Don't appreciate WDW? Just go to Six Flags!

[jcemom]

Originally posted by Tigger&Belle
This summer we are going to go to Kennywood in Pittsburgh. We've never been before, but I've heard it was a nice park.

T&B

I'll be there next Saturday, the 10th, for DH's union picnic. It's a nice park with some great rides, lots of benches and trees...but it's still NOT Disney, lol. I hope you have a good time.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Originally posted by jcemom
I'll be there next Saturday, the 10th, for DH's union picnic. It's a nice park with some great rides, lots of benches and trees...but it's still NOT Disney, lol. I hope you have a good time.

We'll be down sometime the following week. We've never been to Pittsburgh and are going there, Sandcastle, and the science museum. Glad that Kenneywood is a nice park. If you have any tips or strategies I'd love to have them!

Nope, none of these places are Disney, which I'm ok with as long as it's a good time. I will be going to WDW soon enough and will be patient.

T&B

 

[jcemom]

Tigger&Belle, PM on the way!

 

[sha_lyn]

We live about 40 min from SF over GA. We stopped going a few yrs ago because of the condition of the place. we started going back when DH had a work "picnic" there almost 3 yrs ago. Then for the last 2 springs we've attended their homeschool day. I have to that this yr they have finally cleaned up some. Really DS and I have only been going for the coasters. As a part of the HS deal we get free return tickects so we will be returning again this summer. We usually try to eat only one meal there. As said before the food is horrible and expensive. When DS was very little they actually had a very good character meal called the Carrot Club that featured Bugs bunny and friends. The place would be packed. Go figure they would end it and put up more hamburger stands.



As for Cedar Pointe. I have to say I love it. Sure it isn't WDW or US/IOA but I do love CP. We've stayed at breakers express and the kids loved the snoopy shaped pool.


Price wise WDW is just as cheap or cheaper as SF or CP.

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by DumboFan
Just went to Great Adventure (still can't call it Six Flags) on Monday. We were only there about 3 hours & that included the safari!

The safari was a HUGE draw when it first opened. Being able to drive somewhere so close to home and have real live wild animals walk right up to your car was incredible!

But we've become jaded over the years as zoos have improved so much and now Animal Kingdom has come along. The Great Adventure safari has not changed a bit and now seems rather pathetic. There is absolutely no theming at all on the safari. It looks like someone dropped a bunch of animals in their back yard. There is no comparison to Kilimanjaro at AK. No native plants. Nothing at all resembling a natural habitat. Just a big open field of grass with animals wandering about. I think it lost its thrill factor long ago. And Six Flags quietly acknowledged this a couple of years ago. You used to pay a separate fee to enter the safari. Now it is included with your park admission.

 

[luvabargain]

During our vacation last summer we decided to go to Six Flags Marine World in Vallejo, CA., never been there before.

It was just so dirty, exactly what most of you kept saying. Dh and I kept commenting about that to each other. It did not give me a good feeling.

There too, there were several attractions that cost extra and they didn't have a good selection of kid rides for my dd. We got in with a coupon that left us only buying 2 tickets for the 4 of us and for that price it was ok but would NOT have been worth full price.

We later went to Paramount's Great America in Santa Rosa, CA which used to be my fave but hadn't been there since I had kids. It was such a complete turn around from 6 flags. Disney it is not but it was clean, there was an awesome kids section and they have a selection of rides for everybody. The theming is pretty good and they had a Scooby Doo play that was wonderful and dd was so thrilled and both the kids agreed they liked this park a lot better. My son even wrote in his school journal about his vacation and used the word "dirty" when describing Six Flags MW.

 

[ttichenor]

Here's my $.02 on Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom.....we have gone the past two summers and while no Disney, it's not bad.

Park pretty clean and lines are not too bad. Plus our tickets were only $19.99 (AAA discount). This past weekend, Saturday was absolutely gorgeous, low humidity, temperature around 80 (that could have helped the day LOL). Could not believe the park did not have higher attendance than it did.

Worth a day's trip for us yearly, but not a "vacation destination".

 

[colleen costello]

Dorney Park in Allentown, PA is clean and nice. When I was a kid it was a little, cheesy, family-run place but now it is owned by Cedar Fair and is lots of fun. Grandma and Grandpa live near there and we go almost every summer. They have two beautiful carousels.

Hershey Park is my favorite after Disney. It's green and clean, and the "characters" are 6-foot tall candy bars! Plus you can smell the chocolate being made from the factory. YUM!

Kings Island in Cincinnati is also big and colorful and lots of fun. Boy, it is expensive though. With parking and food it may cost more than WDW.

The park in Twinsburg, Ohio was really nice when it was a Sea World. My kids loved it. Now we go to the one in Orlando!

For family-oriented, clean, affordable fun, can't beat "Holiday World" in Santa Claus, Indiana. The same family has run it for years and the parking and DRINKS are free! They have all these little stations where you just go up and get your drinks. Wish Mickey would do this! Last summer we were there and it started pouring and they came around giving away ponchos... Again, couldn't imagine Disney giving away ANYTHING! But as fun as these places are, NONE measure close to WDW!

 

[Planogirl]

They aren't Disney but Six Flags Over Texas tries hard to stay clean and well-maintained and I consider Sea World San Antonio close to the Disney level. Except for their food that is, the food in Sea World is yucky IMO. We also liked Knott's Berry Farm the one time we visited. Of course, Universal's standard is just as high as Disney's now.

I'm surprised to see anyone criticizing Schlitterbahn. I have NEVER heard anything but praise for this park. I know that the family that runs it is real conscientious about cleanliness and maintenance.

 

[Mad4Mickey]

Six Flags = NASTY ... I live 15 min from the one is Alrington and it is just filthy . IMHO

 

[crazelion]

I understand some your hate for Six Flags over Georgia. I will agree with some points:

They should not have took the shuttles away 3 years ago.

Some the problems that run into I never experince in the park period.

Yes the basketballs is bad idea but it makes the Six Flags the money and I understand.

Six Flags food is aweful and expensive. Come on people is it's a amusement park and everything is high at amusement park. I don't expect great food at amusement park.
I don't eat at amusement parks at all because the food is bad.

That includes WDW parks to. I eat in the food court or other food places.

I count on my hand that there is only a few rides that have pay get in the park but it not that many.

I happen to like Six Flags Over Georgia because that is only close park to me that have decent rides. The park is two hours away from me and i go every summer on a season pass.

If see a dirty park then go to Lake Winnie and the rides is aweful.. I to Lake Winnie on 2 for 1 Fridays because I don't it should charge 18.00 dollars to get in.

I know get ready to get flame I am not WDW biased either.

If won't to see expensive food prices have been to a baseball game lately.

 

[sha_lyn]

Just heard on the news that SF over GA security held 3 blind men for over an hour because they claimed that the white canes were weapons.

I'm surprised to see anyone criticizing Schlitterbahn. I have NEVER heard anything but praise for this park. I know that the family that runs it is real conscientious about cleanliness and maintenance.

We went to Schlitterbahn Beach on south Padre Island and loved it. It was so clean and the food was great.
It has completely spoiled me. I love their setup. You can access all but one slide from their "lazy river". You never have to leave your tube.

 

[Tasha+Scott]

My DH and I went to SF over Georgia about 5 yrs. ago. Admission price was not too bad IMO. But the problem we had was that it was too much like a carnival. My DH will not ride roller coasters or anything with drops. It was not very much fun b/c we couldn't find much to do that he would enjoy. That is probably why we love WDW and US and IOA. They have coasters and such but there is also things for people who do not like coasters. SF seems like nothing but roller coasters for the most part. If it was just me, I would probably enjoy SF, but I would still take WDW over that any day.

 

[SuzieQMomof3]

I totally agree with disneysteve, Great Adventure in NJ is awful. I haven't been there in a very long time but the only thing I remember are the packs of kids roaming around being rude and offensive.

I live in Southern New Jersey and there is a small park called Storybook Land which is perfect for smaller children, mostly because the people are nice and it is CLEAN!

 

[Eeyore2003]

As long as we're "plugging/critisizing" amusement parks, I'd like to mention that Adventureland in Des Moines, Iowa is very nice. We stopped there on our way back from Colorado every year for our "last night splurge", and loved it. Small, but clean and nice.

Don't also forget Noah's Ark Water Park in WI. Also, very nice. I think the "general" concensus looks like maybe Six Flags should literally "clean up" their act, but these other more private parks seem nice, clean and cutely themed, even though the rides are "rides" not "attractions".

 

[shafke]

We just retured from a quick little jaunt to PA to visit Knoebel's Grove. This is a fun little amusement park with two excellent coaters. It is clean and well kept up... The prices are reasonable... Admission for family of 4 < $100. Reasonable food prices.

We also make a yearly trip to Hershey... another park that is kept well maintained and clean with reasonable admission prices... still under $40.

Six flags just kind of sucks for me.

However, I do not find myself comparing a regular amusement park to Disney. When we do Disney it is not just for a day... it is a full vacation. Most other parks are ususally day trips or a long weekend.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by sha_lyn
Just heard on the news that SF over GA security held 3 blind men for over an hour because they claimed that the white canes were weapons.

Do you have a link to this story???

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by crazelion
I don't eat at amusement parks at all because the food is bad.

That includes WDW parks to. I eat in the food court or other food places.

You think that Cinderella's Royal table, All the WS resteraunts, The Brown Derby, The Rainforest Cafe, Liberty Tree Tavern, Crystal Palace, The living Seas and Tony's are all bad???

Yet you like the food court?

 

[sha_lyn]

It was on one of the local news stations. There is a convetion going on that they were a part of. SF has offered them free return tickets and they took them up on the offer to return this weekend. I'll try to find some info, but Idon't even remember what station I was watching

 

[mickeymousefan]

Of course six flags cant compare to Disney world... IMO neither does Universal. I am a seaseon pass holder at Great Adventure and I do agree that the people that go there can be .... um..... questionable. They bus in lots of teens and there is a lot of profanity, line cutting and inappropriate clothing. Disney is a more of a place where families go and the atmoshere is much nicer. We do have 2 small children that love the kiddie areas at Great Adventure and these areas are cleaner and nicer than the rest of the park (IMO).
I dont think it is really THAT bad at Great Adventure.... I will still get my season passes every year as it is only a half hour ride from my house. But of course it is no DisneyWorld!!!