Mad Mouse at Valleyfair! shows how one ride can reach a wide audience.
-What makes a park well-rounded, the benefits of being such, and who does it the best.-
(12-07-07) - It’s funny how you have the best time in the world at the strangest places. I recently paid a visit to Six Flags New England, and I’ve got to tell you, rarely have I ever been so impressed with a park. There appeared to be a myriad of things for the whole family to do. You’ve got your top notch coasters and you have your kiddie rides. However, you also have the in-between rides. You know... those family-style coasters and such. That’s right, those little attractions most of us walk by as we head towards Batman or Kingda Ka. While this may come as a shock to the systems of some, those rides are some of the most important ones there are.
Remember, we represent a very small portion of a park’s income, due in no small part to our cost saving measures, which include everything from season passes (which we end up using a thousand times over), souvenir cups (assuming we don’t opt for the water fountains instead, saving yet more money), and avoiding park food (which isn’t always such a bad thing). In the end, how much do we contribute? I’m willing to bet that by the end of the season, some of us made a profit by going to the park.
Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges.
The other portion I’m referring to is the family portion. You know, mom, dad, the kids, and perhaps most important to the bottom line, the wads of cash in their wallets. They come, pay a slightly discounted price, and end up burning some serious money during the day. They’re likely more responsible for the addition of Alpengeist, Batman-The Ride, and Titan than we ever were. And yet we feel some disappointment when the latest addition to our park is a set of family attractions rather than a completely unneeded rocket coaster with thirty-three inversions.
Given their contributions, I say that they deserve to have a lot of rides for them as well, and on that note, I find some of those family rides to actually be just as enjoyable, if not more so, than some of the major coasters we ride. I think the Coal Cracker at Hersheypark is a don’t-miss attraction. The glorious Bilge Rat Barges at Islands of Adventure rock my face off. Even more entertaining than either, though, is Pandemonium, Six Flags New England’s spinner. There’s a coaster that can factually claim to be fun for the whole family, white-knuckle enthusiasts included. It hits right dead in the center of everything and is quite possibly one of the absolute best ride concepts ever developed.
I won’t lie. I’m even wowed by kiddie lands. I may ride absolutely nothing in those areas, or maybe Der Rollschucoaster if I’m feeling a little credit-hungry, but those areas truly impress me if they’re done properly. While it’s practically a given that some parks will do very well in those areas (Disney World, Islands of Adventure, etc.), some regional parks do very well in them as well. Dorney Park has quite a nice little kiddie area in it. Kings Dominion and Kings Island both make a point of going all-out with their kiddie areas. Even the new Wiggles World at Six Flags New England is well done.
Delirium gives a very different experience than a coaster, but is just as thrilling.
Finally, let’s not forget the white-knuckle thrillers that don’t run on tracks. That’s right, Giant Frisbees, free-fall towers, Sky Swatters, and Mission: Space. Having a few of those provides the park with low-cost, small-footprint thrillers. I enjoy some quality flipping action on Swat (well, Catapult now) as much as I enjoy a lap on Six Flags Over Texas’s Shock Wave. If nothing else, it’s variety.
That’s right, variety. The keyword for this editorial. Variety is what separates the real parks from the places that may as well be one giant 100-acre footer for supports. I know everyone loves their roller coasters, myself included, and we all may be going to the parks for the coasters alone, but I feel that breaking up the coaster madness with some other rides often makes me appreciate the roller coasters even more. Not only that, but it makes more parks appeal to me, with me often going to parks that aren’t so highly-regarded by coaster junkies. Even more important, it makes parks appeal to the high-paying families who give us our coaster thrills. As such, I say that Hersheypark, Six Flags New England, and Six Flags Fiesta Texas probably set the best examples of well-rounded parks, at least that I’ve visited. Give them a shot, and see if you agree that they strike the perfect balance.
Justin Surguine can be reached with questions, comments, or just telling him how much he sucks here. RCPro, it's staff, and affiliates, are not responsible for the comments made in any user submitted article. RCPro does not necessarily support or endorse the views and comments made by the user.
