The Silver Dollar City/Dollywood dis

Sorry but name a major franchise IP at these theme parks.

To many people, IP is not an important factor in enjoying an amusement park. Personally, I love the Disney parks but I haven't seen a Disney movie since Herbie Rides Again. The IP is insignificant to my experience. I know that a lot of people are strongly into the IP, and that's great, but it shouldn't be a reason to dismiss other parks from the discussion.

I like Disney because of the franchises and some of the historical rides/shows. These other parks are a day excursion on a week trip.

The Magic Kingdom is a day excursion on a week trip to Orlando for many people. The list that triggered this thread compared individual amusement parks, not tourist destinations.

You can like these parks the same I like Noah's Ark in Wisconsin Dells. Thing is they just shouldn't be in the same discussions.

More people attend regional/local parks in a given year than go to the Walt Disney World parks. A discussion about "Top Amusement Parks" absolutely should include them.
 
Sorry but name a major franchise IP at these theme parks.

A conglomeration of good shows I can find lots of places and likely superior shows (heck Branson is known for shows). A good roller coaster or two? Six Flags is around my area. Do I need a tube ride? Dells has some large water parks and Schlitterban is down in Texas when we lived there for a little bit.

I like Disney because of the franchises and some of the historical rides/shows. These other parks are a day excursion on a week trip.

You can like these parks the same I like Noah's Ark in Wisconsin Dells. Thing is they just shouldn't be in the same discussions.

Your argument for liking Disney does not invalidate other arguments for having them in the same discussion. People should want these parks to succeed and grow, because that will push Disney to do better. Cleanliness, customer service and value are all far superior at Dollywood and SDC than most of Disney in my opinion. Just because they have Star Wars doesn't mean that they automatically win all debates.
 
Sorry but name a major franchise IP at these theme parks.

A conglomeration of good shows I can find lots of places and likely superior shows (heck Branson is known for shows). A good roller coaster or two? Six Flags is around my area. Do I need a tube ride? Dells has some large water parks and Schlitterban is down in Texas when we lived there for a little bit.

I like Disney because of the franchises and some of the historical rides/shows. These other parks are a day excursion on a week trip.

You can like these parks the same I like Noah's Ark in Wisconsin Dells. Thing is they just shouldn't be in the same discussions.
You mean creativity isn't a good thing? I thought people wished that Disney would go back to creating new things instead of just refurbishing their rides and attractions in newer IP (yes there are some newer content in the parks). Because not everything in Silver Dollar City or Dollywood is licensed content or an acquisition that a media company purchased (as opposed to a theme/amusement park operating company which are different things) from somewhere else that means it's lesser for you? Dollywood of course is centered around Dolly Parton and is a joint partnership with Herschend Family Entertaiment. While Dolly may not consider herself a franchise (don't really know if she does or doesn't that) pretty sure having a park with a very famous person involved and her name everywhere would get at least some kudos.

Time Traveler for instance at Silver Dollar City has a great, in-depth story behind it with the theme is an 1800s steampunk/railroad and you think it's not worthy of a discussion simply because it's not attached to some franchise? Strange..

I do agree with another person it's probably escaped people's minds at times but there are a decent chunk of people who consider MK to be WDW as in that's all there is to it (even referring to WDW but only actually meaning MK; fun fact my mom did the same thing). They go just for that park and call it good. Sometimes it's a day sometimes it's 2 days but yup there are people out there uninterested in Disney in a sense of a vacation and time investment and just hop over for a quick jaunt. What you opt to spend at a place is up to you and your interest level. Me I could spend at least 3 days at Universal but my sister-in-law and father-in-law went to just IOA on their way to a cruise and was fine with just that.

There's no reason why you have to like other amusement/theme parks but don't confuse that dislike for other parks as somehow they shouldn't be discussed in general. They just aren't your thing and don't appeal to you which is totally fine.

** Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn are presents in Silver Dollar City
 


To many people, IP is not an important factor in enjoying an amusement park.

Then reference the point of being able to have tons of options all around the US. There are lots of great parks that are good for a day visit. You also outlined amusement park while Disney is a theme park very different things IMO.

shouldn't be a reason to dismiss other parks from the discussion

Except I don't compare Amtrak to Southwest when ranking each of them. They both are transportation options though.

The Magic Kingdom is a day excursion on a week trip to Orlando for many people.

Thats fine then compare the Orlando itinerary to the Branson itinerary. I personally would choose Branson if you are saying I am dealing with the area and going to various things.

Dolly Parton.

My grandma did love her I know.

invalidate other arguments for having them in the same discussion.

They are not the same discussion even is what I am saying.

Cleanliness, customer service and value are all far superior at Dollywood and SDC than most of Disney in my opinion.

Thats great they are great for what they are.

This all reminds me of the people who try to compare video games, sporting events, and movie theatres from a cost perspective. They are not the same thing. Just because they have some of the same components does not mean the final offering is the same.

Oh and just to point it out I could make either of these the "better" option simply by adjusting my requirements for the rankings.
 
I was disappointed to hear the lack of respect for Silver Dollar City and Dollywood on the pod when the team was discussing the park rankings. Especially given the recent investments in these parks they are now some absolutely some of the best in the country and I think members of the team should consider making a visit to them.

I love the Disney parks and Universal Parks and think they are great experience but prices are so insanely high these days that I just wouldn't always consider them a great value. I think a lot of people rating some of these Parks consider how much they cost and not everybody quite frankly has a great time paying over $100 plus higher-than-average hotel and parking fees only to still miss out on some major rides even if they are making an effort to plan (eg. rise of the resistance lottery).

Both of these park have some really good food options, extensive entertainment offerings, lots of great theming, and a beautiful location. I personally consider Dollywood's Christmas event the best park Christmas event in the country although some say Silver Dollar City's is even superior. The parks are also located in regions where there is a ton of other things to do and more scenic lodging options than much of Orlando.

Disney for years has been raising their prices faster than a lot of other tourist destinations and I think these are two parks/regions where people might be surprised the kind of value they can get for their money for vacation.
We went the end of June, beginning of July and they were definitely fun even though there was quite a bit closed due to COVID, so we definitely will be going back after this all dies down.
 
I thought people wished that Disney would go back to creating new things instead of just refurbishing their rides and attractions in newer IP

Except Disney can create IP out of nothing. That is their benefit as a media empire.

Also there is a reason 99% of things coming to WDW are IP related, people want IP in the parks and its what draws them there.

While Dolly may not consider herself a franchise

Well she was part of the draw as to why we went there when I was a kid because my Grandma wanted to go.

Time Traveler for instance at Silver Dollar City has a great, in-depth story behind it with the theme is an 1800s steampunk/railroad and you think it's not worthy of a discussion simply because it's not attached to some franchise? Strange..

I never said don't go to these parks or they are not great for what they are. Just like Disney is great for what it is. Is everyone so hurt that I am saying stop comparing the two?

There's no reason why you have to like other amusement/theme parks but don't confuse that dislike for other parks as somehow they shouldn't be discussed in general. They just aren't your thing and don't appeal to you is totally fine.

Except I do like other amusement parks and said as much to a great water park that is in my area. I am saying don't compare them because the way they give enjoyment to their visitors is targeted differently.

I have never once said WDW was better or Silver Dollar City was better. I am saying each of them is great for their specific niche in the larger entertainment industry.
 


Except Disney can create IP out of nothing. That is their benefit as a media empire.
And so can the other parks? I'm confused on your point. Your original comment was "major franchise". A theme/amusement park operator isn't going to have a major franchise unless they license the content.. These other parks often have at least some rides that are things they created out of nothing which would be remove that "except Disney.." comment because they can do it to. The difference is it's not the theming you prefer.
Also there is a reason 99% of things coming to WDW are IP related, people want IP in the parks and its what draws them there.
You're thinking like a super fan rather than your average guest. If you actually talk to enough average guests you'll probably find out that a decent amount aren't so hung up on this or that.

Even Star Wars, while still quite successful and akin to Harry Potter in bringing people to the parks just for that franchise, I believe hadn't lived up to as much hype as it was thought to. I myself wasn't super impressed with Smuggler's Run. It's not a bad ride but it's also more like Mission Space, a tad different and then with a Star Wars theme. I heard plenty of disappointed guests in DLR because of that; so theming was no help there. I do believe Rise has gotten much more praise though. Star Wars land wasn't bad but I didn't feel like the space was utilized to its fullest. The highlight for my husband and I was Olga's. Star Wars is in the parks because Disney bought Lucas Film. Who knows if it would have been or to the extent if they didn't have that under their company.
I never said don't go to these parks or they are not great for what they are. Just like Disney is great for what it is. Is everyone so hurt that I am saying stop comparing the two?
No one is hurt at least I'm not :flower3:


I am saying don't compare them because the way they give enjoyment to their visitors is targeted differently.
I have never once said WDW was better or Silver Dollar City was better. I am saying each of them is great for their specific niche in the larger entertainment industry.
This topic literally was about comparing them as in looking at the rankings of amusement parks and the discussion with the Podcasters who are understandably more Orlando-parks (and mostly WDW) oriented. You want to remove from the discussion the actual topic and original discussion on the Podcast that generated the OP for this thread itself. I don't disagree that they all can be enjoyed by people though.
 
And so can the other parks?

Except they can't maybe Universal can as well. They dont have the wide reach across tv, movie, radio to basically create tangible IP out of nothing or lets be honest they already would have.

The difference is it's not the theming you prefer.

Which makes it a completely different thing. Its not a preference or not its essentially what WDW is, its all about the theming and interaction of characters (its why they can charge $50 for a waffle to meet Mickey).

You're thinking like a super fan rather than your average guest.

Ummmmm no I am not. There is a reason why Disney left and right puts IP in their parks and its because it draws in visitors.

I believe hadn't lived up to as much hype as it was thought to. I myself wasn't super impressed with Smuggler's Run.

Except you pointed to the secondary attraction which opened almost like a soft opening. As far as expected boost to the parks who knows ROR only opened on December 5th and wasn't even open 5 months before COVID closed the park. In addition the opening date for ROR (which was the primary attraction) wasn't even announced until last July. We are just now at a year since people actually knew ROR would be open and the full land would be complete.

Still all the "tickets" are gone right away in the morning, HS is the primary park "selling out" right now, and only Disney knows the impact of the land.

akin to Harry Potter in bringing people to the parks just for that franchise

Also this land has directly impacted many to visit Universal at all or more often. Its the sole reason for some people visiting the parks. With Disney there typically is a more cohesive force of all IP pulling together in comparison to Universal which has more of a variety that doesn't really relate.

This topic literally was about comparing them as in looking at the rankings of amusement parks and the discussion with the Podcasters who are understandably more Orlando-parks (and mostly WDW) oriented. You want to remove from the discussion the actual topic and original discussion on the Podcast that generated the OP for this thread itself. I don't disagree that they all can be enjoyed by people though.

Except my point is they should not have ranked them in comparison to the Disney/Universal parks. So I am on board with it being a disservice to these other parks. At the same time I will keep saying it these just can't be compared.

Like I said before I could make any of these parks be "the best" simply by changing my requirements on how I would rank them. As an example my requirement is a park open 365. Well my own Noah's Ark is now out of the running and gets negative marks for not being open. I would say the requirement of the park is having a variety of rides including water rides. Well there goes Epcot on the flipside.

Just reject the premise of the show and say its illogical to compare what I view as completely different things in a ranking show where the rankings are based on criteria that automatically will favor Disney/Universal likely.
 
Put it this way if you stripped out every piece of IP at Disney you would be left with a unique World Showcase, a couple good coasters, and maybe a couple of top end new tech attractions.

It would drop like a rock, Universal would easily be the biggest Theme Park in the world, and Disney would be nothing more than a regional theme park that needs to drop its prices by 50% to have a chance of surviving.
 
"I’ve done no research. I have no interest in going."

Kevin we call this ignorance. It is not a contribution to the discussion. You're not willing to contribute and learn. It is ok to admit that,

I do not fault you for commenting on a short info list for the pod but the response is lackluster. We get it you got a product to promote and are busy like I said.

I only joined this conversation because we were accused of a lack of respect for something Ive never head and have VIRTUALLY no interest in

Again....I will offer opinions where I see fit. Unfortunately....you can't control that.

I am BATHED in relief that you do not fault me. Truly relieved. What would I do otherwise?

I am also thrilled that you think its okay that I have no interest in learning about an amusement park I have no interest in visiting. Again...grateful for your validation..

As for the use of the word ignorant.....sometimes a mirror helps us see things more clearly.

If you watched our last show, Pete explains that Dreams pays for just about everything.

It even pays for these boards that allow people to interact and over react at no cost to themselves

If you sensed sarcasm in what Ive posted.....Im okay with that.
 
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I am so glad I found this thread. I am an AP of SDC! I like our little secret of how great the park is and how beautiful our part of the country is. I can only imagine their faces if they saw SDC at Halloween or Christmas time. At first I was kind of mad but then I just chuckled that they really didn't know what they were talking about. Can you see Pete at Big Cedar Lodge? He would be shocked.
 

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