Service with a Smile

by Nancy Turnage, VRPS Central Office

Last week, right in the middle of the week - on hump day, to be exact - I took my daughter to Busch Gardens.  So, after selling theme park tickets to what feels like most of America for the past five months, I finally went myself.  I could bore you with tales of my stealthy coaster plan-of-attack (maximum rides, minimum wait), or how I can outlast everybody (everybody) in my family when it comes to back-to-back vertigo-inducing thrills, but instead I would like to focus on something that has stayed with me since Wednesday.  As we rounded the corner of the Tweedside Station on the train (there's that coaster plan), a maintenance worker was weed-whacking.  He cut his engine, faced the train - sweat rolling down his face and arms - and he waved.  He waved and waved and waved, until the end of the train was past, at which point he reconvened his task at hand.

The fact is that everybody waves at the train.  It must be in the Busch Gardens Employee Policy Manual that all employees must wave at the train.  And the tram to the parking lot.  And the Rhine River Cruise.  So, what do we visitors do?  We wave back.

How in any way is this remotely related to VRPS you might ask?  Be patient - I'm getting there.  In a recent conversation at Central Office, we discussed how the phone rings all day.  And when it does, we are all reaching to answer it.  Very rare is it that a call is not answered on the first or second ring.  Likewise, visitors at the office are greeted warmly and rarely make an escape without a water bottle or at the very least candy - even the UPS man.

I think this is what makes us special - the extra effort to extend the VRPS version of the theme park wave.  It's a little gesture that we come to expect, enjoy, and reciprocate.  We want you to enjoy your experience, and we are here to serve you.

HOWL-O-SCREAMING Parenting Advice from VRPS

By Nancy Turnage, VRPS Central Office

The best cure for a mouthy teen is a zombie chasing them with a chainsaw.  If this little tip gets out to the parenting world, there will be a rush on theme parks featuring Halloween fright around the world.  Parents of surly ingrates will be rushing the gates, dragging their prodigy.

I've lived in Central Virginia for thirteen years, and this was my first Howl-O-Scream.  I suppose the lure of the many callers inquiring at the VRPS Central Office regarding discount tickets was too much to resist.  Off I went - on the last Friday of the last weekend of October, just hours ahead of Sandy, along with my three teens and Spouse.  The cloud cover was evident, the misty rain prevalent, and the mood anticipatory.

As we entered the first haunted house, my thoughts were simply on the spookiness of everything - fog machines, dim lighting, creepy screaming and music.  Within the first two minutes, it became apparent that the freaked reaction of my teens was far more entertaining.  They were petrified.  Middle clung to Oldest, ready to use her as a human shield to doom and terror, for the sake of self-preservation.  They raced through, wanting the misery to be over rather than relishing the performances and decor.

And that was just the first one.  We managed to "enjoy" three more, much to the dismay of Middle and Youngest.  Oldest eventually joined into the spirit of things and for some reason became a favored victim of the bloodied clowns and zombies with power tools - something about her pink sweatshirt, bobbing ponytail, and unfortunate trusting nature....  Yes, I will admit, we MADE them go instead of letting them branch off and binge on rides - you know, all for the sake of safety (it was dark) and family time.

A great deal of personality can be devised from one's reaction to fear:

• How deep does the fright or flight instinct go?  In the case of my Offspring, they are pure flight, through and through.
• Is there a concern for others?  Youngest gave me a good shove here and there, so maybe not so much.
• What degree of self-control is exhibited (putting on a brave face and all that)?  Zero.

I suppose the same analysis can be said for us, the parents; Spouse and I thoroughly, totally, COMPLETELY enjoyed watching them get the #$%& scared out of them.  So, in addition to the remarkably clean restrooms (yes, we visited most if not all of them), the super-helpful staff (at least the living ones), and the efficient thrill ride queue process (nothing beats the Griffon or Apollo's Chariot at night, much less the front row!), the terror is TOP-NOTCH.  Therefore, my advice is this:  next year, clear your calendar one evening and enjoy Howl-O-Scream.  Drag your wayward teens, relish in their terror, and make some family memories.