Lagoon Review | How a Monopoly Negatively Affects the Guest Experience | Utah's Only Theme Park

Lagoon is the largest family owned theme park in the U.S., boasting 11 roller coasters and a ton of family attractions in its 95 acre park just north of Salt Lake City, Utah. It includes the charm and classic feel of an old timey theme park, while also featuring state of the art roller coasters and rides. Unfortunately, it suffers from being the only theme park within a 6 hour radius, creating a monopoly like situation in the Utah area. Let's dive into how this effects the park and what could be done to improve Lagoon for the better!
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[@invaderbrynn]

We've been trying to get that "zoo" closed for decades. It's a disgrace.

[@caitiesalinas9960]

How can I help? I’m just a normie with a broken, animal-loving heart, but if I can help them get to a preserve where they can live in safety and peace, I want to do it.

[@chrismerrell7957]

Please point me to the petition or something! I've been so upset about this for over a decade!

[@jazzyk02]

i live not even 5 minutes from lagoon and go on the trail all the time, its a great walk but makes me want to cry every time. its horrible what they're doing to them, they need to be rehomed to sanctuaries.

[@Nighttime670]

Theres a zoo there?? Ive been there a whole bunch and I’ve never heard about a zoo

[@jazzyk02]

@@Nighttime670 its not really a zoo, its only visible from the train and its just a few sad animals in tiny cages, its horrible

[@cyberjackal774]

Pricing is a nightmare. Like a decade ago it was only $40. A few years ago it was $70. You're telling me it's already $100?

[@MaisiStahl]

I remember! My family loved going there, but it got way too expensive. Even with military discount it was costing 500+ before gas or food

[@woebringer7884]

Sheesh, I’m old. I remember when it was $28 for a day pass. Which seems like only a few years ago, confirming the loss of brain matter.

[@SmallishPoppy6]

At this point Disneyland is getting cheaper or is the same price with more perks.

[@sadboisombr]

plus on top of that they use cheap straws which may seem small but 100 friggin dollars and i am just trying to get a 5 dollar water and my straw breaks when its 90* outside ruins my mood so quickly

[@broncodan35]

Years ago, they used to have a discount if you went in the evening. Seems like the full price at the time was $30 or $35, and if you went after 5:00 pm, you got in for $10 or $15. A lot of the teens that worked for me would get off work and carpool up and stay till closing several times a week.

[@DashSpiderJumpscares]

I love how you immediately summoned all of us locals with just the title and thumbnail and we proceeded to agree completely. The park has 100% fallen off recently, ever since about 2-3 years after Cannibal opened their prices have skyrocketed and nobody I know has gone more than once or twice since. I had a season pass a couple years after cannibal opened and food pricing was already insane, but the guest experience was still fine and everyone was generally a little nicer than more recently. It’s sad that it has exploited the fact that they can charge whatever they want to because nobody can stop them.

[@tylerradke9274]

My friends and I would try to go once or twice a year, but after the recent price hikes to $95, we’re done. It’s just ridiculous, and you can’t possibly justify that.

[@michaelbennett7561]

Even as a monopoly, there is a limit to what they can charge before people simply stop going.

[@jennarhodes2724]

#rip to my sister who bought a season pass the other year only to become pregnant in the spring

[@swarlesbarkely2449]

All of us locals don't agree completely but I guess you can be the mouthpiece for everyone in the state.

[@geoffshaw2775]

Absolutely. My dad works on Hill so the few times I've had season passes a few years ago I'd go through there to get them but they're still pretty expensive. Though going 2 or 3 times more than pays for them. I just wish for more competition. It would really help them for sure. And getting a new park around would be a breath of fresh air as well.

[@SmallishPoppy6]

“If you ask Utahns what parks they have been to they will answer Lagoon and Disneyland” hahahaha. So true so true Edit: I did not expect this to get so much attention. I’m glad it’s at least making people smile. I hope you all have been having by a good day

[@diplomat_cat587]

Literally me

[@SkylerBaird]

And Disney World too 👌🏼

[@SmallishPoppy6]

@@SkylerBaird yea, true I’ve been there, though you can’t drive there in one day so it’s a little less often…. Most of the time utahs go to Disney land for spring break.

[@Lex_thebearqueen]

And six Flags

[@ninjoshday]

Or in my case, only Lagoon

[@alanvigil]

I have lived in Utah since I was a teenager. I am 59 now. That means I have been to Lagoon many times. You have completely nailed it. I hope the owners watch this and take many of your suggestions. Thank you.

[@user-wp8vk6ro6y]

Dave Freed and his family owns lagoon

[@Jose-st3fq]

😭😭😭I’m a utahn too and I’m telling you nothing about lagoon is gonna change. They’ve got a monopoly unfortunately

[@user-wp8vk6ro6y]

@@Jose-st3fq yeah lagoon hasn't been all that great for years. Sad thing is last good ride was the wicked back in 2007

[@devanplayspiano]

Living in Utah my whole life, it’s sad to see how much Lagoon has fallen. Every worker looks like they’re ready to drop dead, the prices have gotten out of control and they know it, but they don’t care because they are a monopoly. Utah really needs another amusement park.

[@GuadalupePicasso]

@@pat_jones36that doesn’t change the fact that $100 is way overpriced.

[@GuadalupePicasso]

@@pat_jones36 🙄

[@CCFan007]

@@pat_jones36 seriously? lmao

[@andrewplatt7076]

@@pat_jones36 with tax, its actually $105

[@pat_jones36]

@@andrewplatt7076 Lagoon is still an amazing park, no matter how expensive it is it’s still worth it

[@scout_stinks3869]

I’ve worked at lagoon for years, and you absolutely nailed this. I can’t have family visit me at work anymore because the pricing is too expensive. And just recently too, they gutted the employee parking to give it all to the guests. I have it good there, but that’s only because I work for a 3rd party company, not lagoon itself (I’m a caricature artist). Lagoon used to be so fun when I was younger, and you could get a season pass for $100, but now it’s over $115 for a single adult day-pass alone! Lagoon has become exponentially more crowded the last few years, and lagoon hasn’t been able to keep up. The new CFO is the cause of this, who is the main reason prices skyrocketed a few years ago. And if you ask any lagoon employee, you’ll hear all about the broken labor laws, broken safety codes, unsafe food standards, etc. lagoon is VERY scummy, and has no problem exploiting their employees.

[@crazyartist2184]

I've worked at Lagoon. At Catapult, I was almost decapitated because the head of the entire maintenance apartment was annoyed because of how long we were taking. So he jumped into the Crane and pulled it at full speed, launching me in the air. I almost was decapitated by the sign. I contacted osha after they osha showed up a week later I was fired. And they only use the zoo as a tax break. They get fined every single year because they abuse the animals.

[@Ayrton_Groesbeck]

sounds like an average business to me, all they care about is money, like so many people in this world.

[@leannacaracappa454]

oh my gosh that's terrible but the thing that confuses me is why is it becoming more popular and more crowded if it is getting more expensive ?

[@leannacaracappa454]

@@crazyartist2184 wait what the frack you were almost decapitated by a sign !? and then you got fired !? have you contacted a lawyer because you really should that could be a huge lawsuit.

[@CharlyNorthrup]

My friend was a performer for Lagoon for at least a decade. They didn't bring him back this year because of budget cuts. Like where is this money going?!

[@zx2gamer]

Some of those buildings in pioneer village are actually historical buildings that were moved to the park. Super cool history.

[@thepinkyprincesspoetc.a.5767]

That is so true like I was saying earlier the train station that was moved there from Kaysville that my grandmother was born in her name was Madge May Rasmussen, Carson Jones, Gleave Moore…She was married like four times, but she was born in the train station that is now in Pioneer Village. At least it was when I was up there last in the 90sand I was sad to hear in this video that the log flume is no longer there because that was an iconic ride😮😢😢😢😢

[@CoasterObsessed]

I really wish that another chain decided to come to Utah. The market is there and it would instantly improve lagoon.

[@CoasterStudios]

I feel like a park around Provo or Springville would perform well

[@CoasterObsessed]

@@CoasterStudios yep, an hour south would be perfect!

[@thesledgehammerblog]

The abnormally large number of FECs along the Wasatch Front (especially in Utah County) would seem to suggest there's a market for it, but at this point I would think the real estate is probably getting too expensive.

[@philip7396]

I think a Hershend park would understand the Utah market better than others.

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

They won't even come to Nashville so I doubt they would go to Utah

[@senorhayomayo]

I think the lines move at lagoon because they don’t have fast-pass/fastlane/flashpass. Everyone is in the same boat, no preferential cutting in front of the stand by line, so everything moves.

[@CoasterStudios]

definitely a good point!

[@OklahomaCoasterFan]

That's one thing that I do love to see. The skip-the-line services are such a killer to guest experiences.

[@MJW061]

Cannibal can usually dispatch every 29 seconds and I’ve seen fire dragon get around 15

[@TrthWrld]

I visited this park last summer for the first time and the ride ops were incredible. Another thing bigger parks should adapt is the single rider line. At major parks I see way to many trains not full on busy days. Also they should get rid of fast lane at major parks. I know I jave used them but it just kills wait times.

[@LordBrizz]

Yep! We got a taste of this at Disneyland over the COVID years when they had gotten rid of MaxPass and hadn't rolled out Genie garbage yet. And EVERY line hustled. Even Radiator Spring was never more than 20-40 minutes wait. Preferential ride lines are great for the bottom line but absolute trash for the overall guest experience.

[@justsierraok]

I forgot all about the animals somehow. It makes me so freaking sad, and even makes me a little sad I got season passes for my family that I've wanted for yearssss. I hope they do away with the animals soon.

[@Harmoniewheeler]

I love the animals:)

[@CoralReef69]

Yeah I think the animals deserve a better home.

[@Kauvel]

Sadly, Lagoon has been reduced in value as the once great and phenomenal Pioneer Village, which used to feature shootouts, it is now managed my young kids who give off the type of attitude that they don't want to be bothered by customers. Pioneer Village is such a despicably underused area of the park. Quality has been sacrificed for profits, which is a very big reason behind my losing all desire to waste any time at such a disappointing amusement park.

[@lindseyvowles3890]

Lagoon won't give up those animals easily. With the animals on-site they can still be classified as a farm. Utah has laws that allow farms to hire people as young as 14. That is a huge part of their labor pool. The second, work exchange college students.

[@lindseyvowles3890]

Allegedly.

[@nerdographics]

As a local who lives about an hour away from lagoon, I go there about once every 2-3 years. You are absolutely right about the prices being too expensive. They charge Disneyland prices for a much worse experience. It really does stink, because you’re right, the park does get very busy still because it’s literally the only amusement park in 5 -10 hours depending on the direction you go. I feel like Utah population has really jumped up in the last 30 years, we’re starved for exciting attractions, and we’re stuck with Lagoon so people cough up $100 a ticket because it’s all we have available

[@user-wp8vk6ro6y]

I haven't been to lagoon since 2007 because it list it's fun.

[@FeedYourGreed]

I think think this is a great pro consumer review of the park. It’s okay to be critical of things you like and the criticisms seemed fair.

[@edwardsanderson3021]

Agreed! Call it bias but Lagoon is one of my all time favorite parks, and I'm glad he reviewed it fairly and pointed out both it's unique charm and waht it could do to be even better.

[@prestonpopp485]

This concept really points out why I was really rooting for Evermore to be an immersive theme park to work out. Sadly, it did not turn out to be that.

[@garrettoler2584]

ya...I had high hopes for Evermore as well....but this video makes me think I wanna start a themepark.

[@LordBrizz]

Doesn't help that they wasted millions on getting authentic decorations instead of just buying replicas. Or that they could never really figure out the guest integration experience. I hope whoever is taking over Evermore has their head on straight because they could easily turn it into something cool that's worth revisiting.

[@prestonpopp485]

@@LordBrizz To put too simple a nutshell on the nuances, they forgot that ultimately, it still has to be a theme park for it to work.

[@LordBrizz]

@@prestonpopp485 absolutely. It also needs to have a functional experience for people that want to be completely absorbed as well as people that are only casually engaged. Evermore could not figure out that Disney magic.

[@prestonpopp485]

@@LordBrizz What is wild is, even Disney lost that way with the greed and hubris of Galactic Starcruiser.

[@g0ogl3_]

honestly there's a huge trust system in lagoon about bags, a majority of people will put them behind fences or in the plants so they don't have to deal with lockers. also for some school districts, we always have a field trip to lagoon in 6th, 9th, and 12th grade. fun stuff man

[@BOBINDUN]

Lol it's true, faith in humanity slightly restored when it comes to think of it in that aspect.

[@Pikachufps3]

That’s exactly what me and my siblings did when we wanted to go to one of the coasters together so badly and plants and flowers were our best choices to hide our small, loose items 😂

[@douglasyoung927]

As a Utah resident and previous Lagoon employee I have to say that Lagoon is best if you go on Sunday or on cooler cloudy days. If it's overcast and Sunday you literally get free run of the park and you can just go around as many times as you want on most of the coasters. Don't park at Lagoon. They have a free shuttle that runs every 30 minutes and there's a park and ride station just across the freeway at the Station Park Mall. Totally agree about the spider, it's actually my favorite ride next to Colossus the fire dragon, the cliffhanger, the Re-entry side of the Rocket/Re-entry ride, and the Skyscraper Farris Wheel (esp. if you get to the Farris Wheel just about sunset! The light on the Great Salt Lake is truly special.) The hanging swings, Turn of the Century, is best at night. Love this one too. I also have to say that The Caverns in Glenwood Springs Colorado is absolutely Awesome! I highly recommend it.

[@andyroman8223]

This is my home park, and I've worked there for a bit in the summer. I want to point out that the handstamps are completely unnecessary, as the employees that I have talked to have never seen ride tickets, even though they have worked there for years.

[@jacehiggs3637]

Saw tickets working there last year. Though as he said that entry pass to buy tickets is gone. They still allow children under 3 or 4 to enter free and then you can buy tickets for them for the rides they can ride. I do agree the hand stamp is obsolete though, because as an employee, if someone's hand stamp is worn off, you can ask to see their day or season pass, and direct them to guest services to be re stamped, but you aren't allowed to keep them from riding without a stamp or proof of day/season pass. Dumb

[@plowdawg]

Worked there as a ride operator 16 years ago and saw coupons for them from stake lagoon day. Only time I ever saw them. I hardly did a through evaluation of hand stamps because they didn't pay that well and didn't seem to treat their employees well. So only reason I noticed is they were insistent on giving me a coupon I wouldn't have noticed any other way.

[@leesachs4097]

Still there as security trust me those handstamps are nessacry there are so many ways for people to get in without a handstamp

[@andyroman8223]

@@leesachs4097 Any cedar Fair and six flags park is doing fine without handstamps. They only give them out if you want to leave and reenter the park.

[@hulkaiden6178]

@@leesachs4097 This is what I was thinking. I always assumed this was the main reason. It doesn't seem like the most secure park, so sneaking in and riding rides for free would be an easy thing to do without handstamps.

[@celesteblack1803]

I worked in the games department in 2009 and made $5.75/hour at age 14. The next year I worked rides for $6.25. I made lots of friends and it was fun to get into the park for free, but it was miserable to work long days in the heat. One time the president of Lagoon sent a supervisor over to reprimand me before the park even opened because I finished sweeping/cleaning around my ride early and was leaning against a fence for a few minutes instead of cleaning which he saw on the camera.

[@kyleoates6367]

$5.75 in 2009? Lagoon committed wage theft then. Minimum wage in 2009 was $7.25/hr for all workers.

[@SamS-wl3qb]

I was not aware of the animal enclosures at this park, that's genuinely such a shame. NO animal should be confined to an enclosure smaller than my apartment.

[@Utahandarizona2008]

I’m sick and tired of seeing so many people mentioning the animals at lagoon, they’re just animals so what?

[@ruthames8350]

​@@Utahandarizona2008animals deserve to not be abused. You're extremely unempathetic

[@sonofzues-]

@@Utahandarizona2008oof as someone who worked there those animals are heavily abused.

[@Utahandarizona2008]

@@sonofzues- They are not abused, despite the “small cages” they are very well taken care of and better then most zoo’s actually. They are rescue animals and their zoo is a rescue zoo, they’re not there just for their gain.

[@timpalmer0432]

Those animals live and eat better than you or anyone you've ever known or will know. Maybe you should try talking to the trainers personally instead of spouting of nonsense you know nothing about. The state would leap on the first opportunity to legally remove those animals, how are they still there? Because they live like royalty.

[@magnumninjagaming]

worst part of working at lagoon as a janitor you have to wear black slacks all summer and have to have your shirt tucked in. how no kids working there haven't had a heat stroke and died is absolutely crazy during the 100+ degree summers

[@rosehoundd6842]

I got heat stroke working there, they didn’t care

[@aBrewster29]

Makes me think of the parking assistants at Disney World. Just backing out there in the heat and humidity in uniform and on their feet all day. I can’t think of a worse job!

[@giovannagreeff2153]

I worked in games about 20 years ago at 14 years old and my 16 or 17 year old supervisor yelled at me for standing in my booth to drink water when we weren't allowed to carry water with us outside of the booth. I quit since no one seemed to care.

[@magnumninjagaming]

@@giovannagreeff2153 i didnt last a week i used my free family pass then quit I never understood why ride operators beach area and log ride area they could wear shorts but everyone else just gets to cook. The staff act like there above the law like there sue proof or something im sure i was breaking osha laws left and right.

[@HelloWolfie]

​@@rosehoundd6842When I worked there, I had many friends threw up due to heat exhausting, especially at Wild Mouse (that thing is an oven in the summer!). The upper management didn't care because they didn't want to work at the ride or find someone else who could.

[@jonathans3091]

Great review video! Hit everything on the head. Good/great rides. 1. Get rid of the animals. 2. Need security and/or better crowd control. 3. Give some perks to season pass holders. Those things alone would drastically improve the park experience. Also, I feel like the lagoon a beach cleanliness is always like a 6/10 so we don’t really go there. There is also a campsite for people to pitch tents or park trailers.

[@aBrewster29]

That train ride is about the saddest thing on the planet.

[@Nottherealchainsaw]

@@aBrewster29the animals are in really small enclosures, I feel sad for them 😔

[@leesachs4097]

We do actually have a decent amount of security. The security department is one of the best cared for departments and has the most protective and caring managers. Along with the lagoon security we have city police at the park and have many many more city police on standby.

[@ShadeLeeds]

Also should mention laguna beach is an extra cost

[@itsstormie]

​@@ShadeLeedssince when?

[@chloeschmidt1010]

I worked at Lagoon for three years now. It for sure has its flaws. I feel for the workers who are still there. Quitting was the best decision I ever made 🥰

[@tonyreyna1067]

Why do you say that?

[@k.c.4423]

Everyone I’ve known who worked there said similar things. Makes me sad. Maybe Lagoon simply needs more employees and more shifts? Do they pay decently? How else do they keep getting people with that reputation?

[@brianna2553]

⁠@@k.c.4423they value child labor more than actual quality work. As a foods employee I’ve seen it but I can’t really speak for other departments. If your 16+ you get very low hours as they give it all to younger workers who work the maximum amount of hours before it becomes illegal cause they get paid less. You’re doing quality work? You might be promoted but oops sorry you called in once sick so we gave the position to someone else smh. It’s a greedy company who pay low amounts of money (average is 13 for 16+ or 10 if you’re younger) and wastes ungodly amounts of food each night. Returned and quit because I realized I have better opportunities elsewhere. More employees won’t work because they hire in giant interviews which really aren’t interviews. you come and are instantly hired if your old enough. Which makes sense because of how quickly people quit after their first week.

[@natemorris535]

@@k.c.4423 because they hire middle schoolers for $5 an hour, lure them in with a free season pass, they get indoctrinated because they've never had a job and think "this is just what work is", they stay a few years in hopes of making more money being an operator, then they turn 16 or 17 and quit and find jobs that treat and pay them fairly, and the next batch of 14 year olds come in to replace them. It's a perfect cycle 🤣

[@rosehoundd6842]

I worked as ride operator in the 2020 season, (kiddie land, pioneer village, and wicked) and my god it was horrible. $12/h for 10-12 hours a day, regularly 90°-100°+. I got heat stroke one day, and instead of sending me home, I was sent to work at rattlesnake in the operator booth (where the fans didn’t work). After making me chug my water I was denied a bathroom break for over 30 minutes. Never. Again.

[@reddeath4720]

well they have been alot more laid back about breaks and operating. although the rides have been breaking down more often so its not worth going back to the park (For now)

[@brianna2553]

Games and Rides are the worst areas to work in, but Lagoon pushes advertising for those jobs more because of how frequently people quit or switch to other departments. Commonly foods but the management in foods values child labor more than anything so if your older than 16 good luck getting longer than a 4-5 hour shift and if your younger be prepared to work the maximum amount of hours you legally can :/

[@robertn.4329]

I think that's a OSHA violation

[@adminanonymous1521]

@@robertn.4329 Hard to tell. The basic rules are you are allowed to go to the bathroom literally at any time. However, a ride operator is also responsible for safety which means if anyone is on the ride, someone has to be available at the controls. There needs to be better redundancy in staffing in that case. Definitely something to talk about and find a solution because the goal should be that a bathroom break should be available for anyone at any time. This is a lay person's understanding of the law and OSHA, but it is certainly more complicated when it comes to ensuring safety of park visitors. Charging $100 and not having the staff is a management problem and should be addressed.

[@crazygamer-gm3xc]

As an operator at lagoon during the 23' season. TLDR I agree with everything you have said. There needs to be more lockers and the lockers need to be refurbished. They sometimes won't open, some forget pascode,etc. Then the attendant near the lockers has to call someone to open the lockers. The only exception is primordial there are tons of lockers and the attendants can open them with Ipads unless the lockers system is having trouble. The lines spilling into the midway pisses me off because sometimes the line starts to bleed together and it makes it hard to get around. The lines normally bleed together around cannibal, paratrooper, and skyscraper. Most attendants barely look at handstamps because if your in, then you paid to get in. I have only ever seen one set of tickets, and I don't know where a attendant got it. The enclosure of cannibal is beatiful but you can't really see it unless you work it and do a lost Item search at the end of the day. The best time to ride primordial for the shortest wait time is going to before it closes. It closes one hour before park close. The line can be on average from 50-120 minutes. The line averages 2 hours but can go up to 4 hours. Opening day it didn't finish until 1:00 AM. I didn't work that day but I have worked on primordial to midnight. The majority of 14/15 year old employees work druning the summer. Some only get shade at their post. They should get shade and a fan like the operators. The supervisors come around regularly to refill water bottles and you get a cold water bottle around midday. During the post season/nightmares it's mainly 16+. I don't like that 14/15 year olds are working in the 90+ degree heat. Some bigger rides can only be operated by a supervisor.

[@sm1l319]

Hello, games worker and frightmares scare actor for the 23’ season, I completely agree. There were many times when I was warned about a notorious game that had no air conditioning, was in the hottest spot of the park, and all you had for shade was a single umbrella that would barely cover you when the sun was in certain areas. Never again will I work at the mini golf game. I swear I have NEVER ingested so much water before and STILL be dehydrated. I also am very prone to heat stroke, so this was a nightmare for me :,). Throughout games I was also exploited MANY times, especially at some of their busiest games like center ring and gob toss 2 where I would be alone and have to run around when we got a rush as many guests kept wanting to play. Working during frightmares was worse. The scare actors constantly get harassed, the hours are draining, and I would often have to go home early from migraines, sharp pains, or even just feeling drained of my energy to the point I wasn’t acting well. The only benefit was that we got a longer break time (40 minutes) so I could actually eat food as I am a very slow eater, but that just made being relief worse. I luckily had the privilege to not be transferred to a different house when people couldn’t work/called out, but I heard it can be stressful having to improv when you know nothing about the house, nor the room or acting tactics to use in it. Some ups of being a scare actor, however, was the room of the night giveaways. Monitors would give out prizes to what rooms they thought had the best acting throughout the night, and I actually won rotn once when I was a roaming (relief) character!! However, the prizes were a bit weird with how they were distributed. For example, opening night they gave away the skull mugs sold to guests. But when I got rotn, I was given a magnet. I’m not complaining, but still. But odd imo. Overall, Lagoon exploits it’s underaged employees (or just employees in general) and I will never work there again. :) I do love the park tho, and I adore frightmares even more, which is why I will use my knowledge to hopefully educate others about my experiences

[@beyondverticalthrills]

Lagoon is my home park and I even worked there last year! It’s very underrated but it does have its flaws. Nice to see you do a full review on the park and recognize it!

[@Ponydress123]

i appreciate what you said about the animals. I've felt this my whole life.

[@eristineforever6934]

I actually love riding the train to see the animals. Love it. I always have and always will. I also really love places like zoos, aquariums, and Sea World.

[@ponykazy3725]

​@@eristineforever6934 would love it better if it was an actual zoo, and the animals could run around and play. I've seen Mall Puppy's with more space than those wild animals. But go off if you like seeing neglected, bored animals stuffed in the back of an amusement park 🤷

[@eristineforever6934]

@@ponykazy3725 it’s not that. I’m just the type of person who believes that the animals are being treated well. Always have and always will.

[@CoastersTravels]

Interesting review. The admission price shocked me! I'm not mad that you called out the flaws of this park, as hopefully this will get them to improve on the things that need improving on.

[@c4tfsh8]

Heyo! Utah native and worked at lagoon for a season. A couple things: The management is suuuper inconsistent. Mostly because people get promoted having learned different things from different supervisors over the years. Also, the standard training is very basic, and is universally applied to every ride even though each ride has different requirements. Its expected that the super leading the training will fill you in. I often got yelled at for doing things one way when another supervisor signed off on it. Also the different areas. We have 8 areas that we can be assigned to which dictates which rides we will be assigned to train on. There is a handful of supervisors and team leads for each area, and theyre rarely in contact with each other. The only exceptions are the department heads and the top supervisor. Departments have their own problems too. I only ever worked in rides-which is the department that every highschooler in the valley is pushed towards-but they all have different issues that stem from the same vein: Landscaping is constant work for exceptionally low pay. I worked with someone who worked several departments in a span of 18ish years, and he told me all about it. How everyone drank several energy drinks a day (which they offer in the employee kitchen) just to keep up with the demand. In the mornings, i saw so many exhausted teens/young adults slumped over on tables and covered in sweat. Games only works on cash, and the workers have to meet their previous weeks' earnings or more. If they don't, they're written up and eventually fired. Also, lagoon employees are not allowed to play games lmao. Foods is full of 14-16 yr olds who have no idea what food safety is. I don't even know if all (or any) of them have foods handlers permits. They're overworked, underpaid, and they work long harsh hours. Also, employees don't get free food, it comes out of our $12/hr paycheck 🙃🙃. Food poisoning/health code violations are rampant, and even the employee discount for food outside the employee kitchen wasn't enough. They banned people from going into the kitchen off-shift bc of how many went in on their days off. (Several broke that rule, including me. One of the benefits of working there was free entry and free entry for 8 others once a month. I took my friends there and I smuggled things out for all of us.) One red badger told me how a lot of the highschoolers in foods were constantly high or on nic, even admitting to it themself. (Speaking of the employee kitchen: everything was expensive! The hot sandwiches they offered were $3-4 each. They also heavily encouraged teens to drink energy drinks, stocking several different monster and bang flavors that were $3 apiece. And while energy drinks are fine in moderation, a lot of teens worked this job the entire summer. Thats way too many monsters.) Anyone who survives maintenance training has little to no empathy. I got food poisoning from the employee kitchen and had to force myself to throw up so i wasnt going to the bathroom every 15 minutes and leaving the ride unattended. Maintenance forced me to stay at odyssea because no one could cover me midshift Security is severely understaffed, with most of their efforts being in employee areas and the front plaza where first aid and lost items are. There are a few patrolling the parking lot, but I saw them rarely. For employees, you have to get checked off by security to park in employee parking. And to enter, you had to go through a check in. As you said in the video, there's nothing on the guest's side. Merchandise and tickets are alright from what I've heard. Although at the first employee training they mentioned how they will know if you steal anything. That didn't stop anyone And finally, rides. Rides was a nightmare for me. And the two rides i got to know really well (double thunder raceway and draculas castle) were some of the better ones to work! They broke down all the time, safety corners were cut to open the ride on time, there is huge pressure to deliver monologues perfectly (if you have to do them) while keeping the ride going as fast as possible, ect ect. Supervisors that arent operating the big coasters are patrolling the area to see what you're doing wrong. Which, is good for things like checking lap bars, but less good for things that are completely arbitrary like the handstamps. Attendants and operators have to do a specific gesture with two fingers to ask for handstamp verification. Almost no one actually checks for them though, they just do the motion to stay out of trouble. (I actually did get some tickets once of twice though). While there's a promotion pathway, it is _extremely_ hard to progress. If you have a red badge, you're under 16 and cannot work anything above attendant. Black badgers are those 16 up. Most employees start at 14-15 as an attendant, then become an operator for the small rides (ie. not cannibal or colossus) once you turn 16 and get trained. If you do well enough to get noticed by management, you can become a team lead. Team leads work as attendants for the bigger coasters, operating the controls for the cars. Then, if theres a spot and they like you enough, you can become a supervisor and operate the big coasters and train someone. For reference, my friend who is working their third year is being considered for team lead. Another one of my friends working there this year told me about operating the train. I think only team leads can operate it, but still they are high schoolers. This is especially scary because the train operators have to control the temperature and pressure of the boiler. There was a lead last year who was NOTORIOUS for letting the pressure build too high. Boiler explosions are nothing to laugh at. Also, this friend was operating when the engine suddenly caught on fire. He was fine, having used the fire extinguisher, but he told me about how he was sobbing because he was so scared he was going to get fired even though it wasn't his fault. I, was not a good employee. I had undiagnosed ankle issues and called in for most of july, the hottest month of the year. (In which, as others have mentioned, only operators get fans for. Attendants just have to survive.) I was slow on jumping dragon, so they moved me to dracs castle and dtr (double thunder raceway) because those rides are always in cycle. (Dracs castle was p bad. It's run down, there has to be a person back there at all times to watch for excessive sparking and fires, and the roof has huge holes in it where rain comes in. The back was the only place you could sit down, and if you were at the front you had to recite a speech for each and every guest.) The clocking in system is less of a mess than it used to be since they switched from chronos, but the phones are still hard to work. Also, you have to request days off like 3 weeks in advance. And you have to call in every day even if you've made it clear you cannot come in. This happened when i had food poisoning and i got a no show mark on my record even after i explained that i had called in both days. Not to mention that one of the rides office employees (the people who oversee the entire department and make the schedules) tried to bribe me once lol They also overhire at the beginning of the year, keeping tens of relief employees in case someone calls in. I was a misc/relief a couple times, and everyone just sits on their phones until they get assigned somewhere. As people quit in droves, the relief dwindles and the remaining employees are pushed to work more and more hours. (That's one of the reasons frightmares is the way it is. They have no one left.) Worst of all, they could solve all this wasted money by paying their employees more for a better retention rate! They also hire a ton of immigrants. It always made me feel horrible bc a lot of them couldnt speak english on top of being heavily exploited. I was able to quit, but so many others weren't. And, lastly, one time i got electrocuted lmao. I tripped on the rail at terroride coming back from my break, skinned my knee, and landed on said rail. I was fine, i had been electrocuted before, but still TLDR: guest side is okay, especially since utah natives know all the tricks and secrets. The worker's side is horrible, never _ever_ work there

[@sm1l319]

Hello!! I was a games worker and frightmares scare actor for the 23’ season (also a red badger) and I 100% agree. You constantly feel belittled in games, and I have had many supervisors tell me different things with how to operate different games. Frightmares is worse. The break and relief system is really inconsistent, and I’ve heard from fellow scare actor friends how barely got their break till the end of the night. It also sucks when they ship you off to a different house because someone couldn’t come in. Lagoon totally exploits their workers, and it absolutely sucks. I was extremely prone to leaving early during frightmares from migraines, sharp pains, and overall feeling drained, and games I was barely able to pull through the heat as I was very prone to heat stroke. Another thing is we don’t really have consistent bathroom breaks (in frightmares OR games) because we need to be there constantly if no one can cover us. I have small bladder issues, so I would be constantly running to the bathroom as quick as I could if someone couldn’t cover me, and feeling guilty every time a guest was waiting there or fearing a supervisor would see the game unattended and would reprimand me. Frightmares was worse because you just had to suck it up and pray you could still act, because you would barely get any bathroom breaks despite all the water you were drinking. As much as I love lagoon, it really needs to stop exploiting it’s employees and treat them better.

[@c4tfsh8]

@@sm1l319 you're absolutely right, the bathroom/relief was a HUGE problem. As a red badger you are legally required to get 3 breaks a day, one 15min and two 30min (iirc). But the amount of red badgers I saw getting refused breaks was CRAZY. It wasn't much better for black badgers because we can go the entire day with only one break under the law. I was only offered one/two 30min breaks and a small bathroom break, at best. I remember one day I took my only 30min break an hour before closing bc relief was just that strained I was really lucky to avoid all the bathroom issues bc I'm used to being chronically dehydrated and didn't drink any of the water they handed (brought my own water bottle). I cannot imagine how awful it is to have incontinence issues like that! I hope you have a better job now, and I really hope lagoon starts paying and treating their employees better

[@OmegaGamer707]

Way to end it with electrocution lol. Dude I hope you’ve got a better job because damn that sounds horrendous. My dad used to work on wild mouse and he never said he’s had to deal with what you and the other guy said you’ve had to ( probably because times have changed and all ).

[@maybemythyt]

TIPS FOR LAGOON: I'm 16 and have a season pass, I know what I'm doing. 1. Best times to be at the park are opening, and towards closing. 2. Run to the rides in the south at opening because everyone runs north to cannibal and Primordial 3. Bring your own food and water 4. If buying food in the park, get it before or after the lunch/dinner rush 5. Go on days that aren't special events such as dance competitions, or school trips 6. If you'd like a quieter, more peaceful atmosphere, pioneer village sits in the back of the park and almost feels like a different park 7. A season pass is equal to about 2 day passes, so get one if you want to go more than twice 8. Most people leave an hour or two before the park closes, so those are prime times to ride other than opening 9. If you're just carrying small items like a phone wallet keys etc... pants or shirts with zipable pockets are very nice to avoid lockers

[@gooseswan29]

Great review. Completely agree with the majority of your insights (good and "needs improvement"). The queue lines spilling out onto the midway has always been super odd and even confusing at times. Had to laugh when you mentioned that many of Lagoons patrons have only visited Lagoon and/or Disneyland. So true! That really is NOT an exaggeration. Utah has an odd and even unhealthy fixation on Disney IMO. Also had another laugh when you mentioned the ignorance of so many guests that think that the "White Rollercoaster" is a typical rollercoaster experience and that somehow if any other wooden rollercoaster has banked turns or other elements it must be a crazy new modern type of woody. So many of Lagoons guests just simply haven't been to many other parks. I love that it's one of the few parks you can still bring in your own food. Can you imagine Disney, Six Flags, Cedar Fair or many other parks/chains allowing this? Very underrated perk especially for families! I'm guessing that Pioneer Village will get some other new ride attraction to replace the Log ride. I would love to see a coaster built back there. Or even tear down a few of the empty food pavilions to build a new attraction back there. (They have SO many eating pavilions!) Sadly there are residents that live in closer proximity to the back of the park and I'm sure there are constraints regarding noise and sound levels that could restrict rides such as a coaster back there. Lagoon is scheduled to move their current parking lot to the north end of the park by Primordial. They've already paved most of the new lot. This will likely mean that the old (current) parking lot will be developed in the future. It would also allow them to not have to worry about the noise levels with any attraction built there. It's already closer to the freeway and farther from Farmington residents. In current satellite view on google maps you can see some older satellite images of that construction process. The Lagoon train is a curious one. It's also been the source of tons of protests from PETA and other animal rights advocates over the years. My family sadly calls the Lagoon animal train the "train of sorrows". THe train is small and cramped as are the animals you see in their cages. It is common to see protests and signed petitions over the Animal Kingdom train annually. What you might not know or didn't mention is that most of the animals that are housed there are rescues. Some were saved only because Lagoon took them in as rescues. Still, many think that Lagoon should not keep the animals. The train is likely a high cost to benefit attraction. Many families ride it thinking it will be fun to see the animals with their kids on a train ride. IMO the train ride truely falls flat and makes me personally feel sad. The train is definitely a polarizing topic with many Lagoon patrons. With the change in leadership I wonder if we'll see a change. With all the negative pressure and expense surrounding it, it makes me wonder if it was a legacy of some in the family who wanted it to remain. Lagoon would benefit through having a modern GCI/Gravity Group woody, a ground up RMC i-box coaster, a Zamperla Discovery wheel and a complete overhaul of the water park. The water park really is super out of date by almost 30+ years. Most the attractions are from the early 1990's when it was first opened. I also am one who thinks Lagoon would be better off removing the Animal Kingdom train as well. Thanks for the thorough Lagoon review.

[@jordanwilson6490]

The idea of expansion is really intriguing especially with the constraints they face. As you said, they couldn’t really expand to the east (back of the park where pioneer village is) because of houses and residents living close by, but I don’t think expanding west (the current parking lot by the freeway) makes sense either. Why not expand to the north where there is a giant empty field that stretches almost all the way to park lane?

[@MoonPack01985]

Lagoon keeps the animals simply to get the tax benefits of being a "zoo"

[@markbarta2369]

@@jordanwilson6490 My understanding is, contrary to what was written above. That while the entrance for parking has moved to the north side of the park, the parking lot itself isn't changing. There are plans to expand the park to the north to further leverage Primordial(as is was but phase 1 of a larger plan), but due to financial constraints it has been put on hold for the time being.

[@markbarta2369]

The Lagoon line management is odd. But part of that is history as well. The reason why the line management is so inadequate on so many rides is that for most of Lagoon's history, they didn't need much more than what have currently. So for the older rides, its a makes a degree of sense that they haven't fixed it, as the "already built" portions of the park leave limited options. As another commenter elsewhere said, some of this is likely due to the park being family owned, and there are generational considerations. Which leads to management decisions of "we've done it this way for decades, we're going to keep doing it that way" mixed with a bit of "and we don't want to be just like all the other parks." As a long time visitor to Lagoon, I know that by the 90's it was evident that they needed to up their game on line management, but they kept adding rides with comparatively small queues well into the 2000's, and probably a worse offender with the Wild Mouse where they evidently decided that the replacement needed to be built where the previous one had been, without respect to other considerations. As they seemed to be trying to see just how many rides they could pack into the smallest space possible in addition to ignoring line management. The current generation seems to be more flexible, as they've even relocated one ride to the other side of the park no less(but did so in a way that is going to make it very difficult to relocate again) so maybe we'll see them reshuffle some things to try to make it more workable going forward... But its going to be a slow and costly process. Meanwhile, about the only other thing they can do is try to manage crowding in the park by adjusting the ticket prices upwards... Which isn't exactly a bad problem to have.

[@powdershredder1136]

Personally I prefer that the line que spaces are small. It always helped me as a kid to gauge just how close we actually were. It always made it hard to go to Disneyland and jump on a ride that from the outside “has no line” just to wait over an hour for it. That being said the que spaces at Disney are Incredibly immersive and add a lot to the experience.

[@OutsideGamerGirl]

Utah native. I have visited Lagoon since I was a child in the early 1990s. I loved it then, and love it now. Wicked, Fire Dragon (aka Colossus), Cannibal, and Rattlesnake Rapids are a must-ride each time you visit. Wild Mouse (we call it mousetrap) is ROUGH on the neck. Whiplash rough. Don't ride if you have a neck injury. My family has been on every ride, from kiddie rides to Catapault, most of the rides are pretty fun. I agree with the overpriced park admission. They don't need to charge that much. Pioneer Park is a memorium of the pioneers who settled the Salt Lake Valley in the 1800s. The White Rollercoaster is a neat experience. The absolutely tiny cages the animals have to endure are terrible! I hope the new family generation relocates the animals, and revamps the area for more rides. Overall, I wouldn't change much about Lagoon outside the items I laid out.

[@CritterOverYonder]

As someone who live in the Seattle area, a theme park desert (Wild Waves does not count), I wish we had a park like Lagoon- even with all its flaws. I visited Lagoon last year and was blown away with the awesome coaster lineup. Cannibal was so fun, Colossus is wildly underrated, and Spider is sneaky good.

[@megasmash7597]

As someone who is from seattle I agree 100%

[@StamfordBridge]

As someone who’s been all over the country riding coasters, I have to agree that the Seattle area is really shockingly pathetic. I’d be travelling to Silverwood a lot if I were a local.

[@thesledgehammerblog]

I think the biggest problem with building theme parks in Seattle (besides the cost of real estate) is that it's generally cheap and easy to fly down to LA and go to the parks there instead, so everyone just does that, to the point that I half-jokingly say that Disneyland is Seattle's "home park". We live on the East coast now (so our home park would be Carowinds) but my wife and I had Disneyland APs for several years when we lived in Seattle and generally went several times a year until COVID, and even did WDW APs one year.. I think I've been on SEA->LAX and SEA->SNA flights where half the plane was wearing Mickey ears.

[@josh1422]

@@thesledgehammerblog a 3 hour flight to go to amusement park is lame as hell. And very inconvenient.

[@powdershredder1136]

Spider is underrated but ALWAYS BREAKS DOWN. I was a kid when the spider/wicked came out and have fond memories of the first times on this ride

[@snorka1943]

Speaking as a local, his is the best Lagoon review out there. Great job!

[@dillanconrad]

It was so fun to see myself with my family in a few of the shots. Thanks Taylor and Sarah for visiting this quirky amusement park.

[@HappySadEDM]

Hi! I was a games supervisor for 5 seasons. We are responsible for the lockers. I remember getting called multiple times a day to the different lockers across the park. The locker system isn't very clear to the average user. Most of the time those lockers aren't actually in use. Most people don't know they are supposed to hold the end rental button while the door is open to actually end the rental. I would have to go to fire dragon and roller coaster multiple times a day and just open every locker and end the rentals manually to open them up to guests.

[@CoasterStudios]

Wish there was a better way so that didn’t have to keep happening!

[@HelloWolfie]

I was a Rides Team Lead and sometimes I would find out the password for the lockers so I could help out. I never understood why the Rides Supervisors and Team Leaders weren't allowed to help with locker issues. It was a pain to always call for a Games Supervisor to help out, especially on busy days.

[@HappySadEDM]

@@HelloWolfie we gave ride supervisors/managers access eventually. It was because rides supervisors were abusing the password and getting free lockers. We updated the system that would track individual passwords so if anyone did anything it would be logged!

[@MrSRArter]

16:02 Since the train ride goes around water, they should put a harbor version of Cedar Point's Boneville in place of the animal enclosures.

[@CoasterStudios]

great idea!

[@cbruce78]

There used to be paddle boats on that pond and functioning fountains, but now it's just there to breed mosquitos and algae.

[@user-dv3sq3le6k]

or animatronic dinosaurs.

[@Spencer758]

Lagoon holds nostalgic vibes for me - as a young kid, my dad's company had a "Lagoon Day" for their employees, and we would get to visit once a year. In my teens I spent the money on a season pass, and had a blast with cousins and friends. As a parent, I now grab season passes for my family - we generally get there bout a dozen times a year. I agree with so many point of your video. One of the things that is interesting to me, is that even with the ticket prices (and reading all the comments about said prices), the dang park is packed just about any time it is open. If it wasn't for season passes, there is no way I would be going - but the season pass price is only about double what a day pass is (no complaints personally). Having the season pass is great, and I don't feel guilty if we only stay in the park 2-3 hours each time - I can still get "my money's worth" by the end of the season. Pretty much all of your points were valid, justified, and accurate. I would be interested to see how the Lagoon board would react, or what reasoning they would be willing to share were they to ever watch this video with an unbiased view of outside perspective. Great video review - thanks for sharing!

[@DeepDiveProductions]

Just gotta say, I really want to visit this park now, I feel like you can tell the air is so clear and everything is so beautifully spaced and open😍

[@catherineduncan6611]

That’s very true, everything is spaced out well. And the territory is beautiful

[@Skittles6078]

Yes! You should visit the park! Its so much fun

[@WasatchWind]

It's a nice park yeah, but annoyingly expensive if you're doing more than two or three people.

[@TK4K411]

Haha you saw it on a good day. The inversion in SLC valley is terrible. Terrible air quality

[@WasatchWind]

@@TK4K411 In the summer? Like I know that the wasatch front doesn't have amazing air quality yes, but I can't think of a time during the summer months that there was a day where the air quality was super low. It's almost always a winter thing.

[@Utahandarizona2008]

I love how unique they build their roller coasters compared to other coasters at other parks

[@Tay_Sports]

Before watching this video, I was a lot more pumped about potentially making a trip to the park. I think it just became a "if I get to it" kind of place now. Cannibal is really the only reason I wanted to go in the first place tbh

[@creaky2436]

Don’t let this video get to you. It’s a very fun experience at lagoon! The cannibal alone is worth coming for! It’s so damn scary and fun! They also have a few paid rides that are ridiculously scary. Skycoaster (drops you from 150ft freefall, max 3 people), they also have those balls that shoot you in the air like a sling shot. My favorites are the colossus, cannibal, the rocket, the wicked, skycoaster and I have yet to try the sling shot thing. I forget the name. It’s always a great time! The new ride is amazing as well. I went two days ago. It’s a combination of arcade and roller coasters. Hope you come through!

[@Utonian21]

Lagoon is a whole ass vibe. This video is really just pointing out all the negatives, but he makes it sound worse than it is. I'd take Lagoon over walking for miles in-between rides like at most other amusement parks

[@carus4president]

@@creaky2436 The name is catapult, its a ton of fun

[@tnilkk1700]

Lagoon is my home park.. I've been to several Six Flags parks, some multiple times. I've done a few other parks and the Disney and Universal stuff.. Lagoon has its charm but it's not thrilling like a Cedar Point or Magic Mountain if that's what you are looking for. Not even close actually. Cannibal is unique but very average when you compare it to other parks main thrill rides which Cannibal is Lagoons main thrill ride.. With that being said Lagoon has fun enough rides for an entertaining day and the park would be fun for most amusement park enthusiasts.. Lagoon has enough charm and uniqueness that it's worth the visit if you are in the area in my opinion. All parks have issues in some areas and Lagoon is no different.. Still, it's pretty fun for a day out especially if you don't expect it to be Cedar Point or Magic Mountain.

[@leesachs4097]

Listen if you do ever go go on a Tuesday or Sunday for some magical reason these are the least busy. I work in security where we’ve been studying guest patterns and most Sundays (which makes since) and Tuesdays (no idea why) it’s almost empty.

[@chefegzyle]

I have NO IDEA how this got in my feed, but it was really cook video. I was born and raised in SLC (t-ville) and Lagoon was a part of my childhood. Its sad to see how the monopoly has driven it to such a place. I live near Charlotte NC now, and Carrowinds blows Lagoon out of the.....well...lagoon. For half the money Carrowinds is such a better park. I need my family to visit me for once and I need to open their eyes. Great vid!

[@CoasterStudios]

Thanks for watching! I LOVE Carowinds that’s a great park with some excellent rides and fun atmosphere. Good food too!

[@timtrickz92]

All very fair points! I have a love/ hate relationship with Lagoon. It’s a comfort park for me. I love how they mix the old with new, and the generational part, how my parents and grandparents also visited when they were young. The ride line up is decent for what the park is, but could be better. I also hate how long it takes them to pump out new attractions. Most of the time if they do, it’s just small kiddie/ family rides that get added. I know times are different and Covid happened but in the late 90’s to early 2000’s they were putting out new rides almost yearly. It’s just a bit annoying due to the super high (often rising) prices every year, but very minor updates to the park each year. But at the end of it all, I do dearly love the Lagoon, and grateful to have Cannibal at my home park! Ps.. the locker situation does suck, but I recommend wearing pants with button or zipper pockets. Lagoon doesn’t force you to remove items before riding most rides. Also.. I’m not 100% sure on this, but if I’m remembering correctly, I think the no single riders in the back seats of coasters (not including jet-star) has gone away. ;)

[@jaxonspinuzza2076]

My family has a strong connection to lagoon. In pioneer village there is a train museum that my great grandfather donated. My brother and cousin also works here. We went there last month actually. It's really fun if you know what your doing. We went every other year as we where growing up and it was amazing. I wish we can go more but as he said it's super expensive

[@xboys_archive]

I didn’t get to visit the train museum last time I’ll make sure to see it if I go this summer

[@jaxonspinuzza2076]

@@xboys_archive I always enjoy it. It's a fun place to be

[@kweejee]

I love that train museum.

[@tez613]

I have always loved that train museum its always a go to for me anytime I go to the park ever since I was little.

[@thepinkyprincesspoetc.a.5767]

I was explaining earlier to other people that there was a train station. They moved to Lagoon when we went in the 80s and 90s from Kaysville where my grandmother was born. I don’t know if it’s still there now or if they did away with it but it was really historical.❤

[@jaxonarchuleta8045]

Just came across this video. Loved it 100%. And as a former employee who worked as a ride operator, and tickets/admissions cashier, the way lagoon treats their employees is absolutely terrible. At least the ride operators. Being a ride operator was my first ever job at 14 years old, I had to endure working outside in EXTREME heat, short breaks, and I NEVER got off on time as a ride operator. I worked easily 10-13 hour shifts. I barely lasted one season there. My time working as a tickets cashier was much better. But I’ve heard from other employees that being a ride operator, and games host (ones that are in charge of the carnival games here) are in particular horrifically bad. This place holds a special place in my childhood because it truly is a fun place to go as a customer. But my time as an employee has turned me off from coming back entirely. I’m 19 now and I haven’t been back since I was 16 and I don’t want to return anytime soon

[@luckyzert]

So glad that you included Pioneer Village. I made it a point to cover it for a documentary back in the 1970's. Wow! The park has sure changed. In the past, it "felt" like an old-time family park; now it's a family-owned thrill ride park! Good job, Lagoon!

[@sharonhutch9370]

Lagoon was actually named after its old location near the Salt Lake. At its beginning it was more of a water attraction then an amusement park. When it was moved to Farmington is when it became more like the park we see today. Also, send the animals to Hogal Zoo already! They are way better equipped to take care of them

[@melheldtv]

As a local, i feel like you could have taken a moment out to bring attention to not just the fact that the ride ops are young, but they are also mistreated across the board. 14-16 year olds working 8-12 hour days in the blistering 100+ degree heat making minumum wage. not the best situation for these poor employees, i would like to see lagoon do better by their employees Footnote for those who think that there is no wrongdoing: Just because something is legal, does not mean it is ok. Sure, it's legal to hire these minors for minimum wage, sure it's legal for lagoon to have these employees work outside, sure it's legal to have 16 year olds operating rides. Those are all things that, just because they are legal, shouldn't be allowed. Minimum wage here is $7.25/hr, and for the amount of money lagoon is charging for passes, I would expect employees that require special training in order TO NOT DIE at their jobs should be compensated more. I don't even think it's a good idea to hire 16 year olds as ride ops in the first place, this is just blatant employee abuse and dangerous mistreatment to save lagoon a few bucks. I, for one, want to see these parks that charge a premium for just about everything, not hiring 14 year olds to work around hot deep fryers in buildings without A/C, not hiring 16 year olds to operate heavy equipment. Any excuse you make on behalf of the park is just perpetuating this narrative that having minors perform these stressful dangerous jobs, is perfectly acceptable. Do better.

[@ZoniesCoasters]

That is sadly very much standard for regional theme parks

[@scruppydoo]

The teens pick the job and know going into it that they will be working out in the elements. When I worked at Kings Island. They made sure to emphasize on the what the work days will feel Like. They also made sure that minors had forms signed by parents to allow for it. I’m sure lagoon is obeying state and federal labor laws

[@robw5741]

​​@@scruppydooit's not true..... there are labor laws.....just because you happen to see them there at closing does not mean they have been there since open.....

[@JeffTrusty]

Our 2 daughters both worked there 2 years 8-11 (overlapped 1 year) years ago. They generally worked 6-8 hour shifts and many times were asked to leave early when the park wasn't busy enough. On occasion, they were asked to stay longer if too many others had called out. Yes it does get to 100+ degrees in July and August, but they were given breaks and lunch time for longer shifts and were allowed to have water bottles as long as they were kept out of view.

[@lowkeyproductions6681]

@@JeffTrusty this is good to know but the part about the water bottles not being in view seems a bit silly, no? Who cares if people see the employees drinking water?

[@Nicklmeyer]

Cedar Fair has the same age requirements as Lagoon. You can work at 14, but the rides department requires 16 or older, and some positions/rides require 18 or older.

[@Roccondil]

And some smaller parks too- I believe a couple departments at Canobie Lake Park, like food service and games, allow 14yo to work, but 16 and up for pretty much everywhere else.

[@deaddragonskull]

The last point about the animals is spot on 👌🏻 I’m a utah native and I used to work in Farmington maybe 5-10 minute drive from Lagoon, and I haven’t actually been able to afford to go since I was 16 a decade ago. There were protests outside Lagoon I think in 2019-2020, maybe 2018? Something about water usage. But overall yeah. You hit the nail on the head.

[@grantbrough1663]

I'm a former rides operator and I grew up next to Lagoon. I loved going there as a kid. Lagoon's strength is in their deep history. The Freeds actually did a great job with the park up until the late seventies. One thing that wasn't mentioned was how many big names have preformed at Lagoon. The Beach Boys, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and even The Rolling Stones all played at Lagoon. Pioneer Village was the brainchild of Robert Freed and after his death in the early seventies, his brother Peter made it happen. It opened when I was a kid, and it was really cool. They had two steam trains, a stage coach ride and an afternoon shootout. But as Peter aged and Dave took over in the 80's, Pioneer village became a low priority and hasn't been maintained. I think Lagoon has a lot of potential, but as was mentioned in the review, the current management is fine with the status-quo of hiring high-school kids and charging close to Disneyland prices. I haven't been there for years because of this. Hopefully, things will change for the better.

[@reddeath4720]

as an previous employee, most of the gear and equipment we use is very outdated and old. they rarely put any money in improving the equipment we use. and they charge over very little things in the break room and the main office, they also dont let us bring in one person in for free which i think isnt very good for the pricing of the park. alot of the equipment we use breaks very often due it being just so old. but its easily fixed (when we call a supervisor because they dont want us fixing it ourselves so that guests dont have to wait in line). i have gotten written up twice for letting people (the people who wanted to leave on their own) leave the line through the exit gate (by passing through the seats when it was ride that was safer) so that they didnt have to wait hours in line. at another point someone quit one of the rides as i was operating it and the guests had to wait 1 1/2 hours until someone came over to help. otherwise the pay was ok and it was a fun place to work. everyone was laid back (except for a few supervisors who shall not be named) i have heard that other departments are terrible places to work. so if you plan on working at lagoon, either work in rides or games.

[@billybobbybutcooler]

I fully understand the crapy equipment i have had so many action rakes break on me also I feel offended you wouldn't add landscaping to your recommended

[@santos_7808]

merchandise is also a great option everyone is very nice and welcoming its just a bit of a smaller department but most of the places you will work have air conditioning

[@madwatchstudios]

I went to SLC for a half marathon and added Lagoon to my weekend plan. I didn't look into it much in advance, and I was shocked at the price. I was also solo, so I was pretty disappointed I couldn't ride Jet Star. Cute park but disappointed with several things.

[@jarretstroud1842]

When you say SLC I immediately thought of Vekoma SLC 😂

[@shackti1699]

You just gotta find a random to snuggle with on Jet Star, lol.

[@whatintheheck4692]

I LOVE Lagoon! It has a place in my heart and I’m excited to take my kids there when they’re old enough. Frightmares is my favorite time to go! The haunted walk throughs are actually decent compared to some of the other local ones (haunted hollow is super lame). Lagoon raised its prices to try to help with crowd control, but people are still willing to pay the prices! Also, if your hand-stamp washed off, just show your ticket at the front gates and get your hand re-stamped. There’s always discount tickets at Costco and other local businesses. I think it drops the price to $79. If you’re a member of their email club, you also get deals and discounts that way as well. The BBQ at pioneer village is the best bang for your buck, food-wise. Get the 2 meat plate and split it.

[@nikkinyx2211]

I grew up going to Lagoon, and I used to love it. The animals have absolutely broken my heart for decades. No animal deserves that treatment....It's now, unfortunately, overpriced. But I do appreciate their propensity towards innovation, and I do recognize how many coasters we have that are cutting edge. Lagoon abuses animals. There is no excuse for that.

[@catterin7815]

It's because of the Animal abuse that my daughter, myself and all of her friends refuse to support Lagoon.

[@Nova04550]

Yeah it's sad and makes us never want to go either.

[@stevenrobertson4470]

We live in Utah Valley. The last time I visited Lagoon, my wife and I were in our sixties. Walking around the park, there were almost no benches and nowhere to sit down. After buying some really bad over-priced undercooked hot dog type thing, we thought we'd try the Ferris wheel because we could get off our feet for a little while. We stood in line for about 45 minutes and were looking forward to sitting and enjoying the ride. When we finally got on the ride, we went around maybe two rotations and then were told to exit the ride. We've both sworn we will never go to Lagoon amusement park again!

[@1showerthoughts]

Okay, so about the lockers. I think there are so few because most locals who have been going here our whole lives bring coolers and picnic blankets and bags and leave them under a shade tree in the grassy areas near the water park or by pavilions and no one bothers it. We also just leave our stuff out in the open next to the lockers or on ledges by the flower beds. Just a different and trusting culture. I’ve personally never had a problem doing that and I don’t know of anyone having their stuff go missing. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I’m sure it’s happened a few times, but I’m guessing it’s rare or people would stop leaving their items unattended. Also, I actually love the water park and we go every time. The tube slides and regular slides are both fun. The lazy river is awesome to just relax in. If you have kids the kids pools are so fun for them. I would hate a remodel on this. It’s also got a waterfall wall that you can sit under and get a shoulder massage. It seems like the lazy river and pools in that area are more of a salt mix, which is really nice. And the slides are more of a chlorine mix.

[@kendrapain6500]

Agreed. There are a LOT of seating and grass areas at lagoon people just drop their stuff off at. I’ve seen people bring in coolers of beer, tents, strollers and diaper bags, etc and just leave everything unattended for hours.

[@sadee4175]

You're right about how trusting people are. My sister and I have season passes every year with the kids and we'll drop off coolers jackets and umbrellas off at the pavilions in the back of the park. The only thing that's gone through any of it were geese and peacocks looking for food. We never leave anything that we would really miss but we've never had anything stolen

[@eleanoronaele]

i’m really happy you mentioned pioneer village!! it’s my favorite part of the park and got me into history as a kid. it’s a super unique place and it’s typically less crowded than the rest of the park so it’s a good place to chill out a few times a week when you have a season pass.

[@msld_sound]

Excellent review. Lagoon is less than an hour away from my house, so I bought season passes in 2020, 2021, and 2022 before prices got way out of hand. Critiques are spot-on. In addition: the accessibility situation is bad. Not a lot of accommodations for wheelchairs, for example. You'd think the shortage of restrooms would be a real pain point too. Sometimes something shifts in your guts on a ride and you suddenly HAVE to go, ya know? - Furthermore, the lagoon is FILTHY. They used to have paddle boats and other water activities, but I suspect you could catch some freaky microbes from that water.

[@crooked-halo]

Fantastic video! As a wood coaster & traditional amusement park hobbyist, I love Lagoon, a fabulous amusement park, _not_ a "theme park," as it's called repeatedly here. Roller Coaster is running better than ever after it's rebuild, completed Feb. of 23. I drove a friend's stuff from Texas to Oregon in December of 2022 to help him move and do a California coaster trip on the drive back (yeah, that's an out of the way drive back to TX, but I wanted all of California's wood coasters as I hadn't been in a long time). Driving north in a giant U-Haul, I stopped at Lagoon. That huge mid-December blizzard had just torn through the country so I knew Lagoon and Roller Coaster would be covered with snow & I'm an amateur photographer. Got great pictures, but wasn't expecting Roller Coaster to be missing one of it's hills as they completed it's rebuilding. I agree a wood coaster is the _perfect_ choice for their next ride. A big Gravity Group! They have enough steel, but they're good & classic steel coasters! Lagoon has the most beautiful location, especially when those mountains are snow-covered.

[@General-F]

As someone who goes to Lagoon once a year, I love this amusement park. If there is a ride for everyone that is mostly like I say, Jumping Dragon. My nieces love it. I do mean love it.

[@r.b.ratieta6111]

When you mentioned that you've never been to Laguna Beach, it made more sense why you didn't cover the wristband. If you go to Laguna Beach, they give you a wristband so you still have full access after your handstamp washes off. When I was growing up, my best friend's family always went to Laguna Beach first for about three-four hours, with coolers for refreshment and lunch. The lazy river and speed slides were my favorite. Haven't been back in a while, so I still need to try Cannibal. I remember when Samurai and the Rocket first opened up. "Re-Entry" definitely made you question your life choices because they keep you at the top for five seconds to build tension before they shoot you back towards the ground. Very enjoyable and fair review of the park overall. Not necessarily the most mind-blowing amusement park in the world, but a fun place to go with friends and family if you're looking for a summer outing.

[@AGraveMistake2011]

Thank you for pointing out the animals. As of living here for 26 out of my 29 years of life. I’ve ALWAYS thought they should get rid of the animals. Especially cause of how harsh our winters are. Like what do they do with the animals in winter time!?!? That’s always been my question. I’d be happier to see them get rid of the animals. ❤

[@DannyDavitt]

I currently work at lagoon and am happy to say that now there are food discounts for season passes

[@realbearhours]

Really?

[@DannyDavitt]

Yep, it’s new

[@ahrenyoung9199]

well look at that, you're right! better then nothing portal.lagoonpark.com/lib/docs/spoffers.pdf

[@Spencer758]

@@DannyDavitt Where can I find more info on this?

[@carus4president]

And punch pass discounts for games, I work there to

[@devdevthrills]

Great thoughts, nailed a ton of stuff. Few things I'd like to add that I think drive your points even further: Demographics in Utah are so much different from any other park in the country. Families and entertainment has astronomical demand. I think in addition to not being incentivized to change, Lagoon is using basic supply and demand and taking huge advantage of it. It's important to note that rarely are theme parks competing with other theme parks, even when in close proximity (few exceptions here and there). They are competing with ever other entertainment offering nearby. While Utah has a large family entertainment offering, it's still really underserved and everything everywhere is always packed. Lagoon has bumped/kept prices high to make the park operable. If it was down at a $50 day ticket, all day every day would be max capacity - even now it's already extremely busy nearly every day. Utah residents will pay the high price for this and similar activities because it's necessary and fit for the family. Lagoon being an Amusement Park monopoly certainly drives that further. Utah will continue seeing entertainment space improved and added, but their population growth is outpacing all of it. Another amusement park in Utah County area would definitely drive demand out of Lagoon so they could see more reasonable changes. They just wouldn't be investing in Primordial-type attractions anytime in the future (that's okay). I think ultimately they are caught in-between improving guest experience, and managing demand. They're hand is forced to be on the demand-side until it's better controlled, then I'd expect them to swing back to guest experience (which they're kind of trying with new attractions and capacity). It's a great park, many many flaws, hope to see them make some cool changes and continue investing in these wild in-house attractions!

[@CoasterStudios]

I definitely agree- the demand for Lagoon has risen a bunch even since I started visiting back in 2016. I've seen the average ticket prices rise $40 at least! Its the same mentality as Disney- they can charge that much because people will pay it. But I agree with you if it was a lot cheaper then it would be well beyond the parks capacity. They simply were not designed to hold as many people as they currently have to deal with.

[@devdevthrills]

@@CoasterStudios Absolutely. Great video, keep it up.

[@MeyersIV]

@@CoasterStudios It's true, Lagoon is talked about a lot more among people in Utah and it's the "cool" place to go, way more than it was 10 years ago.

[@ronchristianhidalgo6231]

I have been to Lagoon about two or three times since moving to Utah in 2015 and each time the prices have gone up to the point that we can't afford to go. I definitely agree that with what Lagoon is, it's a pretty decent theme park. They can definitely do better with pricing and guest experience but they keep the park in running order and "fairly" clean. The food is so expensive so the last few times we were there, we brought our own food. I really do hope what you said at the end comes true; that they improve the passes, pricing, and guest experience.

[@Utonian21]

11:51 I grew up going to Lagoon, and when I was little, pioneer village was one of my favorite parts of the park. The amount of dead flies and other bugs you see trapped under the glass of the diorama is insane, lol.

[@brookemiller9961]

Very valid points on this review. I 100% agree about the animals. I think it would be cool if they put in some animatronics instead of live animals. Like Jungle Cruise at Disney. I hate that there have been movements to remove the animals, but Lagoon has refused. The price is outrageous, especially compared to other parks--and Lagoon isn't even open year round. Then in the spring and fall, they are only open weekends. I used to buy season passes for my family of 5, but now including parking pass it's about a thousand dollars. Now I get the getoutpass, which includes one trip to Lagoon, and that's the only trip we take there over the summer The water park isn't great. The ground is rough on your feet, so we always wear swim shoes to avoid injuries. No joke, it's bad. The other thing that's crazy is they ask to see your ticket upon reentry into the Amusement park side to re stamp your hand. Like--how do you think I got in here? It's dumb.

[@Scrambles_Deathdealer]

The reason they refused to take out the animals is because they get Zoo, Arts, and Parks money from the state by having animals there and claiming to be a zoo. I can't go on the train ride because it's so depressing. I won't even go to Lagoon if my company isn't paying for my ticket

[@Nova04550]

yeah the animal enclosures are a disgrace

[@alantrotter2077]

Been to this park twice and your analysis is spot on for the most part. The queues spilling onto the midway. Fast operations. Overpriced tickets. Very crowded. Poor Halloween event. Limited lockers. I experienced all of it. Never took the train so I never knew about the animals. I agree with your point that they should be gone. The design is strange with almost all the coasters and rides up front. I also went to Silverwood twice and felt that the two parks had a lot of similarities but Silverwood seems to charge a whole lot less, but their operations are slower. I slightly prefer Silverwood but it is pretty close. 2 very unique parks.

[@cerealkiller193]

I'm a local and need to say that you did a great job with this video. And thank you for bringing attention to the horrible way the animals are caged. Unfortunately I have been unable to visit Lagoon for years because of the prices. I remember as a child we used to pay around $25 per ticket if we purchased them at our local banks or Costco.

[@saddeningstars7092]

I worked at Lagoon last summer as a Deckhand, and we were either assigned to cleaning up Pioneer Village in the mornings, or shifts in Lagoon-A-Beach that were opening or closing shifts. I don’t ever remember being assigned to the extra shift they had for Lagoon-A-Beach, but they were basically backup for cleaning up and whatever else the supervisors asked. It consisted of selling tube passes to people at Ruby’s Tubes (which season pass holders get a small discount on, actually) and other things like swim diapers, handing out the tubes (which could be the entire shift or part of it if a supervisor switched you out with someone at the register) and then cleaning. We had one supervisor who didn’t care if we had clocked in half an hour ago, they’d send one of the unlucky ones on the single break we’re allowed and we’d have to stand for the rest of the day selling things to people and occasionally listening to them mutter and groan about the prices of things at the park, and telling people not to leave their tubes in places they weren’t supposed to be at because NOBODY READS THE SIGNS OR CARES AT ALL ABOUT THE BEACH RULES THAT WE CANT REALLY ENFORCE!!!!!! That’s definitely one of my biggest gripes with Lagoon-A-Beach. The guests can be considerate, but the stupid rules about the tubes not being in certain places wasn’t heeded because nothing was stopping people from leaving them around the park like toddlers (this was most guests, and sometimes employees were sent to gather them) or taking them up onto the deck that overlooks the lake. It’s stressful being told we have to go tell grown adults to take their tubes back to a station because they can’t have them there, and mind you these positions are aimed at 14-15 year olds so awkward, and also I doubt they cared much for following the orders of teenagers. Our supervisors at Pioneer village gave us instructions on the little white board in the closet by that small picnic area in the Village, and one day it said to saw some wood behind the shed. Nothing explained why, nothing told us how they wanted it done (I hate when that happens because it makes me incredibly anxious) and I understand that sawing may not be rocket science, but as far as I’m aware none of us were trained to use a saw safely, it wasn’t even part of our usual job, and we were being told to do it unsupervised behind a shed. Our supervisor had left to do something else at the time. I don’t know if anybody ever got to that because when we went behind the shed trying to figure out the instructions, we unknowingly upset a wasp nest and got stung by them. I think one or two of the other deckhands had a bad reaction to being stung, and the supervisor argued with one of them about the medication that they had asked to get from first aid because they were knew it might help, basically shot them down saying they didn’t need it…. Ew. Anyways, yeah, most of us stayed to finish the shift because we didn’t have as bad of a reaction to the wasps. Needless to say I refuse to step foot in that park as an employee again for as long as I live. It wasn’t miserable persay but I’d rather work some place where I am given a bit more respect and consideration. I wish for good luck for the people there this season.

[@danielwalker875]

Appreciate the review. Being from Utah I totally agree with so much of it. Still, this next year I'll have season passports with my wife and kids for the first time. I agree with the need of a modern Woodie or I'd also add a RMC raptor

[@jared2071]

One thing you forgot to mention is the picnic area! There is a section of the park with tons of table space outside and it's even covered to shade you from the scorching sun. My family would bring a cooler full of food and drinks and eat at the picnic tables instead of ordering Lagoon's overpriced food.

[@ranch7]

My family did that too! Frozen caprisuns >>

[@chrismerrell7957]

I genuinely think that is one of the biggest wins Lagoon can possibly claim. People haul in enough food to feed an entire family for a day and there are no complaints. Even with that being the case, the food stands still make plenty of sales. I hope that remains the case.

[@Bowl849]

@@ranch7caprisuns give me memories or elementary school. Good times

[@xeralt3120]

You hit the nail on the head with the lack of competition. At one time there was a theme park being built on the north side of Utah Lake, in what is now Saratoga Springs (where the north Marina is in the HOA). It failed though. I would love to see something new go in for Utah over on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley by Daybreak. Anyway, great video!

[@MasonA1702]

Visiting lagoon a handful of times, you definitely have to arrive early on a weekday. That’s the only chance of getting on what you want with little wait.

[@jennifermeuter2759]

I live it utah as well so i havent been to any other amusement parks but i will say my favorite rides are the Jumping Dragon & Wicked. When i was younger and the first time i went to the park i would ride the jumping dragon non stop still my mom took me away from the ride cause i was gonna make myself sick. Lol

[@spentron1]

Definitely a good point that many parks are monopolies in their local area, whether a single park or a big chain rarely makes it different.

[@severelyworriedmia]

Fully agree with everything said in the video. I’ve lived in Utah my whole life (and live really close by), and it has been extremely disheartening to see prices constantly rising, crowds getting bigger and bigger with no way to handle it, and no incentive to go because of those reasons. I also think they desperately need to improve working conditions + employee payment. I didn’t work at Lagoon myself, but have had many friends who did so (including Frightmares acting), and it just seems horrible to work there. I hope these suggestions get implemented soon!! Great video!!!

[@MZ-bl6wg]

I grew up going heee and have now taken my daughters there as a single dad and man I LOVE this place but haven’t been in maybe 7-8 years , look forward to this video! 3:56 2 of the rides from my 80’s childhood I’ll never forget! I took a screenshot and saved it so thanks for that and the video! Oh man the log ride is taken down???? I LOVED THAT ONE!

[@OklahomaCoasterFan]

I have never visited Lagoon, but I hope to soon. I knew that it was basically a monopoly, but I didn't know about how it was all affecting guest experience. Those lines on the midway look like a line-jumpers dream come true. I didn't know about the animals. I am totally supportive of zoos and marine parks taking care of animals that need it and such, but they should be properly taken care of. Six Flags over Texas used to have the policy of no single riders in the back row or in whatever row is the furthest back loaded row. In other words, if there are 3 people waiting to ride, and 2 are waiting for the front, the single rider cannot get on, even in row 2. That policy was so that everyone on board has a witness either next to them or behind them. When they realized this was a silly policy that actually does nothing, they discontinued it in 2020.

[@brockburgi994]

I honestly think Lagoon would become a top tier park if another big chain like six flags opened a park in Utah. It doesn’t make sense why lagoon is a monopoly when Utah has been booming for a long time now. Either six flags or someone with a lot of money needs to build a park somewhere in the salt lake or Utah valley to help with lagoon price gouging.

[@josephjakins2412]

Pioneer Village is a really cool part of the park. Wandering around the exhibits was a definite highlight the last time I went, there is a miniature circus model that makes me so nostalgic for a time I never lived in. Haven't been in a few years, but will likely get a season pass again next year

[@Sidkain]

Laguna Beach might be small, but it's pretty dope for a Waterpark to be honest. 100% agree with all your criticisms, especially the "zoo". Most Utahns are done with the the zoo, but they have refused to get rid of it. Hopefully, like you said, with younger family taking over the decisions - we can see something change there soon.

[@chloeschmidt1010]

I think that a lot of the flaws would be ironed out if the employees were treated better. I worked there for 3 years, and I was never treated like a human a single time. When they were building primordial, they took away go huge chunk of the employee parking lot to do construction, and they also took away access to the picnic staging lot (where big groups go to unload their stuff). The employees were forced to be shoved into the small employee parking area- and many don’t know that the employee parking lot is also the overflow parking lot- so if you work there and come in later in the day on like a Saturday, you’re like- a good 20min walk away from the employee entrance. Then- there’s the picnic staging lot (referred to as employees as the PC lot). I worked as a supervisor in the picnics department and I had to deal with so so SO many unhappy groups. We had to let them in through a weird little gate that I didn’t have the key to, so we would often have a situation where a guest is yelling at us through a gate and we seriously can’t do anything about it because we literally cannot access the help they need. It also caused a lot of issues where the guests needed to drive through a little neighborhood in order to get in through the back of the park. It was terrible. I didn’t have a completely terrible time, I did get to go to a lot of parties, but there were so, SO SO SO many flaws that seriously don’t make me miss the park at all.

[@OhioFarmstead]

Went to lagoon, it’s a beautiful park. We liked it a lot. Great rides but your criticisms are spot on. I do have CP as my home park but I don’t compare parks to CP but maybe they should visit some of these other parks like CP, KI, BGW, etc to do some improvements

[@Sunnymecake]

As an ex-employee of lagoon you did lagoon justice with with video. The working conditions of lagoon are about what you would expect, standing the the heat for hours on end, dealing with nasty guests ( we had to call every visitor a guest because their “family” while at lagoon) and terrible work weeks. As a base employee you got would get a 30 min break 4 hours into your shift and if you worked a longer shift you also got a 15, and at most had 35 hour work weeks. Now making it one step higher, not quite management to matter but still in charge of some people, mainly the 14-18 year olds, you would work 50-60 hour work weeks with no overtime, because of labor laws and being seasonal employment. There are a lot of things that are fun about lagoon, but working there was an interesting one, the only reason I worked there for 4 years was for my coworkers

[@c.w.9501]

I have lived in Utah my whole life and have been to Lagoon countless times. You're missing out by not going to Lagoon-a-Beach. Taking the peak heat of the day and going into the water park for a few hours is an amazing way to break up the day and let lunch settle before getting back on the coasters. It's now been many years since I've been to Lagoon though; I've yet to ride most of the newer coasters. The $100 price tag is just too much to justify. I can't spend $500 to take my family for one day of diversion. I'd rather spend a fraction of that on gasoline and drive to one of Utah's myriad natural wonders like the canyons or the national parks. Your summary is spot on; Lagoon needs some competition in the area.

[@peterthestud1]

Growing up in Utah I can say most of the rides were walk on with no wait 10 years ago.

[@CoasterStudios]

Times have certainly changed!

[@andrewplatt7076]

I've been a lagoon regular my whole life, but they've lost me over the past year. I asked them on FB why they give no benefits to season pass holders, being more expensive than higher quality parks, and they just blocked me...

[@letsdolife7]

Utahn my whole 33 years. This is a great video and you made me realize a lot of things I hadn’t before. The only thing you got wrong is the stamp. If the stamp wares off, you can go get it re-stamped without a problem. And as you leave Lagoona beach, they actually re-stamp you which is nice. I’ve only had this problem with needing to get re-stamped a few times in all my many many times of going to Lagoon.

[@JumpmanJames]

Fair review. Well done. When I moved to Utah in 1986, we saw the Monkees Reunion Tour at Lagoon and it is one of my favorite childhood memories. Lagoon is an amazing place for a kid, and as you grow older, it's amazing how it still finds a way to forge new memories to ponder. Thanks again for your review.

[@silverfox9004]

I'm fortunate enough to live close enough to Lagoon to work there. I've worked landscaping there for many years since I was 14. I'm so grateful for what this park did for me as I grew up, I couldn't have gotten a first job that was better suited to me. The employee system is geared towards young employees imo, providing a decent choice for a first job for teenagers here. I'm glad you appreciate the trees, landscapers like me work hard to keep them happy (and the flowers too). I've worked inside the garden below cannibal, it's incredible! So many people lose interesting items (coins, phones, merchandise) on the ride so it's fun to look for stuff. Lagoon when nobody is around and the rides are off is incredible. The perfect mix of nature and man-made structures. I hope they allow their caged animals to go to better enclosures. I often hear the lion roar, and I can feel a sorrow in its call... The only exotic animal that is treated right (to my knowledge) is their numerous peacocks. They are all free-range, making their nests in our flowerbeds. Some landscapers don't like them because they eat the flowers we just planted, but I see that as the cost of having them. The other day a female came into touching distance as I was weeding (I resisted the urge to pet 😂) and was foraging near me for a very long time. Also, their babies are so cuuuteee ❤❤❤

[@beowolf9480]

having gone there both last year and this year, I feel like the new generation are really wanting to improve the park, between Primordial's lockers, the temporary line, I even had guest services exchange something for me, and it's not just on the guest's end either, from what I'm hearing things are also improving on the employee's end as well

[@broidk]

Employee here. No they are not but idk i havent worked there this year

[@beowolf9480]

@@broidk well they took over just this past season, and from what I've heard it's been pretty good on their side

[@broidk]

@@beowolf9480 well if they took over last season its been kind of worse from what i hear(last season was my first season) but apparently everything that wasnt in view for the guests was very dirty even at foods and they would give us ‘side jobs’ which apparently almost never happened like 7 times a month they would either ask me to pull weeds down at the runway of sky coaster or rake leaves or sweep(during park hours ik i was supposed to do that before and after but like even when we were completely slammed they would have me leave my post if they had enough attendants for the ride

[@danielward4868]

That Samurai has the same colour scheme as Samarai at Chessington which is now at Thorpe Park. It will receive a repaint this year and is going back to the original black and red colour scheme.

[@alaina7108]

One thing you missed is that until recently the beer garden wasn't open at all. Since there isn't any security check points people would 'sneak' in coolers full of beer constantly, and i'd imagine still do since all the food/drink prices are insane. I think the handstamp is tradition more at this point than anything, cause ive never had anyone check my handstamp unless i was coming back into the park and didn't have my ticket. Lagoona beach isn't terrible, there's a few waterslides that can be fun, but the same line system is in place as the rides. I personally like the lazy river, but there's such a problem with overcrowding there too. But its clean and has plenty of space in the pools. Its also incredibly easy to get lost in the back parts of lagoon near the bat and where they have lunch pavilions set up, (where usually the majority of frightmare houses are set up), as well as in pioneer village. But you can get old timey photos and good ice cream there.

[@kweejee]

I watched a lady drink a can of White Claw while waiting in line for BomBora with her kid. The new generation doesn't even try to sneak it in.

[@aliciagracebeach656]

A little correction here. I've brought alcohol in and I am a stickler for following the rules. I just checked again to confirm and it says on their website alcohol is allowed in, it just can't be left unattended, and isn't allowed in lagoona beach.

[@Calithoosie]

Great review! I love this park. Maybe also do an updated review for Magic Mountain too since a lot at that park has changed.

[@Spiderific]

Those animal enclosures look horrible. Poor animals

[@biederland4926]

Lagoon may be the only amusement park in Utah but it doesn't mean there's no competition. Utahns regularly travel to California. Lagoon knows they could lose business to the SoCal parks which is why they continue add ambitious rides like Cannibal and Primordial. A park with a true monopoly wouldn't bother. A perfect example of how a monopoly can negatively affect a park is Elitch Gardens - possibly the worst amusement park in the entire country.

[@captainsirk1173]

I grew up in Colorado, where Elitches kind of just killed the other local amusement park even though it kinda sucks, and sort of just figured amusement parks couldn’t survive major competition without major budgets. Lagoon blew me away when I moved to Utah because it’s a heck of a lot better than that. I have thought for a while though that it’d be nice to have some kind of alternative to the south. Maybe a little alpine slide in Saratoga Springs or something.

[@carolinea3899]

This is a great video, I’ve grown up going to lagoon and all of your criticisms are things I’ve been saying forever! I love lagoon but it’s getting harder to go for so many reasons. I hope change comes soon.

[@cowboydup]

wow i havent been to lagoon in nearly 20 years, but seeing this video in my feed unlocked alot of childhood memories