A Terror-rific Spirited 13th (ToT fans have lots to fear)...

Animaniac93-98

Animaniac93-98

Well-Known Member
BrianLo said:
I agree with @lazyboy97o that there is a vocabulary issue at play here. The only thing that would blur the line between a water park and a theme park is if they had actual rides beyond water slides, lazy rivers and a wave pool. For example lifting Jurassic Park would blur the line.

A theme park is a themed amusement park. These additional elements aren't intrinsic to amusement parks, they are supportive of theme perhaps. So what we are seeing is a blurring of the line with how themed a water park can be, but it's not blurring the line with there being any facet of 'amusement' vs 'water'.

Table Dining and a Night show doesn't blur the line that Disney Springs is still a shopping mall after all, one that is more 'themed' than normal, but it does nothing to convince me that it is an actual themed 'amusement' park.

TEA will continue to rank VB in the water park category. So therein lies the vocab issue, we need something to refer to themed water parks vs reg old water parks much in the way we have themed amusement parks vs reg old.
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Just throwing this out there:

Is it also not possible for something to technically qualify as a theme park, but not be the best executed?

When we make distinctions over what movies are good and bad, we don't stopping thinking of one or the other as movies.
 
Animaniac93-98

Animaniac93-98

Well-Known Member
Earl Sweatpants said:
Actually, its a water park!
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santa_splash_jy_02_t460.jpg
 
No Name

No Name

Well-Known Member
Evan-500 said:
Word is out that the 3D has been dropped from Forbidden Journey in Hollywood, so don't think anyone ever has to worry about it coming over to Orlando.
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Woot woot!

Sometimes 3D helps make a ride more immersive. But, Forbidden Journey is already so damn good, and the combination of screens and movement make it feel convincing already. So I dislike the 3D glasses simply because it's entirely unnecessary and represents a gangrenous mindset that 3D makes everything better.

I'd rather not have to put on special glasses if it doesn't plus the ride.
 
BrianLo

BrianLo

Well-Known Member
Animaniac93-98 said:
Just throwing this out there:

Is it also not possible for something to technically qualify as a theme park, but not be the best executed?

When we make distinctions over what movies are good and bad, we don't stopping thinking of one or the other as movies.
Click to expand...

It's a good analogy, a themed water park could certainly be better than a given theme park, like DHS. I just don't get why people are so eager to shed the 'water' from the name.

The equivalent in movies is the fact that animated is its own category. Certainly an animated movie could very well be the best film of the year and we've seen them (not often enough for my tastes) nominated for that category.

I just don't get why people are embarrassed to acknowledge that it's still a water park, like that's a bad thing. Same with animated movies, the qualifier doesn't make it not a movie, but it correctly keys people into the product they are getting. In this case you are going to have an awful time if you don't show up with a bathing suit. The same attendance targets aren't expected, we aren't as critical of theming integrity, we don't expect the same price point. Side note: do we have an official price point?

If people are so eager that this is no longer a themed water park but simply a theme park (or Universal in this case), then get ready for it to be scrutinized as such and deemed a 'failure' if it isn't measuring IOA/USO attendance. Which obviously is stupid to expect it to do so, but that seems to be what this whole semantics battle is about.

I think it's mostly a complex issue that people want it pedestalled above the three other major water park offerings and think this battle is the way to prove it. Why not let it be 'the best water park in the world' instead of forcing it into another category where it will be trounced.
 
PorterRedkey

PorterRedkey

Well-Known Member
Mike S said:
  • Riding Kong more times and seeing the outside section at night (highly recommended) even though those first rides were right after it came back online so a lot of things were not working as they should like the timing of audio in the AA room. Luckily my ride the next day was perfect :)
  • Seeing Volcano Bay construction from Cabana Bay.
  • Spending nearly a full day in Animal Kingdom just walking around even though we still didn't do Lion King or Flights of Wonder. Still needs more rides to do though.
  • Seeing the Lionesses play during my sunset safari.
  • Finding the best napping spot ever in the Nomad Lounge.
  • Seeing lighting tests for Avatar that I've already posted about in the Avatar section.
  • Seeing Moana at Disney Springs next to people who had a dog with them. No joke. It was very well trained though. Not a peep. It did climb on one of their laps to get a better look at the movie once :hilarious:
  • Blaze Pizza :hungry:
  • Walking deeper into some of the World Showcase Pavilions than I have before.
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Sounds like a great trip! Glad you had fun!
 
Animaniac93-98

Animaniac93-98

Well-Known Member
BrianLo said:
It's a good analogy, a themed water park could certainly be better than a given theme park, like DHS. I just don't get why people are so eager to shed the 'water' from the name.
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I wasn't so much speaking about the use of the word "water" (for the record, I'd catagorize Volcano Bay as a "themed water park"), but whether or not something still counts as "themed" even if certain park elements are not or not well done (in VB's case, the totally exposed water slides). That to me (I think) is the crux of people's arguments in terminology, and in this case I would suggest as a compromise that a park can still be classified as a themed experience, even if the theming is weak in parts of it (like DHS).
 
GoofGoof

GoofGoof

Premium Member
Animaniac93-98 said:
I wasn't so much speaking about the use of the word "water" (for the record, I'd catagorize Volcano Bay as a "themed water park"), but whether or not something still counts as "themed" even if certain park elements are not or not well done (in VB's case, the totally exposed water slides). That to me (I think) is the crux of people's arguments in terminology, and in this case I would suggest as a compromise that a park can still be classified as a themed experience, even if the theming is weak in parts of it (like DHS).
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Is Bush Gardens a theme park? How about Sea World or IOA? They all have exposed track coasters.
BrianLo said:
It's a good analogy, a themed water park could certainly be better than a given theme park, like DHS. I just don't get why people are so eager to shed the 'water' from the name.

The equivalent in movies is the fact that animated is its own category. Certainly an animated movie could very well be the best film of the year and we've seen them (not often enough for my tastes) nominated for that category.

I just don't get why people are embarrassed to acknowledge that it's still a water park, like that's a bad thing. Same with animated movies, the qualifier doesn't make it not a movie, but it correctly keys people into the product they are getting. In this case you are going to have an awful time if you don't show up with a bathing suit. The same attendance targets aren't expected, we aren't as critical of theming integrity, we don't expect the same price point. Side note: do we have an official price point?

If people are so eager that this is no longer a themed water park but simply a theme park (or Universal in this case), then get ready for it to be scrutinized as such and deemed a 'failure' if it isn't measuring IOA/USO attendance. Which obviously is stupid to expect it to do so, but that seems to be what this whole semantics battle is about.

I think it's mostly a complex issue that people want it pedestalled above the three other major water park offerings and think this battle is the way to prove it. Why not let it be 'the best water park in the world' instead of forcing it into another category where it will be trounced.
Click to expand...
i think the issue is mainly that people feel this will be better than just an average water park with some unique features like a sit down restaurant and night time entertainment. After all, wet n wild was a water park and this looks to be in a whole other class than that was.

I think Universal is marketing it as a "theme park" because they are going to charge theme park prices and as a way to differentiate it in the market. They also want to claim this as a 3rd gate to get closer to the "full week" target. When the actual 3rd gate opens they can call it a 4th gate. It's some creative marketing.
 

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