The Theme Park Guy

[Coney Islander]

The Theme Park Guy

Has anyone else seen this guy's website? Apparently, he's visiting every theme park in the world... Anyone else wonder if that includes seasonal amusement parks like Kings Island?

[bkroz]

I should hope so, as they probably make up more of the world's theme parks than annual-operation parks. But there must be some caveat to this... It would be expensive, tiresome, and probably futile to visit each and every amusement park, even in the United States... Think of the Indiana Beaches and the Idlewilds that are all around the globe - not heavily marketed, off the beaten path, and not really "worth" the trip unless you're particularly interested in what it has to offer.

[tycoonrebel7188]

Would a place like Indiana Beach be considered a Theme Park though? I only ask this because i've never been, and this guy, after all, is called The Theme Park Guy. It stands to reason, at least in my mind, that he wouldn't be The Theme Park Guy if he was going to places like Indiana Beach if it is not a "theme park". I think there is the possibility that he made the trip to Paramount's Kings Island, it was after all considered a theme park by its parent company. Kings Island, as it stands today, isn't considered a theme park by its parent company, Cedar Fair, as far as I know.

[bkroz]

I think there is the possibility that he made the trip to Paramount's Kings Island, it was after all considered a theme park by its parent company. Kings Island, as it stands today, isn't considered a theme park by its parent company, Cedar Fair, as far as I know.

(emphasis added)

I'm not sure about that... Though it may just be unchanged from its previous incarnation, the web-bar when visiting Carowinds official site reads "North and South Carolina's Themed Amusement Park."

Kings Dominion's reads "Virginia's Premier Themed Amusement Park."

Likewise, Great America is "San Fransisco's Themed Amusement Park."

And Canada's Wonderland is "Canada's Premier Themed Amusement Park."

Kings Island, however, is "Official Home Page."

I think that Cedar Fair officials are probably pretty oblivious to the difference between a theme park and amusement park, but many of their parks are, in fact, themed - with themed areas, themed rides, and themed buildings. Perhaps not as much as they were some four years ago, but all of the former Paramount Parks, Worlds of Fun, and Knott's Berry Farm all have themed areas. If you ask me, it would be incredible naive to say Kings Island, or Knotts, or even Worlds of Fun isn't a theme park. Even if Cedar Fair doesn't directly say it, I believe it's accepted in the industry.

As for the confusing "themed amusement park" web-bars? Every theme park is an amusement park. The opposite isn't true... I say their intention was to advertise the parks as theme parks.

[The Interpreter]

Regardless of what many say, Cedar Point has many aspects of a theme park...particularly the Frontier area...the front midway...

[Jasper]

Not to mention Top Thrill Dragster Midway with the grandstands and the race car themed shops and little food kiosks as well.