I really do respect your opinion and passion for this park, but you also have to be able to step back and look at the big picture even though you do have an immense passion for the place.
Saying a place has fair food is disrespectful? Why do most people go to the fair? I don’t think it’s for the tilt-a-whirl. It was this way at least in Western PA. For the love of all that is holy, I talk about how a
Disneyland corn dog is my favorite food at that park.
As for theming, I think Knott’s Ghost Town is better than Frontierland and I’m pretty sure I’d feel that same way about aspects of SDC/DW, but there is something next level about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Galaxy’s Edge that other parks just can’t do or they wouldn’t ever do it. Heck, Universal Studios Florida could’ve been chalked up as amusement park-esque pre-Diagon Alley with the exception of Hollywood and New York and that argument could still be made. I’m one of the first people to say that theming at Disney, specifically Magic Kingdom, is weak and has room for growth, but I think that’s part of the future of all of the parks as long as the economy and travel doesn’t get hit further.
Not everything needs to be on Disney/Universal level. That doesn’t mean everything else is less than, unclean, has bad food, etc... As for Branson, I plan on visiting one day to see Andy Williams perform in a land I’ve been told that’s like Vegas if it was run by Ned Flanders.
I guess I don't know what the big picture is here. It was a reader's poll. About people's favorite places and things. No one said that they're the same. Just because someone likes something that you might not like or might not be familiar with, it does not mean that their opinion is invalid or less valid than your opinion. In the world section of the same list, they listed Puy du Fou in France as their number 2. I'm not really familiar with the place, so my reaction was "oh, that's interesting. Maybe I should see what that place is all about," and you know what... It looks like a really cool place and I'd love to visit the next time I go to France. That's kind of the point of these lists. Not everyone is familiar with every place in the world, so a small write up along with a bunch of people's experiences is a great way to find new places to visit.
Yes, I guess I am also one of those weirdos that you mentioned in your video. I read reviews and I watch your content, most of which are also reviews. Sometimes I even do trip reports and write reviews on the boards. I was also posting operational updates when I visited a few weeks ago. I even individually reviewed and ranked the four Disney World parks in my trip report based on how I thought they did with regards to the reopening in terms of the overall experience, social distancing and mask compliance. (#1 Animal Kingdom, #2 Epcot, #3 Magic Kingdom, #4 Hollywood Studios) Why did I individually rank and review entire theme parks? It was fun and I thought someone might find it interesting given the new world that we're living in.
For all the list talk, you guys seem to have forgotten that you guys do lists all the time. Your channel had a best and worst list of the Winnie the Pooh ride a few weeks ago.
Perhaps I wasn't very clear. The "it being disrespectful" was more in reference to the laughter and the bad joke that I clearly didn't get. The next sentence was with regards to how I felt your comments were a mischaracterization of the park. Perhaps you still think that's the correct way to describe it and maybe it will change if you ever decide to visit, but maybe it won't. We'll just have to agree to disagree there. In terms of theming, I think Silver Dollar City is what Frontierland should be, but that doesn't mean that I dislike Frontierland or think it's a bad product. Magic Kingdom just could really use an old-timey blacksmith making stuff, among other things. I also think that the no alcohol thing is closer to Walt's vision and I wish Disney would eliminate it from the parks. I know that I'm in the minority here and that it makes too much money for corporate to stop now, but perhaps that is one of the benefits of Silver Dollar City being a family owned park as opposed to being a corporate run park. Sticking to principles isn't really something the Disney company can do anymore as an international conglomerate which is something they could do when Walt was building Disneyland.
If you ever decide to go to Silver Dollar City, that's totally cool. I hope you enjoy your time. If not, then that's fine too. I'll never stop finding it hilarious that Slinky Dog Dash could have been a spinning coaster that does loop-de-loops. Do what makes you happy, don't feel obligated to go someplace you're not interested in. I'll be back in Disney World in 42 days and I'm sure I'll have a blast.
The Universal thing is something that I don't get personally mainly because it has the misfortune of being right next to Disney World and I want to get the most value out of my annual pass. It's just so IP-heavy on things that I'm not really interested in. I know there are people that love Harry Potter, but I guess it's not something that's really stayed with me the same way that Disney has stayed with me over the years. Now if Super Nintendo World ever happens, I'm in. I just hope they do Nintendo Princess meet and greets. I also know that there are plenty of people who prefer Universal over Disney and their opinions are certainly valid and I can understand why they'd love it. I also know that there are people that think Animal Kingdom is just a half-day park, but it's my favorite Disney park. I don't find it necessary to laugh at or try to invalidate their opinions.
My responses weren't meant to be taken in as me saying Silver Dollar City is better than Disney World or that it's the same thing. I was just trying to point out that it's a really good park too that's gotten plenty of awards for their operations and the park is well regarded within the industry. It was meant more as a don't knock it until you try it sort of thing.
I guess that's the thing about preferences, we all like different things. I think reviews and these kind of lists are fun because they can help you find someplace new, which is why I enjoy your content. I know someone on the the show mentioned that they found a really good restaurant on yelp. I mean, that's kind of the point of these kind things, it's to find new places to enjoy.
YAlthough you missed the boat on seeing Andy Williams though (by about 8 years)
