Kemah Boardwalk Trip Report

[Mikey]

In my free time I have been visiting other parks to see how they run their operations and compare them to ours. To see what we can adapt from them, and to see what we are doing right and wrong compared to their operation. It helps fine tune our objectives, and help us deliver the best product possible to our guest.

I didn't land in Houston till 4AM this morning, so my plans for Sea World were scrapped due to time constraints. Instead me and some friends went to Kemah Boardwalk. We got there about 3PM.

Now I am not sure why, but it seems like every time we go to Kemah something bad happens. Last time we went everyone got bumps and bruises from the Bullets horrid center divider, the year before that an operator held down the jog button on the Chance Trabant until several guest puked all over the place. This time it was different, none of the major rides were even open.

Kemah is a very small amusement park, So small it has more restaurants and shops then it does rides. This means it needs every ride open every day to fulfill the guest entertainment variety needs. To provide different levels of thrills to each category of guest. Tots, Teens, and Adults. To have two major rides still in pieces in the middle of June shows what part of the business has more priority. If I still had rides in pieces in June they would be serving my head on a plate to the board of directors.

Now I understand that things happen, sometimes maintenance emergencies come up and you have to shutdown a ride for a day or more. Been there done that. If your going to shutdown a ride all day, it would nice if you told your guest about it. We did an very impromptu survey of guest in the park, many were upset by the fact there was no announcement on the website, or even a sign at the ride entrance explaining what was going on. Server guest reported they they called ahead of time, and were told the ride would be open today.

Another thing, Kemah has the dullest operation team I have ever seen. No energy, no enthusiasm, not going above and beyond to entertain the guest. Like a bunch of deer in the headlights. I swear they have hired a bunch of robots to run the place. Now for the pictures...


Rides that were actually running..










Now for what doesn't work.


Track.


More Track. Notice all the bent bolts?


Does anybody see whats wrong with this picture?



That's right. No flags on top of the ride. Its a 100 year tradition, no wonder this place has such bad luck. Kemah, would you please put a flag up on top of Bullet?



PROTIP: It wouldn't be so hot up there if you overhauled her during the winter...



Parts parts everywhere and not a single manual in sight.

They really need to take better care of their rides. The bolts on BB look unsafe.

[Mikey]

Bent bolts are normal. Just pointing out the stresses involved.

[jayman]

they have ONE ride worth the trip and it was closed?
wtf?

High humidity + high lateral forces + made of wood = bad idea

[Mikey]

Fail.

It needs timberliners for sure.

Nice little TR here. I love the "PROTIP". I may steal that from you. Especially in stating the obvious.

It needs more than Timberliners...I doubt those things would even make the turnaround. This ride needs to hit the restart button.

Well like Voyage it would need a lot of retracking. But once it was done and it had the same pacing, it would work from that point on. That was the major issue with Voyage. Too much track too beat up from the PTC's and they were running tests, finding the trouble spots and then working on those areas. Labor and time intensive.