Cedar Point, America’s largest seasonal amusement park was closed over the weekend due to a water main break in Sandusky, Ohio. Also out of comission were three hotels on the park’s property.

The closure put quite the damper on many a family’s weekend and caused a National Lampoon-like situation for some like the Balderas’ of South Bend, Indiana. They and many others drove for hours, arrived early, found the perfect spot, then discovered that the park was closed.

“This was our vacation,” Roger Balderas said. His wife Debbie waited in line for an hour to get a refund for the tickets they bought for the two of them, their daughter, and their daughter’s friend. They were still stuck with the cost of their hotel nearby Port Clinton, and were stuck in backed up traffic for and hour and a half as disappointed patrons filed out of the parking lot.

While the disappointment was a lot to deal with, Cedar Park did make good on any tickets that weren’t refunded. In a statement, they announced that any unused tickets would be good for the rest of the year.

“We recognize that this situation has caused many of our guests to be disappointed,” the statement said. “We are sorry that this has happened.”

This was a huge blow for patrons who were looking forward to spending an idyllic weekend at the roller coaster haven, but could also be a blow to Cedar Fair Industries. Or maybe not.

They are the owners of over a dozen water parks and amusement parks all over the country, as well as some hotels. Their revenues reached $1.14 billion last year. And like most huge companies, they probably have insurance, so don’t worry about them too much.

Have you ever had a Griswold experience like this one?

Image Via Wikimedia Commons