Originally Posted By dshyates Your right, what an ugly place, this picture shows clearly that the place is unworthy of praise. <a href="http://www.buschgardensgroupevents.com/va/images/Rhine_River_dl.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.buschgardensgroupev ents.com/va/images/Rhine_River_dl.jpg</a> Now if they could only create magic like this, Now this deserves some sort of award. <a href="http://www.coastergallery.com/2005/DCA10.html" target="_blank">http://www.coastergallery.com/ 2005/DCA10.html</a> <a href="http://gocalifornia.about.com/bl_dcappphoto_mm.htm" target="_blank">http://gocalifornia.about.com/ bl_dcappphoto_mm.htm</a>
Originally Posted By pheneix Yes, this park is so hideous. I can't believe I have an annual pass there. <a href="http://www.virginia.org/images/BuschGardensGarden.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.virginia.org/images /BuschGardensGarden.jpg</a> <a href="http://www.themeparks.com/library/albums/buschw/normal_bgw-2006-31.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.themeparks.com/libr ary/albums/buschw/normal_bgw-2006-31.jpg</a> <a href="http://www.williamsburgvacations.com/images/bg-5.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.williamsburgvacatio ns.com/images/bg-5.jpg</a>
Originally Posted By brotherdave Thanks for those picture links! I almost forgot how Busch Gardens Europe looks with all of those 'scrubby pine trees'! ;-)
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy Interesting compare and contrast photo links provided. Essentially we get professionally produced publicity photos from BGE in comparison with amateur photography of DCA posted on a website. Way to go guys! Why not give an apples to apples comparison to include the same professionally produced publicity shots from WDW? BGE is a fine park. They put some effort into their landscaping. The only point I'm trying to make is that it isn't a particularly spectacular place in comparison to other well landscaped resort destinations. If you were an avid horticulturalist and went to BGE to be "wowed," you would return home disappointed. There is nothing there that goes beyond the more mundane varieties of shrubs, trees, and plants that you would find anywhere else in Tidewater Virginia. In contrast, you can find a very diverse palette of plants, trees, and landscapes at the Disney parks across the globe. It's beyond the stuff that you can just pick up in the garden shop at Lowe's. All the hyperbole about BGE being the "best" landscaped just doesn't hold up. By any number of objective standards for landscaping and horticulture, it is a fairly average place to visit. Better than Six Flags or Kings Dominion? You bet. Better than AK, EPCOT, or MK? No way. Heck, the Wilderness Lodge has tremendous landscaping that should win awards, in my opinion.
Originally Posted By dshyates Disney without a doubt has some fantastic award winning landscaping. That said, BGE has won Amusement Todays Golden Ticket Award for "Best Park Landscaping" for 10 consecutive years, and National Amusement Park Historical Association's "Most Beautiful Theme Park" Award for 17 straight years. These are both well respected awards in the theme park industry. So they don't get Sport Goofy's award, I'm sure they'll try harder next year
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy << These are both well respected awards in the theme park industry. >> I think they would be better respected if they gave the awards to parks that represented the best in their industry. When you look at the list of awardees, it resembles an elementary school style award ceremony where you just pass out some sort of award to everyone that shows up so that no one goes home with their feelings hurt. Some of the awards are down right laughable. I mean, Six Flags Fiesta Texas has the "Best Shows" in the theme park industry? Give me a break. Kings Island has the best kids area?
Originally Posted By trekkeruss Putting any awards aside, I just don't understand how you can describe BGW as being in "a grove of scrubby pine trees." Here is an album of park photos: <a href="http://family.webshots.com/album/511756022AuEuWj?start=0" target="_blank">http://family.webshots.com/alb um/511756022AuEuWj?start=0</a> I think FerretAfros may have summed it up best as there is something indescribable about a completely natural setting, or as you say, the "mundane varieties of shrubs, trees, and plants that you would find anywhere else in Tidewater Virginia." I grant you that a Disney park, DAK in particular, has spectacular landscaping, but it's not "real," and has a different vibe.
Originally Posted By dshyates "I just don't understand how you can describe BGW as being in "a grove of scrubby pine trees." It's not Disney.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper I'm not sure why I even bother anymore...but... Why can't one appreciate more than one park? Why must it be, if I love something that isn't Disney I am "anti-Disney." Frankly, BGW is my favorite non Disney park and in my top 5 BGW beats at least 3 Disney parks. Is their landscaping better than Disney's? I don't know. But I do know it is better cared for. If you want in on a REAL secret...I think the now-gone Sea World of Ohio was the prettiest park in the country...by FAR...before it closed. Egads! Blasphemy! String that skipper guy up by his toenails!
Originally Posted By dshyates I personally think BGE and IOA are the 2 best non-Disney theme parks in America. My top ten would look like this: 1. Disneyland/ WDW's MK 2. EPCOT Center 3. BGE 4. IOA 5. USF 6. Dollywood 7. DHS 8. BGA 9. DAK 10. DCA I wouldn't actually call that an anti-Disney list in that all 6 U.S. Disney parks are included and with the top 3 parks being Disney Parks.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper That is a pretty good list. I might put Dollywood over USF and Animal Kingdom a little higher too. And, I think Sea World Florida might make my list vs BGA. But, I like just about any amusement/theme park so call me crazy.
Originally Posted By dshyates I had a tough time deciding between DCA and Sea World Fl. BGA made it because its got some great attractions like Gwazi and Montu along with some good solid themeing. DAK is a beautiful park but still lacks on attractions. And a little too heavy on the shows. It is a full price theme park theyu really need to focus on keeping it open after 6:00pm. Here's my Idea. Parade of Fire. Using authentic african and south east asian music like Lady Smith Black Mambazo, and the african brass marching band. Using lots of torches along the parade route and flame effect lighting on the floats.
Originally Posted By brotherdave I would agree with most of your list, dshyates. I can't add DCA yet because I've never visited it yet. But, the rest are fairly much what I would pick. (Dollywood is another absolute stunningly beautiful park that ranks close to BGE!) I would also add these other parks for great landscaping: Silver Dollar City Cyprus Gardens Sea World Florida Idlewild Park (PA) Kennywood Hersheypark Stone Mountain Georgia And, I also have to agree with wahooskipper. Sea World Ohio was an absolutely beautiful park. I'm not quite sure I would say it was THE most beautiful, but, it were still here today, I most certainly would have included it in my top ten beautiful parks!
Originally Posted By wahooskipper Stone Mountain...good point brotherdave. And, if you happen to catch Stone Mountain during their winter/Christmas event it is even more impressive. It is right up there with an Epcot Christmas and they do a beautiful "snow fall". I understand this year they are turning their laser show lawn into a sledding/tubing hill and will have all kinds of snow activities for the whole family. If you are going through Atlanta, don't miss it.
Originally Posted By aracuanbird I could BGE among the most beautiful parks in the United States, alongside Disneyland. The way that park is nestled in its environment is just gorgeous. To some extent, the theming detracts from this... I've never been to Silver Dollar City, but what I imagine that park has--and certainly what parks like DL and BGE, and places like Dollywood have--is authenticity. It's one of those intangibles that elevates themeing into something higher. IMO, none of the other American Disney parks have it to anywhere near the level that the original park does (EPCOT Center used to...DLP is the only thing that comes close now. TDS falls well short).
