Theme parks aren't for me

Yesterday my wife and I decided to go to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (formerly known as Marine World) in Vallejo. My wife had asked me to go last season. I was up for it until I found out that it's a theme park. Well, we decided to go anyway and I have officially decided that theme parks just aren't for me.

I've never been a fan of the tall roller coasters. I remember when I was a kid going to Astroworld all the time and loving it. Yet, I do remember being terrified of those roller coasters that went up really high. In fact, the first time I was able to ride the Texas Cyclone at Astroworld, I screamed the entire time and had my head down as well.

First off, theme parks are a rip off! Last November we went to Seaworld in San Diego and I paid almost $50 a ticket that included a military discount that my wife's aunt got for us. Then I had to pay $10 for parking. Third, Shamu was closed that day and frankly there weren't many animals there to see. I saw more at the San Francisco Zoo. We ended up leaving after only having been there for a few hours.

So we get to Discovery Kingdom yesterday and I am forced to pay $15 for parking!!! Can you believe it?! I paid $35 a ticket online PLUS a $3 convenience fee for purchasing it online! What the hell is that? And of course when you get there, you have to go through a metal detector and have your bags searched. Fine, no problem. What are they looking for in your bags? Oh that's right! They're looking for your outside food and drinks. You're forced to pay their exorbitant prices, where they want you to pay $3.50 for a 20oz. bottle of soda!

Fine, I can accept all of this. But then all of the freaking rides were closed and didn't open until half way through the day! Even a number of their animal exhibits were closed. What a ripoff!

For the entire time that we were there, we rode a total of three rides. And those rides were relatively tame. One was a ride where you sit in a bucket cart of some sort and it spins you around and around. The second was a big boat that went back and forth, like a pendulum, gradually going higher and higher. That one did not sit well with my wife and frankly, it didn't sit well with my stomach. The third was basically a big swing that we all went around in a big circle going higher and higher.

I think this is the final lesson for me. I really don't care for theme parks. And I don't get my money's worth. I think I paid $13 a ticket for the San Francisco Zoo. I saw much more, enjoyed it and felt I got more than my money's worth. I also got to park for free.