Does your home park lose its luster?

[deguy123]

I'd say Great Adventure is the my homepark but Hershey/Dorney are pretty close also. GA just has lost it's luster for me because I feel it's a great park but just a great park with Coasters and Kiddie Rides. I usually go to to Hersheypark instead because I just like the overall experience at Hersheypark. Hersheypark just disappointment me for the first time though taking out the Canyon River Rapids......but its still a great park IMO.

[jamesdillaman]

I agree, Robb. Cincinnati has a ton of parks within 12 hours, too. Heck, you can even get to NYC in only 10 hours by car. The day trips aren't what bothers me, though. I still have fun taking a little trip by myself, but going to Kings Island alone is just lame now. I do think it might have to do with the corporate nature of the park a little. I think if I lived next to a smaller park, even a corporate one that just feels like an old fashioned family park, it would be different. I could see myself hanging out at Indiana Beach all the time if I lived near there (especially since I wouldn't always have to get a ride bracelet, I could just hang out there and watch the shows and eat the tacos.) I think it's just that Kings Island has lost all the variety of things to do since I've lived here. I mean, when we first moved down here it had the dualing antique car rides in the middle of the park which were awesome, not to mention the flying eagles which were always fun to either ride or just watch. Plus there were more shows, with bands walking around playing music. Just the atmosphere was friendlier. When I was there the girl on the Racer PA system was sarcastic as heck. It was so annoying. She was all "Welcome back riders how was your ride?" and when not a lot of people said anything: "Sounds GREAT" in the most annoying sarcastic teenage girl voice ever. And she did this every time. Plus I hardly saw any employee smiling. I don't know if the little things like that would help, but it sure bugs me to notice and makes me realize I could have more fun sitting at home watching Netflix.

[bgwfreak777]

If I had answered this question about 5 years ago, I would have said YES.

 

I was so bored with Carowinds on so many levels.

 

But with the addition of Intimidator, the flyers and the overall improvements I've seen since Cedar Fair took over, I really enjoy going to the park as much as I can.

 

Is it my favorite park? No, not by a long shot. But I still have a good time, and when Thunder Road and Hurler are overhauled, it will be even better.

[Six Flags Enthuseast]

I'm getting unbearably bored with Wild Waves, because it's only recieved 2 new rides since I've first been there. Not exactly great rides either. Plus, it lacks in anything above what I'd consider medium thrill level. Along with that, because of its proximity to SeaTac Airport and Boeing Field, no structure in the park is allowed above 125ft. There are a lot of rides on the market that are less than 125ft (including the Zamperla Turbo Force, which is 123) and are very fun, and WW needs to take advantage of them!

[VF15]

As long as I'm doing a decent variety of things, I don't find Valleyfair to be boring, even though plenty of other enthusiasts probably would, and while I do enjoy the park's current ride lineup, a new coaster within the next few years would be much appreciated. It hasn't been my home park for that long, so that might be why I'm not bored with it (yet). Also, Valleyfair is only open half of the year, so I really have to appreciate and take advantage of that half that it is open.

[grsupercity]

Before CF bough MIA, the jourdans added rides every year. It kept it exciting to go ride the new rides every year. Lately it seems like a rarity for them to add anything (regardless if its thrilling or big or lackluster). Its hard to get excited for a new lemon aid stand lol. But since Im down to only about once a year it still has some magic for me.

[MisterP]

I haven't really had much desire to go to SFSTL the last couple of years. Other than the oldest and newest woodies, the rest pretty much bores me (although I've yet to ride Mr Freeze in the Reverse Blast mode).

 

With the Battle for Metropolis coming in, I'm sure I'll be back next year.

 

I still think its a nice park. There just aren't too many surprises for me. A steel mega or flying coaster or something like that would have me back to being a regular though...

[DarienLaker]

I think that Darien Lake had lost its luster. It all started in 2012 when they replaced Scrambler with a lame kiddie ride themed around moose running rampart through a campground. Then in 2013 they removed the last Huss UFO ride left in the United States and replaced the old Raging Seas ride with a used drop tower, then they "teased" us by a proposed remodel of Predator as "Lake Monster" and now that's never happening. Then in 2014 they removed 'Cuda Falls leaving an open space in the front of the park and now with Premier is back in control and a Super Loop ride on the way, the park's magic and luster is now lost and Darien Lake has faded into mediocrity even worse than after Six Flags put in Ride of Steel then sold Darien Lake in 2007!

[sirspud]

A home park is like a wife. Every ride is predictable because you've done it all before, and you see and know sides of it that casual acquaintances don't get exposed to, and sometimes you wish you could experience other rides. But if it's a good park you'll be kept entertained even if your times with it aren't as sheer exciting back in your first couple of years.

 

My home park, BGT, is fun and is generally quality all around. I'm glad that they never just throw up a ride with sheer disregard for making the area around it complete, like Six Flags would do by throwing up a ride over a parking lot. My only real complaint is that the type of rides I prefer, airtime machines such as hypers and woodies, are only really represented by Sheikra to some extent.

[StuckInSD]

I felt as though SeaWorld fell into a rut until a couple years ago (and then fell on its face last year for a little bit). Before Journey to Atlantis, SeaWorld was stuck in the 90's; heck, Wild Arctic is still stuck in the 90's. But with that new ride, it kick-started a sort of renaissance at the park, with a bunch of good decisions and less bad ones (still can't stand Elmo Land, but that's just me). From what I understand, before PETA attacked and the PR campaign/foray into stocks that soon followed, the park had big plans set for the next 5-6 years, and that had me legitimately excited. And while I do appreciate them expanding Shamu's pad in the upcoming years, I can't help but feel as if there was so much more planned. If anything, I feel as if Manta and the new front entrance were just gonna be the beginning of things to come. They managed to save Soak City, so I hope they can save themselves and get back on track.

[Schrecken]

The three parks closest to me that I would consider to be home parks are KD, Hershey and SFA. I haven't been to KD in a couple of years, but when I was last there I still enjoyed it, though of course some things do grow old after a while. Older rides that were awesome when they debuted (like Flight of Fear) now seem tired and worn out, but of course part of that had to do with the changes in theming. Of the three, I'd say Hershey has lost the least of its luster over the years for some reason. And then there's SFA. IMO that park lost its luster for me a long, long time ago, and has yet to get much of it back (for a multitude of reasons). I did have a season pass there for a couple of years back in the late 90's (in pre-SF days), back when my love for coasters was brand new and I had yet to go beyond my figurative coaster back yard at that point. I hope for the day that I will want to go to SFA the way that I want to go to HP (and KD occasionally). For them, getting a brand new non-clone bonafide rollercoaster would be start in the right direction of re-building any luster they might have had.

[WFChris]

I think it happens to everybody. I could only handle a Disneyland AP for 3 years before I decided to stop renewing. You start riding the same things...in the same order...trying your best to enjoy it like you did back when it was new to you. And if that can happen at the happiest place on earth, well, I mean, it can happen anywhere

 

But in all seriousness, yes.

[rcdude]

I think this depends on several factors, the most prominent being visit frequency and park quality. To use my local parks as examples:

 

Disneyland Resort: I've had a pass here on-and-off throughout the years. Even though it's my favorite local park, it still will get old eventually. Through experimentation, I've discovered that there's a magic number to the amount of time you can spend here before you get tired of it. For me, that amounted to roughly one week per year, so by visiting one full day a month during low periods and avoiding high periods I stay below this limit (it also means I save money by not paying for the parking add-on). When I've gone over the limit, I just take a year off from having a pass and that somewhat resets my enjoyment of the park. I honestly have no idea how the people who visit 20+ times per year still enjoy the place so much that they keep renewing.

 

Universal Studios Hollywood: Here's an example of a park I really like but that gets old very quickly. I only visit it about once every three years, though I often buy some form of pass due to the value. However, it is rare that I'll visit more than twice during the window for the pass because there just isn't much to do at this park.

 

Six Flags Magic Mountain: This park is conditionally dependent. Although I visit several times per year, I have never gotten tired of the park when crowds are relatively low (30 minutes or less for headliners) and I can just go around the park riding coasters. Even after ten visits of the same thing I'll still enjoyed the park each time. One visit with heavy crowds, however, and I feel like I don't want to return for a long time (and I usually stop visiting until the next major coaster opens).

 

SeaWorld San Diego: This is in a similar boat to USH in that I only visit once every few years and then don't feel like going back. Admittedly I enjoyed the park more on my 2012 visit than I ever have, but that was my most recent visit and I don't yet feel like another trip down there.

 

Knott's Berry Farm: Boo me if you want, but this is my least favorite local park and here's why: During my years in college, this would be my go to park when I needed a break from studying. Although Disneyland was just as convenient, it was special and I reserved it for full day visits, while Knott's tended to get at least one visit a month for a few hours before or after class. By visiting frequently, I discovered that although the park has a lot of rides and attractions, there were only a handful of quality rides and the rest I'd only bother riding once every two or three visits. Since I'm not a marathon rider outside of ERT, this meant I got to the point where I would be done in less than two hours because I just got bored of the park. I will say the park has improved significantly over the past couple years from where it was in the 2010-2013 window when I frequently visited, but I still have a hard time spending more than 5 hours here on any given visit.

 

Any park will get old eventually, but so will anything else. When it happens, take some time off from visiting and hopefully you'll find your enjoyment level has rebounded partially on your next visit. It will never be as good as the first time you visited (unless the park has a major overhaul, that is) but as long as you enjoy visiting and don't do it just because you need something to do it's still a worthwhile activity.

[JRice92]

My home park is Cedar Point, with this year being my 3rd year as a pass holder I'm still excited as ever to get back to the park. With the collection of coasters the park doesn't get old for me. Also, one thing that keeps the park fresh is going with a different group of friends every other week so I get to see all sorts of different perspectives when I visit. When I go by myself I'm someone who will marathon coasters so if I get a particularly slow day I'll just pick and ride and keep riding over and over. With 15 visits last year I still didn't feel like I visited enough.

[thrillseeker4552]

My home park, Knott's, definitely has lost its luster over the years. Story time.

 

My first trip to Knott's that I can remember was when I was about 4 years old (11 years ago). Back then, I was so mesmerized by all the big roller coasters, and Silver Bullet was under construction at the time. The problem was that I couldn't ride hardly any rides because I was a very short 4-year-old. I was still too short for Jaguar and Montezooma's (obviously), and a couple of the flat rides that I was willing to ride wouldn't let me ride unless I was with an adult, and my mom can't ride rides without getting sick, so all in all I was stuck with Camp Snoopy (I was a thrill-seeking 4-year-old). At the time, I couldn't wait to ride all the big roller coasters. But as the years went by, and I got taller and taller, and I eventually ended up riding all the big coasters there by the time I was about 10. Now, being 15, and being a season pass holder every years since 2004, Knott's has definitely lost its "excitement". I still love to visit, but I am content after 3-4 hours. It just doesn't have the same "thrill" anymore.

 

My family still renews our passes every year, because we visit often enough throughout the year to justify getting one, but lately, I've been way more interested in visiting SFMM (especially this summer, fall, winter...whenever TC opens!).

 

I am not bashing Knott's, because it is a GREAT park that has made significant improvement over the years, but after visiting the park many times a year, for 11 years, it just isn't the same anymore on a personal level.

[viking86]

Distance definately plays a part in it for me, as Tusenfryd is 300 miles away and that is a 7-hour drive on Norwegian mountain roads. Distance aside, I still don't feel much desire to go back. It's not a bad park, and it has a couple of good attractions, but the whole package of rides, food and atmosphere just isn't there for me. I'm currently averaging on one visit every second year, the last one in 2013, and to be honest the only thing pulling me back next year will be whatever they do with Thundercoaster..

[SigilX]

My home park is Knoebels. I'd say it hasn't lost its luster but is getting better with the addition of Black Diamond and Flying Turns and soon with Impulse.

[fraroc]

I've said this plenty of times but ever since Dorney lost Laser, the park has never been the same.

[sirspud]

My home park is Knoebels. I'd say it hasn't lost its luster but is getting better with the addition of Black Diamond and Flying Turns and soon with Impulse.

 

Knoebel's is the type of place I'd love to have as a home park. The ticketing allows you to do whatever you want to do, and the informal atmosphere of it, easy parking, ample shade, and the classic yet simple rides would be great.

 

My home park (BGT) has a better coaster roster (though Phoenix is up there with anything), but the non-coaster rides and simple pleasures aren't the same.

[GwaziBSRider1]

I also have a few home parks:

 

1. Kennywood (what I consider to be my true home park) - A park I used to love going to a few times very summer has definitely lost is appeal for me in recent years. I didn't visit at all in 2014, and I only visited in 2013 because friends wanted to go and to check out Holiday Lights for the first time. Although there have been a few good additions lately, some of the existing, historical rides have not received the maintenance they deserve. I'm very optimistic that it will rebound, but for now, I'll keep visiting other parks.

 

2. Lakemont - Even though I enjoy this park, I can't justify frequent visits. I haven't been in three years, but I may make the trip to Altoona to marathon Skyliner again. Skyliner is really the only draw for me (although I will ride Leap the Dips), and I just don't feel the drive is worth it.

 

3. DelGrosso's - This was a "one and done" credit stop for me on the way back from Knoebels this year. I'm not going to drive up there just to ride a mediocre mouse and a damn Wacky Worm.

 

4. Idlewild - The Rollo Coaster was my first coaster, but I haven't been to the park in probably fifteen years just because of the lack of anything new. One of these days (and I've been saying this for three years), I'm going to go back for the memories.

 

5. Cedar Point (my "home away from home" park) - Hands down, I love Cedar Point. I've yet to grow tired of the place. My visits depend on what's new for the year. I went in 2013 twice for GateKeeper, and I'll be going up this year because of friends visiting the park (Rougarou doesn't excite me at all, honestly). If the 2016 rumor is true, I'll be there for that, too. In recent years, I've been visiting two years in a row and then a year off.

[singemfrc]

^ Yeah it's nice being in an area where you can have a "home park" and then a few "home away from home parks". I have one home park and about 6 parks that are a road trip or short flight away.

 

My home park SFDK which is about a 60 min drive away I've gotten pretty tired of going to by myself, but it's still fun on the rare occasion I can convince someone else to go with me.

 

In addition to that though I also have CGA about a two hour drive away, and since Gold Striker opened I've yet to get tired of that. More often than not when I drive to CGA I also drive the extra hour to Santa Cruz for the Beach Boardwalk. The Boardwalk I don't think I can ever get tired of, because it's not just about the coasters, and I think this is why Cedar Point draws the same reaction from people, it's just a great place to visit whether I'm riding Undertow and Giant Dipper, shopping or just relaxing on the beach.

 

About a 6 hour drive or 1 hour flight away (I do both depending on how many people are with me, it's easier to fly solo but cheaper to drive with a group) is SFMM, which I really consider my "other home park". Though it's farther, I always go down there at least a couple times per year. Make no mistake, unlike SCBB, I go to SFMM for coasters and nothing but coasters. They don't have anything else and I don't want anything else from them, so I enjoy myself every time. They have enough different coasters that it's really hard to get tired of any of them without going more than a couple times per year.

 

Beyond that there's also KBF, DLR and USH that are an hour or so drive further. I've gone to KBF a few times recently so at least for solo trips I'm kinda tired of it for now. I haven't been to USH since 1996 or so, so I'm really itching to get back there soon and though I've been to DLR a couple times in the last few years, both times I didn't get to ride any coasters (!) due to unbelievably long lines or breakdowns. I really need to do a DLR/USH trip soon, but that's gonna be an expensive one since I don't have annual passes to either like I do for Six Flags.

 

It's pretty lucky for a coaster enthusiast to live in California, the Chicago/Ohio midwest area, or Florida where you have multiple parks you can drive to pretty easily. I'd hate to live up in Seattle or something where you have one small park and have to fly to anything else.

[snapfordakids]

My old homepark SFOT, definitely lost it's luster to me before I moved to NYC. I feel like the ride selections are so dated. The park operations have gotten so bad since the accident. It's really sad, I loved that park growing up and I always thought it was one of the stand outs in the company. Now I feel like it's being neglected.

[boldikus]

^ Yeah it's nice being in an area where you can have a "home park" and then a few "home away from home parks". I have one home park and about 6 parks that are a road trip or short flight away.

 

With GAdv, Morey's, Dorney, SFA and Hershey all within 2.5 hours, I guess I kind of have this. Since I only really go to GAdv (and Moreys) repeatedly, I'll answer speaking only of those.

 

GAdv I went to a bunch in the 80s and early 90s and loved it. I was young so its hard to say why, but I loved the rides, and the park itself and the experience of going left a huge impression on me. It's reputation (what I heard from friends, etc) in the late 90s and early 2000s is what kept me away. Once I went back in 2013, it was almost a completely different park and I was generally impressed on my first visit back. I had this idea of what it had become, and the rides have changed so much that I wasn't paying any attention to cracked paths, faded paint, etc. It certainly felt more corporate but the line-up of rides blinded me to most of that side of things. Ive gone back 11 times since (10 of those in 2014) and the rides keep it from getting stale. I know its a short period of time compared to some other posters who have been going to their home parks for years and years and years, but put it this way - I barely shrugged when I found out about our (lame) 2015 addition. I have minimal desire to ride El Diablo, my hope is that since its "the new thing" it will keep the lines for my preferred rides shorter. The park is close, and the line-up is already stacked so I plan on visiting just as much in 2015.

 

Morey's on the other hand I've been going to every summer, multiple times, for as long as I can remember. Their ride line-up has gotten stale (we've been promised a new coaster for almost the last 10 years) but the atmosphere of the piers, the boardwalk, the food, the lighting packages, the water parks, the beach, the pizza, the fudge, the bars, etc more than makes up for it. My folks live nearby so it's just a short 10 minute walk when I'm in town, and that is huge for someone like me that does not drive. It's such a nostalgic place for me that even though most of the rides are been-there-done-thats, I think I'll always find some reason to go back year after year.

[Password121]

^I can speak to a similar subject... my true home park is SFA, and I have a gold pass and visited ~8 times in 2014. I also made one trip to KD and about 5 visits to Great Adventure, two of which were back to back.

 

To keep it short and to the point... yes. SFA does lose its luster. The ride line-up (and atmosphere... which for me is a part of it) cannot compare to that of Great Adventure. I'll ride every coaster once per visit, with the exceptions of Mind Eraser (once a year) and Superman (at least three per visit). What keeps me coming back is 1) I am fairly close to the park and 2) the park has been improving, and is generally a fun place to visit about once a month. With the recent additions the park has made, along with vast improvements in overall experience, there has been a bit more of a reason to stay for longer than just to get the credits. Apocalypse sucks, yes, but with two coasters and now two new flats since 2012, there is enough to keep me occupied for a good while. If corporate can finally take a risk with this park and spend more than about $3 million on a single ride, that would be huge for the park. A Skyscreamer would be the perfect step next year, IMO.

 

As for Great Adventure, I find myself running out of time at the end of the day to do everything I want. I could easily go and ride El Toro all day long, and I'd be in heaven. Add Nitro, Kingda Ka, Batman and Bizarro (and now Zumanjaro and Skyscreamer), the luster is far from gone.

 

I would like to branch out a little and visit some more parks though. I had three days at Cedar Point in 2014 which was absolutely incredible.

[Angle O. Descent]

I'm lucky enough to have a large Paramount park 20 mins up the highway from me. I find the key is to do a quick 2-3 hour drop-in every other weekend. I do roughly half the rides each time I go, and catch the rest the next time. This helps keep the park fresh enough to want to keep going back.

 

My "home away from home" park is Cedar Point. I go there once, maybe twice a year, and it never gets old for me