Does anyone else think that Disney is like Six flags?

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Originally Posted by ZedIzDead

I think there is Magic Mountain: the perception and then Magic Mountain: The Reality. The perception is pretty much what shuks described above. I’m not saying you didn’t see what you did, but in the 3 summers I worked there and the many many times (I’m an AP and a Valencia Resident) I have NEVER seen what you described above. Ever. MM gets a bad rep for this unfortunately.

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I gotta ask when did you work there because here is my REALITY versus perception. I used to go a ton when I was in jr high and high school, hadn't been in 5 or 6 years. In high school I never saw the crowds or behavior i saw and I doubt I somehow became more perceptive or less tolerant.

I went about 4 months ago with my brother and his best friend who are in there 30's and they are Disney guys but also love a good roller coaster and they noted the change in attitude by the park and the patrons.

In the 5 or so years since i had been, the park has fallen into disarray and the people lottering about were a far different cry from when I was a teenager. Frankly I think its related to the change of hands in management over the last decade, look at the influx of cheap tickets and cheap AP programs- it is possible that the Magic Mtn of yesterday has been changed.

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I don’t see a problem with kids being bussed in from poor neighborhoods, are they not allowed to have fun too?

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Not at all, more power to them I used to love to see the news stories about Disney and the San Diego Zoo bussing up kids from the orphanages in Tijuna for days when they would be allowed in to the park for free.

The difference is that these kids appreciated the gift they were being given. In the case of the kids i saw they were underpriviledged but clearly felt entitled to act however they felt because of a lack of adult supervision or a presense of security. I would compare to the way kids act in a mall most of the time.

Yeah, well at least MM isn't trying to pretend to be a theme park anymore, and no one should go there expecting one. They are the XTREME park or thrill park. The place is designed to appease teens and twentysomethings with a high concentration of thrill rides, notably coasters, that is really only exceeded by Cedar Point. The park's drawback is that it's a one trick pony. There is no theming, there are no real family rides- but neither do they pretend to have any.
My beef with them is the environment- its the atmosphere that Disney has tried hard to correct avoid, MM feels more like a permanent carnival, a place were you might be more worried of losing track of a little one than in Disneyland. Two.- Ride maintenance. Not that I feel unsafe on their rides, but due to poor maintenance, many of the coasters are used at only a fraction of their max capacity even on busy days. I love rollercoasters- Goliath, Batman, Viper, X, Deja Vu and others rank as some of my favorites, but when the line for every single one of these reaches 1-3 hours for a 2 minute thrill? Hmmph, I'll take my 40 minute line for Space Mountain over that mess anyday.

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I gotta ask when did you work there because here is my REALITY versus perception

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It's been awhile. I don't doubt you saw what you saw. And it's too bad. That must have just been a freak day or something. All I can say is I go alot and I never saw anything like what you said. These so called, "hoodlums" are just teens for the most part. Most of them arn't even in gangs. (Mostly wanabees) I suspect that when you were a teen, the generation before you thought you were "hoodlums." I used to have long hair and a evil looking Iron Maidin shirt. :)

But there is always a few even today who do act up. And it makes the rest of them look bad. I get it. I've seen adults act more imature at DL.

Oh well, like I said I'm not even going to try and defend MM here. It can't be done. People judge.

I think it is great Disney has expanded their parks. By adding locations throughout the world they are exposing people to Disney who would otherwise never have an opportunity to see it. If they get hooked, they will want to pay homage to the original and come to Anaheim. Look at us, MiceChat is planning a trip to WDW in October, and hopefully trips to the other parks in the future. Keeping it only here, is just trying to hoard our little slice of heaven. I say let the world experience the magic also.

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Originally Posted by ZedIzDead

On a side note – I LOVE that DCA beat universal Hollywood AND IOA.

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yeah I thought was pretty nifty too!

The people who know me form other boards and on the outside know that I am a coaster fanatic with a rather high coaster count. I admit I am a Disney snob but I live and love coasters. Considering all the parks around North America I have been to I have vistited my share of parks containing questionable characters, bad matience, and differnent levels of themeing. Out of all the different experiences I can say that MM is one solely to itself. Over the years from my first visit to MM in 1984 there has been a steady decline in the quality of the not just the visitors to the park but also in the way that the park is managed. Not to offend the many former and current SF employees that frequent this board, but the park is ran almost like a frat house. I have seen on countless time ride ops horse playing in the station. Single train operation on three day weekends. Guests vandalizing the park while employees look the other way. And an example of how bad the enviroment often was, truly so if you had children in you party, the garden that was located at the top of the summit (now gone for another coasters construction) was commonly refered to as BJ summit. This could of easly been stoped, could you imagine instances such as these occuring at a Disney, Cedar Fair, AB, Paromont, or Universal park. Not likely. Just because it is a "Xtream" park does not mean that you can run the park like a skate park. Cedar Point has almost as many as MM and is not as far from major metropolitan areas that bus people in from inner-city areas. Cedar point infact has only a small hand full of somewhat themed attractions, but it is still a family park where you feel confortable taking little ones, teens, adults, and older folk.

-BTW don't let MM be your concept of what all Six Flags parks are like many of the parks are nice and wholesome-

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Originally Posted by wrs28220

And do we know why it is called six flags???
Answer: Because Six different flags( or countries who had possesion over the land) flew over texas: ie. US, spain, europe, etc.

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US, Republic of Texas, France, Spain, Mexico, and the Confederate Flag.

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Originally Posted by wrs28220

I don't think disney is like six flags
Warning: Going:ot:
And do we know why it is called six flags???
Answer: Because Six different flags( or countries who had possesion over the land) flew over texas: ie. US, spain, europe, etc.

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US, Republic of Texas, Spain, Mexico, France, and the Texas state flag.

No. Although the overall quality in DL (and other Disney parks) has waned a bit
over the years (beyond what has happened for DL's 50th) and the fact that
there are a more MKs, they are placed much farther apart AND the quality
is still light years beyond what the 6F parks have.

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Originally Posted by Ride Warrior

2005 Top Theme Park Attendance Worldwide

1. Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 16.1 million, +6.5 percent
2. Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. 14.5 million, +8.5 percent
3. Epcot at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 9.9 million, +5.5 percent
4. Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 8.6 million, +5 percent
5. Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 8.2 million, +5 percent
6. Universal Studios Florida at Universal Orlando, 6.1 million, -8.5 percent
7. Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim, Calif., 5.8 million, +3.6 percent
8. Universal's Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando, 5.76 million, -8.5 percent
9. SeaWorld Orlando, 5.6 million, +0.2 percent
10. Universal Studios Hollywood, 4.7 million, -6 percent
11. Adventuredome at Circus Circus in Las Vegas, 4.5 million, +2.3 percent
12. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, 4.3 million, +5.1 percent
13. SeaWorld San Diego, 4.1 million, +2.5 percent
14. Paramount Canada's Wonderland in Maple, Ontario, 3.6 million, +7 percent
15. Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, Calif., 3.47 million, -3 percent
16. Paramount's Kings Island in Kings Island, Ohio, 3.3 million, -5.1 percent
17. Morey's Piers in Wildwood, N.J., 3.1 million, +1 percent
18. Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, 3.1 million, -2 percent
19. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, Calif., 3 million, flat
20. Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J., 2.9 million, +6 percent
21. Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Ill., 2.8 million, +24 percent
22. Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif., 2.8 million, +5 percent
23. Hersheypark in Hershey, Pa., 2.7 million, flat
24. Busch Gardens Williamsburg, 2.6 million, +8.3 percent
25. Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., 2.3 million, +7.3 percent

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These are not Worldwide figures. They are just the US.

Granted the park that increased it's percentage the most was a Six Flags Park. (Six Flags Great America).

That mostly had to do with the fact they opened an AWESOME waterpark that is included with admission. Kind of like if Disneyland built DCA and included it with Disneyland admission.

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Originally Posted by mrmainstreet

Yeah, well at least MM isn't trying to pretend to be a theme park anymore, and no one should go there expecting one. They are the XTREME park or thrill park. The place is designed to appease teens and twentysomethings with a high concentration of thrill rides, notably coasters, that is really only exceeded by Cedar Point. The park's drawback is that it's a one trick pony. There is no theming, there are no real family rides- but neither do they pretend to have any.

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They have residual themeing from the olden days and it just looks sad and worn down. Also I think its awful that they given up on themeing, I think some of there mid 90's themed rides- Superman and Batman and Riddler were amazing!--->

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Originally Posted by Ride Warrior

2005 Top Theme Park Attendance Worldwide

Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 16.1 million, +6.5 percent
Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. 14.5 million, +8.5 percent
Epcot at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 9.9 million, +5.5 percent
Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 8.6 million, +5 percent
Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 8.2 million, +5 percent
Universal Studios Florida at Universal Orlando, 6.1 million, -8.5 percent
Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim, Calif., 5.8 million, +3.6 percent
Universal's Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando, 5.76 million, -8.5 percent
SeaWorld Orlando, 5.6 million, +0.2 percent
Universal Studios Hollywood, 4.7 million, -6 percent
Adventuredome at Circus Circus in Las Vegas, 4.5 million, +2.3 percent
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, 4.3 million, +5.1 percent
SeaWorld San Diego, 4.1 million, +2.5 percent
Paramount Canada's Wonderland in Maple, Ontario, 3.6 million, +7 percent
Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, Calif., 3.47 million, -3 percent
Paramount's Kings Island in Kings Island, Ohio, 3.3 million, -5.1 percent
Morey's Piers in Wildwood, N.J., 3.1 million, +1 percent
Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, 3.1 million, -2 percent
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, Calif., 3 million, flat
Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J., 2.9 million, +6 percent
Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Ill., 2.8 million, +24 percent
Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif., 2.8 million, +5 percent
Hersheypark in Hershey, Pa., 2.7 million, flat
Busch Gardens Williamsburg, 2.6 million, +8.3 percent
Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., 2.3 million, +7.3 percent

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How come this doesn't include any parks outside the US, other then the one in Ontario? I'm also pretty sure that Tokyo Disneyland is the most attended park in the world, and that it get's more people then Dollywood.

The chart includes US parls only. My mistake.

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Originally Posted by Darkbeer

Here are the Worldwide attendance figures for 2005 from Amusement Business/Economics Research Associates.

1. Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 16.16 million, +6.5 percent

2. Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. 14.55 million, +8.5 percent

3. Tokyo Disneyland in Tokyo, Japan 13 million, -1.5 percent

4. Tokyo Disney Sea in Tokyo, Japan 12 million, -1.7 percent

5. Disneyland Paris in Marne-La-Vallee, France 10.2 million, flat

6. Epcot at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 9.917 million, +5.5 percent

7. Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 8.67 million, +5 percent

8. Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 8.21 million, +5 percent

9. Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, Japan, 8 million, -24 percent

10. Everland in Kyonggi-Do, South Korea, 7.5 million, flat

14. Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim, Calif., 5.83 million, +3.6 percent

The Walt Disney Studios in Paris dropped out of the top 50 (was 48th in 2004), attendance was about 2 million.

Hong Kong Disneyland also didn't qualify, but it has been reported they have had over a million guests since opening in September.

Disney also had the Top 2 U.S. Waterparks

Typhoon Lagoon had 1,914,000 guests, a 4 percent increase.

Blizzard Beach had 1,778,000 guests, also a 4 percent increase.

That gave Disney about 106 million guests in total for 2005.

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