Preventing Theft at an Amusement Park
Nothing puts a damper on your day more at an amusement park more than having your stuff stolen. A day of fun and excitement can quickly turn to a day of stress and agony – but if you follow these simple tips – you can better protect yourself from becoming a victim in a place you shouldn’t have to worry about anything.
1.) Limit the stuff you bring to the park
This SHOULD go without saying – but with the explosion in consumer technology in the past decade, you’ll probably be tempted to bring your phone, camera, iPod or even iPad to the park.
Don’t.
Your phone is a necessary evil now, but there’s no reason to be a Padhole by bringing your tablet to a park to ruin shows, parades and be a target for thieves. Trust me, you’ll be able to wait in line without checking your Facebook status. It’s probably for the better, anyway.
And don’t become complacent just because you’re at a higher-end park. Don’t believe me? Check this story out about how an iPhone was stolen after only 10 seconds of being set down on a Fast Pass machine at California Adventure:
2.) Get a locker
Look, no one likes to pay more money than they have to when you go out, but lockers are a great way to ensure your stuff is secure – and you won’t have to worry about it. On the negative side – these tend to be in the front of the park, where they can be
3.) Use bins provided on ride platforms
By heeding these suggestions, you can help mitigate your risk of theft the next time you visit an amusement or theme park. Just ask these folks: http://theenemyisgood.blogspot.com/2014/11/theft-at-dca.html?spref=fb
Photo of the Day: World of Color at Disney California Adventure Park
There are theme park shows – and then there are Disney theme park shows.
Then there’s “World of Color.”
In my lifetime, the best show that I ever saw at any park was EPCOT’s Illuminations – the sight of the night sky turning to daylight for that brief moment still resides with me. I thought that memory would never be supplanted – until I saw “World of Color.” Years in the making and millions of dollars in R&D, and it’s safe to say that those Imagineers got it right…again. To think this photo was shot AFTER the show ends.
Just be sure to bring a rain jacket – a slight change in wind direction will leave you soaked.
In terms of event entertainment, “World of Color” takes the cake. People will begin lining up for showings two (2) hours prior.
Thanks to my friends at BorrowLenses for allowing me to capture such beautiful photos with their gear.
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Disney Bans Unaccompanied Kids
After over 55 years in business, “the Happiest Place on Earth” is no longer a playground for unsupervised tweens.
Sorry tweens, Disney Parks are for families, not you!
Disney yesterday, announced that they would no longer allow children under the age of 14 to roam the park without parental accompaniment.
At first, it SOUNDS terrible, borderline insane. I mean, how could a Disney Park ban KIDS? Wasn’t that the point they were built, so we could all be children at heart? But then, after reading into it a bit more, not only can I understand the move – I APPLAUD IT.
Consider for a moment, the last time you went to, say a Six Flags. Their marketing is heavily focused on the under 18 market, especially for season pass sales. Remember all those annoying tweens in the park – blasting their cell phones on speaker so that EVERYONE in line could hear their favorite song? Cutting in line, being generally “rebellious” (or at least what that generation thinks is rebellious?).
After you’ve just paid $119 per PERSON to experience the Disneyland Resort for JUST ONE DAY – do you really want to have that same experience?
I didn’t think so. And neither should you.
For some Disney parks are going to be harder to get into than Club 33!
Let’s face it, some parents use amusement parks as a de-facto babysitter. It’s apparently a $600 investment (Annual Pass approximate cost) in sanity it’s much easier for the Mom and Dad to dump you off at an amusement park for the day, than deal with your pre-pubescent problems. This is exactly what Disney wants to stop, even if it means sacrificing a few Annual Passholders to Knott’s Berry Farm, a few miles up. “the 5.”
It’s rare that a park will turn down easy money (Holiday World in Indiana does it all the time by offering free parking, free soda and free sunscreen) but considering how much The Walt Disney Company made in the time it took you to read the word “DISNEY” in this sentence – they can afford to purge themselves of such a small (but noisy and noticeable) market group.
And hey, since you can’t dump your kids off at the park anymore, you’ll just have to buy a ticket for yourself and – GASP – try to enjoy a little together-time as a family. Ahhh!
Remember when that was the point of going to Disneyland?
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