Does your home park lose its luster?

[jjune4991]

BGA will never lose it's luster for me! My favorite roller coaster of all time is there, Montu!

[arson]

When I lived in PA, the Hershey/Dorney/Knoebels (and sometimes Great Adventure) trifecta worked well at keeping me interested. Now that I live by Cedar Point though, I spend maybe 2-3 hours a day, 3-4 days a week, with most of the time going in, parking in the Soak City lot, and riding Paddlewheel and Gemini (or Mean Streak or Magnum), and maybe one or two other rides. Even today, I just went in to take photos, I didn't ride anything.

 

I do try to ride every ride at least once a year (still have to ride some smaller rides, water rides, TTD, and Maverick this year, everything else is pretty much sealed up). But if a ride has more than a ten minute wait, I'm usually not one to wait around for it. Most of the time, I don't want to stand in line and hear people talk about food prices or Geauga Lake... I just want to turn around and scream, "Go to Kennywood or Waldameer then! They'll be happy to take you!" Uh, anyway... maybe I should start taking my iPod in instead.

[cal1br3tto]

This thread is really helping to reinforce my goal of moving to a city with easy access to "major" parks and/or outstanding small parks. Preferably at least one within a distance of 30 minutes or less, but I've always been one who will gladly travel to any day-trip or two-day trip park.

SoCal is at the top of my list (hey, I love California) but there are obviously plenty of options throughout the US.

[Josh Linn]

I've grown a bit sour towards Knoebel's with the (what seems to be) incompetence regarding Flying Turns, but Phoenix and Twister never get old.

[phantomfan93]

Kennywood never loses it for me. I love it, its a great time everytime I go. Mmmmm Potato Patch......

[Myself]

^Took the words right out of my mouth. And I'm there six days a week to work.

[The_Mad_Hatter]

I live 10 minutes Disneyland, 20 for knotts Knotts, hour from USH, and a little over an hour for Sea World and Magic Mountain.

 

I love my home parks, I go to Disneyland about twice a month.

[rcdude]

I have a ton of parks within two hours of where I live, so I consider all of them home parks. However, how often I visit each one varies significantly.

 

Disneyland Resort: I used to have a pass and visit monthly. However, since it is more expensive now I no longer have one. I still try to visit once a year since Disneyland is my favorite park in California overall.

 

Knott's: I visit this park three or four times a year and have a pass for it as well. However, I have found that when the park is empty and there is a major ride closed (especially Xcelerator) I tend to get bored in about four hours. Now, I will rarely visit the park if one of the three major coasters or another major ride is scheduled to be down unless it is for a special event.

 

Legoland: Used to visit this park once a year since my grandfather has a lifetime pass. I now try to visit at least once in any given three year period.

 

Universal Studios: One visit every three years is enough for me.

 

SeaWorld: One visit every four years is enough for me.

 

Six Flags Magic Mountain: I usually will visit this park twice a year in addition to visiting for special events such as WCB or company picnics. This is my second favorite local park.

 

Minor Parks: I can't remember how long it has been since I last visited Adventure City or Scandia, but I don't really care to visit them again. However, I usually visit Castle Park every couple years to see if they've added anything new and ride my favorite flyers and S&S tower.

[XII]

For me, my home park is SFMM. And yes, it has lost its luster to a certain extent. A visit to SFMM is not nearly as fun as my visit to most parks outside Southern California as you get an excited feeling to just be in a new place that I never get with SFMM. For me, SFMM is kind of like a second home to me. It may be the same old thing, but it's kind of like a tradition to me. Plus, I never feel compelled to go and do everything like I do at other parks, so it's definitely more relaxing to spend a day @ SFMM than at other parks.

[socalMAN123]

With Disneyland being right up the 5 Freeway from me (about a 10 minute drive), I visit the park quite often. And although I've visited WDW, I do not get bored of Disneyland at all. I try and go a couple times a month, but lately I've been falling through on that promise. I'll utilize my pass a heck of a lot more this summer, seeing as there won't be any schoolwork to hinder me from visiting.

---Brent

[Toxicosis]

I would agree with you OP. My home park is also Kings Island. I know every path and shortcut on the back of my hand. I got a season pass for the first time since 2002 last year, and really did enjoy it. With rides such as Delirium, Backlot, Firehawk, and Diamondback I got to ride rides I've never seen before. I went about 20 times last year, and around August is when I was getting tired of going. I went back once for Halloween Haunt, and really enjoyed that as well, but other then that, I haven't been back since.

 

I probably won't go back until I see some improvement to their ride collection. I would like to see more B&M's and more Flats there.

[jazzimm]

My home park is Canada's Wonderland. I can see the OP's point, but I never seem to get bored of it. It's really the only park nearby... I'd have to cross the border or go to Quebec before I find another amusement park. For me, I usually visit twice a year - once on a quiet day in the summer, and once for Halloween Haunt. I really do enjoy it every time, in fact, I still get impatient in the spring for it to open.

 

Honestly though, I think the majority of the fun I have when I go is because of the people who I'm with. Even if we've all been on all of the rides hundreds of times and we got on them all in a few hours, it's easy to blow a whole day at a park when you're laughing and having a good time with some good friends.

 

Maybe I'd feel differently if I had another park or two nearby, but I guess without that luxury, I just don't know what I'm missing. I only get to visit other parks every few years or so.

[The Big So-So]

Disneyland - I don't this park will ever lose its luster for me. As a kid, I visited once every one or two years, and it was my favorite place in the world. Now that I live in SoCal, I visit the park all the time, and somehow the magic is always there. I pretty much always want to spend a full day there.

 

Knott's and SFMM - I visit these two quite frequently as well. I get burned out on them every now and then, but there are a few attractions at each that I never get tired of. I usually am ready to go home after four or five hours at these parks, but those are a quality four or five hours.

 

Universal Studios and Sea World - These are once every couple years parks.

[BaMiTsPaT]

My home parks are SFNE and Lake Compounce. I travel to SFNE far more, and buy a season pass almost every year, so naturally it has lost most of its luster. Fortunately they have Bizarro, which is my #1 coaster, yet the other rides do get old fast.

 

On the other hand, I usually go to Lake Compounce once every other year, and it is always a refreshing trip because it always feels new to me.

[redfoot12]

As mentioned earlier, working at your home park can destroy luster, at least for me. I like what CF's doing with KD so that makes me visit a bit more. BGW also has lost some of its luster as well.

On another note, I'm also grateful for living near two great but different parks and having a really good selection of coasters all within 45 minutes of where I live.

[ZeroG001]

My friend and I used to be Knott's passholders holders, but we didn't renew our passes when they expired last year. The park got REALLY boring REALLY fast. One trip in particular was when we left after being there for 4 hours because we would've rather stayed at my house and hung out then been at the park. It was on a dead Sunday in June; we rode Xcelerator 10 times, Ghostrider 3 times, Silver Bullet 5 times, Montezooma's Revenge 2 times, and Supreme Scream once. After that, we went and ate at the Subway nearby for lunch and had left Buena Park at around 1:30-2. This is the first year, 2010, that I've actually gone to SFMM more times than Knott's, and I don't even go to SFMM that often. I don't plan on ever going back to Knott's again, other than for Haunt or if a new/worthy attraction opens up, because the rest of the park is really boring now. I guess it's cause I've gone so many times? I don't know, but whatever it is, theme parks should not be that boring. These days, I only visit SFMM and DLR. And I don't go to those parks very often, either, so my park visits are down to around 4-5 a year. But hey, better to get quality coasters and quality shows/theming less often than Knott's lackluster coasters and mediocre theming twice a month.

[Retro_Gaga]

This was on my mind yesterday after leaving SFGAdv. I guess after ride everything so much it just starts to lose that feeling. I remember when my parents told me we were going to great adventure, i'd be so excited because we didn't do it often. Now that i'm older and go much more often, it's losing that feeling to it.

[jamesdillaman]

Yeah. I was wondering if it had anything to do with the fact that I worked there, but it doesn't seem to matter for some people. I think Disney parks shouldn't be talkedabout here, as they're in a different league.

[RollingRunner]

I've been going to my home park of Great Adventure practically all my life, and it never gets old. Even though i'm starting to go more often, it's always a different experience. Sometimes it might be the best time ever and sometimes the worst, but I always seem to have a good time there. I suppose the park just grew into me.

[B-RadG]

Depends, really.

KD has lost all of it's "I'M GOING TO KD TODAY, IN YOUR FACE!"-ness. If I'm going with a friend it's definitely still as fun as ever, but going alone just doesn't do it for excitement. That's not to say I don't have fun it's just not the same as when I was little and went to KD.

 

BGW still has all of the excitement. No matter whether it's alone or with a friend I still love going because it never gets boring. KD bores me (alone) after a few hours.

[Angry_Gumball]

This is my 4th back-to-back season visiting CGA and being a season passholder and it hasn't gotten old yet. I usually go about once a month until about October, where I visit several times that month. There's not anything 'special' I'm doing to keep the fun factor there...I believe CGA is doing that part for me. I guess that because my time is limited as far as touring the nation's amusement parks, CGA keeps me busy and is better than having no park at all to do. Actually, after graduating from high school, I had a good 3-year coaster drought (which completely sucked). I finally decided to buy a season pass for CGA (as it's only 30 minutes from me) and since, it's been keeping me happy during the spring/summer months.

[nitrofan]

This does happen to me sometimes if I go to a park alone, but having a friend makes it much better. I also like to change things up sometimes when I'm at parks I visit frequently. For example, go to King's Island alone and have a goal of getting on Diamondback as many times as you can agressively. Next visit, go with a friend and do the park slowly, see some shows, and ride some flats.

 

My intesest is kept better when my park experience is different each time like above.

[the ghost]

With Disneyland being right up the 5 Freeway from me (about a 10 minute drive), I visit the park quite often. And although I've visited WDW, I do not get bored of Disneyland at all. I try and go a couple times a month, but lately I've been falling through on that promise. I'll utilize my pass a heck of a lot more this summer, seeing as there won't be any schoolwork to hinder me from visiting.

---Brent

 

Same! All you Californians, come say hey. I got hired yesterday and am now a cast member.(cashier, ride positions were gone) I dont know where Im going yet, but Im excited. I do and always will love Disneyland. People tell me being a CM will ruin it, but I dont think so. One of the coolest part of DL is seeing the reactions of the visitors, especially on first visits, and I can be part of the experience. I have also never been to a place so immersive, so well done that there is some magic. Its just a cool place in general. I mean, where else can you see Suburban Legends(they used to play there, my first ska bad) and then ride coasters. Also, Disneyland is one of the few parks I know where rides like Pirates, Indy, Haunted Mansion, are just as impressive as any coaster Ive ridden.

 

Let me know if you wanna meet up sometime, Brent, I'm blacked out in July, but I can go sometime. Also, that may cange since I'm working there for the summer, so I may be able to come more often.

 

Have a Disney Day!

[Calicoasters]

I absolutely will not go to KBF if Xcelerator is closed (unless I'm with my niece, then it's Sierra Sidewinder) I never spend more than 4 hours there, because I never need to.

 

I visit SFMM the most and still try to ride every coaster when I visit. If we skip a ride or two because we're spending too much time riding Terminator it's no big deal.

 

I could spend all day at USH! I love the atmosphere, the food, the shows/rides! I'm pretty disappointed that I've only made it out there twice this year. It's been too long, I'm going to go this Sunday!

 

I don't get out to the Disney parks much because I'm cheap, but there is nothing more fun than a nice hopper day!

 

I go to SFDK once a year, but I would like to double that eventually.

[robbalvey]

Having now lived on both coasts I can honestly say that I never quite got bored of my home parks on the east coast, while I most certainly have on the west coast.

 

I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the amount of parks within proximity, though. When I lived just outside of Baltimore, I had 33 parks within about a 12 hour drive, and probably more than 20 parks within a 3-6 hour drive. So every weekend I was able to go to a different park without much hassle involved at all.

 

The parks I visited the most were SFA, KD, BGW, Knoebel's, Hershey, Dorney, with Knoebel's being my absolute favorite that I never got bored of.

 

Whereas here in So Cal there are only really three major parks:

 

Disneyland - Where I worked at for nearly 5 years and I think that, combined with the fact that I pretty much like every other Disney resort more than Disneyland, and combined on top of that with my distance from the park (only 60 miles, but can sometimes take 2-3 hours to get there), we found ourselves not going very often. In fact, I haven't been there since August 2009. I'm sure if we lived in OC, we'd have annual passes.

 

Knott's Berry Farm - I grew up with this park and it saddens me to see what it's become over the years. I only go once every 12-18 months.

 

Six Flags Magic Mountain - I live within walking distance of the park. I like the collection of coasters, but other than Tatsu and I guess X2 by default, they really don't have any "favorites of it's category" for me. I've spent a lot of time here so I'm kind of immune to it I guess.

 

And for the other So Cal Parks -

 

Sea World San Diego - I mean, it's fine for what it is, but it's my least favorite of the chain, but it's still a solid park. I only visit once every couple of years.

Legoland - This is actually my favorite park in So Cal if you can believe it! Absolutely love this park. Reminds me a lot of a European park in so many ways. But because it's so far from us (about 3-4 hours) we only go once every couple of years.

Universal - I really do like this park...I just wish it had more to do. After visiting USJ and USO, it's kind of hard to go here and not be a little bummed.

 

I really do miss the days of being able to do road trips from Baltimore to just about every other major park in the US. We would go as far west as Chicago by car, as far North as Funtown/Splashtown, and as far south as Carowinds. When you think of those three points on a map, that's a TON of parks to be able to access.

 

So Cal just cannot beat that in any way. And don't even tell me about how awesome the weather is here. I miss having "seasons" so much...

 

--Robb