I've decided to combine the two votes into one thread, to better encourage our visitors from other sites to participate in both votes. If you haven't experienced all the attractions up for vote today, just click on their names below for full descriptions, photos, video and extensive comments from Theme Park Insider regulars.
Here are your competitors:
For Best Theme Park Ride:
For Best Theme Park Show:
Let's get to the votes then, shall we?
Voting concludes at 7pm Eastern, 4pm Pacific. As always, please tell us in the comments why you voted the way you did.
Have a great weekend, and we'll see you back here on Monday as today's winners face off for the Best Theme Park Attraction title.
Update: Congratulations to our winners, and thanks to everyone for voting and welcome to all those visiting the site for the first time. If you're new around here, don't miss Russell Meyer's great write-up of Intimidator 305, below (if you're reading this on the home page. Otherwise, click the link). We'll see you on Monday.
Tweet
Derek, your notion that a good coaster always beats a good dark ride may face a real test today.
Disney is spotless, they do wonderful things to make a Disney experience wonderful to special dietary needs to making most of their rides handicap accessible, like the Haunted Mansion, a ride everyone can ride, unlike the Voyage. And another great bonus for Mansion is their lines will always be shorter than any coaster. There's no coaster who can challenge Mansion's guest carry rate.
I use the old tactic sometimes where I decide on which ride I can ride more times in a row. Now my record for a coaster is 23 times in a row...but I think I could ride the Haunted Mansion more and sill never get tired of it.
But hey, this is a contest between the Voyage and the Mansion, not companies.
Also, if we're going to compare parks, don't forget to add to the list of clean, friendly, free soft drinks, also : Free Parking! can't be beat.... and the lines are reasonable...
As for the other vote, I was disappointed by Philharmagic, don't really like it to be honest. But Fantasmic! is just awesome. So, that was an easy vote for me.
In this contest, I will take the sheer joy and exhilaration of the Voyage over the subtle pleasures of the Haunted Mansion most any day of the week.
Besides, if Disneyland's Haunted Mansion suddenly disappeared in a puff of pixie dust, we'd still have WDW's better version to enjoy. The Voyage, however, is ONE OF A KIND!
Side note...dissapointed in Cedar Point's lack of activity in this competition. Nothing on Facebook, nothing on Twitter, and nothing on their blog. Then, they announce on thier blog that it is no longer going to exist. As far as this tournament goes, Cedar Point never existed anyhow.
Kudos to Holiday World, see ya in June!!
I wonder if Cedar Fair, like Disney, Universal, and Six Flags, is finally becoming just another big, fat corporation and quickly losing touch with the great fanbase that has helped make them so popular over the years...
I see a corporate blog in Cedar Fair's future, and no more individualization at the park level... nameless, faceless, lifeless... just another amusement park chain swallowed up in a sea of corporate sameness.
Shame on you Cedar Fair. I am still bitter about their purchase and closing of Geauga Lake.
As far as the show goes, I was in awe watching Fantasmic. It gets my vote.
Have you ever stopped to think Disney doesn't post about a vote like this to be nice and fair about it? Think about it for example Holiday World has around 70,000 fans on Facebook...Disney has OVER 1,000,000 plus they have various accounts for the parks, for Disney Living, etc. If they started posting about this they would CRUSH EVERY park they went up against. Then you would grip how it just became a Disney take over. Besides this tournament is not about the "best" its about which marketing team can get the most votes pulled together. That's what any open poll is about on the internet that is worthy of park mention. Such as the Latimes.com poll recently on the best coaster Holiday World posted about that a half a dozen times. If they didn't no la times poll would turn out the same because half of the sites visitors had probably never been to the parks mentioned cause they were mostly all Mid West, East and Southern parks.
Plus this entire tournament is so Disney heavy its not even funny. The entire site is Disney and large park heavy. I would say 90% of the content published is about one of the major California or Florida parks. Very little about opening days, festivals and happenings at parks like Silver Dollar City, Dollywood, Carowinds, Wild Adventures, or many local Six Flags parks.
And Pirates would be doing better! I would have voted for it, my friends would have voted for it, and casual observers would have voted for it because it has more relevance outside of Disney's normal fanbase. Heck, Johnny Depp could send one tweet in favor of Pirates and this contest would be over. You think Eddie Murphy can do the same for Haunted Mansion?
Anyway, why vote against the best wooden roller coaster on the planet? Doesn't it deserve a tournament crown despite the fact that it does not bear the Disney moniker?
As for the show, well while Fantasmic is not my favorite, I like it alot better than Philharmagic! I think its the crowds for Fantasmic that drives me away!
There seems to be alot of Holiday World Fanboys on the site now. Wondered when anybody would come! Saying Holiday World is a better park that any of the Disney Parks is, in my opinion, almost laughable. While I know of my own Disney bias, I do not think I would take it that far. As for wait time, Haunted Mansion is extremly capacity effective.
Still, the tourniment proves I need to take a look at the free parking free drink Holiday World!
And I am not talking about Disney itself getting involved, as that would just be unfair. But the lack of support from their fanbases is alarming. Go post on MiceAge or Studio Central, or Allears, or WDWToday... and get blasted for even suggesting they get involved. Man, I love Disney, but many of the fansites are so elitist I can often understand the venom other park fans feel towards them. Thank goodness for a site like Theme Park Insider where fans of THEME PARKS can talk about the good and bad at all parks without fear of reprisal or abuse.
It is okay to like other parks, and other rides, and still love Disney. If it wasn't for Universal, Busch, and even Cedar Fair/Six Flags/Herschend, Disney would not be the top notch company it is today. Competition is the spice of life, and without it, there would be far more parks like Disney's California Adventure than Epcot, I assure you.
On the other hand, Disney doesn't have a single coaster that provides the one of a kind experience that the Voyage does.
I think I actually liked it better when all the Universal fanboys showed up last year.
Up front my favorite parks are Dollywood, Holiday World, and Silver Dollar City to me they off more of a "down home" feel. All 3 have great parks that are well maintained, friendly, enjoyable, and provide value.
But guess what the poll is not for your favorite park. Its for the ride itself not about free drinks, and overall atmosphere of the park but just the one single ride or show.
Therefore I am personally all about the experience on a ride/attraction or show. I voted Haunted Mansion not because its Disney but because its a complete imersive experience that begins the second you step into its que line. I loved the Voyage but I'm more about an experience. I voted Mystery Mine over the Voyage when they competed for the same reason.
For best show I voted Fantasmic, seeing it at both parks its just one impressive show that can not be experienced by watching a video but you must be there to truly enjoy it. To add the Hollywood Studio version is better in my opinion but it helps I was sitting and not having to stand for it then as well.
I didn't vote Mansion because It is Disney, I didn't vote for Disney, free soda, cleanliness, with or against the machine. I voted for what I think is the best ride. The Haunted Mansion.
However, the Voyage stands at the pinnacle of wooden coaster design. It may not be an immersive "narrative" experience, but it is still an immersive "thrill" experience from beginning to end. You definitely feel as though you are somewhere else, and the real world is far, far away. If you have ridden the Voyage, you know what I mean. Quite simply, it transcends the genre.
ANYWAYS. Haunted Mansion can blow this thing up any day as well with Indiana Jones, Pirates, and soon Radiator Springs Racers and MAYBE the Little Mermaid.
As for this site being heavy towards Disney, I think it just happens because its the only parks that ALL of us have been to at least once.
Heck, I go down to Disney World (and Universal, Seaworld, etc) once a year and my "home park" Great America. However, those are about all I know. Nobody else here on the site really values the good experiece at Great America and their awesome roller coasters, but that is expected because there are very few people who go to Great America on the site. Let me tell you, I would argue its the best Six Flags Park.
So the main point I am trying to make is that a majority of people on here have been to the FL parks and we can argue part by part. The Voyage looks fantastic and I am a big roller coaster fan, but I have yet to be to it, period. I know I should, but I haven't yet.
As for Disney, if you ask somebody to name a ride there, I would wager they would say Haunted Mansion, Pirates, or Its a Small World. If you ask people about Holiday World, they would say "what is Holiday World" which is a real shame. Looks like a great park!
It comes down to a couple of things for me. This being the best ride in America contest, I want a ride that is capable of anchoring a park, a centerpiece if you will. A star, not a supporting cast member. I want a ride with a high repeat factor, meaning it delivers the intended effect several times. For a coaster, it's gravity induced thrills and fun...Emotional, biological and psychological. For a dark ride, regardless of content, it's all about visuals, storytelling and emotion.
That said, the first time you ride Haunted Mansion, you will be at least somewhat captivated. The visuals will grab you, and you will pay attention to the story. It will have it's intended effect the first few times you ride it. However, as with all stories and movies, when you watch it again, it doesn't quite have the wow factor. The same goes for storytelling rides. Once I know the end, it isn't quite the same anymore. Great ride? Yes....impressive visuals? Yes. Will I ride it again? Maybe.
A coaster like the Voyage has a re-ride factor that's off the charts. Why? Because like any really good coaster, it elicits the same human responses and has the same effect again and again over several rides. People ride it over and over and over, because it does it's job so well and it delivers that effect every time you ride it. The Voyage....Great ride? Yes....Great coaster elements? Yes....will I ride it again? Absolutely without question. In fact the first ride only leaves me wanting to ride it again. I simply can't say the same about Haunted Mansion.
As for park participation in this tournament, once again we see the power of social media. For some reason Cedar Point fans and chose to sit this one out (possibly because of last years questionable result?), and there wasn't much buzz about the tournament on their fan sites. Universal and Busch got involved and took out a lot of good rides that shouldn't have gone so early. Holiday World simply promoted a deserving ride, harnessed the power of their loyal fans via facebook and twitter, and won
I have a little wake up for you about Disney. Disney hasn't promoted their rides much at all. It isn't because they want to "take it easy"..or even that they don't think they need to. It's because they simply don't care that much about this tournament. They are a multibillion dollar corporation that's worshipped by many, with a lion's share of the market. They spend little time promoting outside of their own website, and little time talking to the theme park fan community. In their eyes, people come to them and they don't need to go to the people anymore.
Holiday World in contrast, cares about this contest. How much do they care? Take a look at their facebook page and see the numerous updates. Take a look at the comments lately, and you'll find that some of them belong to Holiday World management. Look at all the glowing reviews on the threads lately, not only for the Voyage, but for the park itself. That tells me they really care for their fans and they don't take a single one for granted, nor do they take for granted an opportunity to promote and market. They've worked to get to this point, not to mention that the ride itself is indeed special.
Visit the park just once, and you'll understand what all the fuss is about. Think about that last paragraph if you need something to tip your vote one way or another.
Voyage..Voyage..Voyage.
And the sad thing is, Disney launched D23 to "get in touch with the fans", but it really is a club just for fanatics. Why Disney doesn't focus a little less on key demographics and extremes and a little more on the middle of the road theme park fans, is beyond me. But like you said, they don't necessarily need little old me to be successful.
Not sure what is so bizarre about that theme...
Hey, I love Disney, but they don't necessarily love me. If they did would the Yeti still be in Dance Mode? Or would it take an hour to get from resort to park because the company has cut so far back on bus services that it is beginning to be life threatening? Would Casey's still be serving crap dogs instead of the delicious all beef brand that Disney removed to save a buck? And where the heck are the chicken strips they used to serve at Columbia Harbor House? Nuggets? Nuggets? You dare give me pieces parts! UGH!
What Disney can learn (or be reminded of) is to be completely focused on serving the customer, not gouging them. Sure the company needs to turn a profit, but Disney used to be in the business of making memories, not just making money.
It's not Disney's fault it has become the monster that it is. It's just so massive an operation, a global operation, that layers upon layers of corporate bureaucracy are bound to seep into the culture of the company and eventually give way to a less personal touch that was once in place decades ago. Walt was a great business man who pushed hard to acheive financial growth, but did it also with the intent of updating, growing, tinkering and improving his creations. The man seemed to strike the balance between business and creative, being a creative person at heart. He never was a fan of all the red tape and accountant meetings he had to go through just to get things done. He insisted on quality though, challenging those he worked with to achieve more than they ever thought they could. Ultimately he was a man who cared because he was emotionally invested in what he was trying to create, and as a leader, passion like that is contagious and spreads to all involved, from those perched up on top in suits, down to the fans who fall in love with the experiences they have when they visit a park. Holiday World seems to have captured a part of this spirit within it's company culture, and amongst the fans who are here in force. It's not so much something that Disney could stand to learn really, as it is more something that they should remember. Unfortunately you can't teach Walts passion in a classroom , and all the degrees in the world will never equate to the emotional connection that Walt had with the parks as it's founder, creator and driving force.
Disney is definitely a corporation that is trying to get in touch with its fans with D23. But it doesn't make sense for Disney to try to get people to vote for their attractions on any website except their own. Maybe an interview here or there is what they'd do, but not much else.
I understand that Holiday World is way more in touch with their guests. And they should be. They need to keep the loyal fans/ guests and should never do anything that would upset their fans as Disney seems to do on occasion. It's what a smaller park has to do. There just isn't enough reward for a corporation to do the same. And with the way things are in our economy, maybe the positions that were responsible for Twitter and other Social networking sites were eliminated due to pressure to cut costs. Sad to hear, but it's the reality of larger companies as they aren't as tightly knit.
Mansion is top notch in almost everything it executes, from special effects to set design, media production to ride design and effficiency. Mansion is in many ways a pinnacle attraction.
Voyage is a great up-and-comer but EXTREMELY raw at the edges. I mean, the ride positions itself as being themed...but I don't get it. Is there a story or a premise? Best I can point to is some set dressing that looks like it came from Bill Knapps. And the quality of the queue building/shed is servicable at best.
I really respect what Holiday World is accomplishing as a park and with rides like Voyage. But Mansion is in a class by itself.
He cared very little for the bottom line.
Read his bios and you'll see that he drove his brother absolutely crazy by constantly going way over budget on many Disney projects, including Disneyland. His solution to Roy...come up with the money somehow, either through sponsors or investors, I'm not cutting any corners. Roy always came up with the money. He didn't care what the cost, as long as it was top quality and it produced the "magic" that he wanted, which is the reason why Disney became what it is today. The company now rests mostly in the hands of businessmen, and Mr Rao's examples demonstrate that they now have no problem cutting costs in the name of profit. Such is the way of a multibillion dollar corporation with stockholders to appease and bonuses to hand out.
After extensively reading about the man, I contend that Walt Disney's axe would be flying if he knew his theme parks were cutting corners on quality. The definition of housecleaning wouldn't begin to describe what would happen. Heads would roll for leaving the Yeti unfixed, people would be canned for cheapening the food product. Cast members would be scolded for even looking at a guest the wrong way. To Walt, it was all about the escapism and the illusion...and absolutely everything down to the last detail was essential to maintaining the "grand facade". Holiday World doesn't have the financial resources or clout that Walt Disney had, but they do have his sense of customer service, and they are willing to sacrifice profit to maintain it. That's the difference between a privately owned and corporately owned park.
However, there is nothing else like The Voyage on this planet. It is truly a one of a kind, state of the art achievement. While the theme is paper thin at best, the experience is not. Sure, I would love for a Disney style narrative to be built around the Voyage - who wouldn't!? But there is more to a great ride than special effects and the name "Disney."
Now, if this contest was between Universal's Spider-Man and The Voyage, I would be on the other side of the fence!
All parks can learn things from each other no matter the size but things like giving away so much and performing at the same level may and will not work for all parks.
However, the influx of imagination and drive that comes from Pixar's John Lasseter may spearhead a return to glory for Disney. Granted, he is only one man, and he does not wield the power Walt once did, but if what is going on at Paradise Pier and at WDW's Fantasyland are any indication, the man gets "it". One can only hope the bean counters stay out of his way and let him restore the tarnished luster of the greatest theme parks in the world.
Incidentally, the only reason Disney can't give away the things Holiday World does is because they have to satisfy the greed of their stockholders and line the pockets of way too many executives. If you think parking and drink sales paved the way for the construction of Expedition Everest, then you have another think coming.
Prices would have to go up somewhere else. I think it would be great to get free drinks as I always forget to hydrate whenever I'm at the parks as I don't want to pay close to $5 on a soda or even water. It's called sticker shock... guests no longer have to go "Are you serious that I have to pay for water???" It makes people feel less intimidated by prices. Plus aren't the cups small at Holiday World? Psychologically, people will drink less if you constantly have to get refills.
Also the profit that Holiday World would have gained from selling sodas is offset by not needing someone to fill or sell soda, park entrance prices, merchandise, and food. Free soda isn't really free.
Not to mention that the cost of living, the cost of labor, etc. is drastically different between California/ Florida compared to Indiana.
Yes I understand that money spent up front can make more profit in the long run thanks to quality attractions. Cutting corners makes for shoddy attractions and experiences. But in this day and age, it's very difficult to convince anyone to invest tons of money into something that isn't guaranteed to make money. I'm guessing no one's as charismatic as Walt was in convincing people that an idea will work and should be built without cutting corners.
Look I understand your arguments, but does Disney have to gouge customers for these things? If one park can give them away for free, can't they just charge a modest fee? Does everything at Disney have to return a profit?
For Best Show I voted for Fantasmic because I think a live show with real effects beats 3D films any day.
Time for a sandwich... back later! ;)
Disney's one of the top innovators in Theme Parks along with Universal. One of the reasons that Disney parks are able to research and develop new technologies is because they have the money and backing to do it.
As loved as Holiday World is, I don't really see any attractions that are ground breaking or innovative beyond track designs. But none of that is really new technology. But what Holiday World does have that Disney lacks is the intimate relationship with its fans. But I think that's a direct relationship with company size.
And Melinda, that's pretty bad if the same cup didn't yield the same refills in a different park at Disney World. Maybe the corporate miscommunications happened around that goof up?
It's Disney's prerogative to spend that much money on single attractions. In doing so though, they inherit the risk and reward that comes with it. The rewards are handsome, and the risks are high.
The innovative attractions you listed are why I pay $80 per ticket per day to go to Disney, as opposed to $40 per ticket per day at Holiday World. So, you're saying I gotta be gouged on parking and soda as well? I don't think so....
Besides, what good is all that high tech wizardry if Disney refuses to keep it in good working order? Do you think if I paid $20 for parking and $10 for a soda Disney would fix the Yeti or all the broken down effects on the Indiana Jones ride? No, they wouldn't but their stockholders & executives would love the extra $$.
Disney owns me! =)
Disney also hands out free stuff all day long. Started with the Year of a Million Dreams, random guest receive special gifts and services every day, all day.
You also have to remember, Disney owns all the land surrounding the parks. 70 square miles of land that is spotless, clean and well maintained. Money from this is also provided by the parking fees.
Little money is made off of certain things, like the admissions and the food. Things like fireworks and parades, which are very much expected of Disney, cost money and is made up in the admissions.
Fastpass system is free also. No other park provides that service free.
And for the ride length. The Haunted Mansion is ten minutes long, not counting the line/ elevator time spent inside. Whereas the Voyger's lines are longer and ride time about half of that of Mansion's.
Eisner, who was booted out of Disney, made a lot of those much hated budget cuts, but Disney is reversing his style of business. They are going back to strict standards and quality.
Disneyland was successful first in creating the high quality family enviroment. Holiday followed. But cannot compare the two. Disney handles massive crowds with grace. Holiday World handles smaller crowds with grace. But the two are still not the same.
But I say we focus on the rides.
And please, don't bring up Disney's free busing service. It is a joke. Even when I stay on property I drive. The current form of Disney bus service is lousy... and in some cases, very dangerous.
But, I hope you are right, Adam, about the future of Disney. I love everything Disney and want so much for them to return to their roots of providing the best customer experience and most innovative attractions. That way I won't feel so bad when I take my $5000 bi-yearly trips.
It is so nice to see all the support that is out there for Holiday World! I have worked at Holiday World for more than 5 years, and I love that park! Its so nice to go on web sights not affiliated with ours and see ALL the support that we get! Thank You to everyone who has visited Holiday World & Splashin Safari, you have helped make my summers GREAT!!!
Then ask for a cup of ice water its free, and better for you ;)
Unfortunately, I'd say that yes the park has to charge money for soda. The profits earned from soda indirectly affects what innovations the parks can get. I'm sure you know that the Return on Investment on Soda is ridiculous no matter where you go, even if it's a $0.99 soda from Mickey D's. So if the park is making less money, I'm sure there's less money to go into each department's budget.
While I totally agree that the damaged disco Yeti is sad to see if you've seen it in motion, if it's someone's first time seeing the Yeti, I think it's still effective. And tons of money was put into developing the infrastructure of the mountain itself. As much as I don't like the Toy Story Midway Mania Attraction, the technology used there hasn't be used in the same way before it.
But I agree, Disneyland's Haunted Mansion shouldn't even be up here. Now if it were the Disney World one, I'd fight for that one no doubt!
All in all, I think Holiday World and Disney Parks are completely different creatures. Holiday World is closer in themes to Knott's Berry Farm than it is to Disneyland. What works at one can't work at the other as they have different standards.
And Steven, I usually bring my own water bottle from home and refill it at the fountain. =)
That said, I'm planning a blog post for next Tuesday wrapping up the tournament and adding my thoughts about this thread and theme parks' use (or not) of social media.
Still, you give me a high caliber, narrative Disney thrill ride (like Tower of Terror or Mission: Space), and I will vote for it any day over a coaster, even if it is the best one of its kind in the world. You give me Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, and I do everything I can to help the better ride. Which, in this case, proved to be the Voyage.
For those who have not ridden the Voyage I hope this vote of confidence peaked your interest enough to make the journey to Santa Claus, Indiana. You won't be disappointed, and you'll still have enough money left for your trip to Orlando.
My work here is done. Have a good night.
It seems to me that once we get the four bracket winners the tournament should end. In this round, and next, we are really debating apples and oranges, as was very apparent in this battle today. Maybe next year, you can just leave it at the final four. Because in all honesty, it is a huge credit to the Haunted Mansion that it won the Themed Ride Bracket, but that tremendous victory loses a bit of its luster after the events of today.
You did such a great job with each of the brackets, I hate to see it all come down to rides vs. shows. Cause lets face it, 99% of the time, theme park fans prefer rides.
So, I would say, maybe next year do more regional brackets, and have Disney in it's own region. Having 1 company have 6 of the last 8, and 3 of the final 4 is kinda one sided. Yes, Disney has fantastic rides. But, maybe some other parks should be represented?
Just a thought. Personally, Disney does have the best shows and movies, and, outside of Spider-Man, the best dark rides.
Let's not forget that there's a serious lack of E-Ticket attractions at AK, meaning if you take one out it's going to have a major impact on wait times at other attractions in the park.
I do agree with James on some things though, the cost of food and drink at counter-service restaurants tends to be very-high, but that's what you'd expect given the environment around them. If you want something to eat/drink in the park you don't really have the option to go off-site, meaning you're going to pay up regardless.
Supply and demand, that's capitalism for you.
Should Disney consider free drinks (apart from the already free ice-water)? No. At Holiday World it works, it's a relatively small park that can handle the self-service drinks system, try implementing something similar at Walt Disney World and it will cause havoc. Heck, you'd have to employ someone just to manage the line for a refill, which, of course, will be fully of very thirsty people who will have to wait a good few minutes on the busy day to get served.
The second thing as mentioned on numerous comments under each voting round MORE TIME. A lot of the voting like the 11-5 time slot and such would be during the same 8 hour shift for those that work. Some can't get on for personal time on computers at work or people in school. Maybe a complete 24 hour time period or maybe 10-16 hour time periods.
Just a few thoughts though. I will be voting again next year no matter what anyway...
Did one ever think that maybe...just maybe The Voyage might be a better ride than Haunted Mansion? Perhaps if the theme ride junkies had selected a better representative, then Voyage wouldn't have won. Even then it might not have been possible, because Holiday World and its thousands of fans on social media are passionate enough about their favorite ride to take a couple of minutes and vote.
That's the key word...passion. Voyage fans have it, apparently the other side doesn't. It's a fantastic coaster that deserves to be in the conversation of best ride and all that good stuff, but it's also about passionate fans. Voyage is good enough to incite passionate fans, and that's what really makes it the winner of this contest.
That said, if Tower of Terror, Spider-Man, Revenge of the Mummy, Everest with a working Yeti, Mission: Space, or even Disneyland's Pirates had been in the competition, I would have changed my vote. I'll take theme&thrills over thrills-alone every time.
Interestingly enough, if Holiday World had not been directly involved in this contest, Haunted Mansion would have won. And even more interesting, there was a huge debate even among Voyage fans on which ride to choose. I was very surprised at how well the Haunted Mansion performed, despite a landslide of tweets and facebook posts from the competition. There is just no doubt that Disney attractions are some of the most beloved experiences in the world. Which probably explains why Disney is so far above the fray when it comes to contests likes these. Why should the #1 theme park company in the world get involved when it already sits at the top of the mountain? As I have said before, it is very difficult to get a giant to notice an ant.
I don't think it's about passion. Let's face it: although this is my (and many others') favorite theme park blog, we are not as popular as one might think. I've seen MiceAge, Screamscape, and various other theme/amusement park sites/blogs mentioned in the news and in travel books, but never TPI. Although certain parks and chains recognize us, others don't. Frankly, many don't care to vote in a contest on a site called, "Theme Park Insider". Many think we're too pro-Disney/Universal. Others think we crap on Disney and Six Flags too much. Some think we don't care about coasters. I really don't think it has too much to do with passion.
Search "Haunted Mansion" on Google. Out of the first ten results, two are fanboy blogs. The remainder are mostly results from Disney's official page. Search "Haunted Mansion" on Facebook. Nine out of the ten results are fanboy pages. Now search "The Voyage", or even "Voyage Holiday World" on Google and Facebook. None of the first fifty results on Google are fanboy pages. Three results on Facebook, and one is actually a group to recollect cell phone numbers because the founder of that page lost their mobile on The Voyage.
So which attraction are people more passionate for?
This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.
