Catch-up

[mariness]

Much thanks for all of the birthday wishes and holiday greetings over the last few days :) And now, for some meandering catchup:

1. Notable gifts:

A. gargoylerose enduring lectures on dolphin rape (I can't help it, people. It just kinda rambles out of me.

B. coldecho not enduring lectures on dolphin rape

Comments

[blondeheroine]

Sea World is just dumb. You'd think as long as they've been in the business, they'd know that copying doesn't net as much business as differentiation. It's the fish (I just typed fist and giggled like I was five) that people go to Sea World to see. Not some dipshit coaster.

You can't be everything to everyone.

Oh and PS - Universal sends me surveys constantly and each time I tell them how stupid that parking center is. I'd say this was solely in your honor, but truth is: it's a stupid parking center.

[mariness]

What's really odd about this is that for years the SeaWorlds were allowed to operate at a loss -- they were seen less as profitmakers and more as beer advertisements. The Busch Garden parks were told to earn money, but not the SeaWorlds -- Anheiser also used the SeaWorlds as tax and charity writeoffs, since they could legitimately say that the SeaWorlds were engaged in education/research -- all while happily promoting the various Budweiser beers.

I understand, of course, that Islands of Adventure brought their sister park, Tampa Bay Busch Gardens, some real pressure -- and if Disney really does go ahead and build park number 5, that will just intensify the competition. (Busch Gardens by many reports has been hurting.) But I'm puzzled by the extreme investment in new roller coasters for SeaWorld. Perhaps that one roller coaster really did expand the crowds for a bit -- but my alternative theory is that coaster opened up at the end of the 90s, when all of the parks were experiencing a boom in business, and a new coaster might not

[blondeheroine]

I have been to Busch once. Once. That was enough. I found the park to be lackluster, the animal viewing areas to be subpar considering how they were promoted and half of the rides were continually breaking down. I felt like I was in RollerCoaster Tycoon with an amateur player at the helm

[mariness]

I have to say that I had a decent time on both of my trips to Busch Gardens, although since I don't do roller coasters anymore, I haven't really seen the point of heading there. That said, when the Harry Potter park opens up at Islands of Adventure, yes, yes, I will be there. Not opening weekend. But I will be there. In wheelchair, doubtless, complaining about the parking lot, doubtless. But there

[blondeheroine]

I had only heard about Night Kingdom/Jungle Trek - whatever title they're using currently.

I do think that Disney might be better off focusing on some of the little touches that have been absent in the past few years -- the bathrooms are no longer as sparkling clean as they once were; the coffee is Nescafe instead of Columbian; some of the talking fountains no longer talk, and so on. And instead perhaps focusing on adding some new stuff to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. They still have some gaps around the World Showcase (not to mention that Millenium Building between Canada and England -- I know they're using it for corporate parties now, but if the corporate party gig starts to dry up, that could be returned to creative use). Focus on the magic, and less on the new. But again, that could be just me.

Word.

I was hoping to finally get that Russian Pavilion.