Written by Robert Niles
Published: August 13, 2004 at 8:33 PM
Short story... if you've got questions about theme parks, I've got your answers. So let's get to 'em.
Southern California's most famous park, Disneyland, looks better than it has in eight years, but too much of the park remains under tarps or down for rehab in anticipation of the park's 50th anniversary next year. Wait to visit 'til late 2005, when the new Buzz Lightyear shoot-'em-up ride and a renovated Space Mountain should enliven a now-vacant Tomorrowland.
In Central Florida, do the opposite of everyone else and start with SeaWorld and the Universal Orlando parks. Then mix in a one-day pass to one of the Disney parks, such as Epcot or, if you have little kids, Animal Kingdom. I'd pick Animal Kingdom over the Magic Kingdom based on the outstanding Festival of the Lion King show, as well as the parks' lighter crowds, earlier closing time and set-your-own-pace nature of its animal exhibits.
Cedar Point: Top Thrill Dragster, Raptor
Disney's California Adventure: Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Disneyland: Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain
Knott's Berry Farm: GhostRider
Legoland California: Miniland, Driving School, Fun Town Fire Academy
SeaWorld Orlando: Kraken, Wild Arctic
SeaWorld San Diego: Cirque de la Mer, Shamu Adventure
Six Flags Magic Mountain: Riddler's Revenge, X (if you can get on it)
Universal's Islands of Adventure: Adventures of Spider-Man
Universal Studios Florida: Revenge of the Mummy, Men in Black: Alien Attack
Universal Studios Hollywood: Studio Tour, Terminator 2:3-D
Walt Disney World Disney's Animal Kingdom: Festival of the Lion King, Kilimanjaro Safaris
Walt Disney World Disney-MGM Studios: Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Walt Disney World Epcot: Mission: Space and Impressions de France
Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom: Splash Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's Space-Ranger Spin
Don't overlook a couple of strong runners-up, though. Visit Busch Gardens Williamsburg and you can take in Colonial Williamsburg, some world-class dining and several Revolutionary War historical sights within a few minutes' drive from the park. And Ohio's Cedar Point lies less than a hour away from the seriously underrated city of Cleveland, with the Blossom Music Center, Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and a now-thriving downtown.
If you do nothing else to find a discount, buy your tickets online before you visit and arrive in the parking lot at least 45 minutes before the park opens. That way, you can get the most for your money by riding several popular attractions before the lines get too long. Buy your film, suntan lotion and breakfast outside the park, too, to save the outrageous theme park mark-up. Keep everyone happy by getting a jump on the day and you can also save by not having to bribe grumpy kids with overpriced snacks and souvenirs later.
I also wish I'd seen Paramount's Kings Island. The park's improved its kids' area over the past few years and seems to be taking steps to upgrade its overall theming as well.
And, of course, at some point, I'd love to travel overseas, and visit parks such as Tokyo DisneySea and Disneyland Paris.
And, yes, Cleveland is seriously underrated as a city. I have been there twice and have been very favorably impressed! It is no longer the Cleveland with the burning river anymore.
I spent some time in Cleveland recently, and I have to say that it has become one of my favorite cities to visit. The area around the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is fabulous.
DisneySea in Japan is a park I'd like to visit, but Disneyland Paris, you gotta be kidding. Disney Paris is a poor cousin of Florida and California. Try Europa Park, Rust, Germany if you want to have the same level of theming as DisneySea Tokyo and a far better level of attractions for less money. Plus, if you stay at one of there hotels, your'll be able to experience the true meaning of 'German efficiency'. Seriously, a worthy contender for your next themepark trip.
DLP attracts so many visitors that I feel obiligated to give it a look should I ever make it to Paris. But I appreciate the tip on Europa Park. I've long wanted European parks to have a greater presence on the site, I welcome any chance for TPI'ers to shine some attention on worthy parks that other theme park visitors consistently overlook.
As for IOA, I simply ran out of days to do theme parks during my time in Orlando. My first priority was to visit the three parks that had opened new attractions since my last visit -- USF, Epcot and the MK. But after spending three days at those parks, I didn't have a day left for IOA. (Much of my family lives in Central Florida now, and the primary reason for the trip was to visit them. Alas, not all of them are that hot visit a lot of theme parks....)
Next visit to Orlando, IOA, SeaWorld and Animal Kingdom top my to-do list.
In my opinion, the only genuine things that MK or Disneyland have against Paris is that they've got Splash Mountain and Buzz Lightyear - and Disneyland doesn't even have Buzz until 2005, by which point Paris will likely have started construction on their own. Okay, and Disneyland has Indy. But DLP takes almost all the staples of a Magic Kingdom - Thunder, Mansion, Pirates, Small World, Space Mountain and the centrepiece castle - and makes a spectacular attraction out of each one (except Space Mountain, which is ghastly).
Not to mention the improvements made with the layouts of the lands, the most obvious one being the brilliant Thunder Mesa that forms the home of Big Thunder Mountain and Gracey Mansion. Discoveryland (read: Tommorowland) takes a whole different approach to the architecture of the American counterparts, with it's Verne-esque designs. Fantasyland is pretty average, and Adventureland is admittedly a mess of bad ideas. But, ironically, this Main Street USA is probably better than the Floridian counterpart, at least.
And I still think it's great how they managed to stick a huge fairytale castle at the end of a 1940s Americana street and nobody even notices that it really should look out of place.
But don't anybody think I'm criticising Europa Park; I'm not. That place is a stroke of bloody genius...
Also, which Europa hotels have you stayed in? We were going to spend a couple nights in the Castello, but as there didn't seem to be anything else to do except drive over to Rust or go to the park (which surprisingly closes at 6pm, even in the Summer), we decided against it.
As for security, Cedar Fair wasn't checking anything. Disney and Knott's was checking bags before the entry turnstiles. And Universal Orlando was checking bags *after* the entry turnstiles, which really backed stuff up.
Hotel Castillo is a true gem of a themepark hotel, if you can get a reasonable price, which is tricky in the summer. The level of themeing is extraordinary, and the service is very efficient, as I mentioned earlier. None of that Disney, on the cheap hotel package rubbish. Disney Paris is not worth visiting, I stand by that statement, partly due to the high levels of English visitors who spoil the whole experience. The weather is the parks main downfall, unlike Florida or California. If only Disney had built the park in Spain, like that of Universal (Barcelona), Paramount (Costa del Sol) and Six Flags (Madrid). That's my take on Disneyland Paris' financial probs since it was built, wrong place. France is a nice place to visit, but the French don't do the whole American themepark thing, the English, Germans and Spanish do, its just a fact.
Eftling, Holland is good, I agree Ben, but unfortunetly for a well-rounded themepark experience, Eftling fails to deliver what I call a 'big punch' attraction, like Silver Star at Europa Park.
Overall, though Southern California is the best destination for themepark addicts, primarily because it has the most themeparks in an isolated area. Florida is a close second, but if you, like me have experienced Florida far too many times (for me about 13 times), your'll realise why. Perhaps, 2006 for Florida, when the Animal Kingdom and Busch Gardens coasters are completed. The discounts are also larger in Southern California than that of Florida, though Ohio and Virginia are cheaper still.
TOP TIP:
If you do decide to follow my advice and go to Europa Park, Rust, Germany, fly Ryanair (http://www.ryanair.com)to Karsruhe-Baden airport from either Rome, Barcelona or London Stansted. You could of course, for all those European visitors just drive, but its a fair old drive from London, England (takes a whole day) equivalent of LA-Vegas.
Their two wood coasters, Raven and Legend were voted number 1 and 5 respectively in this same poll. Raven, which was built in 1995 by Custom Coasters Inc., cost $2 million dollars to build. That is a rather paltry sum compared to the costs of some rides. It just goes to show you that one does not have to spend tens of millions of dollars to develop a great ride.
Fair point about the wrong place for EuroDisney, though. Although, the Euro Star makes it incredibly easy for any one in Britain to get there. Though, as you point out, that might actually be a bad thing.
What are the breakfasts like at Castillo? That's always been the worst thing at the Disneyland Paris hotels, I've found. Ham and cheese cubes? Per-leeeze! This is supposed to be France, the home of the ultimate gastronomic experience!
And I hardly think the British "do" the American theme park thing. Alton, Thorpe, Chessie or Blackpool? C'mon...
: )
http://www.fool.com/News/mft/2004/mft04081602.htm
>>Consider Disney's humbling admission last week that attendance has been lower this summer at its California parks. No, you can't win them all, but mull over the fact that the company is blaming the traffic slump on high gas prices, terrorism fears, and a lack of discounts being offered to local residents. Bad management? You bet. Even a potty-trained toddler firing up his copy of Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 can tell you that if fuel prices and safety concerns are keeping the out-of-towners away, then the last thing you want to do is dissuade the locals.<<
WOW!!!!
Hay Robert I've got a question, how come you haven't put hulk or dueling dragons in the best attractions you've visited. I just can't believe you missed those two amazing attractions out.