What's new

Park rating criteria

HeartlineCoaster

Theme Park Superhero
It seems some people are able to knock out 'Top Ten Parks' lists with relative ease.

I've always struggled to come up with a similar sort of list myself because there's so many factors involved.
Got bored at work the other day and decided I wanted to try and make it a thing, so started coming up with some simple yes/no questions for myself, the idea being that the parks with the most yeseses would form a rough list for me that can be tweaked at the end. (Or at least I could stare at a shortlist for a few hours and not come to a decision).

So what yes/no questions would you use to highlight the things that make a park stand out for you?
Ideally covering a wide range of parks both objectively and personally.
Keep the Phantasialand mentions to a minimum.
 

CSLKennyNI

Giga Poster
My criteria for a theme park would be:

Attractions that are really fun, unique, memorable and re-rideable.
Good immersive theming.
Atmosphere and charm.
Memorable/great soundtracks.
Well balanced/good range of different attractions.
Good entertainment.
Good operations.

Based off that for me the winner is ... Phantasialand ;)
 

Sandman

Giga Poster
Did you know that when Chuck Norris dies, his spirit goes to Phantasialand?

Aside from that factual statement, I also struggle to rate parks in a neutral frame of mind because I go with different people and have completely different albeit equally epic times. That scuppers my chance to really rank one park above another. There are obviously some parks I can clearly rate above others. I mean, clearly M&D's is getting nowhere near the likes of Phantasialand or PortAventura. Then again, I rate my local playing field higher than M&D's.
 

Mysterious Sue

Strata Poster
Is there amazing music?
Is the park green with lots of shade and chill out areas to have a picnic/look at flowers/spend some time in the woods?
Did I spend all day with a smile on my face?
Did I successfully leave the world outside behind and feel I'd been transported to a different place?
Is the theming authentic?/ Do I really believe I could be in that 'land'? (Bonus points for having a real castle (Alton) or building an entire real-looking replica castle (Hansa). Minus points for plastic pink monstrosities)
Is it dark and gothic and mysterious?
Is some of the theming eerie and unsettling such that it can terrify small children?
Or do I leave feeling dirty like I've been dipped in a vat of sugary, pink fluff and raped by corporate America?
Is the food good?
Are the rides well-themed?
Is there a good mix of rides and all of good quality?
Does the park have a good wooden coaster?
Is there a cred in the car park? (If so, it can go die in a fire)
Are the staff friendly?
Do you feel that the owners take care and pride in their park/ride selection or just pick rides to increase gate figures and plonk then willy-nilly?
Are rides and queues well-maintained?
Are there adverts? **** parks with adverts. **** Six Flags (way to help the immersive theming by trying to sell me medical insurance - absolute cretins)
Is there super hero theming (if so, it can go die in a fire, especially if it's made of cardboard)?
Is there even more amazing music? Is the music for each ride loved and adored by locals who petition to keep it/is it performed by a full orchestra/are there official dance remixes/is it reprised in the end of day finale/handed to you in a free cd as you leave?
Does it take less than an hour to leave the car park?
Do you leave with a warm feeling inside or just that Merlin (I mean, they) have fleeced you for every penny you have?
Do you have to pay for parking? Is it your last memory of the park?
Is it Phantasialand?
 
Last edited:

chainedbanana

Hyper Poster
Good first Impression - entrance/gateway
Ambiant music
Live music
Cleanliness
Clientele type and behaviour (not the parks fault - but still a factor)
Staff friendliness
Staff helpfulness
Staff efficiency
Ride operations
park opening hours - do they seem reasonable?
Landscaping/planting/water features?
Exterior theming/architecture..... A, do they have any? B, is it of good quality?
Recognisable theming?
quality of theming and landscaping subjective to Parks size and Budget?
Quantity/number of attractions
Quantity of coasters
Do they have at least One headliner ride/coaster?
Well Balanced range of attractions
Quality of attraction hardware (give a good physical experience)
Quelines/preshows well themed?
do they have any rides that give a negative experience? (rough/painful/gross etc)
Do they have long queues?
Do the queues move quickly?
Do I leave the park feeling I've queued too much during my visit?
Do they have fast-pass or single rider queues?
Ride soundtrack?
On board audio? (plus points)
Am i immersed?
do I feel safe?
do I feel welcome?
do I feel the park cares about me?
do I feel the parks management care about their product?
Do i care about the park?
Are there hidden details that they didn't need to do?
Has attention to detail been observed?
Have I been surprised by something (detail/theming/effect etc)?
Is their signage good quality? hand painted/carved or laminated printed boards?
Are their Flat rides themed?
Are there any Dark rides/walkthroughs?
Are effects/animatronics/effects/theming well maintained?
Is there retro-charm to older attractions - or are they Gross/rotting?
Did I notice maintenance, wires, cables, warehouses etc- has any attempt been made to hide or distract such things?
Has the park invested in Older attractions?
Does the park have original ideas?
has the park utilised innovation?
Are any of the rides custom?
does the park have original or rare attractions? - differentiating itself
does the park have shows?
Does the park have shows i'm interested in seeing?
Does the park have a Parade?
Is the park easy to navigate?
Good range of food?
Does the park have sit down food venues?
is the quality of food good?
Do they have any original merchandise?
Do they have quality merchandise?
Does the Park run seasonal events (Halloween etc)
do I want to re-visit regardless of them adding a new attraction?
Do I want to revisit within 2 years?
Do i want to re-visit but only when they add a new coaster/attraction?
Does the park have accommodation/resort?
Is the accommodation/resort Quality?
did I fit everything I wanted to in a day?
was there not enough to fill a full day?
Is the park worth a multi day visit?
is their decent WIFI?
Would i want to introduce friends/family to the park?
Is there enough to do for non-thrill seekers?
Is the park good for kids?
Are there a good selection of rides the whole family can ride together?
Are thrill seekers satisfied?
Are coaster enthusiasts satisfied?
Did I forget about the outside world whilst at the park?
Is the Park accessible by public transport?
Is their website good and does it have english translation?
 
Last edited:

Edward M

Strata Poster
Loving all the questions, but my criteria is much simpler. One question really:

Which park would I most want to spend a full day at?
 

HeartlineCoaster

Theme Park Superhero
Good first Impression - entrance/gateway
Ambiant music
Live music
Cleanliness
Clientele type and behaviour (not the parks fault - but still a factor)
Staff friendliness
Staff helpfulness
Staff efficiency
Ride operations
park opening hours - do they seem reasonable?
Landscaping/planting/water features?
Exterior theming/architecture..... A, do they have any? B, is it of good quality?
Recognisable theming?
quality of theming and landscaping subjective to Parks size and Budget?
Quantity/number of attractions
Quantity of coasters
Do they have at least One headliner ride/coaster?
Well Balanced range of attractions
Quality of attraction hardware (give a good physical experience)
Quelines/preshows well themed?
do they have any rides that give a negative experience? (rough/painful/gross etc)
Do they have long queues?
Do the queues move quickly?
Do I leave the park feeling I've queued too much during my visit?
Do they have fast-pass or single rider queues?
Ride soundtrack?
On board audio? (plus points)
Am i immersed?
do I feel safe?
do I feel welcome?
do I feel the park cares about me?
do I feel the parks management care about their product?
Do i care about the park?
Are there hidden details that they didn't need to do?
Has attention to detail been observed?
Have I been surprised by something (detail/theming/effect etc)?
Is their signage good quality? hand painted/carved or laminated printed boards?
Are their Flat rides themed?
Are there any Dark rides/walkthroughs?
Are effects/animatronics/effects/theming well maintained?
Is there retro-charm to older attractions - or are they Gross/rotting?
Did I notice maintenance, wires, cables, warehouses etc- has any attempt been made to hide or distract such things?
Has the park invested in Older attractions?
Does the park have original ideas?
has the park utilised innovation?
Are any of the rides custom?
does the park have original or rare attractions? - differentiating itself
does the park have shows?
Does the park have shows i'm interested in seeing?
Does the park have a Parade?
Is the park easy to navigate?
Good range of food?
Does the park have sit down food venues?
is the quality of food good?
Do they have any original merchandise?
Do they have quality merchandise?
Does the Park run seasonal events (Halloween etc)
do I want to re-visit regardless of them adding a new attraction?
Do I want to revisit within 2 years?
Do i want to re-visit but only when they add a new coaster/attraction?
Does the park have accommodation/resort?
Is the accommodation/resort Quality?
did I fit everything I wanted to in a day?
was there not enough to fill a full day?
Is the park worth a multi day visit?
is their decent WIFI?
Would i want to introduce friends/family to the park?
Is there enough to do for non-thrill seekers?
Is the park good for kids?
Are there a good selection of rides the whole family can ride together?
Are thrill seekers satisfied?
Are coaster enthusiasts satisfied?
Did I forget about the outside world whilst at the park?
Is the Park accessible by public transport?
Is their website good and does it have english translation?
Cheers for the detail!
I'll use every single question on all of my par... This may take a while.
 

chainedbanana

Hyper Poster
Another good idea would be when you visit a park is take note what you thought of each attraction - with a Like, ok and dislike (write on the park map) - and tot up the likes after each visit. In fact I'd pay attention to the dislikes - a park with mainly likes and okays is winning as apposed to a day with more likes but also more dislikes.
 

nadroJ

CF Legend
Does the park feel magical?
Is the park photogenic?
Does the park handle crowds well?
Is the music fab?
Are the staff nice and helpful?
Are the attractions rerideable and fun?
Does the park offer something unique?

Honestly - I'm not that fussy when it comes to park criteria and rating. I feel like my top ten parks don't have that much in common with one another, and it is entirely down to how I enjoyed the park on the day. Hence why I'd never knock anybody for hating a park they had a poo day at or loving a park they had a fun day at if my personal experience was different.

For example,. Tokyo Disneyland. Arguably on paper that park does answer yes to all of those above questions, and yet I really didn't like the park too much (despite getting engaged there, lol). And there've been parks I've had a poo time at the first time around then loved the next (Walibi Holland). It's all just so subjective.
 

MestnyiGeroi

Giga Poster
It’s been interesting to me in the last few weeks to see how important good music in the park is to so many forumers. I’m so used to American parks piping in horrific tween bubble gum pop, that I consider it a huge plus if I DON’T notice the music.

And note to U.S. parks: playing contemporary treacly country pop does NOT set the mood for an 1800s-style ghost town or Wild West area.
 

Howie

Donkey in a hat
^Thing is though - I'm so used to European parks with their specially written soundtracks for every ride/area, I actually rather like the generic, treacly country pop that's piped into American parks. You're right of course - it doesn't set the mood for an 1800's style ghost town - but it does (for me, anyway) set the mood for a contemporary, US style amusement park, which is what I would have flown across the Atlantic for in the first place, so it's all good :)

In answer to the original post, I think I have a much more 'instinctual' approach to ranking theme parks than the answers so far. At the end of the day I'll simply ask myself 'How good was that park? Was it better than X? Yes. Was it better than Y? No. Therefore I rate it somewhere between X and Y.
 

Will

Strata Poster
I've been really tempted to post style, control, damage and aggression in this thread.

On a serious note - I think the music is one area where you have to draw the line between a theme park and an amusement park - I usually LOATHE hearing current chart music at a park and find it destroys the atmosphere (looking at you, Walibi World and your Ed Sheeran obsession) - yet somewhere like Blackpool, Wiener Prater or La Ronde, it's to be expected. This is an area where even Europa Park falls down in some areas.
Oddly, I've heard Iron Maiden both times I've been to Liseberg - admittedly my standards drop here as I thought this was fab, but suspect I was in a minority!

Other than that:
Quality of attractions
Quality of theming
Atmosphere
OPERATIONS
Upkeep
Value for money
 
Last edited:

MestnyiGeroi

Giga Poster
^Thing is though - I'm so used to European parks with their specially written soundtracks for every ride/area, I actually rather like the generic, treacly country pop that's piped into American parks. You're right of course - it doesn't set the mood for an 1800's style ghost town - but it does (for me, anyway) set the mood for a contemporary, US style amusement park, which is what I would have flown across the Atlantic for in the first place, so it's all good :)
Makes perfect sense to me. Yes, my perspective on this is very much the limited view of an American used to American parks.
 

Lofty

CF Legend
In honesty, I don't think it's about a list or any form of criteria - it's about the feeling within the park and a form of emotional connection that you get with it.
 

HeartlineCoaster

Theme Park Superhero
In honesty, I don't think it's about a list or any form of criteria - it's about the feeling within the park and a form of emotional connection that you get with it.
I get that, but what contributes to the emotional connections for you?

Just sifting for good questions.
 

Lofty

CF Legend
The feel of a place? As I said in the post, nothing on paper can entertain the same concept as a gut feeling. Look at Efteling, vastly liked yet I didn’t get a great feeling from the place and just don’t like it - which it ticks a lot of boxes for theming, landscaping etc, but it just offered me nothing emotionally?




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Top