USA Today 10 Best Theme Parks

I'm still banging my head against the keyboard. :)

Cheer up Gonch. Read this list of the 10 "funnest" theme parks. It will make you feel better, I think.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/21/travel/worlds-funnest-theme-parks/ind...?hpt=hp_c4

Can't argue with DisneySea being praised. I've been there: that is one gorgeous park.

At least "funnest" park doesn't pretend to be as authoritative as "best" park. "Funnest" announces up front that it's not serious.

Pagoda Gift Shop said:

Cheer up Gonch. Read this list of the 10 "funnest" theme parks. It will make you feel better, I think.

But it's a list created by one guy! That can't be statistically valid!

Although, it does say he's been to 264 parks in 92 countries, so he has more experience than I do to draw from. His opinion is certainly much more informed than my own. All this time I had no idea that Cedar Point was only 6th funnest park on Earth. Good thing Stefan Zwanzger created a list for CNN to show me the error of my ways.

"10 Deadest Horses on Coasterbuzz that we just can't resist beating some more"

If the dead horse needed to be beat some more, we'd be beating it already.

Coasterbuzz: The glue factory of choice for discriminating enthusiasts....

But is the horse beating statistically valid? How many of us need to kick the horse before we can measure who is the best kicker? Are we sure the horse is dead? Is it the deadest horse? Is there someone with more dead horse kicking experience that we may look to for a more informed opinion?

I need answers!!!

Despite our difference of opinion on this, credit where credit is due, sir. :)

If you haven't kicked many horses anyway, your kicks won't count.

To me, I thought Gonch was going for this:

In Enthusiast circles, the two top parks listed here are generally looked down upon.

Enthusiasts think they're the authority on things, and we often see people saying that based on their visits to said parks, the parks are all but doomed.

In reality, though, a poll cones out that shows that, regardless of how many or few parks the normals have been to, they *gasp* like two very unlinked parks and felt so enough to say they're the best.

USA Today posts the poll, which will do more to draw more unsuspecting normal people into these parks, or at least put them on the list to visit, while enthusiasts think it's all bogus because the poll wasn't scientific enough.

...all while the non enthusiasts are showing up, spending money, and having a good time not worrying that such and such isn't open, or cost more, or someone paid to cut.

But that's just my take on it.

Oh, I understand what Gonch was getting at, including what I can only assume would have been the hopeful bonus of getting a rise out of a subset of enthusiasts, and a small subset at that (even a small subset of the Coasterbuzz membership) who decry all things Six Flags.

Instead, though, it led to backlash on the scientific validity of the poll from a bunch of people who in many cases actually enjoy Six Flags parks, but who aren't going to take the word of a bunch of people who likely picked their favorite park based on limited experience or Facebook request for it that Six Flags Magic Mountain, or any park at that, is the best park in the whole country.

To be honest, I'm not particularly bent out of shape about any of this. Honestly, I'm quite enjoying myself, but I apologize for kind of taking the fun out of what was sort of a funny joke at the expense of some enthusiasts.

And I even thought the very first line of the very first post would be enough to direct the conversation as I knew the piece wouldn't meet the overly anal, almost OCD-like demands of the community.

Oh well. You throw it all against the wall and see what sticks.

Like said before, this was a facebook-type popularity contest with bribes. For any Six Flags park to appear near the top invalidates it. Smart marketing of the parks that generated the most votes since they can use it to advertise now.

The top theme parks would be a rated not only on rides, but ride quality, ride operations, theming, cleanliness, food quality, landscaping and atmosphere, live entertainment quality, customer service, having attractions that are able to be enjoyed by everyone and overall experience to price.

Six Flags fails in so many of these categories that it isn't even necessary to discuss the details. Six Flags concentrates on adding new rides, and that's about it.

The US parks that seem to excel in the most of these categories outside of Disney are Herschend and Hersheypark IMO. Most Cedar Fair parks do a decent job, but fall slightly behind in several of those categories compared to Herschend and Hershey.

I think too many people care too much about what other people think when it comes to likes/dislikes. And I don't care what anyone thinks about that statement.

Lord Gonchar said:

You throw it all against the wall and see what sticks.

Not sure if you're referring to spaghetti....or poo.

Even as a simple poll I find this worthless as it didn't even have a level playing field. If my favorite park was X but Six Flags offered a chance for free tickets, why wouldn't I lie and vote for them? Even if Six Flags isn't my favorite, a chance for a free ticket is certainly worth a free vote.

So this poll is even a reflection of what the average person might think, it's simply a reflection that the average person will do what's asked to get something for free.

I'm on Punk'd, aren't I?

This just in! USA Today reports local drivers totally support Springfield teachers' union:

Gonch, there's so much flying over heads here I'm afraid someone's is gonna get hurt...