Lake Casitas Recreation Area

**- As stated by the Business. All complaints received from customers,...

either directly as is usually the case, or indirectly such as through your organization, are taken very seriously and are given careful consideration. We have updated our website and the reservation page to indicate that the Waterpark does sell out. Waterpark tickets purchased online with a reservation fee absolutely guarantee the purchaser entry into the Waterpark on the day reserved. As with all similar facilities, once the established capacity is reached it would be unsafe to allow entry to customers who arrive without prepaid tickets. The established safe capacity of the Waterpark is 1,250. The Waterpark cannot reasonably be compared with large facilities such as Disneyland and Six Flags Magic Mountain, neither of which are waterparks, since Disneyland has a total capacity of approximately 117,000 and has, on occasion, turned customers away and Magic Mountain has an approximate capacity of 80-100,000. It is common practice for organizations to charge a reservation or processing fee to guarantee space or entry. The Lake Casitas Recreation Area where the Waterpark is located is operated as an enterprise fund and must independently sustain itself.   With regard to the request made for ticket refund and additionally, the issuance of a parking pass, prior to the reserved date of July 3, 2015, the customer subsequently redeemed the tickets she purchased online on June 28 on the reserved day. Please let me know if you require any further information. Very truly yours,

Review: I took my 4 yr. old grandson to the Waterpark, a 45 min. drive away. I checked the website ahead of time for ticket prices, park information, and opening times. When we got to the entrance at ~ 12:30 P.M., we were turned away because the tickets had sold out. There was NO indication online that there were a limited amount of tickets available and that you would be better off buying your tickets ahead of time to avoid this very scenario. (When purchasing tickets ahead of time, you are required to pay an additional $7.50 reservation fee AND NO refunds are given!) When I asked to speak to the person in charge, a pleasant but very young individual indicated that there was nothing he could do. The tickets were sold out. When I indicated that that was completely unacceptable and that I wanted to speak with his supervisor, he told me that all I could do was to fill out a guest satisfaction survey. It took at least 10 minutes of waiting at the entry gate for him to locate some at a locked up trailer near the exit gate. In the meantime, my grandson was understandably quite upset and couldn't understand why the tickets were sold out. (Imagine the response if this happened at Disneyland or 6 Flags Magic Mountain.) I think it's a sham to have to pay a $7.50 reservation fee or risk your chances of getting tickets at the entry station. The tickets should be offered free of charge!! After all, the business (Casitas Municipal Water District) is already locking in their 'purchase' ahead of time, no refunds allowed, so why should the consumer be punished twice? The consumer is paying for a service ahead of time for an extra fee with no refund for that date? What about illness or a rainy day? That doesn't seem right!! It's win-win for the business but potentially lose-lose for the customer. I purchased tickets for 7/3/15 but ONLY because I promised my grandson that we'd return and I didn't want a repeat. Who knows whether we'll even be able to make it on that date???)Desired Settlement: I would like a pair of tickets for the Waterpark and a parking pass - free of charge to reimburse me for the ones I just purchased - AND a modification to the website indicating that tickets are limited and patrons are advised to purchase tickets online ahead of time, as well as dropping the reservation fee.

Business

Response:

**- As stated by the Business. All complaints received from customers, either directly as is usually the case, or indirectly such as through your organization, are taken very seriously and are given careful consideration. We have updated our website and the reservation page to indicate that the Waterpark does sell out. Waterpark tickets purchased online with a reservation fee absolutely guarantee the purchaser entry into the Waterpark on the day reserved. As with all similar facilities, once the established capacity is reached it would be unsafe to allow entry to customers who arrive without prepaid tickets. The established safe capacity of the Waterpark is 1,250. The Waterpark cannot reasonably be compared with large facilities such as Disneyland and Six Flags Magic Mountain, neither of which are waterparks, since Disneyland has a total capacity of approximately 117,000 and has, on occasion, turned customers away and Magic Mountain has an approximate capacity of 80-100,000. It is common practice for organizations to charge a reservation or processing fee to guarantee space or entry. The Lake Casitas Recreation Area where the Waterpark is located is operated as an enterprise fund and must independently sustain itself. With regard to the request made for ticket refund and additionally, the issuance of a parking pass, prior to the reserved date of July 3, 2015, the customer subsequently redeemed the tickets she purchased online on June 28 on the reserved day. Please let me know if you require any further information. Very truly yours,