LA Times review of Flicks

[jeremyh]

We used to go to Magic Mountain at least once or twice a year up until my wife got pregnant (about 4 years ago). One of the things we noticed was the continued deterioration of the "clientele" served by the park. I can't remember the last time we went there and DIDNT smell people smoking pot, for example.

Another point - "height restrictions". Well, there's a big difference between the 40 and 42" restrictions at Disneyland/DCA and the common 48" at Magic Mountain. That's several years of age for a kid. Even "psyclone" has a 48" restriction, while it's 42" for Big Thunder..

Now that my daughter's old enough (and tall enough), LegoLand and Disneyland Resort are our theme parks of choice. These parks are much more family friendly simply due to an environment that feels safer and more family friendly due to who visits the parks. For example, I can't recall ever smelling pot in either park (compared to it being the norm at Magic Mountain, not to mention violence at SFMM).

Granted, haven't been there in 4 or more years, and I wouldn't mind going back without the kids to try out all the new rides, but I dont see much point in going there with my kids. Even when I was the same age as the majority of the people at SFMM, I was there for the thrill of the rides and not the thrill of feeling like a fight was about to break out because you bumped into the wrong person while waiting in line for a ride, and yes I got that feeling frequently enough to make me always feel uneasy there.


That's just my perspective on how family friendly SFMM is..

[DLMAGICDARREN]

Originally posted by jeremyh


That's just my perspective on how family friendly SFMM is..

I agree with you not only 100%, but 1000%, the point was not to paint a pretty picture that Six Flags is a family friendly park, because it's not.

The point was to look at DCA'a 4 new adds in their new land, and consider if they are/or are not a better add then when SFMM added BBW, based on number of family attractions alone.

I would not begin to disagree for a moment Disney runs better parks then Six Flags.

[Alpha]

Who said that kids do not like repitition? I find that small children like the famillar: food, stories, clothes and RIDES. If the rides at Fliks are familiar, that may be a bonus to kids who are shy of some rides. It is darling (FFF) and parents should take time to show their kids the big clover ,the bug lights and the special features. Slow down and teach your kids not to be so frenitic. You know why they love the water areas? Because they are not pushed, guided or yelled at, by adults (unless they don't leave their shoes on) they are left to play their way, and they don't have to stand in line to do it.

[ehoard]

Regarding repetition, my niece has to watch Peter Pan about 30 times a day, everyday!

My sister begged my to buy Mary Poppins for her birthday, just so she could watch something else.

ONe of the most frequent phrases in any kids vocabulary is "Do it again!" flollowed by much laughter.

[snowballmouse]

Originally posted by jeremyh





As crazy as it sounds, you have to spend some time in the bathrooms. They have a soundtrack to them. It's more than just music or bug sounds, but if you go in and out quickly you might not pick up on it.
-Jeremy

ahhhhhh. what's better than hearing lots of bugs while you do your business.:rolleyes:

[woody]

Originally posted by Marcie
It is interesting that whenever a newspaper "reporter" writes a negative paper on DCA that it is typically the same bunch that jumps all over it on the boards. This guy is a theme park geek like many on the boards and his opinion isn't any more important than anyone else who posts on any of the Disney websites.

They are as important as any movie or theater critic. They hold a lot of power to make or break attendance.

The Orange County Register review is rather mixed too. I suppose this quote isn't accurate either.

http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb/oc...cle.do?id=5359

"Disney officials hope it will make you feel like buying tickets to California Adventure. The park opened in February 2001 as part of Disney's $1.4 billion Anaheim Resort expansion, but it isn't drawing crowds that will meet the company's goal of 7 million visitors a year.

Bug's Land and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, an attraction set to open in 2004, are significant additions because they indicate that Disney intends to grow and invest in the park to suit the desires of its patrons. From the first day, Disney admitted it lacked enough kid-friendly attractions at the new park, which aims to capture the perfect California day."

FFF offers more ride adventures and fun than Toontown did when it opened back in 1993. I think it is a great addition to DCA and greatly helps the park now provide attraction offerings for all ages.

I like Toontown more. Maybe Roger Rabbit wasn't opened early, but it surpasses all of FFF's rides.

The comments of "it may bring in people now, but I'm not sure about repeat visits," shows that some are just not understanding the true intent behind the building of FFF. I doubt seriously that FFF will be heavily promoted, and perhaps not even mentioned at all in future promotions after 2003. Disney knew full well building Flik's that this wasn't going to be a major E-ticket draw for the park, but it does greatly help DCA with better balancing out the park's offerings for all ages. And for the time being the marketing message for FFF needs to be strong in showing families that DCA now has offerings for kids.

This sounds like more of the lowering of expectations BULL. All I can say is SO WHAT?!!! If the audience doesn't get it (the real reason for the addition), Disney still loses out (the audience just won't care and won't go).

Disney does these things to make money by increasing attendance. (I keep getting this lecture so I'm turning it back to you.) The fact that kids were not catered to in the park's original plan have contributed to the park's disappointment. I just hope Californians are attended to as its next demographic to conquer.

[ismael flores]

I had just read the newspaper and this article and knew that somebody that was ready to start a topic on this.

This article actually made me very angry. You could obviously see that this writer has no sense of imagination. For this person to write an article about a childrens area and not place themselves at a childs level is completely wrong. HE/She was ready to pick on the size of straws and clovers but yet did not stop an mention the amount of detail in this area like the bug sounds or the greenery.
You could also tell that he/she was ready to just put down this park and anything it new it gets since all the stories he has written about DCA have been negative.

Worst of all is to sday that a person entering this area would confuse or even say it was the same as Knott's kids area and Magic Mountain. Although i think Knott's has a nicely detailed Camp Snoop there is no way that Magic Mountains Bugs Bunny Land has any kind of creativity to it.
He even calls Magic Mountain land Bug land.

I am also surprised that there is a topic started about the Latimes article but yet the naysayers and people ready to jump againmst the Disney companies achievements don't say anything about the very positive review from the Orange County Register (and i was surprised that this article came from such a joke of a paper like the la times is)

I am also surprised that the writer would also comment on the price issue. It shows all of us very claerly that this person is so used to getting free everything just because he works for the media that he has forgotten that just a night out to watch a movie could cost halve the price of a whole day worth of fun in a Disney theme park.

[driftwood714]

Don't forget the guy who wrote this article also runs ThemeParkInsider.com, not exactly a Disney site from what I've heard.

[woody]

Originally posted by ismael flores
I am also surprised that the writer would also comment on the price issue. It shows all of us very claerly that this person is so used to getting free everything just because he works for the media that he has forgotten that just a night out to watch a movie could cost halve the price of a whole day worth of fun in a Disney theme park.

For a family of four, you're talking about tons of money for a day at DCA. I think the difference in cost is in a magnitude of five (~5 X $8), plus the cost of food and parking.

A day at Disneyland or DCA is not comparable to the movies.

[driftwood714]

How is it not comparable?

At a movie, you're paying 8 bux per person for 1.5 to 3 hours(now-a-days movies are getting shorter) of entertainment, plus the cost of snacks and beverages (optional).

At a theme park, you're paying about 45 dollars per person (35 for kids) for a whole day of entertainment, whether it's 8 or 16 hours depending on season, plus the cost of snacks and beverages (optional again).