Qatar residents got their first taste of the six-week festival known as Doha Park over the weekend, and for some, it was a bitter bite.

Though entrance to the fair is free, some attendees have complained about a QR25 fee for parking. Others said they found prices for the rides to be too high.

On the popular social networking forum Qatar Living, one user writes:

Its a Rip of rates for the rides for a common man. 15 QR per person even for small kind of rides and more for other rides. Even if u have 6-12 month old baby you have to pay 30 QR ( for the baby and for the person who is going to hold the baby).

Others on the site argued took issue with the prices given the wear-and-tear on the rides, saying operators charged too much for old equipment.

Gulf Times reports:

“I am very surprised to learn that the cheapest of the rides such as the circus train costs QR15, which is around QR5/7 in other fun parks elsewhere and to go on majority of others rides, you have to shell out some QR25 for each. To me this is too expensive. How much will I be able to spend for my two kids to have some fun…they were only able to go on two rides each and they are still yearning for more,” a Western expatriate lamented…

A group of other visitors to the event wondered aloud what made the park so different from other places around the country that warranted the high rates.“This is merely an open space without cooling system and other apparatus required indoors. Shouldn’t it be cheaper then,” a middle-aged woman asked.

Have you guys gotten a chance to check out Doha Park? What did you think?

Image courtesy of Doha Park 2011 Facebook page.