Does your satisfaction depend on # of rides taken?
I mean, does it take a minimal wait or multiple rides on a coaster(or coasters) to really have a great day at a park? I think that is what determines a great park for me. Can I have fun even without going on all the coasters or maybe not riding any of them. IOA is a good example. It is possible for me to have a great time without riding.
I feel in some parks I have to do a lot of riding or I just don't have any fun. Also, if you spend a total of 5 hours waiting in line in a 10 hour day, can you still say it is worth it?
Just a thought.
At six flags parks i need to ride to have fun. but at parks like BGW and BGT i have fun no matter what.
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ROCK! www.FUZEROCKS.com
Most of the time, I have more fun power riding than I do wandering around and looking at stuff. This isn't to say that I *have* to get multiple rides on the good coasters to have a good day, but most of my better days at parks have been days when lines were short and I got a lot of good rides.
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IMHO its not how many or how few rides you get, but who are you spending the day with? If you're with a group of your best buddies even the a crowded park can still be a lot of fun.
On Veteran's Day in 2000 I went to Knott's Berry Farm with two good friends, Mike "bassistist" Miller and Greg "coasterbuf" Galley, and it wasn't until around noon when the park really started to get packed that we realized Knotts was allowing veterans *and* three family members in FOR FREE.
Every ride had a huge line, the walkways were packed...you could hardly move around. We found a nice, quiet bench in an out-of-the-way portion of Ghost Town and just sat there for hours, talking, laughing, teasing each other. When we finally decided we should leave we realized we hadn't ridden anything but it didn't matter. That day at Knotts remains one of my all-time favorite days spent at a park.
Moosh
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"Mmmmm....forbidden donut!" - Homer Simpson
I agree totally with Mamoosh. On my last visit to Great America, I got a total of six rides on five coasters. I didn't mind at all, though. I was at the park with my parents, brothers, and Uncle and Aunt for the first time in five years. We had a blast. When you're with people you like, in an atmosphere like that, just wlking down the midway can be great. Also, flats are better with friends and family; I had more fun on Great America's most excellent bumbercars that night than I've had on many a coaster.
On the other hand, if you're not in a big group, or you're not with really close friends, lots of coaster rides are needed. When the rest of my family just let me go at the coasters at CP, I very much doubt I would have had much fun if I hadn't gotten in the 19 rides I did (I don't know if that's a lot for one day for the rest of you, but it's a heck of a lot more than I'm used to getting at good old, long-lined, SFGAm).
Here, here Moosh!
A couple of decades ago I might have answered this question differently. In fact, I no longer worry about which park to visit, what ride it has, how long the lines are, how much parking costs, etc...For me, it's all about who you spend the day with.
Its not how many its the time you spent. Every time this year i've went on a trip with my certain riding buddy *coughFOFcough* More fun was had bsing and just hanging then was on the ride. Lesourdsville was not that case were were not satisfied till we road screeching Eagle 27 times!
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Be nice to ride op's. No matter how slow unfriendly and uncaring they may seem Most work hard to make your day great.
Very true 'Moosh....That being said, however, when I'm at a park I've never been to, and traveled great distances to get there, and likely won't get back anytime soon, it's a good thing if I can get at least one spin on all the coasters...maybe 2-3 on the GOOD ones, have a leisurely meal, catch a couple flats, and perhaps even see a show. At the parks where there are a lot of rides, this can easily become impossible if there is not a dedication to uptime and capacity....
The point here: Not every trip has to be a marathon riding session, but it sure is noce if that's possible...(see: my many tributes to the benefits of capacity). I can certainly have a great day with minimal rides at my home park, or even one I've visited before, but at a new or distant park, I want to ride....it's better with friends for sure, but I definitely want to sample the "new" rides....being ABLE to ride if I want to certainly has NEVER hurt my feelings a bit...;)
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"Cornwallis, swim for your life or you're gonna get caught in the whirlpool."
I have ridden the future, and it's name is......X!
Point well taken, 'Gator, and I realize my story does involve one of my home parks that I can get to anytime. I'm sure had that happened to me while on a trip I would be a little disappointed.
Actually come to think of it on my recent 12-day, 10-park SRM trip we were rained out at CP and again at Kennywood. Still, at least I wasn't alone and bored.
Moosh
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"Mmmmm....forbidden donut!" - Homer Simpson
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