We're not counting the legal requirements here - such as safe facilities and access for people with disabilities. These 20 elements are the sometimes-little, sometimes-big other things that the world's top theme parks offer which distinguish them from the competition.
A photogenic, iconic landmark that draws people into the park
A great theme park wants thousands of fans posting selfies that tell the world, unmistakably, where they are - and that makes their friends wish they were there, too.
Beautiful landscaping
No one dreams of a vacation to a carnival in a parking lot. Think how many theme parks around the world have had "Gardens" in their names. Great theme parks create beautiful environments you long to visit.
Multiple attractions with no height restrictions, that appeal to all ages
Walt was right. Families want to do things together. Height restrictions divide families, but no one wants to spend time on boring attractions, either.
Enough available attraction capacity to keep peak waits for non-new attractions under 90 minutes
Sure, wait times can be crazy for this year's new ride - whatever and wherever it is. But the older stuff shouldn't keep us waiting. Long lines for old attractions is the sign of an underfunded, poorly-planned park. On peak days, 90 minutes is the reasonable limit, but on less-crowded days, nothing should cause us to wait more than an hour.
A high-capacity, slow-moving indoor ride
They don't get the headlines like a record-breaking coaster and they're hard to pull off - as fans have time to pay attention to detail on slow-moving rides. But a great dark ride sucks in guests, reducing wait times elsewhere in the park while allowing visitors to enjoy a great experience together.
A large-scale, sit-down, indoor show
On a hot summer vacation day, sometimes you just want to sit in a dark, air-conditioned theater for a while. Great theme parks know this and make plenty of these shows available.
A playground
And at other times, the kids are sick of standing and sitting and just need to run around for a while. Great theme parks create unique, engaging environments for kids to do it.
All long queues (10 min+) are shaded or indoors
The top health problems at theme parks? Sunburns and other heat-related maladies. Let us wait in the shade, for goodness' sake.
Shortcuts across the park
Whether it's via a well-landscaped path or a scenic train, boat, or skyway ride, great parks let us get from Point A to Point D without having to walk around the perimeter of the park.
Table-service restaurants
Again, sitting and chilling is the key to keeping visitors from getting tired, overheated, and cranky during their (let's face it) expensive day in the parks. Not everyone wants a sit-down lunch or dinner, but great parks give us those options.
Easy-to-order allergen-free food options
We love the way that Disney and other top parks bring out chefs to consult with people about food allergies when they order their meals. But great parks also make a wide variety allergen-free food available on a grab-and-go basis, too.
Non-fried, low-carb, vegetable-containing food options
Yes, a day in the park is a special indulgence. But not everyone equates having a good time with fatty, sugar-laden food. Great parks allow us a wide variety of taste options - beyond fried, fatty and sweet.
A unique, signature food item
From Disney's Mickey ice cream bars to Universal's Butterbeer, great theme parks offer your palate something it can't find anywhere else.
Family bathrooms, plus changing tables in ALL bathrooms
When it's that time, parents don't want the hassle of navigating a restroom that makes it difficult for their children to, well, do their business.
Kiddie toilets
And for kids who are toilet training, automatic "grown-up" toilets are a horror. But kid-sized toilets are a dream.
Free, accurate wait-time app or webpage
Everyone understands that popular attractions are going to have a wait. But great parks communicate well with their visitors, allowing fans to know what's happening throughout the park, so we can plan accordingly.
Free, usable Wifi in the park
A wait time app or website is of no use if we can't access it. We've paid enough to get into the park - we shouldn't have to pay for data on a swamped mobile network to get that information, either. Great parks have great wifi.
Free, accessible electrical sockets
And great parks give us places to recharge our mobile phones - for free - so that we can get our money's worth and spend the whole day in the parks, without having to go outside to recharge.
Park-branded and attraction-branded merchandise
Fans can be a park's best marketing force. So why not give us a slew of park- and attraction-branded shirts and souvenirs for us to take home and promote the park to others? (And, yes, we're talking to you here, Islands of Adventure!)
Well-trained, experienced, and empowered employees
If there's a common theme here, it's that great theme parks provide great service that accommodates the needs of their visitors. Doing that ultimately requires a great team. But companies need to pay, train, and support their employees to the point where they can stick around and develop the experience necessary to provide world-class service. Minimum wage jobs with high-turnover, and bosses who treat employees as a commodity, don't make a theme park great. Invest in your people if you want theme park fans to invest in your park.
What would you add to our list?
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A great theme park is something we visit on a special day. A special day at a great theme park should celebrate it's beginning and end.
All these things are fantastic things that bring you back to a theme park.
As part of empowering employees, I would add great customer service .... I know how they feel when things go wrong and people get nasty, but when they make you feel special even though it wasn't their issue that is great.
Last year we had a bit of a time getting on the Transformer ride with extremely long lines. On our last day, we decided to wait however long so we could get at least one ride. After an hour of waiting, it was shut down. We came back later and it was still closed. When we got back the third time the lineups were again stupid long. I asked the attendent how long the wait would be and he said at least 1 1/2 hours. I guess he saw my disappointment as I explained what had happened throughout the day. He apologized for what had happened and let us in through the express line (and yes, I was polite about the whole thing, it wasn't his fault).
This type of customer service where we didn't demand or expect anything made our day and is a reason that we will continue to come back.
As for things missing from this list, I would add the following (in no particular order):
1. An efficient way to access the park. Finding the parking area shouldn't be a hassle at all, and it should be possible to be at the gate within 15 minutes of entering the parking area.
2. A one-of-a-kind attraction that can't be found anywhere else. There needs to be a reason to pick the park over its competition, so having just a collection of cloned or reskinned attractions isn't cutting it.
3. A package holding service. You shouldn't be required to carry souvenirs around with you all day and should always be able to just retrieve them at a convenient location before departure.
4. A skip the line system. Whether it is free or paid, the option should be available to all guests in order to maximize the amount they can do in a day.
5. A child swap option. Not everyone can or wants to ride every attraction, so there should always be a way to easily accommodate parties with a range of ages among children.
Once upon a time... Epcot.
-Universal fanboys
Be it a Wave Swinger, Dumbo clone, Tea Cup ride. Etc. Most Disney parks have them (Epcot does not, DHS is getting one), but all the Universal parks have one. All parks need one, somewhere.
Also an onsite hotel so guests can easily go back to their room to freshen up or take a nap.
One thing all parks could use is a receptacle for personal items in the ride loading stations. Many parks have these; some do not, for which reason I never carry any loose items, stashing everything in pockets. I was quite favorably impressed when a team member at Kings Dominion actually wheeled a bin through the loading area of Volcano to collect personal items.
Also a good webcare team who responds winthin the hour is a big plus.
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