Fast Food Chains in Parks

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Pete said:
I hate chain restaurants in parks. An amusement park should be an escape from everyday life, having food places like McDonalds or Subway in the park takes something away from that.

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I don't consider fast food everyday life and neither do most fellow UK residents that I know. So having a fast food on the odd day trip out to a theme park (which is usually a once a year trip) is good.

I've seen McDonalds ($9.50 for a Big Mac Combo), Subway, KFC, and Taco Bell here and there in Parks. Heck, you can even buy overpriced Skyline Chili at PKI (along with the always overrated LaRosa's pizza, IMO).

I agree with others that many offerings at amusement parks should be unique, which adds to the experience. However, I'm sure my fellow California buzzers wouldn't mind seeing In-N-Out Burger inside the park gates!

Double-Double Combo Animal Style with fries well-done and a chocolate shake, baby! YUM! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

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"That's what a hamburger's all about"

I would prefer Kennywood's french fries over any fast food fries.

In-N-Out in the parks!?! Blasphemy! It'd get all messed up they way we've all agreed the other chains do.

No way I'd pay $10 for an In-N-Out meal if they put one in a park here in the midwest...I'd just keep saving my pennies for a plane ticket to get a REAL double-double.

When I last had In-N-Out, in Las Vegas, the guy in front of me had flown in from Salt Lake City to pick up burgers for his pregnant wife. That's love people. :)

I'd sooner have an In-N-Out from a park than the kind of stuff Greg's eating...;)

And after talking Nathan's and Sabrett's too....for SHAME, Greg...:). Healthy is cool, and fast is cool....spinach ain't awful either if it's done right....cottage cheese, OTOH, *cannot* be made palatable...

Spinach is awesome raw. I have no idea why anyone would want to cook it into a slimy green blob.

And cottage cheese is good if you load it up with black pepper. Mmm.

Sarah, wasn't there also a Pizza Hut in 2000 at SFWoA? I don't think it's there anymore but I thought i saw it back then.

bigkirby, yes I do believe you are right. It is just regular park pizza now though. Blah.

Actually, I was going to suggest he open a steamed spinach and cottage cheese cart. Ya never know, might take off with the 12-16 year-old crowd. ;)

SFNE has a Subway. The best "in park" food I had was at Cedar Point. We ate at a buffet, I dont remember the name, but I think it was around 10$ including drinks and dessert. I thought it was a pretty good deal.

Well Six Flags ST. Louis has a McDonalds but its only open for a few months out of the season. But of coarse you must expect to pay 2 to 3 dollars more than normal for a value meal! Very sad considering there is a Mc.Donalds about 1 half mile outside the park were you can pay normal price! The only food at most parks that I find worth my money are the Turkey Legs YummY! Of coarse all of the food at SDC is worth every penny! (BEST FOOD EVER!)

I think Carowinds had a Taco Bell when I was there back in '99.

Excluding Subway, fast food is not good for you. It's best to just pack a healthy lunch (ex: turkey or ham sandwich w/ apple or bannana for desert and a bottle of water). Sorry, don't mean to sound like a health freak here. I love Burger King and Arby's, but sometimes on a hot and humid day you should take a break from that stuff. Drink plenty of water, not pop.

(hurls head of lettuce at jkpark) ;)

Hard to say if I'd be disappointed if instead of being able to purchase greasy, overpriced park food, I could now purchase greasy, overpriced fast food.

Park food homogenization bad. Park ride homogenization worse.

Hershey has Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, as well as mamma ilardo's (it's not capatilized in the guide) Pizzeria which can be found in many malls. That's where I usually eat when I go, even though it's a little pricey.

Didn't CF at one time try to franchise Mrs. Knotts Chicken at their parks? I know they used to, or still do, have a few stands inside KBF, but I could swear I remember hearing they tried it out at some other CF parks at one time.

Don't know if the quality was as good as the original world renowned resteraunt, nothing beats a down home cooked chicken dinner from Mrs. Knotts kitchen!

I don't realistically have any further examples to add -- McDonald's at Disney parks, the Subway / Taco Bell / KFC at Six Flags Worlds of Adventure and so forth. Personally, if I'm to buy food at a park at all (which is rare, considering the price), I'd rather have something that I know I can't go a mile down the road and get for half the price. Granted, I don't eat fast food frequently as it is, but I am aware of how much parks charge for it compared to non-park facilities, so I'd rather just have "park food" that is at least mildly different.

VERY rarely, if ever will I eat at a fast food place inside a park, mainly for the same reasons Den listed. The value meals aren't exactly value.

Eating at a fast food place inside a park is like eating at a fast food (usually an Express) at a truck stop or rest area, or worse yet an airport. :-) It's just not the same, not even close.

I don't usually eat in a chain park anyway due to the costs, unless it's something signature that I HAVE to have (like chili cheese fries). Other than that I would much rather eat outside the park if I can help it.

-Tina

*** Edited 1/15/2004 2:25:41 PM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

SFA has Subway and Boardwalk Fries. In the late 80's they had a Dommino's Pizza and Jerry Subs...

If they had fastfood restaurants in all the parks that served decent quality and good value food, everyone would be too fat to fit on the rides. :)