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March 22, 2008

Newly expanded 'guidelines for ratings' on TPI released

By Robert Niles Inspired by some of the conversation in the comments for this year's Best Ride in America Tournament, I've just posted to the Theme Park Insider discussion board an expanded Guidelines for ratings and reviews on Theme Park Insider.

I invite all TPI members, long-time readers and newbies, to click over and take a look. I hope that you'll keep these tips in mind as you vote on the site, to help us create a greater "separation" in the values assigned to each ride, show, restaurant and hotel on our various park listing pages.

That said, I want to add one more point about the tournament. One of the things I mention on the new guidelines page addresses rating "kiddie" rides, those designed for children ages 6 (or so) and under. I hope that readers without kids will refrain from voting on those rides, so that parents can submit the ratings, relative to other kiddie rides, and reflecting their children's point of view. I think that's the fairest way to judge these attractions, and not to have a bunch of teens and 20somethings slamming Barney and Dumbo because they are "too cool" for those things now.

To continue that point, having decided this, I wish I had left Dumbo and Storybook Land out of this year's 'Best Ride' tournament. Unlike some of the other family dark rides in the bottom half of the seedings, in my opinion, those are strictly 6-and-under (and their grown-up companions) rides, and as such "oranges" to the all-ages "apples" in the rest of the field. It's impossible to do a 'best ride,' as opposed to a 'best coaster' or 'best dark ride,' contest without some mismatches, but I excluded shows from the tournament and should have excluded those two kids' rides as well.

Anyway, I hope that you will read and consider the new rating guidelines. And, please, do continue submitting those ratings and reviews! If you are new to the site, and enjoying the tournament, our registered readers' ratings set the seedings for the tournament. We'd love to have you join the site as a registered reader, as well. It's free and takes only a moment, as well as your work, school or ISP e-mail address to receive a password.

Thanks, again, for reading Theme Park Insider.

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