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Parks you can't be arsed with

Sandman said:
One park I was considering visiting a few years ago but ultimately found that I couldn't be arsed with, is Tusenfryd. In my opinion, it seems like the least interesting of the Scandi parks and as someone who doesn't drive, I would have to force myself to tie it into a visit to Oslo, which is major CBA for me.
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Understandable. I practically live in Oslo, and I don't think I've been to that park since 2018.

Of course, the amount of additions to the park since then is a big fat nada, but still ...
 
As I've developed from a hardcore fanatic to a more chilled enthusiast:

- Parks with no atmosphere; all rides on a flat field, no music, no history, no charm or well done landscaping/theming; Energylandia or most of the Six Flags and Cedar Fair chains come to mind. Good rides aren't enough if I can't feel comfortable sitting around in the park. Power Park this summer had some great rides but I don't feel a terrible need to go back since there's not enough shade and there's too much of concrete and transportable rides.

- Megacorporate parks with long queues; I've grown up in a place with 30 minutes being an agonizingly long queue, I want to spend my day in a park not in queues. So I'm not exactly rushing to Universal or Disney. If my man wants to go tho I'll go cause he likes universal but otherwise eh.
 
Probably my most controversial one is Blackpool Pleasure Beach. It's 6-7 hours drive or train for me to get there. I want to go on the historic rides there, but have yet to muster up the time or money to get there. To make the most of it would cost £100s and I'd have to book off time from work. Whilst I'm OK with doing that for foreign parks like EP, PHL and Efteling I just can't justify it for Blackpool.
 
Fleetwood_Mack said:
Palace Pier, Brighton. I live a 15 minute walk from the place, I spent all of my summer holidays there as a child. If I lived near something like BPB I'd definitely be popping in on my way to ALDI, but I have no desire to venture onto PP.
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Reminds me of this permanent funfair that's about 15-20 minutes from where I live. Ever since 2019 they've somehow managed to nab an entire KMG XXL along with a booster, spinning mouse, SBF and the holes are filled with "funfair starter pack" flats. So you would guess I've been there more times than I can count...?

Nope. I've been there twice. Once in October 2020 and another in December 2020. Just didn't get great vibes of the place - their handwashing station was very, very obviously a repurposed urinal (LOL), the staff didn't seem too chuffed about working there (but the SBF op was a cool dude), and they're not doing so hot with uptime. On visit 1 they had to restart the XXL a couple times to get it working for us and the booster was 6:30, on visit 2 they literally shut the booster after three cycles total. When I passed it and saw the skyline from a train a few weeks later the XXL's lights were completely off so I imagined they broke it again.

Haven't returned this year. I did want to several times just for a token lap of the XXL but A) what do I do if it's broken and B) would I even feel well enough to bother - I've had some issue getting on a lot of flats this year. Shame because I'm missing out on the incredible pizza stand that sits just outside the park if I don't go.
 
Hixee said:
I recently finished watching the rather fascinating Defunctland documentary on Disney's Fastpass (link), and something has been stewing in my brain since then.

I [currently] can't be arsed with Disney.

I'd love to do all the Disney parks - I think they do genuinely look fantastic, and are clearly world leading parks. I've visited Disney twice - Paris in 2002 on a family holiday, and Shanghai in 2018. I thoroughly enjoyed both trips, but I remember Shanghai taking a significant amount of brain power during the day to make sure I did everything I wanted. Thankfully that park was still fairly new, had relatively long hours, and I was on a solo trip, so I was able to take good advantage of 'head left at the start cos everyone goes right' and the single rider queues to end up having a great jam-packed day, but it didn't have much of that spontaneity that I like in a park visit. Paris in 2002 was a four day family trip, so little stress for me (dunno about my parents), and we were very easy going with the whole thing.

I've been to Florida in 2006 and 2019, and California twice in 2013 and once in 2019, and each time I've looked at the various Disney parks and thought... "ughhh, no I just can't be arsed". I know I'm missing out on some of the best ride experiences out there, but I just can't imagine having to have my day planned out like that. It feels to me like there is so much planning involved, that so much ride anxiety would follow - I find myself always turned off by the whole idea. Especially when I want to take my partner - my favourite days at "big" parks in the last few years have been those where everything is much more relaxed - and I think that'd really appeal to her too, and so Disney is always the first of the plans to get dropped.

The trick would be, of course, to go to these places often enough that you're not going to be bothered about not riding x-y-z this time, but then that also involves a lot of commitment (and money!) that I keep finding I'd rather use elsewhere!

I'd love for someone to tell me it's all bad-press and it's really not like that, and that I should just get stuck in, but I think the stress would always build up for me unless there was a sea-change in how days out at these parks are perceived. I think I'm rambling now... you get the idea.

Interestingly, while thinking about this Disney was the only one that sprung to mind - although that's a massive blanket description of ten-something parks in total. I'll add another post if others occur to me.

-

So I wonder, which parks are out there that you should be dying to do, but just... don't care about? I'm not talking about "can't be bothered going all the way to Inverness for the +1" type trips, I'm talking about proper, serious parks with significant reputations.
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You describe how I feel about Disney at the moment, and for the same reasons. I grew up in Los Angeles, and as a kid I’d get to visit Disneyland once a year. They were crowded, full-day affairs, but everything about the day was spontaneous. No planning. No juggling of queue spots or passes. Just go to what you want to ride next.

Now the crowds are even larger, and you’re forced to do research before you go. It just seems like such a hassle.

By now I’ve done every major park in North America, with the glaring exception of all the Florida Disney parks. There’s just so much involved — time, expense, and effort. It feels as if I’d have to devote an entire week to do them properly, not to mention the research and the money.

I’ll get to them sooner or later, but right now they seem like a bother. Maybe if I went ahead and committed, it wouldn’t be so bad.
 
I'm the worst enthusiast in the world and this thread is very much relevant to my interests. If there's not a decent Intamin or RMC on offer it's unlikely to be on my radar.

There is the odd exception if a park offers a unique overall experience (Disney, Efteling and whatnot).

My list of CBA parks would be in triple figures so I'll narrow it down to the more popular ones.

Visited CBA's:

Thorpe Park - Stealth is pretty good and Inferno is a decent invert but every other ride there is awful. RIP Loggers and Slammer.

Heide Park - German Thorpe Park. Lots of boring coasters and typical bland Merlin atmosphere.

Port Aventura - I don't hate it but have no desire to return. At least until they RMC Stampida.

Non visited CBA's:

Gardaland - Italian Heide Park.

Parc Asterix - At least until the new launch coaster arrives.

Kolmarden - It's a long way to go for a zoo ffs.

Movie Park Germany - Star Trek somehow looks even more boring than Icon.

Parque Warner Madrid - A very dated ride line up.
 
I'll pile on Disney lol Great experience for sure I am lucky to have been but tbh I have little care to. I also prefer bigger/more thrill rides and for the $ and hassle (it is kinda stressful tbh) never saw Disney as worth it. Even when I lived in FL for 4 years, if I went to Orlando it was for Universal. Once with a day to kill I did the fun spots. No joke was in Orlando, time to kill, couldn't be arsed to go to Disney XD I suppose I am cold too....not sure I ever felt the allure, the magic, I treat parks like places with rides...if I dont super love the rides I am less inclined to go. I'm a cold hearted bastard I guess lol

Also:
Kennywood. Went twice now. First time sucked, second time was better but tbh still didn't love the place, and now that I've done all there barring some epic add can't see myself bothering to go. Oh and it was kinda dumpy, "charm" I guess but I really hated their "Kennywood" time and generally how poorly managed it seemed. I've seen enthusiasts chuck this up to charm, or the as I call it: Small park fetishism, but nah it annoyed me. We'd roast SF or CF alive if they ran their parks that way.

For years I couldnt be arsed to do great adventure. Been there, done the rides, I always found the park just awful. Perhaps it's better, I've heard mixed things. I was finally going to because of Jersey Devil but El Toro was down, and won't lie....despite a 45 minute drive only, couldn't be arsed. Next year I shall once all is operating.
 
I really don’t understand the Energylandia hate in this thread. It may not have the best theming, but the park does so well in everything else. The ride collection is vast with a few amazing rides, it’s really cheap, the locker system is perfect, the atmosphere is great, the staff are all friendly and efficient, and you can just tell that the park really cares about the guest experience with many other small aspects which really add to the park. It’s honestly my favourite park in europe as there’s so much to do, and it’s hard to get bored there.
 
Luca B said:
I really don’t understand the Energylandia hate in this thread. It may not have the best theming, but the park does so well in everything else. The ride collection is vast with a few amazing rides, it’s really cheap, the locker system is perfect, the atmosphere is great, the staff are all friendly and efficient, and you can just tell that the park really cares about the guest experience with many other small aspects which really add to the park. It’s honestly my favourite park in europe as there’s so much to do, and it’s hard to get bored there.
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Just ignore it… Most people I know that have visited in the last year or so can’t keep away… They keep returning… That says enough.

The park has come on leaps and bounds since 2018 and is only heading in one direction right now, and that is up.

I’ve seen the park busy now too, for the first time this year, and the atmosphere and operations are incredible when it is busy!!!

Also, it’s subjective… There’s a lot of hate for Disney too… And yet some see that as the happiest place on earth, often used as a benchmark for other parks… People have their own needs and likes…
 
Heth said:
Probably my most controversial one is Blackpool Pleasure Beach. It's 6-7 hours drive or train for me to get there. I want to go on the historic rides there, but have yet to muster up the time or money to get there. To make the most of it would cost £100s and I'd have to book off time from work. Whilst I'm OK with doing that for foreign parks like EP, PHL and Efteling I just can't justify it for Blackpool.
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The opposite is true for me.
BPB is my cheap season pass home park, twenty five minutes drive off peak, free local parking, and lots of matey staff I have known for years.
More a local pub with rides attached.
Never go on a busy day though, wet weekdays a speciality.
 
rob666 said:
The opposite is true for me.
BPB is my cheap season pass home park, twenty five minutes drive off peak, free local parking, and lots of matey staff I have known for years.
More a local pub with rides attached.
Never go on a busy day though, wet weekdays a speciality.
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I'm sure if I lived near it I'd feel different, but I live in Bournemouth on the South Coast, so it's a long way to go to a park. Whilst in the same country, it takes me less time and less money to reach Efteling and Phantasialand (albeit not during Covid).

My big fear is that I'll go there and it'll be a let down, as, whilst there's a lot of hype around it, I am concerned it won't be my 'scene' as I'm generally someone who likes theming a lot.

My nearest big park is Thorpe Park, 1 1/2 - 2 hours away. I visit generally once a year on average, but I reckon I'd rarely bother unless they added something new if I lived further away.
 
Heth said:
Probably my most controversial one is Blackpool Pleasure Beach. It's 6-7 hours drive or train for me to get there. I want to go on the historic rides there, but have yet to muster up the time or money to get there. To make the most of it would cost £100s and I'd have to book off time from work. Whilst I'm OK with doing that for foreign parks like EP, PHL and Efteling I just can't justify it for Blackpool.
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I am very much the same. I first went last year out of a desperate need to go somewhere new and Covid making it difficult to plan going abroad, and I'm very unfussed by going back.

As you say, living far enough south (and close enough to a major airport) means that getting to some European parks is a similar amount of time, effort and money, but much more appealing.
 
Ocean Park.

I could potentially be at the ticket barrier within 25 minutes of leaving my flat, but I never bother.

It would be a perfect candidate for an annual pass to use to pop in for a couple of hours if I was bored, but there's honestly not much there that I like. The rides are crap and operations are s**te. There are some decent animal exhibits, but they're not enough to make me want to bother with repeat visits.

We had a school trip there last Friday, and I volunteered to stay in school since I honestly preferred to sit around doing nothing than having a free day out at Ocean Park. Last time we had a school trip there (a few years ago), I waited until everyone had dispersed from the entrance, f**ked off home and went back in at the end of the day to shove kids back on coaches.

Can't be arsed with the place.
 
Disney for me, too. With the exception of a 2006 visit to DLD, I’ve never been keen to factor in a Disney park. Several trips to FL, two visits to Hong Kong and a couple of times back to France since, and yet they don’t even flick on my radar.

I’m not an overtly Disney aficionado. I’ve little interest in the films or characters, the “sickly” vibe it gives out and certainly cannot be arsed to stress myself out with the crowds, self-entitled kids, and rides that focus on experience rather than thrill. I enjoy being immersed in escapism and theme, but thrill rates higher than all of than that. I’m my head, I feel I’d get more value and enjoyment from going to other places than Disney parks.

Also, I’m going to mention Oakwood. Regardless where you live in the UK - even in Pembrokeshire - it always takes more than six hours to reach it. There is nothing word class at the park. Only Megafobia has reride value, and I suspect that’s because “it’s the least worst” thing there rather than it actually being any good. They could build a plus one every month, but until they build something worthwhile and world class, I’ll probably never be arsed with it again.

Very basically going to mention the Cali parks, too. Despite visiting the State several times, I’ve never felt the urgency or need to take a trip to the west coast. There’s always something more appealing in the mid-west or east coast that grabs my attention.
 
I just got my 'good friend' early bird booking discount code for Europa Park...

I straight away clicked the link to check prices, but before the page had loaded I thought 'I have absolutely no desire to go back there yet!!!' and closed the window...

What the hell is wrong with me? 🙈 🤣
 
Liseberg. They haven't started selling season tickets yet. I live 500 meters from the entrance and would love to go everyday but I am not willing to pay 40 euros every time.

Is your home park selling season tickets?
 
ChristianPalsson said:
Liseberg. They haven't started selling season tickets yet. I live 500 meters from the entrance and would love to go everyday but I am not willing to pay 40 euros every time.

Is your home park selling season tickets?
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That must be awful!!!

We get the ‘Merlin Pass’ which gets us into most parks worth visiting in the UK.
 
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