Went to another theme park last week/why I love Disney

[Pastamom]

Hi

Last week we went to 6 Flags in Illinois. It's close by and DS's were begging to go and they had free tickets. Since we're on a budget this summer, we caved... Now that we have been to Disney a few times it is impossible not to compare it to WDW. I realize that it's like comparing apples to oranges but DH, DS11, DS9 and I couldn't help it.

We got to the park before opening and waited in line for the Superman roller coaster - it opened 40 minutes late - which started our day off on the wrong foot.

As we were waiting in line for the Dark Night indoor roller coaster, we and a family behind us were both saying that this would be comparable to Space Mountain. It was not even close. It was so jerky that I felt like I was getting whiplash and made SM seem like a smooth ride (which I know it's not). Even DS11 wasn't a fan of it and he likes every ride..

Many times we were waiting in the hot sun (88 that day) in lines. They were not very efficient. Many times the ride workers were paying attention to something else and did not check height requirements... The one time I saw them "catch" someone too short, the Mom went on the ride without the boy and had him wait at the end of the ride for her

They also have a flash pass (like a fast pass but for extra money) which really affected the lines of the "regular" people. Anytime a person/group showed up with one they got to get in the beginning of the line right away - so for example if you were waiting for the next group to be allowed into a ride (like at the haunted mansion) and in the meantime enough flash pass people should up to fill the quota, everyone in the flash pass line got to go in and no one in in the regular line got to go in. - This happened to us a couple times on the Batman ride...WE really felt like 2nd class citizens and have never felt like that at WDW

They also had a nighttime parade (didn't see it) and turned out ALL the lights around it. We tried to get to a nearby bathroom after the parade. It was completely dark in the area They never turned the lights back on in the park..we had to exit in the dark...

Not doing this to flame 6 Flags, they have some great thrill rides, just sharing our experience.

Can't wait to get back to WDW!! I know it's not perfect, but we enjoy it sooo much more...

 

[kehlyrsmom]

We took our kids ages 10 & 8 now last summer to this same 6 flas last year they had a special discounted tickets after 5 or something like that. Both of our kids are on the Autism specrum and we figured the shortened hours would be plenty for a first experience at 6 flags for our kids.

I have no desire to go back at least to this one. Their employees were extremely rude, I felt it was not as kept up as WDW we tried to use their fast pass system, seems like each employee at each ride has a different ideal on how it works. We did stay for the parade it was OK but nothing in comparison to Disney.

We were waiting to ride a ride like the Kali River Rapids and my son wanted a pretzel well at the entreance to said ride was a place to purchase pretzles and drinks. So I ordered the pretzel with no dipping sauce(my son just likes the pretzel). The kid who took my order gave me an extremely hard time about ordering it with no cheese sauce 5 minute spill on how can you eat it without cheese sauce (my son does not like it).

Anyway after I paid for the pretzel I decided I had better get him a bottle of water, in the meantime all of the kids behind the partry are talking goffing off took me a few minutes to order the water, the kid takes my money then they start talking again. I have to interput them and ask several times for my bottle of water. Then they start to look around for it and decided that oh yeah we are out of water here, I can't give you your money back go over to that cart and they will give you one. So I walk several feet to said cart and the kid there says I can't give you one I'm on a different system so back to the original place. 20 minutes later we finally have our bottle of water. I have never had an experience like that at Disney. I told my husband never again.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Hi

They also have a flash pass (like a fast pass but for extra money) which really affected the lines of the "regular" people. Anytime a person/group showed up with one they got to get in the beginning of the line right away - so for example if you were waiting for the next group to be allowed into a ride (like at the haunted mansion) and in the meantime enough flash pass people should up to fill the quota, everyone in the flash pass line got to go in and no one in in the regular line got to go in. - This happened to us a couple times on the Batman ride...WE really felt like 2nd class citizens and have never felt like that at WDW


.

We love or local amusement park, Kennywood. No its not Disney World but we love it just the same. Its a nostalgic old park that has been around since the 1900's. There aren't big thrill rides like cedar point and six flags, but it doesn't matter.
Some time we get lucky and the lines are short. Other times we wait and wait and wait, if it happens to be a crowded day.

As far as your above comment OP. We had a really bad experience at BTMR during our last trip, last December. The standby wait time was 40 minutes so we got in line. The CM must have been new or something but she was only letting the FP people go and would let about 5-10 standby people go at a time. It was horrible. People were yelling at her, it was a bad experience. We ended up waiting for close to 2 hours for the ride, and when we got in line it wasn't really that long to be begin with. We were late for Chef Mickeys and it was just bad all around. So yes it could happen.

In your defense we have been to Six Flags and once was definetly enough. Dirty, overpriced, with rude employees.

 

[olwyngdh]

We love or local amusement park, Kennywood. No its not Disney World but we love it just the same. Its a nostalgic old park that has been around since the 1900's. There aren't big thrill rides like cedar point and six flags, but it doesn't matter.
Some time we get lucky and the lines are short. Other times we wait and wait and wait, if it happens to be a crowded day.

Oh man, you make me miss living in Pittsburgh!! Kennywood is a great park! We currently live near Busch Gardens, Europe, and we go there on a regular basis (Military discount year passes), but it is no Disney! And it is no Kennywood either!

Amy

 

[LuvOrlando]

I think anyone who as been to WDW is bound to make comparisons. Our local theme park is Dorney Park and we have annual passes this year. While it is no Disney it is a very nice way to spend the day with the kids and their friends. It can get crowded though. Halloweekends in October is fantastic, for the money you get haunted hotel type experience along with all the rides. Its great! We also have Knobels which is wonderful, especially for little kids, it can be very inexpensive since it's one of the old time parks where the rides are pay as you go with either tickets or bracelets. But, my all time favorite local park is Hershey park. It is so nice, very family friendly and very well maintained and clean. The only downfall is Pa is very hilly so our parks can be challenging for a Mom with a stroller. Still, the parks in Pa are really nice and the people are really nice too.

Even though I have all these wonderful parks nearby I still go back to WDW year after year because nothing can compare to the whole experience

 

[eliza61]

Not a fair comparison. apples to oranges. Amusement parks are not meant to be Disney, most do not compare themselves nor try to be like Disney. Going to Six flags thinking it's going to be a similar experience is not realistic.
I'm close to Jersey Shore. I have Dorney Park and Moreys' pier in Wildwood and a small one called Clementon Lake Park. All 3 are very nice small parks but no Disney but then again they are not as expensive as Disney.

 

[Mkrop]

I think anyone who as been to WDW is bound to make comparisons. Our local theme park is Dorney Park and we have annual passes this year. While it is no Disney it is a very nice way to spend the day with the kids and their friends. It can get crowded though. Halloweekends in October is fantastic, for the money you get haunted hotel type experience along with all the rides. Its great! We also have Knobels which is wonderful, especially for little kids, it can be very inexpensive since it's one of the old time parks where the rides are pay as you go with either tickets or bracelets. But, my all time favorite local park is Hershey park. It is so nice, very family friendly and very well maintained and clean. The only downfall is Pa is very hilly so our parks can be challenging for a Mom with a stroller. Still, the parks in Pa are really nice and the people are really nice too.

Even though I have all these wonderful parks nearby I still go back to WDW year after year because nothing can compare to the whole experience

We love Hersehy too and go every year. Clean and nice employees help compare it to WDW for us.

Where we wish they were more like WDW is showing wait time for rides, or having a Fast Past System.

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

We have a Six Flags in NJ and the last time I went was last summer. I also couldn't help compare it to WDW but my biggest complaint was the character. I kid you not, the Green Lantern asked me what time it was, like he was ready to go on break or something! And Cat Woman and the Riddler were standing around shooting the breeze, talking about friends and going out and stuff. Never, NEVER would you see such a thing in WDW! Aladdin would never break character to ask for the time!

Also, we have a Dark Night ride too...if it's the same as your, I found it to be more like Primevel Whirl than Space Mountain!!

 

[ferrytale]

I *used* to love 6 Flags in my teens/early 20s, I would get a season pass - its bout a 40 min. drive to the one in NJ, but over the years it got very "ghetto" <-- that's the only way I can think of to describe it. Had the same issue as PP w/ their version of the fastpass. Plus the park got very run down needing good paint jobs and cleaning on any ride that wasn't new or being promoted in commercials, several big rides would be closed and there were crazy wait times for the others. And the crowds were horrible - I know WDW gets crowded but not like this. Most of these bus groups were rude, obnoxious, and used extremely foul language(mostly teens who didn't care about what others think).
I still have fond memories of going with my friends, but I have no intention of taking my boys there for a long time.

I agree with the above about Hershey and Knoebels, both are great!

 

[bored]

This is why I like Dollywood so good. Alot of it is on par with Disney.

 

[akhenaten]

I *used* to love 6 Flags in my teens/early 20s, I would get a season pass - its bout a 40 min. drive to the one in NJ, but over the years it got very "ghetto" <-- that's the only way I can think of to describe it. Had the same issue as PP w/ their version of the fastpass. Plus the park got very run down needing good paint jobs and cleaning on any ride that wasn't new or being promoted in commercials, several big rides would be closed and there were crazy wait times for the others. And the crowds were horrible - I know WDW gets crowded but not like this. Most of these bus groups were rude, obnoxious, and used extremely foul language(mostly teens who didn't care about what others think).
I still have fond memories of going with my friends, but I have no intention of taking my boys there for a long time.

I agree with the above about Hershey and Knoebels, both are great!

I don't know when you went last... but i found that the GA Six Flags has gotten much better and not so "ghetto". We stopped going for quite a while also.... went last year and it was improved.. and went again this year and it was even better! Very clean... lots of staff etc.

 

[OhMari]

You should of posted before you went, lots of us, could have saved you the time you won't get back from going on the indoor rollercoaster.
--We waited over 2 hours and we should have listen to a group of boys when they got off and said, "the ride stinks, don't waste your time".

You did the right thing, by going to SuperMan first thing in the morning. To bad, they didn't have it running at opening. But then again, I have been at park opening and gone straight to SuperMan, and we still had a 30 minute wait. For some reason, that ride is very slow moving.

It's not unusual to wait up to an hour for each rollercoaster. I've been to Great America in the spring and we once rode 4 rollercoasters in an hour. Our heads were spinning. I agree, it isn't WDW, yet WDW doesn't have an all inclusive roller coaster park. I think they are missing out on the teen scene, by not having a park like this. I had older kids, that would of liked to be at a roller coaster park, while me and my dh were at Epcot Flower and Garden show.

 

[pixiewings71]

We have a 6 flags about 15 min from our house, but we would rather drive 6 hours to DL because DL is so much better......DD14 went to 6 Flags last month and she said it really sucked. LOL She said she had fun but DL is so much better.

 

[daisyduck123]

Hi

we have been to Disney a few times it is impossible not to compare it to WDW.

ITA!
See my BLUE TAG.

 

[ChristaDeVil]

Yeah, we were at SFOG this summer and my son and I made up a song to the tune of "Be Our Guest" that we sang about how Disney was better. I don't remember all of the words, but I know it contained something about how none of the bathrooms ever had toilet paper.

 

[indimom]

Our "local" parks are Kings Island and HolidayWorld. No, they are not theme parks like Disney, but we still LOVE them both.

KI has awsome thrill rides and a couple years ago we saw a Nickelodeon themed parade there that rivaled any parade at Disney - tons of participation from the kids in the parade route, bold colors, fun music, it was fantastic. It's a pity KI has changed hands (again) and now have the Peanuts characters. That parade was the best. They have a new water park and Great Wolfe Lodge also. The only real draw back to KI is cleanliness, it always looks a little run down.

We love Holiday World also. Great little kid rides, still some big coasters, a brand new water park, free drinks and parking, Santa all year round... It's fantastically clean. And there is a nice campground with rental cabins just across the road. Who can complain?

 

[Pikester]

We do the park comparison thing too. We tried Hershey Park for the first time this year and we thought it was great!

Six Flags is OK. If we are looking for a small park to go to Canobie Lake Park in Salem, NH is nice place.

 

[BellvilleDad]

We love Dollywood, too. As said before, it's not on the same huge scale as Disney, but it's a friendly, clean and enjoyable park. I don't care for Six Flags Over GA, personally.

 

[danalee]

yeah we have had 6 flags issues as well and no desire to ever go back! But that said we are lucky as well, to live by Kennywood!!

While its no Disney we enjoy it a couple times a summer. Our first trip this summer was a couple weeks back, and it was hotter than blazes, my son (who is 10) come out of a gift shop and says "mom you can tell this isnt Disney they dont even have air in the gift shops!" Thats my boy!!

 

[Cinderella94]

Yeah, we were at SFOG this summer and my son and I made up a song to the tune of "Be Our Guest" that we sang about how Disney was better. I don't remember all of the words, but I know it contained something about how none of the bathrooms ever had toilet paper.