History YMMV / ActionPark

* SoBadItWasBetter: The older iteration of the park has quite a few nostalgic fans who see it as emblematic of a [[ValuesDissonance freer, less "wimpy" world]] where people could [[MiseryBuildsCharacter learn things the hard way]].

* SoBadItWasBetter: The older iteration of the park has quite a few nostalgic fans who see it as emblematic of a freer, less "wimpy" world where people could [[MiseryBuildsCharacter learn things the hard way]].

* SoBadItWasBetter: The older iteration of the park has quite a few nostalgic fans who see it as emblematic of a freer, less "wimpy" world where people could [[SchoolOfHardKnocks learn things the hard way]].

* EpilepticTrees: The park ran Spanish-language ads aimed at the Latino community in New York and New Jersey, yet the safety signs were all in English, and the park workers only spoke English. This language barrier heavily contributed to the many injuries that occurred to the park's patrons, which led some people to believe that Action Park was a GovernmentConspiracy to decimate the Latino community.
* MisaimedFandom: After a few years, patrons weren't ignorantly visiting a park that they expected to be safe -- they visited the park ''because'' of its reputation for being dangerous.

* ObviousBeta: Action Park was a major pioneer of many water rides. This meant that these rides never previous existed, and that they were the ones who had to discover that designs such as a looping water slide, for example, are dangerous.

* OvershadowedByControversy: It's impossible to talk about this park without mentioning its [[AmusementParkOfDoom numerous safety hazards]], which led to six deaths and hundreds of injuries. The Cannonball Loop water slide, which allegedly decapitated test dummies but was still being open to the general public for a month, is considered emblematic of the general approach of the park in its heyday.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: While it's not necessarily ''beloved'', the infamous Cannonball Loop is seen as the epitome of what kind of a park Action Park was.

* EpilepticTrees: The park ran Spanish-language ads aimed at the Latino community in New York and New Jersey, yet the safety signs were all in English, and the park workers only spoke English. This language barrier heavily contributed to the many injuries that occurred to the park's (primarily Latino) patrons, which led some people to believe that Action Park was really a front for a GovernmentConspiracy to decimate the Latino community. [[HanlonsRazor However, this is most likely]] ''[[HanlonsRazor not]]'' [[HanlonsRazor the case]].
* MisaimedFandom: After a few years, patrons weren't ignorantly visiting a park that they expected to be safe, only to be shocked by the dangerous conditions -- they visited the park ''because'' of its reputation for being so dangerous!

** Just the fact alone that six people died here, on top of the countless other injuries to occur here, is enough to make anyone think twice about stepping into any place even remotely like Action Park. The infamous Wave Pool in particular won itself the nickname "The Grave Pool" for the fact that most of the aforementioned fatalities were people who drowned while swimming in it due in part to a poorly-designed wave action that tended to draw swimmers into deeper water.
** This, however, has nothing on the Cannonball Loop; suffice to say, it was shuttered shortly after its debut, and such waterslides are rarely seen in modern-day theme parks, and never without a clothoid (inverted teardrop) loop design.

* ValuesDissonance: A park like Action Park in its original form is unthinkable to modern ride enthusiasts, as they've grown used to the idea that amusement parks should have safety as their first priority. However, in its heyday, the park's popularity was partly ''because'' its danger gave teenagers a feeling of freedom and [[RiteOfPassage bravery]].

* HilariousInHindsight: Music/{{Shellac}} had no idea this park existed when they named an album after it. It still fit the group's sound to a T.

* NeverLiveItDown: The aforementioned Cannonball Loop water slide, which allegedly decapitated test dummies but was still being open to the general public for a month, is considered emblematic of the general approach of the park in its heyday.

* OvershadowedByControversy: It's impossible to talk about this park without mentioning its [[AmusementParkOfDoom numerous safety hazards]], which led to six deaths and hundreds of injuries.

** Just the fact alone that six people died here, on top of the countless other injuries to occur here, is enough to make anyone think twice about stepping into any place even remotely like Action Park. The infamous Wave Pool in particular won itself the nickname "The Grave Pool" for the fact that most of the aforementioned fatalities were people who drowned while swimming in it.
** This, however, has nothing on the Cannonball Loop; suffice to say, it was shuttered shortly after its debut, and such waterslides are rarely seen in modern-day theme parks.