Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>><<Don't expect to see MSEP ever return to Anaheim ... even George doesn't want it.<<<< HAPPINESS!!!!!! *waits*
Originally Posted By danyoung >If WDW does not think these types of reports influence future guests...they are wrong.< I'd strongly suggest that you NOT cancel your trips based on the reporting of one guy. My friend the Spirit is most definitely a glass half empty kinda guy. He will look for the negative while tripping over the positive, IMNSHO. I'll relate this story from many years back. I was getting ready for a trip to DL, having not been in many years. In my online reading I found a whole bunch of negative, mostly by Al Lutz back in the USENET days. I was almost dreading my visit, as I had been enjoying DL since my first magical visit in 1963. I was gritting my teeth, expecting to see peeling paint and burnt out lightbulbs and overflowing trashcans and a park in a total state of disrepair and neglect. And you know what I found? The place I loved was still there. The horses were still clopping up and down the street, the band was playing, the attractions were just as enjoyable as I remembered - in short, DL was still DL. Now, if you looked closely (and I did), well, yeah, there were more lights burned out than should have been. And I might have found a couple of trash cans that needed emptying. And these were things that the Disney company really should do better with. But my point is that the parks will always be the parks, for better or worse. And the worse, IMO, is just not as bad as some people make it out to be.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>And you know what I found? The place I loved was still there. The horses were still clopping up and down the street, the band was playing, the attractions were just as enjoyable as I remembered - in short, DL was still DL. Now, if you looked closely (and I did), well, yeah, there were more lights burned out than should have been. And I might have found a couple of trash cans that needed emptying. And these were things that the Disney company really should do better with. But my point is that the parks will always be the parks, for better or worse. And the worse, IMO, is just not as bad as some people make it out to be.<<<< EXACTLY how I feel. It has problems, but it's still DISNEY.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Of course- go to a Six Flags one day ( we have one close) and you realize they are still on another plane. It's always easier to critcize something than to praise it...and not saying criticizing at times isn't warranted, but sometimes can become a way of life..I see it every day at work also.. the phrase- you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone, comes to mind
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper I hate when people compare Six Flas and Disney. Six Flags was never intended to be a Disney competitor. Obviously it's not going to be on the same plane.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 you may hate it but they are both amusement parks -theme parks- Six Flags Theme Park is even called a theme park - it has rides and characters. They are part of the same genre- albeit at vastly different levels. You don't think Six Flags were opened locally to draw people who couldn't afford Disney or didn't want to make the trip ? Coney Island etc. did not influence DL ? Yes, Disney is much more immersive but part of the same genre. a Yugo and a Lamborghini are still both cars-
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<You don't think Six Flags were opened locally to draw people who couldn't afford Disney or didn't want to make the trip ?>> Right. But getting the people who can't afford/ don't want to make the trip means they aren't taking anyone from Disney, therefore not looking to directly compete with them.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<Yes, Disney is much more immersive but part of the same genre. a Yugo and a Lamborghini are still both cars- >> Right, but both are marketed to a different crowd. Six Flags isn't trying to take Disney's demographic.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper Considering they don't market the characters...at all, I'd say they aren't.
Originally Posted By dshyates Vbdad, would you also extend it to mall parking lot carnivals. Rides, churros, mad mouse coasters. Same thing.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <<You don't think Six Flags were opened locally to draw people who couldn't afford Disney or didn't want to make the trip ?>> Right. But getting the people who can't afford/ don't want to make the trip means they aren't taking anyone from Disney, therefore not looking to directly compete with them --- how many people buy AP's o Six Flags then never save for Disney like everyone used to ? Tell their kids it's just as good ? You've never heard anyone say they'd rather go to Six Flags - I have . So yes there take a part of the business away- if they did not exist then Disney / Uni would be the ONLY options- that's not true however
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer I remember them being ALL over some commercials a few summers ago.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Vbdad, would you also extend it to mall parking lot carnivals. Rides, churros, mad mouse coasters. Same thing ---- if someone wanted to stretch it that far I would listen-- but major differences are: but Six Flags is a permanent land - built as a theme park all day experience- complete with characters and food, offering sometimes similar rides - some of which they've even tried to theme queues for somewhat ( Batman comes to mind) - how is that not the same genre ?
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper They aren't the same category because Universal, Disney, and the Busch parks are resorts. They have hotels, entertainment, and other things straight on property. Six Flags is a day trip people take on the weekends, not a vacation destination.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 They surely market the characters here- they also have shows for the characters. They do not market the characters in exactly the same way because they do not own the characters- they pay rolyalites to show them having a good time at the park. the theme park is open for one reason- to make money for the owners-- unlike carnivals where usually a city/church someone getting some cut for allowing the venue to srt up - TEMPORARILY- to attract people.. To say that Six Flags only markets to a different audience is overlooking the fact that a lot if it's audience is teenagers and young couples- these people in the future likely will have greater income and then can choose whether they want to invest more capital in a vacation for a similar- but much greater experience. It's not like some of the same people do not go to both...they do.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Six Flags is a day trip people take on the weekends, not a vacation destination.<<< So why the heck were they advertising in Miami?
Originally Posted By vbdad55 They aren't the same category because Universal, Disney, and the Busch parks are resorts. They have hotels, entertainment, and other things straight on property. Six Flags is a day trip people take on the weekends, not a vacation destination. ----- the Six Flags in Gurnee bills itself as a vacation desintation -with many major hotel chains across the street from the park ( offering discounts on park tickets for stays) and a huge outlet mall not much more than walking distance from the front gate. Also does that mean before Uni built it's own hotels is was more like Six Flags than it was like Disney ?
Originally Posted By vbdad55 ^^^ and a full day ( supposedly) themed water park attached. Is Wisconisn Dells a vacation desitination then ? By definition is has many mnay hotels, parks with rides, boat rides, water parks galore ?
