I think the Magic Kingdom is Disney's worst US park and worst castle park (omitting SDL, since I haven't visited it) It tends to have the worst versions of cloned rides, themed areas that aren't especially charming, and crowds that make it difficult to enjoy. Even the notoriously crowded and literal copy-and-paste design at TDL has far more to offer IMO. MK is right next to WDSP in my list of "bad parks", but I think even WDSP can be better if you go in with the right (very low) expectations; MK always seems to disappoint me
By the time the title sequence for 101 Dalmatians is finally over, I'm ready for a snack and a pee break.
On that theme, I don't think Cruella DeVille is particularly nasty. Considering wearing fur was much more socially acceptable at the time she's hardly on the same level as someone like Frollo who would quite happily wipe out a whole race of people.
J. K. Rowling should not have apologized for killing Snape. He was an evil villain who deserved to die. If my daughter ever treated a student like that; she would be fired on the spot.
Spoiler alert! Jeez! Controversial opinion: I never got the hype around Harry Potter. I read a couple chapters of the first book and saw one of the movies (4th, I think?), but it just never did anything for me. And as an outsider, I certainly don't understand all the hype that surrounds the franchise, particularly from young adults
I never in a million years thought I would have any interest in HP. But when the right wing "christians" started all the hoopla I thought I should know what was going on. I was in my late 40's at the time. My son bought me the first book and then I read the next two right away and waited for the fourth. Though I never went so far as to wait at a bookstore at midnight; I did buy each one as soon as it hit Walmart. Too funny really. Since all of my kids and now grandkids have gotten totally into it I am glad I know what it is all about. I actually read them every couple of years and am just starting Half Blood Prince again. I absolutely HATE churros!!
I know, crazy huh? It's like you can't really love Disneyland and hate churros. But there you have it.
As you can probably tell by my posts, I keep my head primarily empty most of the time. I don't need to know intimately about a franchise to enjoy portions of it, especially in the Uni attractions. I rode the train and saw many thing that were probably very essential to the stories, yet, I could still enjoy the ride without that knowledge. Would I have enjoyed it more if I did know the detail, I guess it's possible, but, I was fine with it the way it was. The one thing I did know was that it cost $8.00 for an 8 once cup of butterbeer and I felt like I was robbed.
I'm mostly with you. A birthday party for a 25 year old should be tacky and over-the-top. And it was temporary, no harm done. This is controversial? I always assumed this was the common opinion.
Churros are from heaven. We'll see about with colored glitter on them... Turkey legs, meh. Dole whips, okay. DL beignets, never again. I like Cars and Toy Story way better than Finding Nemo, and I'm an animal person.
I know we are in the realm of pure opinion here but how on Earth is Magic Kingdom worse than Disney Studios? I don't follow this "logic". Studios has a woeful lineup of just 5 rides, 3 of which are duplicates or near duplicates found elsewhere. The grounds, theme and architecture are not as detailed as Magic Kingdom either. And Studios' nighttime extravaganza disappoints too. That Fantasmic with its ugly barren godforsaken clump of a fake mountain stage has a disjointed story, unimpressive stunts and a ridiculous pre show music feed throughout the stadium.
Oops! I forgot that Studios rock n roller coaster has a duplicate ride in Paris. That means out of the 5 rides only 1(Great Movie Ride) is fresh, unique or original. But in fairness the Magic Kingdom is saturated with duplicates too.
Sure, MK has a bigger lineup of attractions, but most of them really aren't that good. Of the ones that are clones, most are the weaker version. There are a handful where MK's version may or may not be the best depending on your individual preferences, but I don't think there are any where MK's is the definitive version. And what exactly are MK's unique headliners? The PeopleMover, Carousel of Progress, and Hall of Presidents? Even as a huge Disney nerd myself, I have a tough time getting especially excited about any of those. At the Studios, people generally agree that Star Tours and Midway Mania are essentially the same everywhere, WDW's TOT is the best, and the 2 RNRCs are different enough that they're hardly the same attraction (though I think Paris may have the edge), and the Great Movie Ride and MuppetVision are unique to the park As for nighttime shows, compare the Studios' watered-down version of Fantamsic! (which is still okay, but not great) and pretty-darn-good Star Wars fireworks show to MK's Wishes which has always seemed overly sappy, cheesy, and just not nearly as good as the hype (though they're finally debuting a new show tonight, after 15 years). In my book, one okay show and one very good show is better than one not very good show But my feelings about MK are much more than the individual attractions or shows, it's about the general atmosphere of the park. Although the lands have varying themes, they were designed through a late 60's/early 70's lens that hasn't dated particularly well. The park also lacks the intimate charm that Disney parks are known for. Even in the ugliest parts of the Studios (which have mostly been removed for Star Wars and Toy Story construction) were built on a more approachable scale and had intimate areas; the old Hollywood half of the park rival's Disney's most charming work in other areas I'm also not the biggest live entertainment person out there, but MK really only has the afternoon parade, fireworks, and a couple minor acts. The Studios has 5 theater shows (2 large scale, 3 smaller scale), the best streetmosphere anywhere, and a variety of (debatably strange) Star Wars entertainment; it's really non-stop all day long and makes the park feel alive in a way that I've never felt at MK In general, MK just always feels like such a chore to me. The walkways are packed with crowds (even when queues are minimal), there are few areas to stop and relax, and it's largely devoid of the charm that can be found in the other parks. Add to it the monorail/ferry hassles, or long bus ride from on-site hotels, and it just seems like more trouble than its worth. The Studios is small and approachable; it may not have a ton of attractions, but it seems to live up to expectations just fine
Well defended. You made solid points. But on a side note I would like to challenge the notion that rides are better at Disneyland Anaheim over MK. It's a case by case, ride by ride assessment. I find that MK has the better Haunted Mansion, Pooh, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Jungle Cruise. But space mountain, pirates and Buzz is better in Disland.
Yah, I can see arguments for Mansion, Splash, Big Thunder, or Jungle Cruise on either coast being the better version. I think it all comes down to personal preference, and I go back and forth on them a lot myself. Splash seems to be particularly devisive, depending whether you want a more linear storyline, music tweaked to fit the themed area, and smoother ride experience (MK) or more quirky thrills, lots of AA's, and true-to-original music (DL). Although they seem very similar at first glance, I think the 2 versions of Splash Mountain are about as different as they come Pooh is one that I've never noticed a huge difference between MK and DL. Yes, the layout is slightly different, but they're similar enough to me that they're essentially the same. I think the outdoor loading area in Anaheim is kind of neat (and it never has a wait, unlike MK where it's often nearly an hour), but that's not enough to make-or-break it for me. It's just a shame that it's MK's only traditional busbar darkride, especially when you consider that DL has 5 (or 6 if you count Roger Rabbit; I'm not counting Peter Pan in either park, since it's a unique ride system). MK's version is also cloned in HKDL (right down to the image of Mr Toad handing the deed to Owl), so it's not entirely unique. Plus, everybody knows the best Pooh ride is in Tokyo anyway Space Mountain also has the potential to be better in MK, but as it currently stands it's pretty terrible. It needs some serious maintenance and care (similar to what DL got in 2003-05), but the longer indoor queue and dual track layout used to be great (and were largely ruined during the botched 2009 refurb). As they currently stand DL has the better version, but if everything were in good conditions in both places I think MK would win
