Does anywhere compare to Disney?

[welshlamb]

Just got back from a weekend away at LegoLand. It was our son's 7th Birthday and we have been promising to take him for a while.
We had a lovely time and E really enjoyed it but me and my husband just kept saying it's not Disney and Disney it was'nt. After being at LegoLand or anywhere remotly like it you really appreciate all the work and trainning that Disney staff must go through to play their roles. The staff a LegoLand showed no interest in the children or hyped their day up. From 3.00 pm onwards i did nothing but look at my watch. This is something we never do while at Disney. The other thing which anoyed me slightly was how slow the staff were at getting the children onto the rides which only lasted a few miniutes. Will i ever enjoy anywhere other than Disney/Universal? My Husband says i'm just too fussy,but i say once you've experienced Disney there's no other place quite like it....

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

In theme parks in my opinion no, but try something completely different that Disney doesnt do, Med countires all inclusive hotels, I like one in Zante Greece the louis Zante beach excllent for kids great beach, Lindos Greece for beauty, Disney cruise line the service and characters, not the rides, Majorca for great beachs near Alcudia, There is always DLP just a Eurostar away.

 

[kevin harrison]

Maybe the playboy mansion....

Seriously, once you visit Disney and Universal, you are very spoilt and nothing really compares.

We visited Alton Towers for the first time in about 3 years last week and it's in serious need of a lick of paint, clean up and staff re-training. But my wife pointed out that I probably wouldn't have such high standards if we had not visited Florida so many times.

It just didn't seem to have any soul about it. Just lifeless.

 

[Zovo]

I would agree with you, there appears to be nowhere like it. Last year was our first family visit to orlando - it has made us rather spoilt. For the previous few years we had headed to Europe in one of these static caravans - I am now unable to face the prospect of the 4 of us being cramped up in a caravan when i know for a couple of hundred of pounds more we can all go to Florida.

Much as i enjoy Legoland (we have annual passes and it is my favourite park we have been to in the uk) I would agree it is a struggle to fill the whole day there and would endorse your comments regarding the staff. I think though this may be cultural - we do not do the service industry that well.

 

[mark&sue]

Nowhere like Disney

But when you can't get there just having a good time and a break from work can be just as good.

I just love the weekend and the world cup is good too



Susan

 

[ely3857]

I like IOA & USF too but have never been to a UK theme park that can hold a torch to Disney.

Alton Towers could do with closing for a couple of years and having a masive overhaul both in cleaning/painting and staff training. I used to like it alot but refuse to part with £££ to go there when I get very little in return.



Jodie

 

[JohnnySharp2]

For theme parks Universal and Disney are untouchable.
Nowhere in the UK can compete, personally we just don't go to any others.

However, a trip elsewhere or a weekend away can be enjoyable too.
There are many others places I would like to visit.

 

[kkymmy]

We are definately spoilt with Disney and nowhere in the UK is comparable....however saying that Disney have the enterprise and the branding to be able to continually invest in their parks globally as well as keep the Disney Store running successfully and growing constantly. There is no other company in the world that could do what Disney do with so much success. Even Universal cannot rival Disney in my mind....Yes they do great movies, and the two parks in Orlando are pretty great. But I visited Port Aventura in Spain and was bitterly disappointed. I just expected more.

Disney train their staff very hard and recruit constantly, not just when vacancies come up. I'm very lucky in that one of my friends from Uni worked in the UK at Epcot for a year and she really enjoyed her experience but said that it was very hard work and although she was determined to keep the magic element whilst working there, said that this was very difficult backstage and in the employee accomodation.

But, in saying that, without the efforts of these wonderful people we may not be here having this conversation today. I think that the likes of Alton Towers lack the reason to be magical and so cant achieve what Disney does in that department either. This is because Disney is unique, and nowhere else can you find so many things so closely interlinked as you can at Disney. nowhere are there characters who are icons in their own right. It may have all started with a mouse but since then we've become equally as familiar with ducks, princesses, fairies, princes, dragons, fish and even scientific experiments and *shock horor* humans!

Hmmm I realise I've gone on quite a bit, but I'm sure you'll understand how passionate about Disney any of us on here are....I just don't find the magic can be replicated outside of Disney walls...

 

[Lizzy Lemon]

I agree with you all. I loved Alton Towers until we had been to DLRP. When we had a day out at AT last year, I just felt disappointed, needs a good clean and general overall pick me up. American Adventure is the same, few years since we went to Legoland (think this was the most enjoyable).

 

[carolfoy]

Our reaction to Legoland was exactly the same! mind you we'd been there about 2 months after first visiting WDW.
As for other places, I have enjoyed everywhere I've been for its own merits, admittedly we do go away a lot and as long as we've got a wDW trip in the pipeline we can thoroughly enjoy other parts of the states/caribbean/africa/europe for what they are.
If I could only have 1 holiday a year it would almost certainly be WDW as we enjoy it so much

 

[Chilly]

You just don't get the same high standards in the UK as you do elsewhere i'm sorry to say. Day's out are expensive, staff don't care, and it rains.

No wonder everyone goes abroad for their holidays. The UK tourist board needs a sharp kick up the butt!

 

[kkymmy]

I'm inclined to agree with you there...it's almost like we don't want tourists. Liverpool are trying very VERY hard in their preparations for Capital of Culture 2008 and for the most part people are very friendly but as a country we just dont have the drive and atmosphere that the americans have to make our home country somewhere that people will want to visit. It's like we don't take pride in where we live and I think that the amount of time and money spent on street cleaning and removing graffiti in city centres proves how some people genuinely don't care about where we live, and that is SUCH a shame. I know that Disney is a facade so it's going to be squeaky clean but even our 'facades' of themes parks, museums...anything like that don't match up to US standards

 

[gilld]

I agree that Disney and Universal are the best at what they do - and Disney slightly pips Universal in my opinion. But there are so many other wonderful places that are just as good, if not better, but are different.

I love Disney, but there is a great big world out there with wonderful places to see and wonderful things to do.

 

[Chilly]

Your right about Liverpool but then again i'm biased, being from that part of the world myself, I only moved to Reading in 2003.

Sometimes we get it right, the free museums in London are great but accommodation is so expensive, last year I went to Scotland for a wedding and stayed 3 nights B&B which came to £230 just before that I stayed in a motel (with free breakfast) right by Disneyland for 6 nights for a cost of £115, half the cost of Scotland for twice as long.

 

[TracyK]

You just don't get the same high standards in the UK as you do elsewhere i'm sorry to say. Day's out are expensive, staff don't care, and it rains.

No wonder everyone goes abroad for their holidays. The UK tourist board needs a sharp kick up the butt!

Have to disagree here. Think we've got some wonderful places here in the UK where standards are every bit as high as anywhere else. I have travelled extensively in the US and Europe and believe me you can get some very poor standards anywhere, yes even in the US.

As far as Disney parks goes then I would have to say that I have never been to other theme parks that are better than Disney but then again I don't expect them to be. I do love Universal and Sea World and I still enjoy Alton Towers and Legoland

Tracy

 

[Nubbedy]

Hi we were also at Legoland this weekend but the difference for me is that I have never been to WDW (yet!)

I found it to be a really good day out, DS loved it and I was impressed by the queuing systems, cleanliness etc. I'm really going to be wowed by WDW aren't I?!

I agree with other posters though, that there are lots of other fabulous places to go, Greek islands in particular, as well as days out in this country. I think lots of attraction staff try hard, it's just that the British are not as enthusiastic as the Americans - we are far more reserved as a nation, and the staff are not to blame for this.

Sara.

 

[castanea1985]

I agree, Disney is 'the best' theme park, on all counts. They pay such attention to detail, nothing is overlooked.
But, I think this is generic to American places of interest on the whole, for example, Williamsburg in Virginia, is recreated to perfection. Everyone is dressed in the period clothing, with characters carrying out various tasks of the time. They have the daily parade where characters march in front of the Governors House with their fife's and drums. It is excellent!
So, maybe its an American thing!!

 

[martinrmn]

I have to agree with some of the comments posted here. I think what we forget is that Disney and co have had years to perfect their parks and service. With that in mind, given the choice for holidays Disney would win every time. My wife and I have travelled around and by far Disney comes out tops. My 5 year old is the same. On a financial note we find the UK is pricing itself out of the holiday market.n Only recently there was a programme on television about days out. For a small family to go to Legoland with lunch came to just under £100. This for one day. I live in Wales so with the increasing cost in petrol this would cost a small fortune. Admittedly, whilst Disney tickets are probably the most expensive part of the holiday there is so much to cram in. Sorry if I have prattled on but this country needs to look at its prices if we expect people to want to holiday here.

 

[Laurajean1014]

There's no place like home, at Disney!

 

[Lisash]

I must admit we haven't been to a British theme park since our first WDW trip. There seems no point as they just don't compare with Disney or Universal in any way at all. It's the whole experience you get with Disney that makes it so special and it's lovely to see people having such a great time. I love to see how excited people get when they spot a familiar character and start jumping up and down shouting look its...... and that's just the adults