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Your most embarrassing theme park moments

Matt N

CF Legend
Hi guys. Many of us have been visiting theme parks for years, so I'd imagine that we've probably had a fair few embarrassing moments in that time. So my question to you is; what moments have been your most embarrassing theme park moments?

For me, it would definitely be my first (and probably only) ride on Octonauts at Alton Towers yesterday. Now, I had previously ridden Troublesome Trucks at Drayton Manor and Flying Fish at Thorpe Park, but somehow both of those felt less embarrassing. Maybe it was because they were somewhat subdued in colour scheme and theming, whereas Octonauts is bright blue with a multi-coloured train, a bright orange station, a bubble machine, a water-squirting whale in the middle and an on-ride photo camera that tells you to "say seaweed!". This, along with the obviously younger clientele riding the coaster, made me feel somewhat embarrassed being on it as a nearly 16 year old, I must admit! It didn't help that I could sense the ride host trying not to laugh when he admitted me into the coaster's boarding area...

But what have been your most embarrassing theme park moments?
 

Kalistos

Mega Poster
There's been plenty but I just had one a few days ago that deserves a mention.
I was at this Parque Espana Shima Spain Village by myself to ride Pyrenees.
Following the trip reports I read I let myself tempted by this Alice Wonderland "ride", alone. They give you this magical wand which triggers some effects in a kid maze. Already embarrassing but at least I was by myself. At some point in the ride, you have to do some kind of fight with your wand, but a crew member shows you how to do it and you have to follow her gestures.
So here I was with my ridiculous wand gesticulating like crazy and trying to follow what the hell the employee was supposed to make me do, not understanding a single word of her Japanese advice (and God was she motivated to help me). Embarrassing.
 

CanobieFan

Strata Poster
Would driving from Boston to Montreal to visit La Ronde on a day the park is closed, count? In 2006 I made that mistake. Pretty embarrassing. The park was open Sunday Monday Tuesday closed Wednesday and Thursday and then open again Friday Saturday Sunday and without checking the calendar... drove up on the Wednesday the park was closed. So after driving five hours to the park and finding it closed ...I just turned around and drove back home.

(And then tried it again, successfully, that weekend)
 

Howie

Donkey in a hat
^Ah, the full Griswold. Yep, I'd say that counts. I did that at Walibi Holland once - took 2 trains and a bus all the way from Amsterdam, only to be greeted by an empty car park. It was weekends only at that time of year, see. Had to settle for a nearby Fishlife centre instead. Wasn't as good.
 

Chris Brown

Mr CoasterForce 2016
Had a pretty embarrassing moment on my recent trip to the states. My friends got the kiddy cred at holiday world earlier in the day whilst i was in the waterpark so i had to grab it on my own later in the day. Im usually fine and can play off any embarrassing questions with a joke about being too scared for the bigger coasters but this time the ops were super slow and although not big the queue was around 20 minutes which resulted in a lot of disgruntled rednecks asking what i was doing riding the kiddie ride. Managed to play it off as a dare whilst frantically trying to get the attention of my group who were watching from outside the ride to prove I wasn't alone in the park. But i felt pretty threatened / embarrassed at the time and even more so on the actual ride!
 

Kw6sTheater

Hyper Poster
As I'm a bit desperate about getting those +1s, I've ridden quite a few kiddie coasters just for the credit. Fortunately, most of my kiddie coaster experiences have been rather pleasant, if not entertaining.

Least Embarassing: On Wilderness Run at Cedar Point, I shared a casual conversation with a mother and her two sons before the ride even started! To earn some extra brownie points, I said, "Your mom must be pretty cool to take you guys to Cedar Point..." ;)

Most Embarassing: Holiday World's Howler. I waited in line for this coaster, which is oddly located behind the kid's play structure in HoliDog's FunTown, and then a small child came up to me and asked if I could ride with him. I was puzzled. I'd never seen this person before in my life! Then, his mother came along and gave me the okay signal. Feeling very embarrassed as to what his mother's thoughts were when she saw me on this coaster, I said yes. The kid and I shared a nice discussion about where we were from, and why I was at Holiday World - for Holiwood Nights. Afterwards, we parted ways and I thanked the mother for letting me ride with her kind son.
 

Edward M

Strata Poster
I think my recent ride on Tuff Tuff Tåget at Gröna Lund is the most awkward I’ve had. For those unaware, it’s one of those mini Zamperla mice. Has to be 10 feet tall at most. When I walked up to the station, the op thought I had to be lost or something. I explained how I loved coasters, and she informed me there were others in the park. *insert Jim from the Office look here*

She joked around with me saying it might be too fast for me before sending me off with one little girl who was looking at me like “dude, what are you doing here?” Then I left looking like that picture of @Howie hiding his face. Y’all know the one ;)
 

Rachel

Coaster MILF
Every single kiddie cred I’ve had to ride alone ever but particularly the one at BGT where I was the only person on the ride and the ride op made eye contact with me whilst doing the safety announcement.
Nearly knocked myself out getting off Nemesis Inferno during the live back on March.
Begging the Animal farm place near Brean to let me in for free just to ride the cred - pretty shameful.
There's actually a few more which i'm even too embarrassed to write about on here haha!
 

Howie

Donkey in a hat

Matt N

CF Legend
Yeah but I think somebody needs to post it here again to remind us all...

For me it's probably getting told I wasn't allowed to ride Octonauts - I still don't have the cred - can't wait until my niece is old enough to take on it!
I'd be intrigued to know why they wouldn't let you; there's no maximum height or age restriction! Me and my mum only got a light laugh from the ride host when we went on it!
 

TommyAlex

Mega Poster
Fell off of Magic Mountain in Beaver Creek in a desperate attempt to get into the front seat at age 6.

Chicka chickaaaaa.
 

SilverArrow

Certified Ride Geek
Had a pretty embarrassing moment on my recent trip to the states. My friends got the kiddy cred at holiday world earlier in the day whilst i was in the waterpark so i had to grab it on my own later in the day. Im usually fine and can play off any embarrassing questions with a joke about being too scared for the bigger coasters but this time the ops were super slow and although not big the queue was around 20 minutes which resulted in a lot of disgruntled rednecks asking what i was doing riding the kiddie ride. Managed to play it off as a dare whilst frantically trying to get the attention of my group who were watching from outside the ride to prove I wasn't alone in the park. But i felt pretty threatened / embarrassed at the time and even more so on the actual ride!
Oh man I need to get this when I go soon. Better get there early!
 
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DelPiero

Strata Poster
yQsRcpml.jpg


It's bad.

This is bad too;

5514

At least @Howie isn't spiting kids, what excuse does @Lofty have?

Pics of me on a worm aren't embarrassing, we've all been on a worm, not many pics like this of me about.
 

Alex B

Mega Poster
When I was 8 and rode a big ride (steel force) for the first time I screamed “holy **** the ****ing ride is raping me” which if you say when riding with your dad and family friends in my house got me in real deep **** and the ride operator asked me if something was wrong when I pulled back in the station with my eyes shut and my hands covering my eyes but my dad gave me a pass for swearing since it’s 200 feet tall and I was 8 that’s also the day I found out the true definition of rape which I heard a member of my clan in clash of clans say. Nowadays I’m 13 and I don’t get in trouble for swearing and steel force is no issue due to fear for me to ride
 
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