Amusement Parks vs Theme Parks

[@Coaster-Madness]

What do you prefer - amusement parks or theme parks?

[@3DimensionPrint]

Themeparks, my Homepark is the Phantasialand and I love the immersion

[@Coaster-Madness]

@@3DimensionPrint You are incredibly lucky

[@ChuckE.CheesesIllinois]

Six Flags Great America could bring a perfect balance if they tried, but the U.S. market is obsessed over theme parks which disappoints me

[@Coaster-Madness]

I don't know too much about SFGA, seeing as I live in the UK, but what I do know is that Kingda Ka's removal without announcement was a bad move.

[@ChuckE.CheesesIllinois]

@Coaster-Madness oh Ka is Great Adventure, Great America is the one with the Carousel in front, not to be confused with it's California counterpart

[@Coaster-Madness]

@@ChuckE.CheesesIllinois Oh damn yeah my bad I should read things more closely lol

[@samediker2657]

Great video! I think as Uk thoosies we look to our European neighbours for the best theme parks - looking at you Europa, Phantasialand, Efteling, Parc Asterix and Toverland! Im sure the most superior amusement parks are in the states though and I’m yet to get out there! Maybe cedar point could blow my mind but for now I’m firmly in the theme park camp! 🤙

[@Coaster-Madness]

Exactly! I've not been to the States either but I do wonder how different their amusement parks would feel to the ones in the UK/Europe. I still can't imagine that I would prefer concrete midways and flat ground to immersive environments though. When I get to Europa Park I think that will just solidify this even more, because Phantasialand certainly did!

[@CoasterThunder]

Personally, I like a balance. I don’t personally mind amusement parks but I do prefer the theming being there. That’s why I love parks like Walibi Belgium and Alton Towers (my home park so I have experience with this). But parks that have great theming but not very thrilling rides I find a tad boring as there’s not as much to do in my eyes. For example Disneyland Paris. Great theming but not very thrilling rides. Likewise, parks can feel cheap if there’s not enough to make it feel nice. Like Flamingo Land. Not very good because it’s got cheap rides and the amusement section feels empty. Like it has no soul. I feel like the wing gives rides character and makes it overall more enjoyable and the queue less boring 😅

[@Coaster-Madness]

Agree, I think parks like Phantasialand and Alton Towers (if Towers actually cared about guest experience atm) do this well and give a great experience of thrill & theming combined. That being said, I still really like any theming, and still think a good theme park can stand on its own without thrill rides ie. Disney parks, Paultons Park

[@_xLejmon_]

I think there needs to be a balance here. Personally, I prefer Amusement Parks, because often, to a greater or lesser extent, their amazing rollercoasters are themed. I used to think that it was impossible to combine the immersiveness of Theme Parks with the extremeness of Amusement Parks, but after visiting Port Aventura and Universal Resort Orlando, I decided that it is possible, only Disney can't do it XD (sorry, but Universal Resort Orlando alone has more exciting rollercoasters than all of Disney's parks XD).

[@Coaster-Madness]

Yeah, it's definitely doable, just not extremely common

[@AirtimeAxolotl]

Nice video! Would you consider busch gardens Williamsburg a theme or amusement park?

[@Coaster-Madness]

That's another tricky one... Loch Ness Monster and Alpengeist have decent theming, but Pantheon exists, which has no theming. I think BGW is enough to be called a theme park though!

[@arturobianco848]

I think that should go in the themepark category. It defently has to much theming to still be called an amusement park. I just wished they had done a better job with pantheon though.

[@arturobianco848]

I'm a big coaster fan like a real cred hunter. Having said that you can't beat a good theme park in my opnion. Now i do think Efteling should invest in some more thrilling rides not to many and they don't have to be elite but it pains me to say that my home park is a bit lacking in the thrill department. 2 Decent coaster should do the trick or 1 really good one. I don't want it changed into a high thrill park But Baron is way to small and Python to old to cary an otherwise worldclass park in the (high) thrill department.

[@Coaster-Madness]

Efteling is your home park? I'm very jealous, I'd love to get back there some day. I think another thrill ride there would be nice, but I don't think that's what Efteling is wholly about, and the amount of dark rides and quirky attractions still make it a world class park in my opinion

[@arturobianco848]

@Coaster-Madness O i absolutly love the park and it defently isn't about the Thrill rides. And to be honest i don't want it to be but at the moment it is to much out of kilter in the thrill department that just mediocre and should be also be good ( but not excellent that would be to much).

[@samediker2657]

You are so lucky to have Efteling as your home park and it is undeniably world class! 🇳🇱 I get what your saying though about something to top out their lineup for thrills - maybe a Mack Stryker coaster on the level of the one coming to fantasiana in Austria with a dark section for theming to stay consistent to Eftelings attention to detail?

[@arturobianco848]

@@samediker2657 We can probable do a litle better then what Phantasia is getting. But yes that would fit in perfectly. Somewhere in between Voltron and Phantasia's new ride. Trow in a vekcoma STC with it and that would be enough in the Thrill department. ( altough i wouldn't mind if they did something silly like plopsaland did with putting in a mack extreme spinner). i think in the thrill department this park should at least be in the higher B tier or max lower A tier Right now they ar low b tier and with there main thrill atraction well baron might just be B tier or very high c tier.

[@samediker2657]

@@arturobianco848 Yes 🙌 A Mack extreme spinner would be perfect or a new gen Vekoma STC is a solid addition! I get what you mean about high B low A class though, nobodies going to Efteling to have their face ripped off! 🤣