Not trying to sound preachy, but due to some recent events, I just want to say a couple things Re:Media Day-
The last 2 major coasters that Cedar Fair opened, Gatekeeper & Banshee, were preceded by Media Days that were part Media Day and part Enthusiast Event, where you had to be a card carrying member of an approved club. If you read about it online, there was lots of riding, mostly ERT like, food, entertainment, and of course, Media. From what I know, those events went off very well. I seem to recall someone saying that it was something the whole company was encouraged to look at for big openings.
Now, Having said that, typically a Media Day is for MEDIA. Sometimes you get a lot of rides, sometimes you don't. Basically, if enthusiasts are invited and it isn't run like the events for Banshee and Gatekeeper, you do what you're told to do, wear what you're told to wear, and you may get a few rides. Media will get rides, but they need bodies to fill seats, and there are often times more bodies than seats. And long stretches of time where nothing happens while the media sets up and changes things.
Now, still with me? Okay. Unfortunately, there were three issues that happened this year at both kinds of media days that have unfortunately given the parks reason to reconsider having enthusiasts at events.
Banshee-There was an insane coaster enthusiass that went on a social media rampage because everyone was asked to wear either Banshee shirts (that were freely given, IIRC), or solid color shirts with no logos from any other park (even from the same park chain). This guy always wears his Millennium Force shirt and went all Nazi online about not being allowed to wear it, and he bad mouthed KI pretty harshly, for being asked to wear a different shirt to an event he was invited to, an event that was meant to show off the park's new ride, not a ride at another park. It also didn't help that Notorious Idiot Robb Alvey (actual name Robert Lee Alvey, a convicted criminal) made several off the cuff comments about the park's camera set up for on ride video (he complained about the lighting). And rumor has it B&M really don't like Robb since he constantly bashes them.
Goliath (SFGAM)-Another enthusiass, who I have no problem calling out (His name is Dave Wetterstrohm), was invited (possibly thru ACE, I believe) to Goliath's media day, which was an actual media day. There wasn't a lot of riding, they didn't have a catered event, but did provide food, and Dave was apparently not very nice to people at the park, while complaining about a FREE day in the park to ride the new coaster before anyone else. He then went ballistic all over Facebook and on line about it. The park wasn't very happy, and I'm pretty sure the local ACE Reps weren't either (it's all on facebook, but I don't feel like searching for the link again)
Halloweekends Preview-Dave Wetterstrohm was also at Cedar Point's Halloweekend's Preview Event where they gave tickets out to attendees to be able to go thru some of their new mazes to preview them before they opened to the public. Dave showed up AFTER a maze had opened to the public and went literally Nuclear because they wouldn't let him skip the already long line. He blamed the park for his being late, yelled, screamed, all on the midway, to the point that several higher members of management had to get involved. And as most idiots do, he got online and made a huge stink. He literally blew up in front of everyone.
It was so bad that a fairly high level employee at Cedar Point, who happens to be a friend of a friend of mine, said that the company was now reconsidering just how useful and beneficial these kinds of events are, and if they'll continue them.
So maybe the park will have an event like KI & CP did. Maybe they will have a Media Only event. Maybe they'll have a Mostly media event like they did for Intimidator & Cobra with a few invited enthusiasts only. I don't know.
The moral of the story is to be thankful for WHATEVER they have if you're invited. And if you're invited, regardless of how the event is promoted, or how you THINK it will be, remember that you're there because the park asked you to be, and they didn't have to. ANYTHING you get, whether it is only 1 ride, or multiple rides, food, entertainment, whatever, should be appreciated. Remember that you're representing EVERY enthusiast out there.
If you're disappointed at a media event of ANY kind, kindly keep it to yourself. You didn't pay to get in, you were an invited guest.
And if Carowinds Connections members are invited, you're also representing this website, and since you're an invited guest of the park, you represent them. So please keep that in mind. I know you'll all have a great time if it happens
.
