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Why California is the TRUE Theme Park Capital of the World.
- Thread starter Darkbeer1
- Start date
Hattieboxghost110
Well-Known Member
Just careful with these lil' guys.
FUN FACT: Alligators prefer Walt Disney World over Disneyland, just like you!
Gotta love Florida!
Or like Pete Werner says from his WDW show Dis Unplugged, "Stay out of the damn lakes!"
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mlayton144
Well-Known Member
I think the person who started this thread has some kind of inferiority complex. WDW has so much more to offer with all of the restaurants, themed resorts, more parks etc. related to theme park vacations. As soon as you have to start talking about the mountains and other ancillary vacation destinations in CA you are trying too hard. There are relatively VERY few that travel 6 hours by plane from east coast just to visit CA theme parks. On the contrary, people travel from all over the world to Florida JUST to visit the theme parks. THAT makes FL the theme park capital of the world , any other conclusion just isn’t keeping it real. I do agree that it started in CA so there is a consolation prize for you 
smile
Well-Known Member
not getting into this, but i'd like to reiterate that, even tho it may be the butt of jokes...
the abundance and variance of wildlife is easily one of florida's greatest traits
i mean, just look at that awesome dude strolling across the golf course like a baller
Damon7777
Well-Known Member
Are you sure?.....Can you elaborate on that as in what time frame and general numbers you're talking about.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
I think the person who started this thread has some kind of inferiority complex. WDW has so much more to offer with all of the restaurants, themed resorts, more parks etc. related to theme park vacations. As soon as you have to start talking about the mountains and other ancillary vacation destinations in CA you are trying too hard. There are relatively VERY few that travel 6 hours by plane from east coast just to visit CA theme parks. On the contrary, people travel from all over the world to Florida JUST to visit the theme parks. THAT makes FL the theme park capital of the world , any other conclusion just isn’t keeping it real. I do agree that it started in CA so there is a consolation prize for you
I’ve seen plenty of WDW fans start threads like this one and will claim MK is better simply because the castle is bigger.
They also must have an inferiority complex.
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Damon7777
Well-Known Member
2 things about this thread:
1)Yes, California is the theme park king if one considers the totality of quantity, quality, variety, history, attendance ..... ..that's fairly obvious
2) I care about this distinction as much as I care that Kansas has the most prairie dogs.
1)Yes, California is the theme park king if one considers the totality of quantity, quality, variety, history, attendance ..... ..that's fairly obvious
2) I care about this distinction as much as I care that Kansas has the most prairie dogs.
Damon7777
Well-Known Member
You got my curiosity.........USH Hogwarts castle is better than which castle? Universal Florida? Universal Osaka, Japan? Disneyland Paris? Cinderella Magic Kingdom?
s8film40
Well-Known Member
If you take this from the tourists perspective, a trip to Orlando results in relative easy access to 10 theme parks as well as far more water parks and other smaller attractions. If you visit LA you get 4 and far fewer smaller attractions. It's very easy to see why Central Florida is the theme park capital of the word. It's really more fact than opinion. I personally love trips to CA and the parks there, but it's pretty hard to deny the truth.
smile
Well-Known Member
well, i was the taunter, so i can tell you the comparison was to IOA...
deemed superior, in no small part, because it's a more recent iteration.
One thing about attendance, a WDW visitor who spend a resort on site basically counts as 7 visits to the Disney Parks, due to the way the industry counts guests. In fact, it could count for more than 7. For example on day 1, they visit MK. On Day 2, they head to DAK and then DHS. On this day, DAK gets a count, but not DHS (First theme Park visited that day is the only one counted). on Day 3, they head to USF and then check out MK for a bit after leaving Universal. Since the parks can't tell, both Universal and Disney gets a park visit.
Also, the TEA chart is misleading as it only shows the top 25 worldwide.
Page 16 of this pdf file of the full report shows the Top 20 in North America.
http://www.teaconnect.org/images/files/TEA_235_103719_170601.pdf
Now California has 6 parks vs Florida's 8.
Also those not open 365 days are not listed.
The Three LEGOLAND California Parks (One is treated as a Theme Park, one as an Aquarium, and one as a Water Park)
The Nor Cal parks are also missing, California's Great America (Cedar Fair), Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Gilroy Gardens (Managed by Cedar Fair) and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.
So California has more major Theme Parks than Florida does.
But the original post talked about the amount and variety of Theme Parks, plus the history and length of time the parks have been around. When I was a kid, Orlando was a swamp with no theme parks at all.
But once again, This wasn't a comparison of any of state, or even Nations like Japan. This just made the point, if you look at Theme Parks overall, in all the varied ways of looking at them, California is the True Theme Park Capital of the World.
Also, the TEA chart is misleading as it only shows the top 25 worldwide.
Page 16 of this pdf file of the full report shows the Top 20 in North America.
http://www.teaconnect.org/images/files/TEA_235_103719_170601.pdf
Now California has 6 parks vs Florida's 8.
Also those not open 365 days are not listed.
The Three LEGOLAND California Parks (One is treated as a Theme Park, one as an Aquarium, and one as a Water Park)
The Nor Cal parks are also missing, California's Great America (Cedar Fair), Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Gilroy Gardens (Managed by Cedar Fair) and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.
So California has more major Theme Parks than Florida does.
But the original post talked about the amount and variety of Theme Parks, plus the history and length of time the parks have been around. When I was a kid, Orlando was a swamp with no theme parks at all.
But once again, This wasn't a comparison of any of state, or even Nations like Japan. This just made the point, if you look at Theme Parks overall, in all the varied ways of looking at them, California is the True Theme Park Capital of the World.
Well, if you look at the recent light shows/projections on the Castles, USH Hogwarts Castle beats DL's big time.
And if you want an Amazing "Weenie", Knott's true recreation of Independence Hall is the hands down winner. (Philadelphia used the plans Walter Knott made for Buena Park when they were refurbishing the original).
s8film40
Well-Known Member
California is a big state, it's not really practical to count everything in CA. What makes Central Florida the theme park capital of the world is a dense cluster of theme parks that can all easily be visited in the same trip. I totally get what your doing by writing this story in a way that at first glance is contrary to common knowledge to get people to take a longer look at what CA has to offer. To actually stand by this ludicrous idea that CA really truly is the theme park capital of the world is totally laughable though.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
It is practical to included all of California if that’s what the OP’s argument is.
OP, I think it’s fair and safe to say California started the theme park craze in the States. We will always be known as the originators for many of them, including Sea World, Disneyland, Universal, and even Busch Gardens. I see what you’re trying to get at with this thread, but let’s have Orlando have this title, just for the simple facts that Orlando is made up of many theme parks that people visit regularly, and California is known for many other things besides Disneyland. That’s fair.
s8film40
Well-Known Member
Well that’s the real flaw in the argument. You really can’t treat a state as a capital of theme parks when theme parks themselves are regional destinations. If we’re going that route how about we just call the USA the theme park capital of the world, that way everyone’s right.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Not sure I understand that argument. Would you mind explaining what you mean when you say theme parks are regional destinations?
Travel Junkie
Well-Known Member
To be fair if you are going to use this criteria to diminish Florida's count you have to use AP's to diminish California's. If you are talking about unique visitors I'm sure Florida's attendance lead over California widens even further.
I wouldn't consider any of them major theme parks and and if you do, Florida has just as many roughly the same size that you are leaving out. Overall the two states are probably pretty close in pure numbers despite California having twice the population.
Once again you are pointing out all of the California parks that show variety, but fail to mention Florida's variety. You mention all of California's regional and local parks, but are only counting Florida's largest ones.
The numbers clearly point to Florida and specifically Central Florida as the top theme park destination in not only the country, but the world. You may disagree, but it seems pretty apparent that two of the three biggest players in parks Disney and Universal have their flagship resort in Florida, not California. That says a lot.
s8film40
Well-Known Member
Most people plan trips to revolve around theme parks. Meaning many for example will plan a trip to Orlando so they can visit multiple parks. It’s extremely rare that someone would plan a trip to the CA theme parks and spend large amounts of time traveling around the state to visit the theme parks. For example if a friend or co-worker told you they were going to WDW you wouldn’t say “be sure to check out the Miami Zoo while your there”.
DisneyInsider101
Active Member
Honestly why would anyone care what is the TrUe ThEmE pArK cApItAl oF tHe WoRlD like honestly no one cares, Florida has alot of theme parks and california I guess has "some"
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Gotcha, that makes sense. I agree.
You cared enough to comment, no?
Are you actually going to add to the conversation?