you board you stow your bags in a sort of cubby with your seat #. The employee then closes the door over your section and doesn't open it again until your coaster docks again. Never had a problem with that one.

These are just a few of my suggestions

I am sorry about your experience, some of it is out of their control, some of it they have some control over. For the most part, the locker system works fine usually. But, you are correct, they need to make sure they are allowing enough time for the locker based on the wait time. I've had the problem of the line being longer than posted, and having my stuff trapped in a locker. You visited at an obviously busy time, so that didn't help.

Now, for putting people in the queues, I've never really seen that at WDW either...the line for Splash mountain is pretty winding and I've been trapped in that cave with obnoxious teenagers before. I've also experienced the brazilian tour groups more times than I care to mention. A theme park can only do so much, in the end, you are at the mercy of the park guests to some degree. They will do something if it is brought to their attention though, and I would handle it that way, rather than speak to the parties involved, it's just not worth the trouble.
I have a question about the type of bag storage you mentioned, how do you retrieve your stuff? Does the attendant just open it up and trust that people will take the stuff that was stored in their seat number? That method sounds ok, but I could see some potential problems with it, one being the honor system, it only takes a second for someone to grab your digital camcorder out of your cubby and disappear before you even realize, or if people are supposed to know what seat they're in, I'm sorry, but most people can't walk right, so expecting them to know what cubby was theirs is expecting alot!
You didn't say how it works, so I'm just throwing that out there based on what it sounded like to me, I'm sure it's more organized than using the honor system...

Most places ask that you leave your stuff with a non-rider or rent a locker, so at least IOA is trying to help keep your stuff safe, without charging you to do it. They can't be liable for people taking things from the platform that don't belong to them, and such...so it's a tough thing to figure out, and I'm sure they came up with a solution that for the most part, works well.

As for carrying bags on, that's never been allowed, but if yours is a wallet on a string or something, I can see where it might have been a discretion thing, or an oversight.

Karen

 

[robvia]

My solution is to carry nothing in the parks. It's me, some cash and license in a zip lock bag, car key tied to my shoe, and that's it.
If I want to take pictures, then I come back later with the camera.
They do have lockers at the front of the park for $5 which work all day.

I think they need to put signs up at the free lockers that say take money with you in case you're too long. Or something to that effect. Maybe program the text in the locker kiosk.

To get around the loud teens and lines at lockers, arrive at the park early before 9am. Tour busses usually arrive at 10am. If you're in the park at 9am, you get a lap of walkon rides. That would have made your visit enjoyable. You have to stay one step ahead of the crowd. Take a lap from 9am to 11am, then eat lunch before the crowd does. Arriving at 11am is a no no.

 

[coreynyc]

Whats the deal with the Brazillian Tour Groups??? How do they act???

 

[MsDisney]

Originally posted by coreynyc
Whats the deal with the Brazillian Tour Groups??? How do they act???

Well, in the past, my experience has been with them primarily at WDW and I haven't heard much about them lately, but my guess is (and last I heard), that Disney was cracking down on these groups a bit due to large numbers of guest complaints, but I'm not sure if that's true.

Anyway, these groups are HUGE, and they stay together, which makes it a nightmare, but aside from that, they chant, sing, clap...all while waiting in line or for parades. They are often rude, very rude. They smell (which I know is a regional thing, but I'm sorry, when there are hundreds in a pack that don't use deodorant, it's just nasty!). The wreak havoc on the lines, of course, because there are so many per group (how many in your party...300?). I once stood there in line for Honey I shrunk the Audience and since the first person in their group was at the front, entering the pre-show area, about 50-100 of them all with one hand on the shoulder of the person in front of them, walked right on by the whole crowd waiting. Sort of borderline as to whether that is the same as "keeping your entire party together", IMO.
We have had times when we've waited an hour for a parade, only to have a large group of them show up and basically invade our space, and of course, "we don't speak English" is what you get if you say something.

There have been many, many horror stories and such, but I've only really had the experience at Disney. I also haven't seen the problems lately, so here's hoping it's better now.

Karen

 

[DocBosch]

Originally posted by dansyr
As far as the lockers ...if the wait posted is 30 min give the locker a time limit of an hour. Give people a little extra time just in case. If I purposely go over the time limit.....I have no problem paying. My problem was the actual wait in line to get to my locker put me over the time limit.

If they could somehow computerize the line wait system, this could work. The line wait read out would be accurate, and then the amount of free time that you get at the locker would depend on how long the wait is at that particular time. But, in the end, I think that would cost alot more then Universal would be willing to spend.

I wish they would raise the standard 45 minute locker period to a flat hour. It's easier for me to keep track of when an hour has passed, rather then 45 minutes. But we have to remember that it is a theme park, and we should expect to spend money at somepoint. I still think it's better then other parks that give no alternative to renting a locker.

I don't think the cubby senerio, no mattter how well regulated and managed, would work in an Orlando area park, with the number of people who go through Univeral rides at a single time. And, lets face it, it wouldn't be well managed. There would be alot more people with problems losing their stuff, or forgetting it, then with the lockers. Atleast with the lockers, it's up to the individual guest to be in charge of their stuff, where Universal wouldn't be liable.

My solution is to carry nothing in the parks.

That's what we tried to do on our last trip, and it kinda backfired. So that my friend wouldn't have to carry his bulky wallet (in his no-pockets football practice pants) I offered to carry his money and AP card in my thin money clip/credit card holder. We ended up mixed up our AP cards while entering IOA, and getting yelled at and accused of mischief by the turnstill operator.

This next time I'm gonna take a ziplock baggie too, to keep the wallet dry on wet rides.

And why are those Brazillian tour groups always Brazillians?

-Kevin

 

[coreynyc]

Thanks for the Brazillian update, doesn't sound to pleasant to be around those groups...and I know to avoid them should I ever see one.

 

[The Sweetness]

Originally posted by coreynyc
Whats the deal with the Brazillian Tour Groups??? How do they act???

Durring one of many trips to WDW with my dd (then about5) we were waiting for the parade to begin and as always had arrived at the curb at least an hour before the parade so that she could see perfectly. a few mins before the parade began, an group of nasty teens (all in identical t's)squeezed in behind us and one of them litterally shoved my daughter(standing in front of me) into my lap and sat her rude behind right in front of her. DD didnt even cry. I was so proud~ all she did was say *HOW RUDE!!* which ofcourse was ignored. Luckily, the people next to us felt bad for her and squeezed in just enough room for her tiny heiny

 

[vickyBaby]

Originally posted by Barry Hom
How do you separate family jewels from the family to put it in the locker?

Alright Barry Baby. I just spewed Pepsi all over my monitor.

 

[dansyr]

Ok...i see your point about the lockers....I just wish there was a better system than spending half your day waiting in line for lockers. If we would have known this ahead of time ...I would have worn something with pockets and just put my money in my pockets.
Yes. my purse is a wallet on a string . I don't see why this would have been a problem.
I just wonder why the atmosphere was so different here than at the Disney Parks??? in my experience anyway.
All in all ...I had a bad experience. I still probably won't return in the near future anyway.
I just have one other question....maybe someone here knows the answer. Why are you allowed to bring bags and backpacks on Rockin rollercoaster and not on coaster like the hulk???

 

[the Dark Marauder]

Originally posted by dansyr

I just have one other question....maybe someone here knows the answer. Why are you allowed to bring bags and backpacks on Rockin rollercoaster and not on coaster like the hulk???

RnR is enclosed, Hulk is not. Should you lose an item on RnR, it can be retrieved at the end of the night. Plus it only goes upside down 3 times. At Hulk, the ride is primarily outside and if you lose something it could smack someone standing on the ground below or it could fall into the water.