State and Country Fairs, on the other hand, are relatively diverse in their attractions: you can do the carnival stuff if you'd like, or you can:
* Peruse your state's agricultural and crafts competitions
* Go to the livestock auctions
* See live music by local artists
* Go the the trade halls and look at/purchase goods by local businesspeople
* Attend the live performances and competitions (my favorite county fair[1] has tractor pulls and pig races)
I remember going to the state fair growing up, and it was excruciatingly boring waiting for the adults to finish looking at cows and trinkets. Whereas our family's trip to Disney was tailor-made for kids from start to finish, and honestly features pretty prominently among my favorite all-time memories.
I often went to the Boulder County Fair in grad school and that had a Demolition Derby, which my kid would love.
(I never went to Disney until I was 25, when I visited for free for 1/2 day thanks to a friend who was working there seasonally.)
Now, I don't enjoy amusement parks and never did, and don't feel strongly about Disney media, so it's just amusing to me, especially seeing it play out on HN
I'd rather go to a state park than Disney lmao
How are we even equating a State Park with theme parks like Disney? It originally was suggested as State Fairs vs Disney. At least a typical State Fair has some sort of amusement rides that tilts in the direction of a Disney level theme park. While State Fair to Disney is at least apples and oranges, State Parks to Disney is like comparing fruits to anything else unrelated.
I grew up going to Disneyland, had an annual pass in the past and still live fairly close to it; it's an easy day trip. Almost went when the new Star Wars section opened - until I started to look at the pricing. Would have been over $100 a day for tickets (!), never mind all the other costs. The last time I went tickets were in the $80 a day range and I thought that was nuts.
Obviously they are getting people to still pay it - good for them; I'm out. Too many other things to do. And it warms my heart to see Universal in Orlando really taking on the mouse. Disney has killed Star Wars and Marvel - Thor's theater receipts are an utter joke. Disney has gotten complacent and lazy; maybe a good fleecing will wake them back up.
Moving to California though I was surprised by how much traction Disney continues to get with the follow-on generations.
Their IRL entertainment products-- the resorts/parks, travel, etc-- are super-premium. They are not a great value. And they are in a weird "bubble".
But man, your kids are entertained and customer service is good and everything is fun for everyone.
My single thought was "?!", followed by wanting to leave.
I have a hard time imagining anyone could enjoy it in a normal situation.
Disney lines are horrific by comparison. It’s nice they add some theming while you wait, but you will have a far better time just skipping the rides unless you want to run to something at park open or schedule your day around fast pass.
You said "state park" which is a very different thing than what GP was talking about. I like Disney alright but spending time in nature at a state park can be just as fun IMO. State fair though? Count me out.
Same here, even as a kid I preferred the state park. I've never been to Disney, but I've never liked theme parks. I do like water parks though.
Also the annual passes, that lots of locals use to make multiple trips per year affordable, have been increasing in price. Disney wants their visitors to spend money, and those who economize using annual passes have proven to be on the whole, not the most advantageous customers.
I live in NH and the local amusement park, called Canobie Lake, has more rides and ride systems than the Magic Kingdom. The "themeing" isn't as nice but it's a fraction of the cost.
I like the Disney Parks, but you're really paying a heavy premium for IP and a potential visit with a Princess. For most people your local Six Flags will be a far better value for the dollar with not much of a dimunition of the experience.
Man let people have fun. I've been to Disney World a couple of times. It's not that fun with all the crowds and lines and such. We all have our own idea of fun. Mine is with friends and families having a low stress day at a water park, nature hike, minor league sports event and not worrying about bragging rights after the "adventure".
https://touringplans.com/disneyland/attractions/opening-date...
Favorites like Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion didn't open until the late 1960s, a decade after the park did, and Space Mountain & Thunder Mountain didn't open until the late 1970s.
So I wonder if it's even meaningful to them to talk about alternatives at all. Many of them are mainly visiting that one special place for sure every year, so it's not too terrible to save the money either.
Now get off my lawn.
I would argue that Disneyland should be even more expensive. As Yogi Berra once said (paraphrasing) "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded." People that simultaneously complain about Disneylands price and the crowds are delusional.
perhaps in a simplified model of the world in which the only way of allocating limited resources is via a pure free market, and we assume that there's no way to satiate more demand
just off the top of my head for the latter: an online pre-sign-up and scheduling system with phones or wireless wristbands that assigns you times for your preferred rides, should help level demand and avoid bottlenecks, and thus increase throughput, and thus increase turnover, and thus increase daily attendance capacity
essentially MRP but the people are the materials and the rides are the workstations
And there's a really good video someone did on the evolution and systems engineering behind the Genie+ / FastPass system:
In the last 10 years, Disneyland has become an activity for wealthy childless millennials, which is almost certainly driving up the costs and turning Disney from a middle class activity into a wealthy one. Disney, just like any other corporation is gladly taking their money.
Pretty similar for pro sports. Lots of my friends take their kids to minor league baseball - for the kid, it can be better, as they often have specific kid activities. I've always been shocked at the price for Redskins tickets/parking/etc. Nationals is a bit less expensive, but still not cheap.
(Reminiscing over the $5 student tickets available with college ID in the early 2000's)
Not really sure what other options there are. People need to stop valuing Disney parks so highly. Or don’t and accept the price.
What on earth would be the appeal for people that do not have children? If I want rollercoasters I'll go to six flags.
Impeccably landscaped grounds. Heavily themed environments (not even the trash cans are left unthemed). Care and thought put into the immersive experience, sight lines, smell, music, etc. Christ some of the live musicians (Dixieland, barbershop, the Dapper Dans, etc) are worth it on their own. Its a fantastic place to just walk around (assuming not hot and crowded) and devour the sensory experience.
Not for the cynical of course. You have to just give in and let it all in.
If you’re the type to just trounce through an area without taking in the details that sit before you, it’s not the place for you. If you’re the type to admire the street lamps, flowers, insanely well-maintained painted woodwork, etc it’s the place for you.
Like damn, people in this thread are acting like adults can’t like Star Wars and Frozen. Do you feel the same way about music festivals? Seeing your favorite bands and buying merch.
The prevailing line in this thread is that it’s seemingly childish, immature, #cringe to genuinely like and be excited for things.
The people paying are really into Disney.
Schools get a day off each year for Fair Day in the North Texas area. Obviously, you don't have to go to the fair, but each student gets a free ticket, and "most" people typically went at least once during their school years. The "most" people seems pretty broad brush in my experience.
That isn't to say Disney is cheap. It isn't cheap either.
I have great memories of doing all that stuff too but I also remember standing in line in 90 degree heat for over an hour, seeing grown men getting into fist fights over a game and the majority of nature on display being forests of selfie sticks.
Point is that you can do that stuff once in a while and then step back, figure out what you like and don't like about the experiences and then find cheaper local alternatives that are pretty amazing too.
If your goal is to spend a nice summer night walking around with the family, seeing interesting stuff while eating churros and taking the occasional tea cup ride then you don't exclusively have to pay Disney $1,000+ to do it.
I've been to the Grand Canyon as well as other canyons like Palo Duro and similar. However, they all do pale in comparison as a cheap knock-off and none are as grand as The Grand Canyon. If you're into outdoorsy type things, you cannot not be moved by it. It is one thing that is very much appropriately named.
This is not to say that any of the other parks are not worth going, state or federal, but if you're a canyon and The Grand Canyon exists, just know you will only ever at best be second chair.
But no, I have not been to that canyon.
In contrast there are plenty of regional parks even lesser known than Six Flags like Adventureland, Kings Island, Dorney Park. These are much more similar to Disneyland (albeit scaled down) than they are to a state fair.
State Fairs can be "fun" (for some definition) but it's very different from Disney
Give me the carnies any day of the week!
Your other points I'll agree with. State Fairs->Disney was just too much of a stretch for me to accept.