Why does SF do this??

You're absolutely right Matt. However we decide to define things, it's clear Disney takes care of everyone. I don't think anyone could visit a Disney park and feel as though there wasn't something there just for them. With the exception of the Disneyland/Magic Kingdom parks that lack genuine thrill rides, Disney parks have all bases covered.

I'm not sure what to think, Brian. As an amusement park enthusiast, a trip to Orlando has no bearing whatsoever on how many times I visit my local parks, so perhaps I'm not qualified to answer that question based upon this being a hobby of mine. However, I can relate this to other things. I have always wanted to rent a Waverunner and go parasailing while vacationing in Wildwood every summer, yet after having done both on other vacations that cost me a hell of a lot more money, I have since decided to skip on both here in NJ. I'm not sure if it's exactly the same, but I know that things that cost me time, money and effort elsewhere influenced another decision of mine.

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Rob Ascough said:
With the exception of the Disneyland/Magic Kingdom parks that lack genuine thrill rides, Disney parks have all bases covered.

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And this may just be a matter of perspective. While MK may certainly lack (and really, with attendance like that, why should they care?) DL does have Indy and Space Mountain. Of course, compared to X, Space Mountain is a weenie ride, but I'd suspect that for much of the GP, a major coaster is a major coaster. They get lumped together although "Does it go upside down?" seems to be a pretty prominent decider for who's willing to ride and who isn't.

Sorry, I'm rambling. In other words, the "thrill" rides at your typical Disney park may be more similar to the thrill rides at SFMM to the GP than to enthusiasts who obviously know better.

That's true, what we enthusiasts consider to be a thrilling ride is likely different from what the general public considers to be a thrilling ride. I can't tell you how many people I talk to about Space Mountain @ WDW that swear the thing once had a vertical drop in complete darkness before people got too scared and Disney was forced to remove it. Enthusiasts know better than to believe the ride was ever like that, but it's clear a lot of people have ridden Space Mountain at one point and declared it to be one of the most thrilling experiences of their lives, even though what thrilled them was basically a really good Wild Mouse in the dark.

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janfrederick said:
Although water conservation *might* have something to do with it, I think this landscaping is fairly drought tolerant.

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Better Example...
Batman The Ride at the same park. Yeah, it's still gray and ugly, but it is better than a parking log....