Merits of DLR vs. WDW

[rle4lunch]

I think you're all missing the point with my comment about Six Flags. I honestly don't give a lick about how their theming compares to Disney. My main point is -- you have a pretty big company like Six Flags operating parks across the country with rides costing millions and millions of dollars, asking consumers to pay a pretty hefty price to get inside those parks. Cheaper than Disney sure, but ultimately, they're still operating a business and taking money from people. Magic Mountain, which is I believe their flagship park (no pun intended), is an absolute dump. As others have said... buildings completely falling apart, bathrooms that you won't want to go within 100 feet of, dirty rides, poor staffing/training, awful restaurants. Local city parks are kept up better than this place. They shouldn't get a break just because they don't go all out on theming. Theming is one thing, maintenance, cleanliness and customer service is completely different.

To further your point, Six Flags pretty much runs in the red continuously. Every couple years you see an article about them either filing bankruptcy or restructuring or something. The might as well be the post office, they can never turn a profit.

 

[Phroobar]

Maybe they shouldn't offer $40 vouchers for a year worth of food. They just offered that a couple of days ago.

 

[Phroobar]

I think you're all missing the point with my comment about Six Flags. I honestly don't give a lick about how their theming compares to Disney. My main point is -- you have a pretty big company like Six Flags operating parks across the country with rides costing millions and millions of dollars, asking consumers to pay a pretty hefty price to get inside those parks. Cheaper than Disney sure, but ultimately, they're still operating a business and taking money from people. Magic Mountain, which is I believe their flagship park (no pun intended), is an absolute dump. As others have said... buildings completely falling apart, bathrooms that you won't want to go within 100 feet of, dirty rides, poor staffing/training, awful restaurants. Local city parks are kept up better than this place. They shouldn't get a break just because they don't go all out on theming. Theming is one thing, maintenance, cleanliness and customer service is completely different.

It's kind of sad how Magic Mountain has handled it's up kept. It's in the middle of a upper middle class bedroom community with only a couple of realtor zombies (see Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix). The park is actually in beautiful surroundings but they have to keep fighting off land developers that want to turn it into more houses. They make things so cheap with their passes and meal deals that no one actually gets in at full price. They make up for it with lots of tacky advertising. The coasters aspect of the park attracts poor teenagers from LA that only buy food and stupid hats making the park less family friendly. Hopefully with the new Battle for Metropolis shooter they can start to change their demographics. I think they need more support from the city to help bring in a better class of people and in turn lower their crime rate after the park closes.

 

[Angel Ariel]

My mistake...so, ONE person has literally come to California for weather.

Weather is definitely one of the reasons we prefer DLR over WDW. Certainly not the main reason, but it is one of them.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Another thing to add... I think DL'ers tend to put so much emphasis on attraction comparison (which is better, overall count, etc.) when to me, there's so much more when you're vacationing at WDW. The different resorts with their unique restaurants and quirks make up so many of the memories I take back from my trips there. Moments like this (not my video, but love this restaurant - Whispering Canyon @ Wilderness Lodge in particular)...

While I enjoy WDW restaurants, they aren't why I go to Disney. I go for the parks. Whether we are at WDW or DLR, we don't spend much time at the hotel.

We've found the dining at DLR, although definitely more limited (for TS), to be a better overall quality. Napa Rose beats almost every place we've eaten at WDW (with the possible exception of CA Grill...we haven't eaten there since the major refurb). We also prefer the less stress in scheduling meals that we find at DLR compared to WDW. And when we do eat CS, DLR has a lot more CS options (and way better quality CS food, IMO) than WDW.

But it really does come down to the parks for us. And, IMO, DLR wins that hands down.

 

[Angel Ariel]

.I partially blame Disney themselves for pushing the Disneyland RESORT concept since 2001, insisting that it is a place to spend 3-4 days and trying everything to convince out of state visitors to make it the main part of their SoCal vacations. You need something beyond the parks to justify that, and things like DTD or the Paradise Pier Hotel in their current states aren't going to cut it.

I couldn't disagree more. We've gone to DLR for a week the last 2 years. This year that entire week, 6 days, was spent at DLR. No day trips elsewhere. And we still didn't get through absolutely everything we wanted to do.

 

[Earl Sweatpants]

It's kind of sad how Magic Mountain has handled it's up kept. It's in the middle of a upper middle class bedroom community with only a couple of realtor zombies (see Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix). The park is actually in beautiful surroundings but they have to keep fighting off land developers that want to turn it into more houses. They make things so cheap with their passes and meal deals that no one actually gets in at full price. They make up for it with lots of tacky advertising. The coasters aspect of the park attracts poor teenagers from LA that only buy food and stupid hats making the park less family friendly. Hopefully with the new Battle for Metropolis shooter they can start to change their demographics. I think they need more support from the city to help bring in a better class of people and in turn lower their crime rate after the park closes.

Fun fact: If I step outside my office I can see Magic Mountain...(umm...nobody come and find me...)
But you're right. MM is situated in an upper-middle class suburban area and yet has had lots of gang-related troubles throughout the years. You'd think the city officials would try and make sure to stamp that out for good.

 

[Phroobar]

Fun fact: If I step outside my office I can see Magic Mountain...(umm...nobody come and find me...)
But you're right. MM is situated in an upper-middle class suburban area and yet has had lots of gang-related troubles throughout the years. You'd think the city officials would try and make sure to stamp that out for good.

I guess Six Flags isn't as good as Disney is in forcing their host city into making improvements and funding them with tax breaks.

 

[Earl Sweatpants]

I guess Six Flags isn't as good as Disney is in forcing their host city into making improvements and funding them with tax breaks.

I wasn't able to find info on Six Flags tax breaks for Santa Clarita, but it is worth noting that Magic Mountain is number 1 in employment numbers for the city at 3,200 employees. Second place is the high school district with just over 2,000 employees.

 

[Phroobar]

I wasn't able to find info on Six Flags tax breaks for Santa Clarita, but it is worth noting that Magic Mountain is number 1 in employment numbers for the city at 3,200 employees. Second place is the high school district with just over 2,000 employees.

I'm sure that is the reason they still exist even during a housing boom. Most of the high school kids work there and it keeps the fast food district running.

 

[Earl Sweatpants]

I'm sure that is the reason they still exist even during a housing boom. Most of the high school kids work there and it keeps the fast food district running.

Working there, especially during summer, is almost a rite of passage for city locals. I managed to avoid it though, and I'm glad I did. If nothing else, it serves as a great landmark for helping explain where I live.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Six Flags crime rate is actually not bad now. In the 80's and 90's that'd be a different story, but it's a pretty safe park and security cracks down on stuff quickly.

These days it has no more problems with guests acting out of line that Universal, Knott's, or Disney.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Working there, especially during summer, is almost a rite of passage for city locals. I managed to avoid it though, and I'm glad I did. If nothing else, it serves as a great landmark for helping explain where I live.

Can confirm. Worked there for 2 years in high school, along with most of my friends. The kids working games always hated it, but I had a good cook job at their sit down restaurant so I didn't have to stand in the heat and deal with angry guests. Was just working in a crappy restaurant and got free park admission.

 

[SuddenStorm]

It's kind of sad how Magic Mountain has handled it's up kept. It's in the middle of a upper middle class bedroom community with only a couple of realtor zombies (see Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix).

That show SUCKED. Watched an episode to see if I could relive my days in Santa Clarita, never watched another.

 

[Phroobar]

That show SUCKED. Watched an episode to see if I could relive my days in Santa Clarita, never watched another.

lol!
They needed to go to Magic Mountain in one of the episodes and tone down the swearing some.

 

[Professortango1]

That show SUCKED. Watched an episode to see if I could relive my days in Santa Clarita, never watched another.

It was enjoyable. Not terribly original, but still fun in how far they go with some of the humor.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Today at work, one of my coworkers mentioned how I probably like DL better because I'm from LA, even though WDW is better. Her sister did the College Program in WDW, and she has expressed that she's interested in Disney and is knowledgeable.

I don't think she expected me to be obsessed.

The poor girl then had to listen to me talk about how DLR has more attractions, is currently in better upkeep and how the attractions are generally better maintained, in addition to the Space Mountain and BTMRR redos, PTN, etc. The conversation ended with her giving me a blank stare and some statement about how WDW is still better.

Obviously the WDW vs DL debate will go on till the end of time, and objectively there really can't be a winner since they each have their strengths, but this really demonstrated to me that for people who don't live on either coast, WDW is usually regarded as the better place to visit due to its size and greater number of parks.

 

[SuddenStorm]

lol!
They needed to go to Magic Mountain in one of the episodes and tone down the swearing some.

Stuff is filmed at SFMM all the time. When I was working there, I can think of 4 or 5 different times there was stuff being filmed. The fact that they intentionally set a show in Santa Clarita and didn't go to Magic Mountain is a huge waste.

 

[Phroobar]

Stuff is filmed at SFMM all the time. When I was working there, I can think of 4 or 5 different times there was stuff being filmed. The fact that they intentionally set a show in Santa Clarita and didn't go to Magic Mountain is a huge waste.

They threaten to go to get the old lady to barf. It would have been hilarious.

 

[thomas998]

I think you're all missing the point with my comment about Six Flags. I honestly don't give a lick about how their theming compares to Disney. My main point is -- you have a pretty big company like Six Flags operating parks across the country with rides costing millions and millions of dollars, asking consumers to pay a pretty hefty price to get inside those parks. Cheaper than Disney sure, but ultimately, they're still operating a business and taking money from people. Magic Mountain, which is I believe their flagship park (no pun intended), is an absolute dump. As others have said... buildings completely falling apart, bathrooms that you won't want to go within 100 feet of, dirty rides, poor staffing/training, awful restaurants. Local city parks are kept up better than this place. They shouldn't get a break just because they don't go all out on theming. Theming is one thing, maintenance, cleanliness and customer service is completely different.

Not sure Magic Mountain is considered their flagship park... I don't even think it was one that they actually built, I think it was one they just bought from someone else... As for their maintenance and cleanliness that started to decline back in the 80's, and only got worse as they had a CEO that was intent on simply milking the company for money short term with no care for the long term viability of the company... which of course led to bankruptcy.... So honestly they should be looked as an example of what will happen to Disneyland if the bean counters take over and they continue pushing for short term profits at all costs.