Did anyone ever visit Action Park in New Jersey - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Steve_uk · 07-17-2018, 04:33 PM

Is this story an exaggeration? Did anyone here actually visit? https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...tanntp#image=1

JamesG · 07-19-2018, 12:33 PM

I never went to Action Park, but I am very familiar with it. Most of all the crazy stories from that place are true.

The owners of the combined Vernon Valley/Great Gorge ski resort wanted to do something with the ski slopes during the off-season, and thus the water park Action Park was created.

Action Park was at its most popular throughout the 1980's with guests mainly from the Metropolitan Area.

It was nicknamed “Traction Park” and “Class-Action Park” from the local doctors and lawyers during the time, due to the multiple lawsuits and injuries coming from the place.

It was during a time when park restrictions and regulations were more lax and the owners could basically create anything they wanted.

Action Park's numerous problems were:

- underage employees drinking while on the job (as beer was widely available at kiosks throughout the park)

- rides/water slides collapsing with guests on them

- exhibitionist guests would sometimes walk around the park nude

- safety restrictions being ignored by the careless staff; such as sending people down a water-slide when the other guest who went down prior wasn't ready to get off yet

The many lawsuits and settlements drained Action Park out of a lot of funds and with less guests coming back year-after-year they decided to close after Labor Day 1996.

Six people were said to have died from injuries sustained directly from Action Park.

The Looping Water Slide

Perhaps the most infamous of Action Park’s attractions was the looping water slide where guests would get stuck inside the thing and had to be pulled out by employees.

Employees were said to have been offered a couple of hundred bucks to test it out and many refused to do it. One former employee said in an interview that, "It didn’t buy enough booze to drown out the memory."

New management stepped in after Action Park closed and in 1998 opened up Mountain Creek Waterpark. Its safety measures have drastically improved and, so far, nobody has died from park injuries.

They briefly went back to the Action Park name from 2014-16 and are now Mountain Creek again.

Steve_uk · 07-19-2018, 01:10 PM

It's a shame because the concept was a good one, if only they had thought a little harder about how to design some of the rides. https://youtu.be/flkW-ceNvck

07-17-2018, 04:33 PM	#1
Steve_uk Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 29, 2012 Location: Manchester UK Posts: 5,803	Did anyone ever visit Action Park in New Jersey Is this story an exaggeration? Did anyone here actually visit? https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...tanntp#image=1

07-19-2018, 12:33 PM	#2
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,045	I never went to Action Park, but I am very familiar with it. Most of all the crazy stories from that place are true. The owners of the combined Vernon Valley/Great Gorge ski resort wanted to do something with the ski slopes during the off-season, and thus the water park Action Park was created. Action Park was at its most popular throughout the 1980's with guests mainly from the Metropolitan Area. It was nicknamed “Traction Park” and “Class-Action Park” from the local doctors and lawyers during the time, due to the multiple lawsuits and injuries coming from the place. It was during a time when park restrictions and regulations were more lax and the owners could basically create anything they wanted. Action Park's numerous problems were: - underage employees drinking while on the job (as beer was widely available at kiosks throughout the park) - rides/water slides collapsing with guests on them - exhibitionist guests would sometimes walk around the park nude - safety restrictions being ignored by the careless staff; such as sending people down a water-slide when the other guest who went down prior wasn't ready to get off yet The many lawsuits and settlements drained Action Park out of a lot of funds and with less guests coming back year-after-year they decided to close after Labor Day 1996. Six people were said to have died from injuries sustained directly from Action Park. The Looping Water Slide Perhaps the most infamous of Action Park’s attractions was the looping water slide where guests would get stuck inside the thing and had to be pulled out by employees. Employees were said to have been offered a couple of hundred bucks to test it out and many refused to do it. One former employee said in an interview that, "It didn’t buy enough booze to drown out the memory." New management stepped in after Action Park closed and in 1998 opened up Mountain Creek Waterpark. Its safety measures have drastically improved and, so far, nobody has died from park injuries. They briefly went back to the Action Park name from 2014-16 and are now Mountain Creek again.

07-19-2018, 01:10 PM	#3
Steve_uk Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 29, 2012 Location: Manchester UK Posts: 5,803	It's a shame because the concept was a good one, if only they had thought a little harder about how to design some of the rides. https://youtu.be/flkW-ceNvck