Missing Disney About This Page:

[Abby Mallard]

I have been trying to write this for a few weeks, but work travel has gotten in the way. In Mid-June, DH, DD (age 7) and I went to a local "theme" park, and it really made me miss Disney. First, I do not want to offend anyone who grew-up in Upstate NY that loves the Great Escape; I'm sure it is full of fond childhood / teen memories, but as a transplant, I really do not see what the hullaballoo is all about.

I knew going in, that it wasn't going to be Disney, but I did expect some level of organization and competency when it came to running the park. First, the parking is very poorly laid out. Due to the way the park and local businesses have grown-up, parking was behind/next to/on the property of businesses not affiliated with the park. There were park staff directing people to the parking, but there were not spaces - just grass, reminicient of the 4H County Fair where I grew up - not a thriving entertainment business. Due to the lack of spaces, when we returned to our car, DH had to do some pretty creative manuvering to get out of the spot, as we had been parked in on all but one creative way out. In fact, DD and I could not get into the car b/c we had been parked in.

Second, after our trek by foot to the park, we went to the entrance. Since it was a Girl Scout Day, we had our tickets ahead of time. The organization to get into the park and take the tickets was poorly laid out and staffed worse than that. It shouldn't take 20 minutes to hand tickets over and walk through the turnstile WITHOUT a bag check.

We grabbed a map, as DH and I had not been here before. The maps, in my opinion, were very poorly put together, with repetitive numbering for each land, similar colors near one another. It was like you had to know where everything was in general before you could look at the map. In addition, the themeing of each area is pretty subtle/non-existent, so it is not as easy as it is at WDW or even Dutch Wonderland in the Lancaster, PA area, to figure out where you were (with the exception of the kids ride area - scale alone helped with that).

While DH was figuring out the map, DD wanted to go on the Carousel. It took 10 minutes to un-load and load. The staffer working the Carousel looked like he wanted to be anyplace else. I figured it was just a one off...little did I know slow loading rides were the theme of the day, except in the kids land. After that, we went off to the retro cars on a track (much like Tomorrowland Speedway, except only 1 track). The line was painfully slow loading. The only thing nice about the queue was it was shaded.

After the cars, we met up with DD's friend and her family. We had a meal of frozen pizza with fries (DH), DD had kids nuggets meal, I had a hot dog meal. The total was ~$34. 2/3 of the meal went into the trash. More would've gone, but I had just arrived back from France the night before and was hungry. The company was good - the food was awful.

After this, we went to the kids land, and things improved. The laoding/unloading was better and there were some shady spots for waiting for the kids. DD ended up going on a loop/corkscrew coaster called the Screamin' Deamon with only the kiddie coaster as warm-up. Since I don't do many rides and DH doesn't do loops (corkscrews yes, loops no), she rode with her friend's father (her friend rode with a nice lady who overheard DH discussing the logistics with the friend's dad). She was terrified, but I think liked it. She was putting on a brave face for her friend.

After the coaster, we took a train ride around a part of the park. The DD and DH went in the bubble chairs (chairlift over the park), something DH misses about WDW. Then we left b/c I had hit my wall (and I had to leave on a trip for the EU the next afternoon).

I missed the themeing and organization of WDW. The staffers for the most part, looked like they hated their jobs. There was not much for a non-ride person li(like me) to enjoy, like there is at WDW. Looking at the inefficiencies here, and the cost, I can see why some people would cringe at the thought of going to WDW if this was the only park type they had expereinced. I came out of there feeling overcharged for entry (and our tickets were only $20/person and no parking fee) and the food. I do not want to go back, ever. Maybe I hit a really bad day, but it was seriously the worst trip I have ever had to a theme park. It really made me appreciate all the things that Disney does well even more.

[Timothy Mouse]

I agree. DD can go with friends if she really wants to go back.

[toddjodybrent]

Service is definitely a Disney pillar as is efficiency. And, Disney does it like no other. . . that's part of why we keep going back.
So sorry you had less than a thrilling time.

[Timothy Mouse]

Less than thrilling is an understatement. My wife was grumpy because of the lack of service (compared to Disney) and it was only her full day home between trips for work. I was grumpy because the food was awful, it was a warm out and there was zero shade, and the lack of service. Thankfully, we met up with some friends or else it would have been a short trip and then both of us would have had to deal with a grumpy DD.

[Crazy_about_Cinderella]

I know how you feel. One of my sons works at one of the other "theme"parks. He hates it and can't wait until he can move to Orlando and work for Disney while he finishes his college. We go to Disney about every other year or two and just love the good times we always have going there.

[CinderAbby]

While I don't live in NY, I can fully understand your dissappointment/frustration/and any other feelings you had. We have a 6 Flags here in MA that I absolutely refuse to go to (2 hours away one way and Abby isn't into coasters) but we have gone to Canobie Lake Park in NH but it's been quite a few years. Lenny has mentioned going back but I don't want to. The park's not as clean, not well laid out, too many rides that Lenny and I can't (too big) or won't (don't like) go on and all the rides that Abby likes (kiddie rides) she'll be denied entry on with a "she's too big." For the amount of money we'd spend, we would end up doing only about 9 rides and shows - not worth it IMO. We had even contemplated going to a local water park (also in NH) but we also nixed that. The water park there was built on a hill so that would mean going up and down hill all day, plus all the stairs for all the tube rides, then the wait for the ride - compared to the Disney water parks, it was basically a bad day waiting to happen. They don't even have a lazy river. They have an adventure river that goes really, really fast and gets so packed with people because it's so narrow and short that it's just not fun IMO.

I prefer Disney and any day we spend at home instead of in these other parks is all the more money I have for a return trip to Disney.

[bsblady01]

the great escape used to be a clean park before six flags took it over now it is a rundown mess we have not been in 10 years and do not plan to go ever again.

[TuffyCO]

I completely agree! I grew up going to a small locally owned park and although it was fun with my friends, it was just rides. It later turned into a Six Flags and it moved locations. I took my DD and her Girl Scout troop when they were about 9 and I hated it. Service was awful, lines were long and hot. It was miserable. The girls had fun but just for the rides.

My DD is now 12 and she feels the same way, she went to a small local park in Albuquerque with her school and came home and said it's just not Disney. She was hot, tired and felt like the only good ride was the one roller coaster with a 90 minute wait. She asked me when we can go back to Disney.

I do like roller coasters and we will visit other parks on occasion to ride coasters, but I go with low expectation, and expect to leave exhausted. Funny, I can spend a week at Disney and not be as tired and worn out as a day in a non-Disney park.

[chezp]

Sorry you didn't have a great time. We have two for one vouchers for some of the major theme parks over here and we keep putting off using them, fearing they'll disappoint us.

[joelsmom]

We live about 40 miles from Dollywood and used to get season passes every year. It's clean and the shows are nice. Also, they have a nice variety of rides suitable for all types of people. But this year, I didn't even get our passes renewed. It's just not Disney. I just finally decided that it isn't worth the summer heat. DS asks occasionally to go to Six Flags in Atlanta, but I always convince him that he wouldn't be thrilled with it. Plus, he can explore it online, which is okay with him.

There's just nothing like Disney.

[Luvsun]

I am sorry you didn't have a great time!
There really is no place like WDW!