Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure — Attraction in Bessemer

Really disappointed in the way the park is being operated. What was once a very magical place has been reduced to an unrecognizable mess. For starters the “Main Street” looks like a ghost town. The “gift shops” are empty and don’t sell anything to show you’ve visited. All of the novelty shops are gone and closed, but yet there’s a ridiculously placed glass blowing shop..? All of the old tattered signage is still in place showing what was once a themed area but is now a faded peeling vacant lot. What kind of park gift shop doesn’t sell cups/magnets/keychains?

As for their advertising and marketing… I’m not really sure what the decisions are being made there… but honestly it’s awful. Why advertise as a theme park and water park if it’s 95% water and 5% park? When you look at your signage/logo it looks as tho it’s 50/50. BE PREPARED-all of the rides here are pack n go carnival rides. Everything is gone. Hurricane, Zoomerang, vertigo, stratos-fear, all of the original kids rides, the Ferris wheel, the log flume, the wild river rapids, buzzsaw falls, the pirate ship, the swings and so many more are ALL GONE… many of which are just literal empty concrete foundations where the rides used to be… and for their focus to be on making it a water park, that’s chopped as well. The landscaping has been totally changed, the giant bucket and play area which was the face of the water area has been reduced to what I can only describe as a glorified McDonald’s play place. But hey, at least they made sure to leave that very bucket sitting on the ground to taunt you that your memories have been destroyed. Thanks.

I am just really in awe of just how much has gone wrong at this park, it really is so sad to see the Rampage just rotting when their own website states it is set to open “2025” is it that hard to fix your own website? I feel it was a complete waste of an off day and my earned money…

I am happy to have seen the park so many times in the glory days. To have seen Disney Stars live in concert at the parks amphitheater, riding the Ferris wheel during a concert! Which is now covered by faded, leaking water slides.. yay!

As for what they “have added” cheddar chase is a cheap copy of a ride called “crazy mouse” upon further inspection you’ll notice it’s a pack n go carnival ride they’ve sat down in zommerangs grave. The “YoYo” ride is already being dismantled and sold off I’m sure so who knows what’ll be next in the what was once the Vertigo’s home. The “Galleon” pirate ship ride which is not the original ship ride is BROKEN and has been for the entire season, which with it being new, why? Because they are PACK N GO CARNIVAL RIDES. Rampage appears to be closed for good, many of the employees stated this and that the park has been hosting a fundraiser for it… the ride was covered in weeds, trees and branches. Just sitting rotting over the park.

And what was the idea for the hurricane gravesite? A whole bunch of rotting gnome houses? Like what is going on in the main office at this place.

Hope the theme park finds its theme again and manages to hire some competent people in the higher ups to breathe some life back into Magic City’s...

My daughter and niece had fun with their Girl Scout troop yesterday until it started raining.

Before I share the bad part, I will say, the tenders were good, my girls enjoyed their cheeseburgers (though...they dont have ketchup??) and I appreciate not being required to dish out money over and over again to keep them hydrated (free drinks!)

My 9 year old had a growth spurt so she couldnt enjoy a number of rides on the "Adventure" side but she did enjoy what she could ride. I love that parking is free, and although I always bring my own sunscreen, knowing the park offers a free backup is good. You can bring in your own, empty, non-glass cup to fill with the free drinks, which I recommend because they've run out of cups on 2 of our previous summer visits.

Now...the frustrating part. It rained yesterday. Before the thunder even started, the lifeguards made everyone get out (Why? They're already wet). Per their website, the attractions must be shut down for 1 hour for you to get a pass to come back at a later date. We waited because we were hoping to just STAY at the park; we hadnt seen 1 show yet and the girls really enjoyed it last year, plus they hadn't visted all of the attractions on their 'list' yet. Also, visiting Splash Adventure is consistently one of the "rewards" they request after a successful cookie booth season. For the girls, this is their 1 chance, each summer, to visit Splash Adventure so we like to stay from open until closing. But once we realized the thunder wasn't stopping and then saw a flash of lightening-we were out of there.

We went to guest services (as a group, as required, per their policy) to find out if we could get passes to come back....nope...everything must be closed for 1 hour, at that point it had only been closed for 50 minutes...but each ride must remain closed, awaiting clear skies, for at least 15 minutes after you hear thunder or see lightning (per one of the lifeguards)...we approached guest services once we saw lightning.

Follow me, because I promise you my math IS mathing...if we must be lightening and thunder free for 15 minutes...and we just saw lightening...and we've already been waiting around doing nothing with a bunch of kids for 50 minutes...??? You get where I'm going? Even if the skies magically cleared up, by the time you open the rides back up-they've been closed for over an hour.

Unfortunately, we were herding cranky kids, outside, in a thunderstorm (the group has to come up to guest services together, remember? So no sending the kiddos and a parent to the safety of your vehicle or to wait in a shop) so we just decided to leave early and leave without the return passes.

We've already told the girls that next year, they're going to have to choose a...

Well I really wanted to love this place. My kids had a blast! The day was fun until lunch time, we sat down to eat and an employee stole my wallet… now to give context I had put my wallet on the top of my stroller an employee was hanging around the area where my family and I were eating they casually walked around the back and I thought nothing of it (why would I?) my husband came back to the picnic tables and low and behold the wallet is gone off the top of the stroller. We searched HIGH AND LOW! And no we aren’t people who just put things in random areas and forget. I went up front and when I mentioned the description of the person everyone mad a “look” and immediately began apologizing? Like has this happened before? Well I make the report go back to where we were sitting and the security brought their supervisor over he then leaves after hearing our statement comes back and says “He said he hasn’t touched no wallet” so I say ok and my husband and I are now scrambling to turn cards off ect. Well then we are trying to enjoy the rest of the day and the supervisor approaches me again and says “so I went up and had him empty his pockets and he had nothing” like that would have maybe meant something the first time but of course he now knows he’s already under suspicion so why would he keep the wallet on him? So of course the wallet wasn’t there…. Ughhh I hate to be that person but when you know you know. At the end of the day my youngest son ended up slipping and smacking his face on a slide… and his tooth went through his lip blood was everywhere, luckily the fist aid team was pretty awesome and did an incident report. Just the whole situation was insane today… Not to mention MULTIPLE employees saying that things go missing from people there and they are regularly being told it’s an employee and not a random person enjoying the park. Just letting yall know if you want to go and not be able to trust even who is supposed to be there to protect you and make sure you’re in a safe family friendly environment AKA the employees then you’re in the right place. If you dont want to have to watch over your shoulder and know that if something happens the right precautions will be taken don’t even try going. Other wise the kids loved it! Won’t be going...