The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

Californian Elitist

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
BubbaisSleep said:
California has many world wonders, many for free too. I highly suggest doing the Mt. Shasta waterfall loop on a hot summer day. It was the best time ever, many watering holes. Had to cross the Sac river to get to one of the falls, felt like a real Disney adventure haha. Saw 5 waterfalls within a day & a couple hours the following morning. Photos below are mines from June 2022. Also very excited to go river tubing by Forestville this summer for my first time. Nature is great! But I’m still taking myself to WDW this summer for 2 days. You can still enjoy both! Haha

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Stunning photos! And a very reasonable post.
 
Phroobar

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
iu
 
Phroobar

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
A bird in the hand is worth anywhere from zero to $10,000 depending on the bird. You can't just go around grabbing birds without knowing their value.
 
CaptinEO

CaptinEO

Well-Known Member
Consumer said:
I just purchased a National Parks pass for $85. Access to nearly every site ran by the National Park Service for a year. Why would anyone spend money on a Disneyland pass when this is available?
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But it's free to enter the national parks, at least the ones I've been to.

Also a themepark and a national park are very different things. Not justifying a Disneyland pass price as I haven't had one since the pandemic, but still.
 
PiratesMansion

PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
CaptinEO said:
But it's free to enter the national parks, at least the ones I've been to.

Also a themepark and a national park are very different things. Not justifying a Disneyland pass price as I haven't had one since the pandemic, but still.
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Most national parks aren't free. Granted, they are fairly reasonably priced for a group, with the average cost of the ones I've visited being about $30/car for about seven days.

Others are "free" but have strings attached-ex. Mt Rushmore is technically free but your only parking option is in a paid parking garage.



I had a National Parks annual pass in 2021, but only because it made sense for me to do so. Most years, there aren't enough National Parks I encounter on my travels to justify the cost of the pass. While my enjoyment of National Parks has gone up, they're not really the ideal activity for me at the moment as my ankle continues to recover from my great fall last January. If you're the camping kind, they can also be very affordable from a lodging perspective, but if you're like me and require a bed, you're often stuck paying high prices at one of a limited number of nearby hotels.

National Parks are great, but because of my location relative to most of them, it just doesn't make a ton of sense for me to visit them all the time. And as with anything, they're not necessarily going to appeal to everyone.
 
Consumer

Consumer

Well-Known Member
CaptinEO said:
But it's free to enter the national parks, at least the ones I've been to.

Also a themepark and a national park are very different things. Not justifying a Disneyland pass price as I haven't had one since the pandemic, but still.
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Most National Parks (especially major ones such as Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Zion, Yellowstone) have an entry fee of around $30 per car. Additionally, the Parks pass includes free entry to battle fields, national monuments, and other sites operated by the NPS.
PiratesMansion said:
I had a National Parks annual pass in 2021, but only because it made sense for me to do so. Most years, there aren't enough National Parks I encounter on my travels to justify the cost of the pass. While my enjoyment of National Parks has gone up, they're not really the ideal activity for me at the moment as my ankle continues to recover from my great fall last January. If you're the camping kind, they can also be very affordable from a lodging perspective, but if you're like me and require a bed, you're often stuck paying high prices at one of a limited number of nearby hotels.

National Parks are great, but because of my location relative to most of them, it just doesn't make a ton of sense for me to visit them all the time. And as with anything, they're not necessarily going to appeal to everyone.
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I'll be making the drive cross-country, with stops at Badlands NP, Devil's Tower NM, Little Bighorn Battlefield NM, Yellowstone NP, Grand Tetons NP, Yosemite NP, Grand Canyon NP, Wupatki Pueblo NM, and Petrified Forest NP; all of which are free entry with the America the Beautiful Pass. The $85 I spent will save me over $180.

In my particular case, it's a great deal, but honestly for anybody living in California, it's a great deal as well, as the state boasts 9 National Parks and many more operated by the NPS. Sure, they require more commitment than an afternoon trip to Disneyland, but I do believe they're worth the effort.

And look, I love Disneyland, too. I love its history, its charm, its attractions, its urban design plan. But as I've gotten older, the parks have changed, and costs have risen, I'd much rather spend my time and money on places with more substance.
 
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Californian Elitist

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
CaptinEO said:
But it's free to enter the national parks, at least the ones I've been to.

Also a themepark and a national park are very different things. Not justifying a Disneyland pass price as I haven't had one since the pandemic, but still.
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Exactly. I wouldn’t call myself a theme park fan. I love Disneyland and I actually do like national parks. But, as you said, they are completely different experiences. I would never expect someone who really enjoys one to be really into the other.
 
No Name

No Name

Well-Known Member
Consumer said:
Considering how much influence national parks have had on Disneyland, I find that nonsensical.

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Bryce Canyon NP and Big Thunder Mountain.

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Carlsbad Caverns NP and Big Thunder Mountain.

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Yosemite NP and Grizzly Peak.

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Capitol Reef NP and Cars Land.

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Grand Canyon NP and Grand Canyon Diorama.

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Yellowstone NP and Mine Train thru Nature's Wonderland.

Unless somebody's sole interest in Disneyland boils down to seeing [insert IP character here] or posting about [insert overpriced food item here] on Instagram, I don't see any reason a Disneyland would not love visiting National Parks.
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I think the obvious reason you didn’t list is the fact that national parks do not have rides.
 
CaptinEO

CaptinEO

Well-Known Member
PiratesMansion said:
Most national parks aren't free. Granted, they are fairly reasonably priced for a group, with the average cost of the ones I've visited being about $30/car for about seven days.

Others are "free" but have strings attached-ex. Mt Rushmore is technically free but your only parking option is in a paid parking garage.



I had a National Parks annual pass in 2021, but only because it made sense for me to do so. Most years, there aren't enough National Parks I encounter on my travels to justify the cost of the pass. While my enjoyment of National Parks has gone up, they're not really the ideal activity for me at the moment as my ankle continues to recover from my great fall last January. If you're the camping kind, they can also be very affordable from a lodging perspective, but if you're like me and require a bed, you're often stuck paying high prices at one of a limited number of nearby hotels.

National Parks are great, but because of my location relative to most of them, it just doesn't make a ton of sense for me to visit them all the time. And as with anything, they're not necessarily going to appeal to everyone.
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Very interesting. The few I've been to you just drive right in. Not sure, maybe not all of them are paid?

Sorry to hear about your ankle. Hopefully you recover!
 
Phroobar

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
Best advice is get to the parks before the Chinese tour groups show up mid morning. Otherwise you will have to deal with a sea of people all pushing you out of way saying "Sorry. Sorry." Same goes for Universal Studios.
 

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