Is the most beautiful park in the world a Disney park in your opinion?

[Walt Disney1955]

Our only major amusement park here in Canada, Canada’s Wonderland, underwent the same transformation that you mentioned when Paramount bought it in the 90s, fitting IP everywhere and retheming rides that no one wanted to be changed. I have not been since Cedar Fair bought it, but, from what I’ve heard, it is mostly back to its former, pre-Paramount glory.

You would probably know this as much as I do, but there is at least some beauty with Canada's Wonderland. For starters it is quite close to Cedar Point when it comes to just raw thrills, but pretty much everyone who goes there gets a picture in front of "Wonder Mountain" right in front of the fountain. It is a beautiful shot and thought in the same way as Main Street in front of the castle (although obviously Main Street and Cinderella's Castle are more iconic)

 

[BlakeW39]

Worth a trip to Branson to see it? For me that would be about 13-14 hours. Seems like the Branson area has quite a lot to offer as well.

100%. You should just go to Branson in general - there's a lot to do there. Their big thing is shows, a lot of tourist traps similar to Orlando but on a lower scale. You shiuld take a 1.5hr trip down tl the Ozarks national forest if you can - it's beautiful. And Silver Dollar City is a wonderful park. The food is all really, really good. It isn't theme park food, it's just really good, southern food.

And I'm about 13hrs away too haha!

 

[Walt Disney1955]

100%. You should just go to Branson in general - there's a lot to do there. Their big thing is shows, a lot of tourist traps similar to Orlando but on a lower scale. You shiuld take a 1.5hr trip down tl the Ozarks national forest if you can - it's beautiful. And Silver Dollar City is a wonderful park. The food is all really, really good. It isn't theme park food, it's just really good, southern food.

And I'm about 13hrs away too haha!

I just might. 2019 may not work for WDW, maybe 2020. But places a little cheaper and closer can work in 2019. Branson is on my list. I think our whole family can do a three day pass at Silver Dollar City (with the water park attached so long as I get there before September) for under $400. That's incredible. Plus that Marvel Cave tour in the park looks amazing (I am pretty sure it is part of your park admission?). Thanks for the info.

 

[BlakeW39]

I just might. 2019 may not work for WDW, maybe 2020. But places a little cheaper and closer can work in 2019. Branson is on my list. I think our whole family can do a three day pass at Silver Dollar City (with the water park attached so long as I get there before September) for under $400. That's incredible. Plus that Marvel Cave tour in the park looks amazing (I am pretty sure it is part of your park admission?). Thanks for the info.

Ozarks National Forest is massive, and is free. See it! (if you go, of course.)

 

[SirWillow]

How is Silver Dollar City in the way of beauty? It looks like excellent theming to me, maybe similar to Dollywood, but it seems even prettier.

I just might. 2019 may not work for WDW, maybe 2020. But places a little cheaper and closer can work in 2019. Branson is on my list. I think our whole family can do a three day pass at Silver Dollar City (with the water park attached so long as I get there before September) for under $400. That's incredible. Plus that Marvel Cave tour in the park looks amazing (I am pretty sure it is part of your park admission?). Thanks for the info.

I'm a bit partial since I live in the area and used to work there, but it's an incredibly pretty park in a very pretty part of the country. As others have said, much of the beauty comes from the natural landscaping- lots of trees and other areas that have been allowed to grow. The train ride out into the woods is very pretty, and the cave is fantastic (and yes, the one hour tour of it is included in park admission).

And there is a ton of things to see and do in the area that can easily make a vacation- a lot of shows, which is what Branson is known for, but also a number of other attractions, activities, two lakes with everything that comes with them, hiking and nature trails, and a lot more.

What else would you like to know? I've covered good portions of the park and some of the area in videos, but there's other questions I can answer as well.

 

[Heppenheimer]

You would probably know this as much as I do, but there is at least some beauty with Canada's Wonderland. For starters it is quite close to Cedar Point when it comes to just raw thrills, but pretty much everyone who goes there gets a picture in front of "Wonder Mountain" right in front of the fountain. It is a beautiful shot and thought in the same way as Main Street in front of the castle (although obviously Main Street and Cinderella's Castle are more iconic)
View attachment 378598

King's Dominion had a similar mountain (I might be wrong, but I believe it is now demolished). It wasn't the park centerpiece, but it sat at the periphery like Space Mountain.

 

[Damon7777]

Most beautiful park.....well,

If we include total package with sight lines then Ocean Park Hong Kong.

Now if we are talking strictly inside the 'berm' or guest usable perimeters then easily Disney Sea.

 

[Raineman]

You would probably know this as much as I do, but there is at least some beauty with Canada's Wonderland. For starters it is quite close to Cedar Point when it comes to just raw thrills, but pretty much everyone who goes there gets a picture in front of "Wonder Mountain" right in front of the fountain. It is a beautiful shot and thought in the same way as Main Street in front of the castle (although obviously Main Street and Cinderella's Castle are more iconic)
View attachment 378598

The park, in general, has definitely always been beautiful. That view of the mountain, which was built with the rest of the park when it opened in 1981, is pretty spectacular. The retheming of some of the rides when Paramount bought the park was pretty underwhelming, although the ride experience was the same. The coolest part during the Paramount ownership, for me, was a little area in the middle of the park where they had screen-used vehicles, and the only one I can remember vividly is Garth's car from Wayne's World.

 

[Heppenheimer]

The park, in general, has definitely always been beautiful. That view of the mountain, which was built with the rest of the park when it opened in 1981, is pretty spectacular. The retheming of some of the rides when Paramount bought the park was pretty underwhelming, although the ride experience was the same. The coolest part during the Paramount ownership, for me, was a little area in the middle of the park where they had screen-used vehicles, and the only one I can remember vividly is Garth's car from Wayne's World.

Hah! They had that same thing at King's Dominion! One now gets the distinct impression that some of the movie props on display were not as unique as the park operator may have wanted us to believe. Makes you wonder if these were the actual items used in the films or just reproductions.

 

[LeighM]

And maybe two honorable mentions from the past.

The original Kings Dominion was beautifully themed and landscaped. It all went down hill, though, once Paramount bought the place and attempted to make it a movie-themed park (this will always be, to me, an example of how not to integrate IPs into an amusement park). I haven't visited since Cedar Fair took over, but given the lack of aesthetics at Cedar Point, I can't imagine it has improved.

I stopped liking Kings Dominion when it went to Paramount and they got rid of the Hanna Barbera characters that were there in the 80s lol. Yogi Bear's cave was my favorite childhood attraction But I think it was better with Paramount than it is now. KD still has one of the best rapid water rides I've been on but it's not even worth it for us to go there anymore.

 

[zurj]

First off, I love Busch Gardens. I only live about 3 hours away here in Virginia and even had a season pass last year. Love going there and have been going for 20 years, and it is beautiful...

BUT Busch Gardens is nothing more than a poor man's Disney. Not nearly as authentic, nor aesthetically pleasing. Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom (with the exception of the dino tar pit) knock it out of the park (pun intended)... They really aren't in the same league. Even Epcot during F&G probably gets the nod for me over Busch Gardens. It is called Busch Gardens Europe because it is themed around a few European countries, but walking through the countries always has me comparing it to World Showcase and thinking how much better looking and authentic World Showcase is when compared to Busch Gardens Way too many outdoor roller coasters. You are constantly looking at the tops of show buildings when you are on a roller coaster or the sky-ride. The elements don't "feel" real when you see them like they do at Disney. I love Busch Gardens, but am constantly surprised that it gets the nod for most beautiful park over some of the Disney parks.

 

[Heppenheimer]

I stopped liking Kings Dominion when it went to Paramount and they got rid of the Hanna Barbera characters that were there in the 80s lol. Yogi Bear's cave was my favorite childhood attraction But I think it was better with Paramount than it is now. KD still has one of the best rapid water rides I've been on but it's not even worth it for us to go there anymore.

I loved Yogi Bear's cave as a kid! The last time I walked through, however, it was in sad shape. The majority of the animatronics didn't work, the fur on Yogi outside was torn, and his little fishing pond was empty. I think this was after the Paramount take-over but before they removed all the last vestiges of the Hanna-Barbera connection.

Geez, the more I think about it, the more I realize how badly Paramount mangled that place.

And people here complain about the yeti on Expedition Everest!

 

[Animaniac93-98]

King's Island, King's Dominion and Canada's Wonderland were all sister parks built by Taft Broadcasting over the course of a 10 year (roughly) period. That's why there's so many similarities in terms of rides and park features. All were later owned by Paramount and then Cedar Fair.

With Canada's Wonderland now having Frontier Canada decades after it was first proposed, there's a clear effort to bring that park back to it's Taft days that will continue for the next several years. In the short term, many of the rides and buildings have gone back to their 1981 names and I believe there's either new theming or the return of older painted details in some areas? I haven't been to the park since it opened this year to confirm yet.

 

[Raineman]

King's Island, King's Dominion and Canada's Wonderland were all sister parks built by Taft Broadcasting over the course of a 10 year (roughly) period. That's why there's so many similarities in terms of rides and park features. All were later owned by Paramount and then Cedar Fair.

With Canada's Wonderland now having Frontier Canada decades after it was first proposed, there's a clear effort to bring that park back to it's Taft days that will continue for the next several years. In the short term, many of the rides and buildings have gone back to their 1981 names and I believe there's either new theming or the return of older painted details in some areas? I haven't been to the park since it opened this year to confirm yet.

I have to say that I am surprised at how many people on here know about Canada's Wonderland, although I did find out that it was the busiest seasonal park in North America in 2017. 38 years since opening, and still growing.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I have to say that I am surprised at how many people on here know about Canada's Wonderland, although I did find out that it was the busiest seasonal park in North America in 2017. 38 years since opening, and still growing.

It's been that way for many years. When it opened it quickly became Taft's most popular park, and today it's second only to year-round Knott's Berry Farm in terms of Cedar Fair parks. It ranks in the top 15 for North America even if you split up the individual Disney and Universal parks. It benefits from a lack of serious competition* and being within driving distance of millions of Ontario residents who don't have to cross the border to enjoy a big amusement park (unlike Six Flags Darien Lake, which is once again a Six Flags). If you live in the Buffalo area you can take advantage of the favourable exchange rate.

This year there extending the operating season with WinterFest, which will be similar to the event of the same name at other CF parks, and next year they're opening a small on-site hotel (that honestly looks pretty bland, but it's something else they can sell/brag about).

*The Ex would be the closest thing, but it's only for the last 3 weeks of the summer. Marine Land in Niagara Falls is a joke and I wish it would get sold off and become a Busch Gardens or Universal park.

 

[DisneyAndUniversalFan]

I will agree with this. Driving to Cedar Point is one of those things with eye candy. All of the coasters on an island gives the impression of a sort of candy store. You can't help but look. It isn't pretty in the way of flowers so much or buildings or castles but it has its own sort of beauty. From my experience cleaner than most places too. The hotel on the island is quite the scene too. It costs an arm and a leg to stay there but you get the park and waterpark option in there too. Someday, we'll see.

@CaptainAmerica this ^

 

[Smiley/OCD]

As a child, I remember going to a now closed park called Sterling Forest in Tuxedo, NY...now it's just a ski resort...Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ WAS a beautiful park when the original owner, Warner LeRoy opened it way back in 1974. Now, while I haven't had the opportunity to visit other Disney properties, (c'mon Mega Millions), Main Street is a sight to behold, and Epcot during the F & G events are awesome! In case you haven't figured it out, I love the grounds!!

 

[Heppenheimer]

I have to say that I am surprised at how many people on here know about Canada's Wonderland, although I did find out that it was the busiest seasonal park in North America in 2017. 38 years since opening, and still growing.

Fun fact... the area around Canada's Wonderland was once considered by Walt Disney as a site for his second park. Then someone probably reminded him that Ontario has this thing called "winter".

 

[Raineman]

It's been that way for many years. When it opened it quickly became Taft's most popular park, and today it's second only to year-round Knott's Berry Farm in terms of Cedar Fair parks. It ranks in the top 15 for North America even if you split up the individual Disney and Universal parks. It benefits from a lack of serious competition* and being within driving distance of millions of Ontario residents who don't have to cross the border to enjoy a big amusement park (unlike Six Flags Darien Lake, which is once again a Six Flags). If you live in the Buffalo area you can take advantage of the favourable exchange rate.

This year there extending the operating season with WinterFest, which will be similar to the event of the same name at other CF parks, and next year they're opening a small on-site hotel (that honestly looks pretty bland, but it's something else they can sell/brag about).

*The Ex would be the closest thing, but it's only for the last 3 weeks of the summer. Marine Land in Niagara Falls is a joke and I wish it would get sold off and become a Busch Gardens or Universal park.

If you live between Windsor and London, Cedar Point is only a few hours away, but, at that distance, most people go to Canada's Wonderland-similar drive time but no border to cross.
I've been to the Ex a few times, and liked it, but we have the largest fall fair southwest of Toronto here in London, which is an Ex jr. in almost every way, so we end up going to that instead. And Marineland-what a disappointment. I went there a few times as a kid, and loved it. Went back 12 years ago with my young daughter, and the place was a dump. All of the signage and theming was straight out of the 70s when I first went. Half the rides were broken down, and the other half were looking their age. The food was very basic and not that good. They were planning an expansion 11 years ago for an aquarium that would house sharks, rays, etc, but that never even got off the ground. I would love it if it was purchased and turned into a mini-version of BG or Uni, or even Sea World, if they wanted to keep the dolphins, orcas and other animals.

Fun fact... the area around Canada's Wonderland was once considered by Walt Disney as a site for his second park. Then someone probably reminded him that Ontario has this thing called "winter".

On April 1 last year, a Toronto website ran a story stating that Disney was going to build a seasonal theme park on the Toronto waterfront. It took me a few reads of the article until I realized what date it was published on. What a cruel thing to do to someone lol.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

I have to say that I am surprised at how many people on here know about Canada's Wonderland, although I did find out that it was the busiest seasonal park in North America in 2017. 38 years since opening, and still growing.

This will shock people a lot................attendance figures for 2018 in North America.

#12 Knott's Berry Farm - 4.1 million
#13 Canada's Wonderland - 3.79 million
#14 Sea World San Diego - 3.72 million
#15 Cedar Point - 3.67 million

Honestly, how is that possible? Wonderland is open from May to October. And even then just on the weekends once September hits. How can a place not open more than 5 months have about as many as Knott's Berry Farm which is down the street practically from Disneyland? All I can say is that living an hour away from Wonderland it is insanely popular and busy. It is a big thing to do in the Toronto area and Toronto is I believe the 3rd most populated city in North America.

I'm a bit partial since I live in the area and used to work there, but it's an incredibly pretty park in a very pretty part of the country. As others have said, much of the beauty comes from the natural landscaping- lots of trees and other areas that have been allowed to grow. The train ride out into the woods is very pretty, and the cave is fantastic (and yes, the one hour tour of it is included in park admission).

And there is a ton of things to see and do in the area that can easily make a vacation- a lot of shows, which is what Branson is known for, but also a number of other attractions, activities, two lakes with everything that comes with them, hiking and nature trails, and a lot more.

What else would you like to know? I've covered good portions of the park and some of the area in videos, but there's other questions I can answer as well.

Hmmmmm.....................the Marvel Cave. You say that tour is part of your park admission (300 feet below the surface I believe?) but there is a Lantern Tour that is extra as per the website. Is it worth it or just stick to the regular tour of the cave?

And yes, Branson seems like such a wonderful place to visit, I would like to make that possible in 2019 if Orlando doesn't work out.