Discussion Do you like Theme Parks?

[lexony]

Personally I have mixed feelings about theme parks and not only because they are huge entertainment machines that use too many Resources.

I really like well themed Attractions; especially Rollercoasters, because the whole creation and experience have many parallels to games. Both uniquely combine many different types of Media like Visual Style, Storytelling, Music and Interactivity. To make a game or build a roller coaster you focus on UX, need to overcome technical difficulties and a way how you can fake things to create an illusion for your player/rider.

Most parks though actually don‘t have that strong of a theming and especially in thrill ride focused parks like Six Flags it‘s more about the ride itself and less about the whole experience. To me that is not enough and I don‘t wanna ride something just for the sake of the type of attraction.

Universal and Disney Parks around the world have strong theming, though recently those parks mostly rely on IPs that were already successful elsewhere like Universal with Mario or Disney with Star Wars.

I like it far more if a theme world or an attraction has its own original theming. Expedition Everest is way more interesting than the 10th Version of Something Mario. All those other trans-medial Stuff feels too streamlined, too perfect and almost soulless, even though I know there surly is a lot of effort in those attractions.

In Europe there are actually quite a lot heavily themed original Parks, like Efteling Park, Phantasia Land or Europa Park. I really like those type of Theme Parks (Partially because I was many times in Europa Park or Garda Land as a child), but even there you can see somewhat this effect, especially at Europa Park.

What do you think about theme parks?

 

[Síriocaz]

The most popular around here are Legoland, Universal Studios, Disneyland and Six Flags.

No, I don't like them, but not for the reason given, I just don't like being around so many people, and the spectacle of the rides don't make up for that. Also, they're super expensive.

 

[Mekanos]

I can enjoy some theme parks certainly but spending all day at one is such a time sink and the prices aren't doing any favors for them. I think the last time I went to a theme park was 2018 when my friend who works for Disney got me in Disneyland for free. Smaller, cheaper ones that aren't a 8-10 hour commitment are probably ideal for me. I do plan on going to the Nintendo park in Universal eventually but I am not in any rush.

 

[lexony]

The most popular around here are Legoland, Universal Studios, Disneyland and Six Flags.

No, I don't like them, but not for the reason given, I just don't like being around so many people, and the spectacle of the rides don't make up for that. Also, they're super expensive.

I added an option to the poll for other No Reasons, if you want to change it

 

[WestEgg]

Yeah, growing up I went to King’s Island near Cincinnati a few times, and Holiday World in southern Indiana is surprisingly legit. Only been to Disney World once, and only the free section, but the arcade was really cool there. I want to check out one of the Nintendo Parks at some point.

 

[Catsylvania]

Yes and no. The attractions are great. However, the prices are LOL and more importantly, there are simply too many people at these places.



If I manage to get to any theme park, it’ll be Super Nintendo World. I just don’t know how to mentally prepare for it.

 

[PixelKnight]

I dislike them. The crowds, the queues, the cost. If I take my family to one for a day it costs a ludicrous amount of money for what feels like 80% waiting around, buying overpriced junk food and feeling trapped. The attractions themselves are a few minutes of amazing fun and engineering, but I always end up feeling like I’ve been utterly rinsed by a commercial machine.

 

[EvilChameleon]

Haven't been to one since 2008, but my love for them since my parents took me to the parking lot of the abandoned Idora Park so I could look at the remains of the Wild Cat and Jack Rabbit roller coasters has never faded. Playing Roller Coaster Tycoon 1/2/3 over the years has certainly helped as well.

 

[Apopheniac]

My gripe is that you spend most of the day traveling, walking around, and waiting in lines. I went to college in Florida, so I've been to the big ones there multiple times, often subsidized, but I don't really have much of a desire to return. Outside of the cost, there's also all the pre-gaming of figuring out how to route and optimize the visit, for which I'm grateful to have had friends who gave a shit about all that because there's no way I'm ever gonna bother.

 

[grobla123]

There is not a single event worth waiting 2 hours in lines for over the course of the day. Especially in high UV heat.

I do like the localish water park that off the beaten track a bit. After Easter holidays and kids are back at school the lines are short. The price, even for that, is pretty nuts though.

 

[lexony]

There is not a single event worth waiting 2 hours in lines for over the course of the day

This really is the fault of the Park though when they can‘t keep up with the capacity. Disney kinda fucked up with their Fastpass (and following models) route and many parks have too slow operations. Europapark for example is very good in this. They are well organised and dispatch every like 30 seconds a train to keep up with 1200-1600 people per hour for their major attractions. Also their virtual line concept is quite fair, because it is free of charge, they only open slots for the current day and you are only able to book a position in the line if you are already in the park. It makes it possible to get on major rides at least once for everyone visiting the park. Though in summer season you also could easily stand in line for way over 1 hour at some attractions.

 

[Mer.Saloon]

I like learning about their history and hearing people navigating through them than actually being there.

But I've never had the funds to go to a theme park off season.

 

[Síriocaz]

One theme park I liked going to as a kid was Sea World, or any aquarium for that matter, but then I learned animals don't really sign contracts to work in those places. I think it's fine to hold some of the animals, but definitely none of the big ones.

 

[MSnap]

I honestly can’t remember how long it’s been since I went to one. Definitely more than 10 years ago. I have no idea how the rides would affect me now that I’m not a teenager. I don’t think I could get tired of Disneyland though.

 

[Red Monster]

I live less than two hours from Cedar Point, and I’ve been there a lot. Not so much in the past few years because we started having kids, but going to CP has been a big part of my life. I haven’t been to very many other parks so I can’t compare the rides, but it seems like CP’s roller coasters are second-to-none. They’re fantastic.

 

[EvilChameleon]

I live less than two hours from Cedar Point, and I’ve been there a lot. Not so much in the past few years because we started having kids, but going to CP has been a big part of my life. I haven’t been to very many other parks so I can’t compare the rides, but it seems like CP’s roller coasters are second-to-none. They’re fantastic.

Ever been during Halloweekends? That was my favorite trip, ever, to Cedar Point. Freezing my ass off, park covered in fog from all the fog machines, just a blast.

 

[Stilt Village]

The way I see it is, they're kind of like video games, but worse. You're going "on an adventure", but in a massive crowd, with horrible Florida weather, waiting in lines, and sitting entirely passive when you do reach the attractions. I feel like video games generally accomplish the same things theme parks strive to do but better, any benefits to immersion that you would gain from actually being there are pretty much obliterated by all the listed downsides. The one thing they can't really reproduce is thrill rides. That the experience has apparently become so much worse and so much more expensive in recent years doesn't help.

I do love the original concept of EPCOT though. There was something special there that's been gradually compromised and ground down by capitalism, starting since before it was even built. Nowadays it's definitely not even worth going anymore. Living With the Land is pretty much all that's left.

 

[Thunder84]

Love them for the most part. I can deal with the crowds, I've got a lot of nostalgia for Disney, and while I totally sympathize with how frustrating it is to get reservations and plan out trips these days, I love that kinda shit myself.

It's a shame that some of the best parks and rides have been tied directly to Harry Potter, though. I haven't been to any of those parks or lands in quite a while, well before Rowling's garbage went mainstream, but from what I remember the craftsmanship was absurdly good to the point of disbelief. Don't have much desire to return though, for obvious reasons. Wish that type of effort could be directed towards other IPs.

 

[GenOneCam]

Yeah. There is only one near me but there was a time when I was going to it pretty much daily.

 

[big lantern ghost]

Only if they let me play Super Mario Bros 3 on all of the rides