Lucky
Well-Known Member
I don't blame you.
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I went to another park
- Thread starter graphite1326
- Start date
I don't blame you.
He has clearly never visited BGW.
fractal
Well-Known Member
We spent a long weekend in Williamsburg last summer ( during the record 110 degree heat wave ) and visited Busch Gardens. I thought the park was beautiful. It's not Disney but many parts of the park were on par with WDW.
BTW - Apollo's Chariot may be the best rollercoaster I've ever ridden.
We also visit Hersheypark once a year and have a great time there. With one price admission you get a great theme park, and a new and nifty water park (Boardwalk). It's NOT Disney but it doesn't have to be. We always have a good time at Hershey. There is nothing like riding The Great Bear, front row at night.
BTW - Apollo's Chariot may be the best rollercoaster I've ever ridden.
We also visit Hersheypark once a year and have a great time there. With one price admission you get a great theme park, and a new and nifty water park (Boardwalk). It's NOT Disney but it doesn't have to be. We always have a good time at Hershey. There is nothing like riding The Great Bear, front row at night.
mp2bill
Well-Known Member
Ditto
David S.
Member
I completely agree with all the praise for Busch Gardens Williamsburg. It is consistently awarded the Amusement Today "Golden Ticket" award for "Most Beautiful Park" for a reason! Of all the "regional theme parks" in the country, this one is probably my favorite, and I've been to most.
It has wonderfully-themed, charming European hamlets nestled perfectly into a beautiful, heavilly-wooded landscape featuring lots of trees and a great use of water for the park's "Rhine River". The architecture and music loops in many of the sections come closer to "Disney level" than pretty much any non-Disney park I can think of!
I agree, Apollo's Chariot at BGW is definitely at least more or less tied for my favorite steel coaster! The only other steelies I could put on the same level are similar rides by the same manufacturer - other B&M hypercoasters, such as Nitro at Great Adventure and Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia. But all B&M hypers are AWESOME and too close to call (the only difference being different layouts, as they are all custom layouts).
Apollo (for those who don't know), like the other B&M hypers, is ALL about big drops, speed, and airtime! Just hill after hill of perfectly-profiled "camelbacks", all of which lift you up out of your seat where you float for a few seconds, with just a "clamshell" lapbar to hold you in the open-sided trains! No cumbersome over-the-shoulder harnesses!
Hypercoasters are the one genre of coaster still missing from Florida, and if any of the Florida parks ever got one (especially if they went with B&M), I would be one happy camper!
Apollo's Chariot POV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGTOGzKMTbI (This must have been filmed on an EXTREMELY busy day. From the top of the lift you can see all the late arrivers sitting in a traffic jam waiting to get into the parking lot, while all the "earlybirds" are already riding, with shorter queues!)
It has wonderfully-themed, charming European hamlets nestled perfectly into a beautiful, heavilly-wooded landscape featuring lots of trees and a great use of water for the park's "Rhine River". The architecture and music loops in many of the sections come closer to "Disney level" than pretty much any non-Disney park I can think of!
I agree, Apollo's Chariot at BGW is definitely at least more or less tied for my favorite steel coaster! The only other steelies I could put on the same level are similar rides by the same manufacturer - other B&M hypercoasters, such as Nitro at Great Adventure and Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia. But all B&M hypers are AWESOME and too close to call (the only difference being different layouts, as they are all custom layouts).
Apollo (for those who don't know), like the other B&M hypers, is ALL about big drops, speed, and airtime! Just hill after hill of perfectly-profiled "camelbacks", all of which lift you up out of your seat where you float for a few seconds, with just a "clamshell" lapbar to hold you in the open-sided trains! No cumbersome over-the-shoulder harnesses!
Hypercoasters are the one genre of coaster still missing from Florida, and if any of the Florida parks ever got one (especially if they went with B&M), I would be one happy camper!
Apollo's Chariot POV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGTOGzKMTbI (This must have been filmed on an EXTREMELY busy day. From the top of the lift you can see all the late arrivers sitting in a traffic jam waiting to get into the parking lot, while all the "earlybirds" are already riding, with shorter queues!)
JIMINYCR
Well-Known Member
There is a small amusement park south of us, it's no where near the quality of Disney. But I occasionally have gone to just get a quick "ride fix". It just makes me appreciate more my trips to WDW. I tell anyone that's with me, "Oh that stunk, you should see what Disney has". :lol:
Mr_Incredible
Well-Known Member
I enjoy going to Carowinds here in North Carolina for the thrill rides, the new "intimidator" coaster is awesome! They also have a coaster like the Manta at seaworld. I dont go into the park expecting disney, i know it wont come close! I go in wanting to have some fun. if i have fun, it was worth it.
hammysammy59
New Member
Thirding the Beast love. That thing is amazing. The world needs more coasters like that.
REAL TALK: People that go to amusement parks expecting Disney-theming are just as bad as people that go to Disney expecting huge roller coasters.
Thomas morrow
Active Member
We used to go to Wildwood NJ every year for a weeks vacation. The ride piers like Fun Pier, Mariners Landing, Hunts and Moreys were the big deal. Then in 2005 went to Disney and had not been back since. Today we toke a day trip to Wildwood and its not even close. They have a pirate ride on Mariners Landing I just looked at it and said to my wife "nice try". Then I noticed they had A Pirates Life for Me playing on the speakers outside of the ride.
I have to agree that Hershey is a nice park with a rich history, especially the chocolate factory. :slurp: Its a good day trip for us
The only thing was when we were on the monorail there no one told us "to please stand clear of the doors"
I have to agree that Hershey is a nice park with a rich history, especially the chocolate factory. :slurp: Its a good day trip for us
The only thing was when we were on the monorail there no one told us "to please stand clear of the doors"
Sarabell
Well-Known Member
If you decide to visit parks other than Disney, you should keep in mind that they will not be anything like Disney parks. If you keep that in mind, you´ll probably enjoy more. Off course I would rather go to WDW!! no doubt about it! but I´ll enjoy any regular amusement park anyways (as long as it´s not a local one. the parks where I live will definitely remind you you´re in a 3rd world country)
tirian
Well-Known Member
I smile every time I see the Hess station from within IOA. :lol:
tirian
Well-Known Member
I assume you don't realize the Imagineers themselves visit and enjoy other parks, most notably Knott's Berry Farm, and visit other places too. Disney is indeed number one, yet there's nothing wrong with visiting and—gasp—enjoying other places. That doesn't mean you have to expect Disney-quality theming everywhere.
I hope you're only ten years old. Otherwise you need to stop trolling.
wdwfanatic4yrs
Member
i find myself doing this a lot. we took the kids to a water park last weekend and while they had a great time, all i kept doing was compare it to typhoon lagoon and blizzard beach. this place had a lazy river and a couple tube slides but nothing in comparison to disney's. like the op said i guess i'm spoiled
Six Flags Magic Mountain is actually very very pretty and the intergration of thrill rides into the landscape is done well. There are a few rides that sit out over the old parking lot, but most of the park is very nice.
Obviously Six Flags lacks movies, characters, themed hotels and overal sense of charm and nostalgia. Six Flags MM is a nice day trip, but it's not a vacation destination.
Apples and Oranges.
Obviously Six Flags lacks movies, characters, themed hotels and overal sense of charm and nostalgia. Six Flags MM is a nice day trip, but it's not a vacation destination.
Apples and Oranges.
Hershey was the park I went to. I thought Great Bear was great.
Make sure you visit next year! Project 2012 and Mach Tower will both be up and going (Mach is still questionable :zipit: )
Busch Williamsburg nor Tampa market themselves to be Disney competitors. Williamsburg is a standalone park with no competitors (unless you call King's Park Lot a park) They go with scenery, rides, and food and do them all excellent! (As I get ready to go there for fireworks tonight)
Crockett
Banned
Wow, accused for being a "troll" because I stated my opninion on these boards!? Who would've thought?
The thing I find amusing about other parks is how so many try to be something they're not. You can see their attempts at copying Disney, but it falls flat. There are exceptions to the rule. Dollywood is one of the few, if not the only non-Disney park that I respect. Dolly has her own thing going on there, and the place is not trying to be another Disney-clone gone bad. The place has it's own story, feel, etc. You really do feel like you've stepped into the park gates and into another era. Very few parks can do this. Most parks, you can see/hear interstate traffic whipping by the park grounds, or the roller coasters have that too-oftenly-used parking lot theme
. I was expecting another joke park when we visited Dollywood for the first time, and while it isn't Disney, it definitely comes the closest than any other form of competition out there. So hats-off to them.
xoJuicyyStarr71
New Member
I live about an hour away from Cedar Point, but my family and I rarely go there. It just seems so boring to us... the rides have no story and are so un-interesting. The worst part is my friends go there all the time, and can't believe I go to WDW all the time because it's so "boring" to them. I guess they just don't understand Disney :lol:
I guess they just don't understand Disney :lol:
Wow, accused for being a "troll" because I stated my opninion on these boards!? Who would've thought?
No, just for your opinion towards those who happened to express theirs.....