Theme Parks

Post by **spaulo** » Jun Thu 01, 2006 11:35 am

Hey, we're both right! From a Sunset Magazine article dated June 1, 1986 (two decades ago, exactly):

When it opens in mid-June, the new Marine World/Africa USA in Vallejo will have accomplished a herculean task-- moving 326 animals and 39 marine mammals from Redwood City, 60 miles south, without harming a single animal. Finishing a $50 million facility in six months and completely relandscaping the site proceeded with few hitches. For visitors, the results should be dazzling.

Club33Hopeful · Post by **Club33Hopeful** » Jun Thu 01, 2006 11:44 am

spaulo wrote:Actually, Marine World is in Vallejo, not Vacaville. And it's been in Vallejo for at least two decades, as I remember my family going when I was very young...

Yes. I meant Vallejo. I have vacaville on the brain because I need to stop at Costco on the way to the bay area this afternoon.

Marine world moved to Vallejo in 1985. A bit of interesting history about the park, it opened in 1968 as a non-profit animal-only park.

disneydreamer58 · Post by **disneydreamer58** » Jun Thu 01, 2006 11:49 am

LOL Club33! Good luck with your shopping trip to Costco, don't forget your list

Club33Hopeful · Post by **Club33Hopeful** » Jun Thu 01, 2006 11:54 am

bostoncg wrote:LOL Club33! Good luck with your shopping trip to Costco, don't forget your list

I usualy refer to it as the $400 store, because that is what it is going to cost me to get out the door. BTW, it started out as the $100 store, then $200, and now $400. I am hoping it returns to the $100 store, but fat chance.

AKLRULZ · Post by **AKLRULZ** » Jun Thu 01, 2006 1:49 pm

That is hilarious you call it the $100 store as its our nickname for it too - but it is more like the $400 store, isn't it?!

Halvogirl · Post by **Halvogirl** » Jun Thu 01, 2006 2:34 pm

Knotts, as I recall, is cute but nothing special. It's down near Disneyland and I haven't been there since I was a little kid (mid-late 80s

It isn't something speacle. It's to hot, lines are to long, not to pretty. But they do have the best wooden roller coaster. And if you enjoy peanuts they do have snoopy.

Post by **spaulo** » Jun Thu 01, 2006 3:59 pm

I remember a ride there that smelled like berries... it was a Disney-style dark ride, but with plywood cutouts, so I always considered it sub-Disney (that is, until I saw Superstar Limo... sigh...)

Post by **horizons1** » Jun Fri 02, 2006 6:16 pm

spaulo wrote:Northern California has two amusement parks I'm aware of... Six Flags' Marine World, and Paramount's Great America. GA is interesting, it's had its ups and downs over the years (ownership has changed from Six Flags, to the county of Santa Clara (it was dirrrrty in those years) to Paramount), and the kiddie stuff is based on Hanna-Barbera characters, which is kind of neat. Mostly roller coasters, little to no themeing, not all that interesting.

I think you meant Marriott, not Six Flags. SF never owned the west coast Great America, although it does own the Chicago one. You're right about it getting run down after the Marriott sale. I was there the first year after and it was kinda sad. Interestingly, Paramount just announced the sale of their parks to Cedar Fair (owners of Cedar Point and Knott's, among others). This might be a good thing.

Club33Hopeful · Post by **Club33Hopeful** » Jun Fri 02, 2006 6:25 pm

Horizons1 is right. I still have a Mariott's Great America t-shirt.

Post by **horizons1** » Jun Fri 02, 2006 6:33 pm

Knott's is an anomaly of a theme park. Once quaint, it has struggled in recent years to position itself as a sort of light version of a Six Flags thrill park. Sadly, they do not have the acreage for such a feat. Witness the result: a string of modest thrillers that almost immediately get overshadowed by a counterattack from Magic Mountain:

Corkscrew - replaced with Boomerang
Magic Mountain countered with Viper (opened one day later)

GhostRider
Magic Mountain preempted with Riddler's Revenge

Wacky Soap Box Racers replaced with Windjammer Surf Racers and then replaced with Xcelerator
Magic Mountain countered with X

Silver Bullet
Magic Mountain preempted with Scream! and counters this year with Tatsu

Sadly, the quaint side is gone. They had the cutest dark ride, Knott's Berry Tales. Anyone who rode it would never forget the frog jumping contest or the smell of berry pie!

AKLRULZ · Post by **AKLRULZ** » Jun Sat 03, 2006 8:59 am

Knott's Berry Tales - loved it. Sad to hear it is gone. Cedar Fair, owners of Cedar Point in Ohio, now own Knott's and they've gone corporate on it. It's not necessarily a bad thing when they can add great rides, but it's sad when a park loses it's original flavor - speaking of which is the fried chicken restaurant still there at Knotts? And heads up - Cedar Fair just purchased the 5 Paramount parks in North America - that can only mean good things for those parks considering how they've been managed over the past decade.

But you know what regarding Six Flags - they're really bottom barrel in terms of theme park operations. My experience has been filthy parks, closed rides, rude employees - the antithesis of what I've ever experienced at Disney and even Busch.

foldmama · Post by **foldmama** » Jun Tue 13, 2006 11:38 am

I was a little kid (mid-late 80s)

That's makes me feel so old! Need to take some time now and reflect on how old I am.

pr0ph3t · Post by **pr0ph3t** » Jun Tue 13, 2006 11:42 am

how about a couple in good ole Missouri?

in Kansas City there's a pretty good theme park called World's of Fun. over the years it has set some records for things like biggest roller coaster, first all wooden roller coaster, etc.

& let's not forget Silver Dollar City near Branson, Missouri in the Ozarks. It has a old west/gold rush/cival war feel.

both of these are great parks. however, once u've been to WDW, nothing comes close (n my 'umble opinion)!

Post by **spaulo** » Jun Tue 13, 2006 11:42 am

horizons1 wrote:I think you meant Marriott, not Six Flags.

D'oh! My bad.

Mr.ToadWildRider · Post by **Mr.ToadWildRider** » Jun Fri 16, 2006 2:15 pm

Universal Studios Orlando has some pretty bad theming (oooo....sound...stages...and city streets! Errr) but I think that the attractions make up for it. IOA has done much better with the theming and has incredible rides. Both are much less kid friendly than Disney though (obviously). I still routinely choose either of Universals Parks over Animal Kingdom personally.