Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing with profound frustration and heartbreak to express our extreme disappointment with our stay at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park in Tyler, Texas, from June 30 to July 7, 2025, under reservation confirmation number R00000027774 and invoice number 100000212599, which included a limo golf cart and a pool cabana for July 4. As an active-duty military family, we planned this trip as a rare and cherished reunion during my 34-year-old son's first summer leave in eight years, a precious opportunity after years of separation due to his frequent deployments. Having enjoyed a largely issue-free stay at your Ranger Retreat in Tyler in 2024, despite minor overgrown grass in the backyard, we trusted Jellystone Park to provide a welcoming and convenient location for our family, which includes my 80-year-old parents, my son, daughter-in-law, nephew, and grandchildren. Instead, our stay was marred by persistent maintenance failures, dangerous and unprofessional staff behavior, public humiliation, and harassment, robbing us of irreplaceable family time and leaving us deeply saddened. Until this matter is resolved with a formal apology and full compensation, we will not return to any Jellystone Park.
Our troubles began upon check-in on June 30 at approximately 4:00 PM. We were greeted by a courteous and professional young lady named Emily, who handled our request to move our July 4 cabana rental from the Kiddie Waterpark side to the pool cabana, as our original reservation was adjusted to extend our stay. Emily provided our cabin key for Cabin #434, a golf cart key and number, a park map, and nine green wristbands. However, she inadvertently failed to provide or mention orange golf cart bands for myself and my active-duty son, despite having copies of our driver's licenses on file, which later led to a dangerous confrontation.
Upon arriving at Cabin #434, we discovered significant maintenance issues. The bathroom door would not secure, requiring someone to hold it shut from the outside or the occupant to sit on the toilet and lean over the sink to keep it closed--a serious safety hazard for my 80-year-old parents. The toilet seat was loose, causing it to slide and posing a risk of falls, particularly for my elderly parents. I immediately called the front desk to report these issues. A maintenance worker responded promptly, determined the bathroom door needed a new knob, but stated he would not replace it to avoid interrupting our vacation. No repairs were made, forcing us to use public showers at the pool or near Big Bear Lodge for the entire seven-day stay, despite paying for a private cabin with its own facilities.
That same evening, two elderly women and their five teenage daughters in the adjacent cabin approached us, explaining that their cabin had no working stove or air conditioning. Hungry from their travels, they asked to use our stove to cook frozen pizzas for the girls. When I turned on the oven, the fire alarm triggered without any smoke or fire, solely from the oven's heat. The alarm would not stop. We placed a large personal fan, brought for outdoor use, inside the cabin to blow air at the ceiling alarm, but it continued. We opened all windows and the front door, which finally silenced the alarm but allowed crickets, flies, and bees to flood the cabin. This issue recurred 3-4 times daily when using the oven or stovetop, each time requiring us to open all windows and doors and spend 45-60 minutes removing pests. This exhausting process consumed hours of our vacation, turning meal preparation into a distressing ordeal rather than a joyful family activity.
On the morning of July 1, we reported the bathroom door, toilet seat, fire alarm, and two non-functional ceiling lights in the master bedroom to the front desk. A maintenance worker arrived but was sent to address an issue we did not report and could not find the problem. We reiterated our concerns, but he left without resolving them. Later that day, the same worker returned on a golf cart to replace the bedroom lights. While backing into our yard, he nearly ran over our dog, prompting my daughter-in-law, who was outside, to scream for him to stop. He stepped out and aggressively stared her down for over 30 seconds, making her feel unsafe and uncomfortable. When he knocked on the cabin door, I opened it and noticed him struggling with a ladder. I offered assistance, but he declined, explaining he was in severe pain from recent shoulder surgery and that English was not his first language, as he was a Cuban immigrant. Inside the master bedroom, he placed the ladder in a tight space, stood with one foot on the ladder and one on the nightstand, and changed the lights. While descending, he stepped onto the bed, lost his balance, and fell into the wall, striking his injured shoulder. I helped him move the ladder and offered Tylenol or ibuprofen, which he accepted, noting he had forgotten his medication. Part 1 read more