Berenstein Bear Land or Snoopy Land

I liked Berenstain Bears when I was little but I always liked Snoopy better and still do. The park has made a fair amount of money off of my family in Peanuts merch over the years.

Just the other day I showed Ava some pics of the old Peanuts Playground. I was a little saddened that she didn't really remember any of it, but then again she was fairly young when it met its end. Thankfully, she still has clear memories of the Happy Harbor Nets at Geauga Lake/SFWoA. Not sure why this should matter to me, but it does.

super7* said:

The Peanuts are a worn-out, uncreative franchise.

You forgot to include "and extremely lucrative". Peanuts make money. Bears, not so much.

Most of the characters basically look the same.

And consistency iis bad how? The Jetsons look like the Flintstones, aside from the clothing.

I kind of understand it when someone says they don't like the Peanuts. I've always tried to like Snoopy and Charlie Brown and the rest, but I find them so boring. I get it.

Camp Snoopy though, is a great theme for a kids area. It's more the camp that makes it so cool, and less the Snoopy. In my opinion anyway.

I agree with Super7. When they bought the Paramount parks they should've retained Hanna Barbara and Nick characters.

My daughter loved the Scooby-Doo rides(both dark rides and coasters) She'll be 13 at the end of the month and still loves Scooby-Doo. She also liked the Nick characters too. SpongeBob, Fairly Odd Parents, and the Rugrats were all cartoons she watched when she was younger.

She has watched some of the Peanuts cartoons. I think the only reason she liked them at all is because they are at Cedar Point. I almost think that Cedar Fair is keeping the Peanuts semi relavant. They tried to revive them with the movie, and my daughter thought it stunk. I didn't watch it yet myself, so I can't say.

I saw the movie and thought it was fabulous. It was very Shulz like. And honestly, I don't know of any long-term cartoon characters that would be a better choice. I believe Six Flags uses Looney Toons. Talk about irrelevant. I've watched a few of the newer cartoons that came out recently with my son, but as always with the modernization of old classics, there just isn't the same humor. My son was not the least bit entertained.

extremecoasterdad said:

And honestly, I don't know of any long-term cartoon characters that would be a better choice.

Two words.

Spongebob Squarepants.

I'm squarely in the camp that doesn't get dropping the Nickelodeon license for Peanuts. (and yes, I understand they were supposedly vastly different financial situations for the parks)

I think the larger problem is that Nick properties generally don't have a life after they're done. They've had plenty of iconic and readily identifiable shows, but once the run is over, they tend to disappear. No park wants to spend the money to flip out theming every 5 years to what's current - even if it hits home a little harder with the kids.

Once Looney Tunes airings began getting less and less (often because of "inappropriate" content for today) they lost relevance. They've tried to reboot it a few times, but it never sticks. Kids today don't know Looney Tunes.

This is why you see things like Peanuts and Muppets at the parks. They've been around forever, their universes are established and they have enough recognition to use with Peanuts holiday specials and the Muppets getting taken out of storage to make a movie every decade.

The only thing comparable is Spongebob. It's been on 17 years. There is literally not a child from 0-17 alive that hasn't grown up with Spongebob their entire lives. It's still the highest rated cartoon on TV and it has an established, unchanging universe of locations and character that a park could set in place and keep.

The difference is the generational thing. We adults with children grew up with Peanuts and Muppets. It doesn't just attract the kids, it attracts mom and dad and the wallets. There's not just kiddie appeal, there's nostalgic appeal too. Spongebob still has a few years to go before his oldest lifers have kids of their own to share with.

I was watching Sponge Bob as an adult before I had kids but I prefer Snoopy. The longevity of Peanuts being from my childhood I'm sure does have something to do with it but as much as my kids love Sponge Bob I think they prefer Snoopy to be at the park. I'll have to ask them some time here but I'm betting they would say keep the Beagle.

I'd also be interested in why that's true. Is it that they would associate Snoopy with the park? I suppose for us park nerds there's a bit of power in that. But like all enthusiast things, I'm weary that we're the exception, not the rule.

What kid today finds Peanuts more relevant, interesting or desireable than Spongebob? And why? Unless it's a situational thing - Peanuts represent the holidays and specials and such while Spongebob is the same old every day thing.

It's totally anecdotal, but I can't think of a single kid I know who I don't think would prefer to ride a Spongebob ride over a Snoopy ride. Then again, maybe it's projection because I'd prefer to ride a Spongebob ride over a Snoopy ride. :)

Both the Peanuts and Spongebob put out theatrical releases in 2015. Spongebob did $163 million, Peanuts did $130 million. I suppose that if we use that as the unit of measure for popularity, that it's close enough that the better licensing deal for Peanuts makes it a better payoff.

Then again, this article from 2012 shows Peanuts selling about double the merchandise that Spongebob does. But by that measure, parks should be scrambling to bring in WWE characters. John Cena: The Ride!

(remember that one WWE-themed freefall that used to be at Niagara Falls?)

As a side note: Garfield at $370 million!? Sorry Kennywood, I still think Garfield is an odd IP to use. My guess is most of the $370 million is single women buying "I hate Mondays" merch for their cubicle at work. (to go next to their Cathy "Ack!" poster)

Don't forget the "Hang in there" kitten posters!

I've never been to Kennywood (yet) I didn't know they had Garfield. Interestingly enough my kids absolutely love Garfield too. They are really into reading comics from the library that might explain some of their preferences a bit. I think they may recognize a lot of stuff that other kids their ages have had more limited exposure to. I think the situational thing may apply somewhat also as over the years at least one of our dogs when we have had two has always been a Beagle. Neither of the kids have ever formed a real life emotional bond with a sponge that I'm aware of.

In regards to Sponge Bob rides, I would be fine with never again riding SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge. That is unless they get the newer trains that only have lap bars. I still need to ride SpongeBob's Boating School Blast. But, I don't have any plans to go to Australia anytime soon.

Actually, I heard a rumor that would make everyone happy. I've heard of a new dark ride coming to Cedar Point which details the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake from Arrow Development... We all know Cedar Point needs a dark ride. And there would be no royalties to pay...

Lord Gonchar said:e.

We adults with children grew up with Peanuts and Muppets. It doesn't just attract the kids, it attracts mom and dad and the wallets. There's not just kiddie appeal, there's nostalgic appeal too.

What he said. Key word being wallets -- the kids may love Spongebob or TMNT* but it's the parents opening their wallets to buy the adorable Snoopy / Mickey / Bugs Bunny T-shirt,

*Or not. I never "got" Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to begin with, so I have no idea how the new movie is doing.

Has anyone else noticed that this is a fifteen and a half year old thread that's been resurrected? Just saying.....

Yes, I noticed. The topic is still relevant though so I'm not sure it really matters when the conversation was started.

I think when Berenstain Bears are in the topic title, you tend to notice the age of the thread.

Berenstein or Snoopy?

Tim the Bear or Brian Griffin?

The more things change...

My son's first visit to Cedar Point was Columbus Day weekend (yeah, I know...) in 2012. It was a rainy crappy weekend. Breakers had the little TV in the lobby with Its The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! playing on a loop in the lobby. My 3 year old son set up shop in front of that TV and was happy as could be. He thought that was the best show ever.

Fast forward to this past spring. We finally had to dump our 2000 Oldsmobile Silhouette minivan, wasn't worth fixing. My son was 6 at the time. He was really upset when we sold it, sobbing. He was upset because he wouldn't be able to watch his Peanuts movies anymore (the van had a VCR). We bought the movies on DVD and all is right with the world.

He doesn't even recognize Berenstein Bears.

ShaneDenmark said:

He doesn't even recognize Berenstein Bears.

I doubt many people under 20 would.

Although I must say, I'm shocked at how much was done with the IP in the 2000's.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berenstain_Bears