Wet and Wild Sydney - Report Dec 2015

[rappa]

I like how the complaint is essentially that it's crap because it's popular (i.e. Crowds). 

Kinda contradictory really. 

If I had a business that was always busy I wouldn't choose to also open it when no one comes. 

[downunder]

^^I'm the same, I'm not going to take a day off work to go on a quiet day during the week (I'm always saving my leave for overseas trips or playing sport). The main reason I went was because my mate had a car provided by his company while he was over and was based at Parramatta, so he could pick me up from Blacktown Station (it took us at least a half an hour to go the 6kms from the Station to Wet and Wild). That was the only practical way to do it, because if I went home and drove there myself, it would take a significant amount of time in peak hour.

 

Edited December 10, 2015 by downunder

[GoGoBoy]

4 minutes ago, djrappa said:

I like how the complaint is essentially that it's crap because it's popular (i.e. Crowds). 

Kinda contradictory really. 

If I had a business that was always busy I wouldn't choose to also open it when no one comes. 

 

Actually, the crowds/queuing were only one of the complaints, by no means all! Part of running a successful operation is keeping customers happy! If you screw up initially, the chances of them coming back are reduced. I understand their first season was a big success, but not sure if the follow-up seasons have been as successful. Regardless, even if the park is not performing as well as it could, by limiting the opening hours it's was always going to seem busy. I assume this is still the case, although I wouldn't know as I haven't been back.

Edited December 10, 2015 by GoGoBoy

[downunder]

I wonder what the crowds were like in Year 2, given the large amount of customer antipathy generated in Year 1 (and ongoing it seems)? I'd never go back there (even the offer of free tickets wouldn't do it), and everyone I know who's been feels the same, and they're warning off their friends not to go as well who haven't been.

Edited December 10, 2015 by downunder

[grrofunger]

I obviously need to move to Sydney where it doesn't get hot and i wont need to enjoy a swim or a water slide until after 3:30 each day.

As if people wouldn't attend from 10am if they opened at that time like most normal parks. All the complaints suggest as such too.

They can still have their twighlight special/hours but it shouldnt be at the expense of not opening during the main part of the day in summer !

I dont know why i care anyway, i never plan to visit the park.

[JulieLovis]

After vowing never to return after my experience as a season pass holder for the first two seasons, I got suckered in by a crazy cheap offer of 'buy a day pass and get the whole season free'.

After my first visit this week, I now remember why I vowed never to go back. Somehow, they seem to have managed to get EVEN WORSE THAN LAST SEASON. I honestly do not understand how the biggest theme park company in Australia has managed to top the ridiculousness of late last season. To call it bad management is an understatement!

The place is chronically understaffed and a complete shambles. It took us close to an hour to get in as the line was barely moving due to a lack of staff at the entry. Once we get to the entry, they don't even scan our passes as it's not working. Once inside, basically all the shops were closed, and the 1/4 of the food outlet they had open had a 1 hour + queue. The poor people that were working there were like punching bags to the angry masses. I mean, seriously.

Each slide tower was being staffed by one or two operators who dordled between the slides, letting one raft go per tower (not per slide) about every 1 minute. Do the maths on that and it's about 240 people per hour. No wonder the queues ran all the way down the stairs with a 1 hour + queue per ride. When I quizzed someone who looked important (probably a supervisor but who knows), and asked why the slides were being rotated, I got told "we don't have enough staff and this is all management are allowing". Where are management? Can they see this? How is any of this even remotely acceptable for $79 a day!!!!!?

There were loads of people who were seriously pissed off, and I don't blame them.

It's like the place is running on autopilot, nobody actually looking at what is going on and the effect it is having on the people who come and visit the place. I didn't even bother going back to put my pass details in because I'm not going back. I refuse to custom a place with such a blatant disregard for its customers. It is seriously shocking.

I feel sorry for the poor staff members. For many of them it is obviously their first job, and its not their fault that the management is so bad, but they cop all the wrath while the execs at Village sit in their offices and count the money coming in (or lack thereof, as you couldn't buy anything because everything was either closed, or barely open. You couldn't even get an admission ticket without queueing for over an hour for it!!!!)

We will be sticking with our Luna Park annual passes and an annual summer visit to Jambaroo. I might not get a whole season for the price of a (inflated) day, but at least these parks care about their customers and the experience they have when they visit.

 

 

 

[pin142]

I must have really lucked out on the day I went as all the towers had a staff member for each side plus one of them had a staff member purely for tube distribution from the conveyor. Getting in was just as easy as there were at least 4 staff at the entrance gate. Would not say the park was understaffed at all. This was also one of the first weekends they were open for the season so it was still what they consider "off peak".

[bladex]

you just picked the wrong day to go

Edited December 11, 2015 by bladex

[AUSTHEMEPARKS]

The park is usually empty when the  Parramatta festival is on.

[Drews]

I'm sorry but these are some of the dumbest reviews I've ever read. Some of these reviews just honestly really ticked me off  

I go to the park regularly with family and we always enjoy ourselves. The generation of complainers really get on my nerves. The park isn't perfect by any means but really the only legitimate complaint any of you have is the occasional lack of staffing on rides. Perhaps you need to start realising that perhaps the reason why you're not enjoying yourself is because you're hostile and have a bad attitude, I have had a large amount of great memories at the park. 

The complaint about the car park is silly, get over it and wear some shoes next time. 

You claimed to be understanding about the lightning yet whinged about it. SERIOUSLY?! You, a regular park goer should know of all people that sometimes it just happens, and you need to get over it. I have personally waited nearly an hour for Bombora and as was next to get in line it closed for lightning. Sure, it sucked, but you'll just have to get over it. During that time I actually met some really friendly employees and they explained to me that it's not even wet n wilds decision, once lightning enters the 20km radius of the park they are forced to stop operation on attractions. You couldn't have cared less though because all you saw immediately was that it was sunny and there wasn't lightning where you could see. Obviously there is a bigger picture you failed to grasp. 

Then when they offered you free tickets to come back (which in my opinion is very gracious and they shouldn't have done anyway), you declined and continued to complain? Mate, please reflect on what the problem really is! I think the park isn't perfect but you need to start considering they're less of the problem and your attitude is more of a problem. 

As for half pipe, perhaps you wouldn't have got 'butt raped' as you so eloquently put it, if you took notice on the signage out front telling you to sit up, listened to the announcement on the speakers In the queue telling you to sit up, and listened to the employee telling you to sit up, as I have been told every single time I've ridden half pipe myself. But all you remember was, this ride sucks and I got butt raped which just goes to show your own attitude was the problem  

I completely disagree with the comment about staff being smug and uninterested. I have had plenty of friendly of helpful and friendly encounters with staff at the park. It's a two way street, mate. If you're going to be hostile and/or rude, OF COURSE the staff aren't going to help you. In my experience just be polite and ask and they've always been helpful. I'm just tired of people complaining about things that are just not warranted. 

And the worst complaint here was concerning the operating hours which I actually thought was a joke. in October and November they were open TO EIGHT. Do you have any idea how many times the park has been open and I have been that it's quiet? There are countless opportunities that the park has provided. They even extended their hours from last season. I think it's SO RICH, how people bitch and bitch and bitch about the 330-8's, how it's not long enough and yet there are almost NEVER any decent amount of people in the park on any of those days. So where were you then? Face it, your problem is that wet n wild's opening hours aren't tailored to your personal calendar. The only time it ever has been significantly busy during one of those was when we had that 44 degree day and they actually decided to keep the park another hour til 9. 

If you have an issue with the lack of staffing then that's one area where I would agree with you, but please cut the crap with the rest of it. 

[downunder]

^As opposed to someone who spits the dummy when someone has an opinion that differs from their own.

One, the comment about the car park was pointing out how cynical the place was - they lay a bitumen car park and then chuck gravel on it unnecessarily to make it painful to walk on. An observation rather than a complaint, we were close to the entrance, so it wasn't too far to walk. If I went again (I won't), I'd bring thongs and pay for a locker.

As I observed, guest services were really cool. I have no intention of going back to the park so why would I bother getting free tickets. I had no complaint about the lightning, it happened, the closures just happened at unfortunate times. I do not share others complaints about the hours, it made operational sense to me.

I can only base my observations on my own experience of staff and what happened on the day.

Great you enjoy the place, that's fine with me. I hear there's a bunch of people complaining on facebook too, you might want to complain about them complaining. I very rarely complain about anything, but my experience of W n W was especially poor, no big deal in the greater scheme of things - I have plenty of other things I'd rather be doing. Peace out, keyboard warrior.

Edited December 13, 2015 by downunder

[pin142]

Amazing how one park can have such polarising views. Seems to be no middle ground.

[downunder]

I'm indifferent about the place now, I just want to move on and forget LOL.

I hope they improve the place, I want Village Roadshow to succeed and build more "world's best attractions". I think they could learn from the responses from the guy at Adventure World in the kraken thread.

[GoGoBoy]

5 hours ago, downunder said:

I'm indifferent about the place now, I just want to move on and forget LOL.

I hope they improve the place, I want Village Roadshow to succeed and build more "world's best attractions". I think they could learn from the responses from the guy at Adventure World in the kraken thread.

^ Well said!! They could save themselves the trouble and just hire him!

[Drews]

But how long were you there for? You mentioned you went after 330, and with the Lightning issue you were there for a few hours of operation if that? You've barely been to the park to critique it mate

and as for the Facebook page I thought it's pretty obvious that when a nasty person sees anything in the slightest that annoys them they have to make it known to the world how unhappy they are, whereas the majority of people who are actually having a great time aren't necessarily inclined to make any 'heated' posts about it on social media. They're just gonna take that experience and say nothing. 

I just think essentially none of the complaints have any merit. Ive always said this too it's like when you go to get food from a fast food chain, if you're a bad customer you're gonna get bad service. I've always made the effort to be polite to employees at wet n wild and they've always helped me and my family out. As for the staffing issue, I actually had a good chat with one of the staff where she seemed even more frustrated about it than any of the guests did. That's honestly the only fault I see. 

 

Edited December 14, 2015 by Drews

[POP]

10 hours ago, Drews said:

But how long were you there for? You mentioned you went after 330, and with the Lightning issue you were there for a few hours of operation if that? You've barely been to the park to critique it mate

and as for the Facebook page I thought it's pretty obvious that when a nasty person sees anything in the slightest that annoys them they have to make it known to the world how unhappy they are, whereas the majority of people who are actually having a great time aren't necessarily inclined to make any 'heated' posts about it on social media. They're just gonna take that experience and say nothing. 

I just think essentially none of the complaints have any merit. Ive always said this too it's like when you go to get food from a fast food chain, if you're a bad customer you're gonna get bad service. I've always made the effort to be polite to employees at wet n wild and they've always helped me and my family out. As for the staffing issue, I actually had a good chat with one of the staff where she seemed even more frustrated about it than any of the guests did. That's honestly the only fault I see. 

 

"None of the complaints have any merit"

LOL

[Drews]

I don't think the park is perfect by any means, they could learn for next season to not sell as many fast passes on busy days and be as budget focused on staffing especially ....

but yeah. Some of the things you read on that Facebook page are just silly and are not legitimate issues to be complaining about. 

[POP]

23 hours ago, Drews said:

I don't think the park is perfect by any means, they could learn for next season to not sell as many fast passes on busy days and be as budget focused on staffing especially ....

but yeah. Some of the things you read on that Facebook page are just silly and are not legitimate issues to be complaining about. 

How cute of you to disregard people's complains as "silly" and "not legitimate". Lettuce hope you don't own a business sis. The customer is ALWAYS right, ever heard of that?

Run along and play with your dolls boo.

[westical]

Must be school holidays again.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

11 hours ago, POP said:

 The customer is ALWAYS right, ever heard of that?

http://notalwaysright.com/

[pin142]

The customer is NOT always right. Stupidity and ignorance are no excuse for being in the wrong and have no issue on calling people out on it.

[webslave]

Yeah, the industry already has a thing for this.  The customer is always the customer.  That is, no matter how wrong the customer may be, no matter how rude the customer may be, and no matter how ignorant the customer may be the customer is always the customer and should be treated with respect and tolerance.  They are paying your bills, so you should act like it.

[MaxxTheMonster]

I spend my days on phones to people all day in an inbound call centre.  People are not always right, sometimes they are downright wrong.  They do always have a valid opinion though as so long as you acknowledge their emotion and feelings about something most will be fine when told they are incorrect.

[downunder]

My only grounds for an actual complaint (which is the only I mentioned to guest services), was the snafu at the gate. Not being able to scan a ticket at a gate is pretty basic, and having a half hour wasted when you only have 2.5 hours max at the park is frustrating. Like I've acknowledged, the lady as guest services was cool and I sensed she was frustrated about all the crap going on in the park too. It's the first time I've ever bothered complaining about a theme park. 

Most other stuff constituted the guest experience, which was poor, and not something I'd make a complaint about. I just simply won't go back - and I know I'm not alone there, and I'll also warn my friends off the place. And the weather, however frustrating, was bad luck.

 

[Santa07]

On 12/18/2015 at 5:38 PM, POP said:

Girl bye.

?????