coasterdude5 Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 Have you ever thought as you were going to a huge park, "How am I going to get all these rides in?" Personally, I'd rather go to a Silver Dollar City, Knoebel's, or Holiday World sized park. I like the fact that I have better chances of getting all the rides in there then Magic Mountain or a park similar in size. But that's just me. So would you rather go to a smaller park so that you could get more of the rides in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 Any traditional park is better then any major theme park chain. Knoebel's Kennywood Stricker's Grove Lakemont Park I would take any of those then any SF or CF park any day of the week. Katie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebl Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 I went to Wonderland in Amarillo, TX, back in May. Not as much to do as at the larger chain parks, but it's more relaxing to walk around in a much slower setting. Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crispy Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 Well, I have changed over time, I used to think the corporate parks were the way to go, but have REALLY enjoyed my last few visits at Cliff's when compared to how much fun vs. money spent when we went to SFMM, although Robb and Elissa did come Ride some rides with us, which basically was the main fun part of the day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonOfBeastSucks Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 No Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reality15 Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 I like the really small parks, for example Fun Spot in Angola, Indiana. They're so much fun and have so much personal touch in them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoshiFan Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 No, I enjoy going to parks with a lot of coasters and rides. I have been to some small parks where either they have few coasters and the coasters they do have aren't that great and I am bored. I'd rather go to a park like Dorney or Hershey than a smaller park like Steel Pier in Atlantic City or a pier in Ocean City, NJ (Morey's in Wildwood being the exception) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpengeist04 Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 I always like the parks that have quality over quantity. I'll take a park with 2 or 3 very good coasters over a park that has 8 or 10 average coasters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterdude5 Posted October 21, 2005 Author Share Posted October 21, 2005 ^Yeah, exactly. Like Busch Gardens. If ever get to go again, I'll know that I have a really good chance of getting in most of the rides. And they're all really good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarmor Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 what would you say a small park is...IOA is a pretty small park to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazen_AZN Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 let me get this straight, you would rather go ride the same 4 coasters all day rather then not riding every ride a larger park has to offer, even if it means you still ride a greater variety of coasters? besides, at SFMM anyway, i find it easy to get on all the 13 (major, not including SBNO flashback) caosters in one day, as long as you get there at opening. so, yeah my answer will be no. but answer this, would you rather go to CP or Knotts?... i thought so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socalMAN123 Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 Honestly, I haven't really been to a non-huge chain park, so I can't tell. I really love going to the chain parks because the coasters are sometimes better. Also, I don't really have a problem about not getting on what I want to, I went to SFMM on a Saturdayin July and I got on 14 out of the 16 coasters. ---Brent 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterFanatic Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 Small parks for me, but the "major" themers are also enjoyable. And when I say "major", I am talking about the Disney/Universal/Busch Variety. Not SF and CF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Menefee Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 (edited) Living in the Northern half of California makes me really appreciate small parks for this very reason: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk 8) Edited October 21, 2005 by Sean Menefee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mind Eraser Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 This is just a theory, but I think age has to do with it for most people. I'm not sure why, but it often seems the younger enthusiasts are really into big theme parks and steel coasters. But, somewhere along the line, a lot of adults start to cherish the small, family parks, and wooden coasters. Obviously there are many exceptions to this theory. I developed this whole obsession when I was 12. I was almost hyper-manic about it. My biggest dream in life was to go to Magic Mountain (lol at that!). Now, 11 years later, when I plan my coaster trips, theyre almost always centered around wooden coasters and more "interesting" parks. For instance, one trip this summer was to the Dells, SF Chicago, and Indiana Beach. I picked those three because of the woodies (and well, Whizzer too! My one steel vice is a Schwarzkopf coaster ) Okay, I'm gonna stop rambling now. I'm fading into dreamland, and I probably won't understand what I wrote tomorrow morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Costakid Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 To me, it doesn't matter what size the park is, or what rides they have, the best parks are all about atmosphere *cough*Kennywood*cough*, so for me, it is all on a park by park basis for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scaparri Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 I generally prefer larger parks. I don't have a problem with small parks, but I too often get bored. I don't usually find it a problem to ride what I want at large parks. At smaller parks I can ride everything, but I don't care so much about some of them. Large parks give me plenty of selection so that I never get bored. The only downfall is you sacrifice the character that is sometimes found in smaller parks. I still go to small parks and enjoy myself, but I just usually end up spending 3-6 hours at a small park while I may spend all day at a larger one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParkTrips Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 I agree with Kip, and right now I am in that transition from "Magic Mountain is the park I want to go to most/ OMG Look at X!!!!" (me circa 2003) to that more matured, wood-loving, small-park searching enthusiast. About the wood and steel thing too, I found that interesting as well. Looking at my top 10 wood and top 10 steel, the "smallest" park with a coaster that has a slot on my top 10 steel is Busch Gardens Williamsburg, whereas 8/10 of my wood coasters would be in parks considered "small". I guess that just goes back to the idea that woodies are cheaper and a better investment for small parks and dammit, CCI built some awesome woodies for little parks across the country! Very good post kip! Bored at a park? The only park I have ever had the desire to leave early was PKD, and thats just because I thought the park sucked big time. Even little parks like Martin's Fantasy Island (which only had one coaster open and maybe 10 flats, most of which were sub-par) have kept me busy for a considerable amount of time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeezus Juice Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 Give me small parks over anything else.I love going to the major parks, Cedar Point, WDW, SFNE, ect but highlights of any trip are usually the small park I go to. Places like Idlewild, Lake Compounce, Enchanted Forest, Kiddieland, Celebration City (at night), Wiliiams Grove, Funderland, Traintown, ect. By small park I hope we not refering to FEC's and Jeepers', I usualy spend about 4 minutes at those. Just for fun... Horrible small parks: Funderwoods Enchanted Castle Safariland Riverview Park I'm sure there are many others Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DenDen Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 what would you say a small park is...IOA is a pretty small park to me... You can say that again, IOA is probably the most disappointing park I've been to. Lets see now, $50 for what, 10 adult rides in a plastic Hollywierd atmosphere? VS. Kennywood: Not a corporate park, 30+ adult rides, and a genuine atmosphere, $30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT3000 Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 Hollyweird? You knew it was a major (corporate) theme park before you spent that $50. That's your own fault. Personally, I don't see the appeal of small parks at all. But that might be because the elite chain parks are the home parks I grew up with, and anything else feels completely obsolete. Especially since I'm not a fan of coasters or carnival-style flat rides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterCrazy Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 I like visiting family owned parks because they have a more relax atmosphere. I also like to visit big parks because you have more coasters to ride and I like being in a big park atmosphere. I don't like either type of park more than the other one, each one has things I like and dislike about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DenDen Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 Hollyweird? You knew it was a major (corporate) theme park before you spent that $50. That's your own fault. Personally, I don't see the appeal of small parks at all. But that might be because the elite chain parks are the home parks I grew up with, and anything else feels completely obsolete. Especially since I'm not a fan of coasters or carnival-style flat rides. Well, I had never been to Universal before. And with all this wonderful talk about how Universal and IOA were so wonderful, and then walking in to see how fake and plastic it was, it was just disappointing. I was expecting realism. Let's face it, Universal isn't small change when it comes to movies, guess my expectations were set too high. Not to mention, I rode everything they had in 3 hours. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my share of big parks, CP being my favorite. SFMM was ok (it was kinda culture shock to me, so I have a wierd opinion on it.) I think we all can agree on the most disappointing over-hyped park of all time... MGM Grande Adventures Las Vegas! BTW, If you're not a fan of coasters or flat rides, what else is left? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnhuger Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 I'd much rather go to a medium sized park: either because the lines arent as long as in chain parks or because its just a happier atmosphere at small parks usually... great example!!! Holiday Park last summer! Holiday Park doesn't have too much to offer!!! It has more shows than rides!!! BUT, That gives you time to enjoy the park and ride EGF a LOT of times (and Free Fall Tower too) and get all of the rides in! ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingScooter Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 Good Question. I like differant parks for differant reasons. I'll hit CP once a year, always in the fall, (was going last week, but had to postpone to this weekend). CP:It's all about the rides. Will hit GL late summer and CLP in mid-summer. with only 8 rides, and no attendance, if you're into repeat rides, you can't beat it. Last summer, we must've ridden the Scooters about 50 times and the BlueSTreak 20-30 times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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