Disney vs. all the competition

[WannaBeInWDW]

WannaBeInWDW: I see that now, I hope it's going to be a good time of year to go. I just upgraded from pop century to POR because I've been smart with my money this year; I love POR

I am at Pop Century. Since we have my entire family coming (nearly 12 people) we need 3 rooms. I have never stayed at Pop, but I have stayed at POR. Love it there!!

 

[Unseen-Unheard]

i went to the local yearly fair this past weekend, thinking it would just be a nice day out. not trying to compare them to disney but it did make me appreciate disney all the more. after i paid $8 per person(i know its not alot) to get in the gate, i then had to buy ride tickets for $1 a piece and most rides or fun houses took 3-5 tickets each. a hamburger was $4, a corndog$5, and lemonade $5. and then these cheesy attractions that your supposed to pay $1 to enter. they nickel and dimed me at everyturn and it really made me see what a deal disney is. i spent over $125 in 3hrs for myself and wife, after leaving i told her that i've been spoiled.
i've only been to SFs once in Atlanta, but once was enough. now i do like bush gardens.
Paul

 

[sunkist]

Dollywood in Sevierville Tenn. is pretty good-all though not Disney. The people are very nice, park is very clean, rides are good. But of course nothing beats Disney. I don't think they try to be like Disney. We live about 45 mins away from Dollywood and go every 3 years, takes us 12 hours to get to DW and we go every year.

 

[N10CJT]

Ok, I will get flamed. But what else is new.

Disney, buy nature is extremely expensive compared to six flags. That tends to keep less disreable folks away from the park, so you dont have as much rude behavior, littering ect.

plus, disney has much much higher employment standards which make the CM actuall care about their job and the guests.

I live 2 miles from Six Flags St. Louis. I can see / here the park through the trees on my back deck. We have season passes only beacuse we live so close and my 6 year old likes rollercoasters.

The works at 6 flags dont care, they goof off, have shirts untucked,...the flower beds have weeds, there is gum everywhere....and the local riff raff that goes to the park is just un bearable.

It makes disney that much more special.

At least you know you're going to be flamed.
It's not that I disagree with the idea that Six Flags isn't Disney. Great Escape is pretty close to where I now live and my girlfriend worked there while she was in high school (and has some terrible things to say about it), and I went to Great Adventure when I was younger and living near New York. They are certainly NOT Disney.
But I take exception to the idea that Disney is better because poor people can't go to it. Frankly, it's disgraceful to think this way. I've known and taught plenty of people of varying economic backgrounds, and I take offense to the notion that spending a day with a certain demographic is likely to be horrible if they have no money or wonderful if they have tons of it. That's classism, and it's only easier to tolerate than racism if you ignore the parallel structures of such discrimination.
I'm staying at the Beach Club this November..... does this make me more desirable than everyone staying at POP? This is as absurd a conclusion as someone assuming you were unworthy of Disney because you couldn't string a few sentences together without making a dozen spelling errors. The only thing I care about is your exclusionary attitude, which is antithetical to the spirit that probably is the biggest contributor to Disney being so much nicer than Six Flags and other want-to-be Disneys.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Dollywood in Sevierville Tenn. is pretty good-all though not Disney. The people are very nice, park is very clean, rides are good. But of course nothing beats Disney. I don't think they try to be like Disney. We live about 45 mins away from Dollywood and go every 3 years, takes us 12 hours to get to DW and we go every year.

Takes us less than 2 hours to get to Dollywood and about 11 to WDW. We go to WDW at least once a year. I actually went to Dollywood this year for the first time since I was in jr. high. We only went b/c my DB and DSis-in-law to be were vising from Wash State. Going to DW makes me enjoy disney that much more. It just shows me that I can't go just anywhere and get the Disney experience.

 

[JerseyMamaBear]

Your right about Six Flags. I have season passes and live/work within 20 minutes of the park. We always have so many problems breakiong out there with everything from gangs to fights and even weapons. While I do enjoy going to enjoy fright fest and the slow early spring season, I am still very greatful we have to pass through metal detectors to enter!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Thats not all together true.

When Dan Snyder took over his head of Parks went on a rant that we will be just like Disney going after the Disney model. ( I was a 6 year SP holder).

They stated they were going to do Parades ,fireworks, characters and even Character Meals Just Like Disney.

Well that was the Characters and here's the Parade

.

What I do expect is a clean safe enviroment and I just haven't had that the past few years at our SFs . They took rides out and some just never seem to run correct.

We did Hershey Sp and it's well worth the extra 45 mins to drive to. I think they are as close to Disney as it will get.

They've adopted Auburn's Peoples' national championship parade!!!!

 

[I'mNoPrince]

They've adopted Auburn's Peoples' national championship parade!!!!

And that was the Big tractor they had a smaller one pulling a smaller Sign as well.

 

[Rustysmom]

We go to Great Adventure every year during rhe summer, and while it's no Disney, I don't think it's so bad. I never saw any gang fights or rude teens, or litter. Mabye I just went on good days? We did have to wait on huge lines for the big rides because I refuse to pay extra for the Flash Pass, but I was able to go on quite a few of them.

This past summer was the first time I saw tons of characters out and the first thing I thought was that they are trying to be like Disney. Nope, they're no Disney but they are pretty close by and we get in cheap after BOGO coke cans and the certificate my DS got for reading books.

 

[whgrn]

We live 15-20 minutes from Six Flags (or Great Adventure as we locals still call it!)

My kids have been to the Safarai park ONCE, about 6 years ago. They have NEVER been to the main park.

Last time I was there was 2 or 3 years ago for Sean Hannity's Freedom Fest. Before that I think I was there maybe 3 times in my life, despite growing up in Central NJ.

We have gone for the holiday lights drive through....

I guess I just have NO interest in going. I know teens who work there and people who take their kids and I rarely hear anything good about it. And I think the prices are ridiculous!

Disney, OTOH, well, we went 5.5 years ago, we're going back, and if I had my druthers we'd go ALOT more often, but DD can't deal with the heat so we can't do summertime, and Easter and Christmas are just tooooo insane. So this year I'm pulling them out of school for 3 half days for "Jersey Week". It's probably the last chance we'll get for a long time. Oh well...

 

[DISshopkeeper]

HersheyPark is my off-Disney theme park fix. It's a nice park!

 

[Kathi OD]

I went to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jersey yesterday and I remembered how MUCH i missed Disney World! What a RUDE awakening. They TRY to be like Disney with their FLASH pass which was like $20/person and you entered through the exit sometimes. (if you are going to BE like Disney, copy them all the way, don't drop the ball!!) Their Character picture spots, their themed lands. There is really NO comparison.

It just made me super depressed going there. People are rude and obnoxious and think they are too good to wait in line so they decided cutting is better and NO ONE stops them.

What a MISERABLE place. Or Maybe I am just spoiled rotten by Disney!!!!!

Great Adventure has pretty much been that way since Six Flags took over. It's a lesson on how a corporation can ruin a good thing.

Yep I went there once for Halloween (I thought it was PA or NJ???)
I felt like I had been dropped into the old 1970's movie "ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK" (staring Kurt Russle?). It looked like a gang war zone...LOL (harmless kids but all trying to copy MTV's newest Thug image). Too many Teens.

Being pretty equally distant from two large cities (NY & Phila), GA is going to attract lots of teens. Unfortunately, most of those teens are unsupervised and sadly, many aren't all that harmless.

Six Flags target audience is more the thrillseeking crowd, and they know this.

That's why I'm saying, you can't hold them up to the same standards. Six Flags is an amusement park, Disney World is made up of theme parks. For us coaster geeks and park enthusiasts, those are two completely separate entities.

If their audience is more of a thrill-seeking crowd, then they shouldn't be advertising themselves as a theme park, which they do, and imply that it is family friendly by bringing in the Warner Brothers characters. Nothing wrong w/ an amusement park for thrill-seekers, but if that's what your park is then you are going to attract large numbers of unsupervised teens, making the park rather family-unfriendly.

I wasn't going to Great Adventure expecting to be in Disney. I just realized being there yesterday how much i LOVE Disney.

Me either, but it does remind you that nobody does a theme/amusement park quite like Disney.

As far as not being expensive, I disagree. Yeah the ticket prices are lower (we paid $40 for admission i think it was $60 at the gate) then you have to pay $15 for parking; $20/person for FLASH PASS if you want to get on more than 3 major attractions; $3.29 for a NON-BRAND bottle of Water; $7.99 for a cold cheeseburger and DELICIOUS curly fries. At the end of the day, just so not worth it!! I think i spent more money there for 6 hours then I did a WHOLE day at Disney.

ITA!

However, season passes are really a good discount if you plan on going more than once a season, but even my thrill-seeking DS21 has decided that the place is just too crowded, dirty, and full of wannabe gangstas (his term, not mine) that he won't be getting another one next summer.

 

[stitchgal]

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is pretty nice. We go there pretty frequently and I have no complaints.

I've never been to a Six Flags but I wouldn't put that in the same category as Disney.

 

[chipndales]

I went to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jersey yesterday and I remembered how MUCH i missed Disney World! What a RUDE awakening. They TRY to be like Disney with their FLASH pass which was like $20/person and you entered through the exit sometimes. (if you are going to BE like Disney, copy them all the way, don't drop the ball!!) Their Character picture spots, their themed lands. There is really NO comparison.

It just made me super depressed going there. People are rude and obnoxious and think they are too good to wait in line so they decided cutting is better and NO ONE stops them.

What a MISERABLE place. Or Maybe I am just spoiled rotten by Disney!!!!!

We actually bought the Universal Studio online package this past trip. It was both parks for unlimited admission 14 days or something, I forget, the 86.00 deal and went one day for four hours tops. We hit Twister, met Spongebob, Shrek 4D and did Jimmy Neutron before we were disgusted with the whole thing and left. Didn't go back. So we have unused tickets now. I'm not a smoker, nor are my parents, and I try to keep my DD away from it as much as possible and what a difference having no smoking in Disney makes. I don't begrudge smokers, or try to change their minds on the subject, but for a non-smoker it makes a huge, huge difference to have smoking areas. The lines were ridiculous. It wasn't as clean as Disney. I was very, very disappointed. We did eat at Emeril's though, at City Walk which I did love. Next time we'll just hit City Walk and skip the Universal thing.

 

[Rustysmom]

HersheyPark is my off-Disney theme park fix. It's a nice park!

We like it too. We usually go every year.

 

[A_NY_Outlaw]

I know what you mean about WDW making local places look bad. We went to Six Flags Great Escape this past summer, after going to WDW/ UO/ SW in April....now here's a park I would go to every year as a kid and growing up, but since we hadn't been in a few years, and have been to Disney instead, it really looked "sick" to us....rides needed repainting, grassy areas were dry and bare- not lush grounds like Disney. Garbage and wrappers thrown here and there. I'm sure not every park is bad, but as someone said earlier, Six Flags has ruined quite a few parks.....I'd almost have to agree. But then again, Disney and the Orlando theme parks are a "destination"- some of these other coporations just don't their profits back into their parks. Also there isn't "as much" corporate dollars at work at say your local amusement park like Six Flags as there is at Disney.

 

[asmit4]

I've seen posts like these a lot lately and I think a lot of people are really are missing the entire point.

Disney is a destination- people travel from all over the world to stay for multiple nights- even WEEKS. It can easily cost a family 5K or more for a weeks stay.

Six Flags and parks like it are a "ONE DAY park". You drive an hour or 2 on a Saturday, you pay for 4 admission tickets for the family- ride 10 rides and go home.

To compare the 2 just isn't fair at all, IMO. I love DW, but I also love thrill parks like Cedar Point.

I wouldn't dream of comparing Top Thrill Dragster at CP to It's a Small World at DW.

The dynamic, the entire concept is 100% COMPLETELY different. Both have their place but when you are comparing a goliath (DW) to local parks like six flags, DW will ALWAYS win out.

People spend their yearly savings, sometimes even multiple years for DW. I have friends that are saving for FOUR years to take their 3 kids. On the flip side- we never have to use savings to go to a six flags or cedar point- they are local parks that are close by and cheap by DW standards since they only require a 1 day commitment. DW is an EVENT, SF is a day.

 

[Robo]

We actually bought the Universal Studio online package this past trip...I was very, very disappointed... Next time we'll just hit City Walk and skip the Universal thing.

We gave up Universal Studios for Lent...








in 1997...









and have not been back since.



(And we're not even Catholic.)

 

[rosiep]

I've seen posts like these a lot lately and I think a lot of people are really are missing the entire point.

Disney is a destination- people travel from all over the world to stay for multiple nights- even WEEKS. It can easily cost a family 5K or more for a weeks stay.

Six Flags and parks like it are a "ONE DAY park". You drive an hour or 2 on a Saturday, you pay for 4 admission tickets for the family- ride 10 rides and go home.

That's a good insight. I went to DL this year and while it was beautiful and I will go back again...it, too, felt like a day park. There were lots of teens without parents and for many people this wasn't their vacation, they were locals. The whole place just didn't have that Disney immersion/isolation that WDW seems to have.

 

[A_NY_Outlaw]

I've seen posts like these a lot lately and I think a lot of people are really are missing the entire point.

Disney is a destination- people travel from all over the world to stay for multiple nights- even WEEKS. It can easily cost a family 5K or more for a weeks stay.

Six Flags and parks like it are a "ONE DAY park". You drive an hour or 2 on a Saturday, you pay for 4 admission tickets for the family- ride 10 rides and go home.

To compare the 2 just isn't fair at all, IMO. I love DW, but I also love thrill parks like Cedar Point.

I wouldn't dream of comparing Top Thrill Dragster at CP to It's a Small World at DW.

The dynamic, the entire concept is 100% COMPLETELY different. Both have their place but when you are comparing a goliath (DW) to local parks like six flags, DW will ALWAYS win out.

People spend their yearly savings, sometimes even multiple years for DW. I have friends that are saving for FOUR years to take their 3 kids. On the flip side- we never have to use savings to go to a six flags or cedar point- they are local parks that are close by and cheap by DW standards since they only require a 1 day commitment. DW is an EVENT, SF is a day.

While I agree, I also want to point out that my previous response said this basically- WDW is a destination. So I don't think "everyone" is missing the point, but I will agree it is comparing apples to oranges- or should I say apples to "a prune"