Six Flags UK?

[Wes]

I'd like a magic caterpillar to make me chocalate chip cupcakes and then we'd ride a purple balloon to the moooooooooon.

[kenshinmac]

Do you honestly really believe any of what you have posted. If anything the UK is spoiled for great small-medium sized parks. They may not have Disney or Busch caliber theming but how many Busch and Disney (maybe Universal) parks are there in the world? I will also point out that you are closer to a Disney park than many of us in the US.

 

Beyond all of that what can I say... If you don't enjoy the parks around you find a way to save up to go elsewhere. If you can't do that then find some way to enjoy the parks around you... Remember the only way parks can afford to get better is if people spend money at them.

[Dailey Enterprizes]

I would say that I don't live near any major theme parks, but I would be lying (Hershey Park, Busch Gardens Europe, etc.), but you have nothing to be ashamed of in your country. You have Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Alton Towers; those are the some of the best parks in the world I hear. Besides most of the United State's parks aren't themed as heavily as you think. I'm a fan of the traditional amusement park anyway...

[Adam_C]

Do you honestly really believe any of what you have posted. If anything the UK is spoiled for great small-medium sized parks. They may not have Disney or Busch caliber theming but how many Busch and Disney (maybe Universal) parks are there in the world? I will also point out that you are closer to a Disney park than many of us in the US.

 

Beyond all of that what can I say... If you don't enjoy the parks around you find a way to save up to go elsewhere. If you can't do that then find some way to enjoy the parks around you... Remember the only way parks can afford to get better is if people spend money at them.

 

See, again, you're assuming I said I dont like parks yet I only just said Im going to Pleasure Beach Blackpool tomorrow.

 

Read the last post I made, it explains more what I meant about theming, and a lick of paint now and then.

 

As for being near a Disney Park... have you BEEN to Disneyland Paris? It might have a better Big Thunder Mountain but I wouldnt go to DLRP again having been to WDW, it seriously lacks the Disney feel... no magic, and the customer service/staff etc are horrific there.

 

Again... I LIKE the UK parks Ive visited, Im just saying how nice some heavily themed park would be if we had one in the UK.

[Divv3k]

I was at Disneyland Paris a few weeks ago and have to say it is an awesome park. I've been to Florida too and despite me preferring the Florida resort overall I think that Disneyland Park in Paris actually looks better than the Florida Magic Kingdom. Discoveryland's retro future style works a lot better than Tommorrowland in my opinion. As you said Big Thunder in Paris is excellent. Phantom Manor is amazing too and really makes Frontierland complete. Fantasyland in Florida also pales in comparison due to the whole medieval fair thing they've got going on, the Paris version seems a bit more substantial.

 

When it comes to things like feeling "magic" that's down to one's own perception. I thought the Paris Disney parks had a similar "magic" feeling to that of Florida. Also had no problems with the staff in Paris, of course it was pretty quiet when I was there so it may be different at peak times. Although I'm sure the staff quality at DLRP would still surpass the quality of staff at most non-Disney parks in the US or Europe.

 

Again just my opinion but I think you do Disneyland Resort Paris a tremendous disservice.

[kenshinmac]

I think what this ultimately comes down to is it is a lot easier to be critical of the parks you are closer to. The things you are describing are the norm for almost all parks out there. Hell up until the last few years most Six Flags Parks and heck DisneyLand and DisneyWorld were needing serious attention in places. Wear and tear happens but when you are only going to be there once for a long time you are likely going to enjoy it for what is there.

[Adam_C]

Oh god I cant win here can I?

 

How do I delete this thread?

[Divv3k]

It's not a case of "winning" mate. It's just case of pointing out that we're not as bad off here as you're making out. You've said you wanted a Six Flags park for the UK then said that's not what you meant it was a Disney style park you wanted then proceeded to start dissing the nearest Disney park to you? I guess there's just no pleasing some people.

 

Again, not about winning just arguing an opinion.

[kenshinmac]

Don't misunderstand... We all understand how you feel but honestly you have a lot of great parks in the UK and many of them are within a reasonable drive. Where I am in the US we have two fairly small parks and then it is many hours of driving to get to anything else.

 

Besides Forums aren't about winning or losing they are about debate... You gotta realize that most of us here are in the US and going to parks in the UK is a heck of a lot of fun for us. So we are gonna have a bit more rosy perception of them than maybe you will and similarly you will have a more rosy perception of US parks...

[Adam_C]

Okay, let me work this out properly, heh...

 

I said 'Six Flags' because I thought it was a chain of theme parks, as in THEME parks, but I didnt realise they were mediocre parks, like what we have.

 

What I meant is more that it would be great to have a heavily themed park in the UK.

 

I further meant that itd be nice if some UK parks just dolled themselves up a bit, the odd lick of paint, maybe having a little more theming, to use a bad example, Disneyland Paris's "Area Closed. Construction" signs are very plain and dull, as are their white scaffold coverings, wheras in the other Disney parks, the signs are more themed, the scaffold covers often have murals etc. Some UK parks just need the odd ride rennovation, cleaning some of the lights, fix some old effects, maybe update them, repaint those cave walls etc... if you get what I mean?

 

As for Disneyland Paris, its pretty with some amazing rides and wonderful theming compared to other parks, but I felt spoiled by WDW, which to me felt more magic, a lot more to do, better value, and with much better more enthusiastic staff, which I think Paris lacks, sadly.

 

And I love Blackpool. I always have. I guess you can be critical of what you love. I could walk through Trauma Towers and point at things and say "that needs re-doing, repaint this, get some more of those, move this over here", or go onto River Caves and go "that floor needs a covering, the animatronics need updating, that sound is muffled, this cavern needs repainting, the mist effect isnt working AGAIN" (etc). Im sure everyone could of their own favourite parks.

 

Ah well, bring on Disneyland Bolton or something

[BarryH]

I'd like a magic caterpillar to make me chocalate chip cupcakes and then we'd ride a purple balloon to the moooooooooon.

 

What are you smoking?

[shesaidboom]

I see what you're saying but I think your expectations are a little high here. I've never been to a park where everything was 100% perfect, but instead of trying to pull out every little thing that's wrong [like faded paint, less than awesome signage etc] I try to enjoy myself. I know some parks are really lacking, and need major changes and updates, but it seems that you're being really nit-picky here. From what I've seen of Alton Towers and Black Pool [i haven't actually been] they look like great parks. I've also been to Disneyland Paris and thought it was awesome. Much better than many parks I've been to.

 

Stop looking for perfection, enjoy what you have and have some fun with it or else you'll never be satisfied. I know I wouldn't have a very good time at a park if all I did was look around and think "that needs to be painted, that needs to be fixed, that needs an update, etc".

[Adam_C]

Stop looking for perfection, enjoy what you have and have some fun with it or else you'll never be satisfied. I know I wouldn't have a very good time at a park if all I did was look around and think "that needs to be painted, that needs to be fixed, that needs an update, etc".

 

I do have fun, I usually over look these things, but as I know the park so well its hard not to! I know to some people the park is about the rides, but to me its about theming (which is one reason I adore Disneyland Paris). When I sail into the grotto in River Caves, I usually cant help thinking "oh, the mist isnt working again", as I dont recall it having worked for years, but when I first rode that ride with my cousin, and the mist was working, it was beautiful and amazing, but without it, its dull and you can see the rails and mechanics and peeling paint etc.

 

Its not something done out of snobbishness or something, its just the equivalent of taking the vase off the fireplace mantlepiece, polishing the mantle with a cloth, putting the vase down again, and maybe putting a flower in it...

 

...horrendous analogy I know, but it explains what I mean.

[Shockwave]

Half the fun of going to theme parks is that you make your own laughs there. If you're with the right bunch of people you can have fun on a field of concrete. (Save the Cedar Fair comparisons.)

 

I get a bit peeved when I don't see effort being put in by parks, because there's supposed to be some escapism from reality. At the same time though, I don't expect them to be perfect every time.

 

This has been one of the best discussion topics I've seen in a while on here.