It's like the new spring catalogs arriving! The 2007 ERA/TEA annual attendance reports were released today. No surprise: Disney had the most attended parks worldwide.
What continues to confuse me is how each of Ohio's two big parks--Cedar Point and King's Island--continue to suck in 3+ million people every year. You'd think folks would get tired of dismal service, dirty grounds, and pretty thin offerings. But then again, Ohio voted George W. Bush into office TWICE.
Enjoy!
http://www.connectingindustry.com/downloads/pwteaerasupp.pdf
Friday, March 14, 2008
Theme Park Attendance Reports
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3 comments:
Perhaps the thing that continues to draw people into Ohio's two big parks would be the unique attractions and experiences offered that aren't available at Disney. Despite the "dismal service [and] dirty grounds" (which is debatable), one would have to be fairly oblivious to call the experiences in those parks "thin offerings". Sure, it's not Disney dark rides, but I also don't see Disney offering any "serious" thrill rides. I love Cedar Point, King's Island and Disney... but all for different reasons. Different parks, different demographics. They each draw in a unique crowd.
Wow...I really don't see too many unique attractions at either of those two Ohio parks. Most of their thrill rides are either off the shelf or quickly replicated elsewhere because, frankly, there is nothing unique to them.
I'd say things were different back when rides like The Beast were created by the parks themselves and, in the case of that ride, designed to exploit the features that defined that park (the hills and wooded areas). Those days are long-gone from the looks of things.
As for the "thin offerings" line, I understand how you might take offense to that but you missed my point. It's not that these joints aren't Disney, not by a long shot (I believe there is TOO MUCH Disney already). By "thin offerings" I meant that if you are not there for thrills, or after the thrills are over, what is left? Not much, and what is there is usually inferior, usually overcrowded, usually filthy. I'd think the throngs that visit would tire of this insulting crap, but they obviously don't.
Anonymous, you want to see a regional park done right, go to Holiday World.
I have to agree and disagree with everyone and everything. Definitely different parks, but I don't know about different crowds, unless you want to separate out socio-economically, and I ain't gonna go there (I mean how can you not segregate and bring different crowds when admission alone it's $400 for a day at WDW vs $150 at KI or CP vs $0 to send your kids to a city park, not to mention travel, lodging, and food? But I'm really not gonna go there). The difference I see is McDonald's vs some national "fine dining" dining place- sometimes I want a meal that takes a little more time, lets me enjoy it a little bit more, provides a deeper experience and places me more in my dinner, makes me more aware of the dining. Sometimes I want something fast and fatty and mass-created, with toys for the kiddies and a few loud seconds of escape that I won't remember by dinner. No judgement about either- just meeting whatever need I have in making my choice and the level of money I'm willing to put out to get the experience I need. But, overall, the experience at either is, ultimately, manufactured, and that I'd argue is the third way, the Holiday Worlds (or even my beloved Rock City), the mom and pop diner that gives you service with a "Sweetie" and a heaping pile of gravy covered love, or the little Mexican stand where three generations make fajitas with fresh (if questionably inspected) ingredients and a lot of smoke. Again, these discoveries are rich in their ways, and provide yet another option over the corporate McD's or Cameron Mitchell. And, finally, no matter what the choice, it all comes out in the end.
That said, I also have to agree with the dirtiness (and, unfortunately, would have to fault WDW in this on my last visit- overflowing trash cans in the restrooms and many days worth of collected flotsom and bubbling scum in the Rivers of America are unacceptable). I was at KI last fall and it looked like a neighbors garage sale (an effect only intensified as Cedar Fair dumped Paramount logo merch at 90% off). The minimum, whether someone spends $400 to get into WDW or $150 to get into KI or $30 to get into the neighborhood conservatory or $0 for the local rec center is cleanliness. If this can't be maintained (and KI rarely has, although I find it improved with Viacom, and CP did for a long time, although it also seems to have declined as Cedar Fair has morphed into Six Flags), then shut it down and rethink everything. The Ohio State Fair is glorious in its temporary filthiness and combination of public education and freak shows once a year and when the kids get in free. Something more should be expected of companies that operate theme parks. I'm not gonna eat in a place with roaches in the food no matter if its McD's, mom & pop, or fancy five-course. The big Ohio parks (and Disney, too, especially in Florida) really need to remember this.
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