General Chat / Parks Across the Globe!

You're on crack if you think IOA doesn't theme rides well. Disney themes their coasters well because their coasters are TINY. Hulk is themed well anyways, and its easily 3 times the size of any Disney coaster. Dueling Dragons is well themed too. Look at Dudley Doright's Ripsaw Falls -> that ride is themed better than any disney ride, as well as the Jurrassic Park Ride and Spiderman. And the Dr. Suess area is ABSOLUTELY incredible. The only thing that rivals IOA for themeing that comes from Disney World would be Tower of Terror, Splash Mountain, or Thunder Mountain. And maybe Pirates of the Carribean and the Haunted House, if you want to go to that type of ride.

IOA is just simply unstoppable.

correct

disagreed.
Dudley Do-Right has a few areas of bare theming, where it looks more like you're riding through a warehouse than the Canadian mountains. Splash Mountain is much more immersive.

that said, Dudley Do-Right is way better. mostly because, it's Dudley Do-Right, as opposed to some obscure cartoon that no one's ever seen.

IOA is just simply unstoppable.

Oh and thinking a Six Flags park has a great atmosphere is just a joke.

If IOA is unstoppable, why do I not want to go back? They need to add some new stuff besides Horror Nights to get return customers. Yeah, I've been there like three times but the last time I was bored out of my mind.

Also, the Six Flags parks I have visited (SFMM, SFMW, SFOG) had great atmospheres. You probably don't recognize it because you're caught up in all this lack-of-theme stuff. You don't need a theme to have atmosphere and I think that is what Six Flags does well.

Generally Six Flags parks have an atmosphere.

It's a choking atmosphere not unlike that surrounding Los Angeles.

An atmosphere of heaping garbage, rude employees, bratty teenagers, suffocating crowds, broken attractions, and 2 hour waits for 2 minute rides.


Yes, this is what Six Flags is all about.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg

My home park, SFOT-It has a great, beautiful atmoshere, with thrilling roller coasters, flat rides, and rides for kids.

SFOT is also my home park. I pass it on the way to work every day (within spitting distance of Shockwave), yet I haven't been there in 3 years, because I think it sucks. The ride selection is allright, but something about it just annoys me.

My personal favorites are Busch Gardens, Williamsburg for the atmosphere, Cedar Point for the rides, and PKI for the nostalgia (It was my first amusement park and my home park for over 20 years...and I still love it). As far as Six Flags parks go, I guess I like Fiesta Texas. Although it doesn't have a huge arsenal of rides, the landscape is amazing.

BTW: I think Jo24 is a goober and should be put to sleep.

IOA is without a doubt the best theme park in my opinion that I have been too. The layout of the park is great, the landscaping is terrific in the theme sections, and the disticntion between themes is great as well. As well, the rides are simply awsome too. I love the Hulk, Spiderman, and yes, I admit, the Cat in the Hat. And the atmoshpere is escellent in all places, especially Dr. Suess and the Mythological area.

My runner-up would be Hersheypark. While it lacks strong theming(it does have distinctive areas but not like IOA) it has one heck of an atmosphere. The lines are great, the employees are terrific, and the rides are a blast. It's one of the few parks that makes the day spent seem everlasting without a single boring moment.

I want to go to CP so bad. I always wanter to ride TTD, and millenium force.

Cedar Point isn't everything it's cracked up to be. Admittedly I'm in love with a good number of their coasters (Raptor, MF, Magnum, Wicked Twister and Blue Streak) however I feel the park lacks the atmosphere that a park of it's age (over 100 years) should now have. It feels more coorporate, more big. I think some more trees would do the place wonders but maybe that's just me. Something about it just doesn't pull me in like Indiana Beach or Hershey with their classic beauty.

ride6

I feel the park lacks the atmosphere that a park of it's age (over 100 years) should now have.

Interesting observation. I've never been, but I've seen pictures and I can see where you're comming from. Their focus is on rides, but atmosphere is just as important. Disney doesn't have the biggest, best roller coasters (their innovation remedies this), but their atmosphere is their biggest draw. Cedar Point is always going on about their coaster count, as is Six Flags, but Disney markets "The Happiest Place On Earth," which can only be accomplished with it's atmosphere.

Don't get me wrong, Cedar Point "feels" more classic than any Six Flags or Paramount park I've been to however it lacks the perfected charm of a Busch, Disney or Universal park and it lacks the imperfected charm of older places like Hersheypark or Indiana Beach.

Cedar Point is really big though too. As a result there are little nooks and crannies of the old atmosphere, just duck into the one arcade near the front of the park and you'll see *working* games dating back 30+ years right up to the newest ones. Other areas of the park, like the Wicked Twister/Disaster Transport zone feel very 70s or 80s. They're nosteligic but not like 1920s enriching which to me is the best atmosphere there can be. The best atmosphere (imo) can only come with careful aging, and Cedar Point has the aging, however I don't think it was careful. It was more explosive since the mid 70s or so. Pre-1985 I'm sure Cedar Point was very classic, a lot of old buildings and attractions were still there insted of being torn down or moved so that the next mega coaster could go in.

It's sad too in a way. I'd rather see crammed preservation (Indiana Beach, or Blackpool for that matter) than roomy loss.

ride6

The Efteling in The Netherlands is my favorite. The park's theming is stunning (Efteling was the inspiration for creating Disneyland), the atmosphere is really amazing, every attraction is beautifully themed, the park itsself is HUGE (The total of ground is 1,5x more than whole WDW), and the greenery looks terrific. Everywhere you listen there is music, the park has a Classics Award (After Bakken the 2nd and last park to receive one), it has been voted for being the best theme park in the world multiple times, and everyone who visits the park for the first time is blown away by it's stunning beauty. I mean, who wouldn't with this entrance:


Who says Disney? Efteling is the best!

-Michael BD

Wallibi Lorraine all the way.

The Efteling in The Netherlands is my favorite. The park's theming is stunning (Efteling was the inspiration for creating Disneyland), the atmosphere is really amazing, every attraction is beautifully themed, the park itsself is HUGE (The total of ground is 1,5x more than whole WDW), and the greenery looks terrific. Everywhere you listen there is music, the park has a Classics Award (After Bakken the 2nd and last park to receive one), it has been voted for being the best theme park in the world multiple times, and everyone who visits the park for the first time is blown away by it's stunning beauty. I mean, who wouldn't with this entrance:


Who says Disney? Efteling is the best! 

-Michael BD

Haha, i would have voted for that. Oh! and i've been to Bakken too. =P.


But really, if the best park in the world can be Disney, it can definitely be the Efteling as well. More than so.

Cedar Point isn't everything it's cracked up to be.  Admittedly I'm in love with a good number of their coasters (Raptor, MF, Magnum, Wicked Twister and Blue Streak) however I feel the park lacks the atmosphere that a park of it's age (over 100 years) should now have.  It feels more coorporate, more big.  I think some more trees would do the place wonders but maybe that's just me.  Something about it just doesn't pull me in like Indiana Beach or Hershey with their classic beauty.

That is a good point. It does seem to lack in theming, but what it lacks in theming, int makes up for, in ride selection.

As far as Six Flags parks go, I guess I like Fiesta Texas.  Although it doesn't have a huge arsenal of rides, the landscape is amazing.

My homepark! I love it. The quarry and all the landscaping is quite nice. Although I wouldn't mind getting a new coaster...

SFOT has better rides, but SFFT, has rides like Superman, that are designed on/and or around or in the quarry. I love the waterfall area, n ear the rattler