As I read your report, it sounds like you actually had more good things to say rather than bad. Maybe you should give them another chance! It is a great park, usually. But every park has a bad day now and again.
I haven't really noticed a huge abuse of GAP personally, but if you had bad timing, I could see how it'd be a problem. We once had an out of town guest who had never been to Knott's and we got a Fast Lane to make sure we'd get on everything (this was during the Boysenberry Festival, so the park was insanely mobbed... the most crowded I'd ever seen it, in fact), and I can't say I was impressed with how Fast Lane was handled. It was as if no one really knew what was going on. But I gave them some slack, because it was probably one of the most crowded days ever... I'm sure everyone was overwhelmed.
Sorry to hear about the poor server. But again, that may have been bad luck... I've never had a problem with service there, so give it another try someday. Or just do Chicken to Go a few doors down.
I do agree about Soak City... it's there, not a lot of theming. Colorful, but barren concrete as you said. Also, I hated their policy on the drop slides to have NOTHING with you... that included my prescription glasses. They made me take them off, and I'm more or less legally blind without them. That was fun to stumble up all those stairs. That left a very bad taste in my mouth. It's serviceable, but I'd prefer even Hurricane Habor to this.