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Comment by daveslash | Hacker News Reader

Your "State Fair vs Disney" really struck a nerve with some people! But I agree with your point. I took your comment to generally mean: Things like Baseball games and Disney used to be economical and within reach to the common-everyday family with a tight budget, whereas now they're out of reach for many people. Part of that is because the attractions themselves are on an elevated level compared to days of yore. These same attractions used to be shittier than they are today! Shittier made them cheaper, and more accessible to the masses. If the common-everyday family on a tight budget is willing to settle for a little less-than-the-best experience, there are still plenty of options available in the form of State Fairs, State Parks, etc... Edit: Spelling.

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Lol Disney is a cult! If you say anything bad about it people come out of the woodwork to defend the mouse. I was raised outside of the cult but I have dear friends that are a part of it. Totally rational people until you level any criticism towards Disney, which is especially crazy because most of these folks are normally anti corporate types, but Disney gets a pass for some reason.

Now, I don't enjoy amusement parks and never did, and don't feel strongly about Disney media, so it's just amusing to me, especially seeing it play out on HN

I'd rather go to a state park than Disney lmao

Every time I went to Disney in Florida, loads of rides were 30+ minutes, sometimes 1 1/2 hours.

My single thought was "?!", followed by wanting to leave.

One of the points in the article was that there are a lot more rides at Disney now. But my thought was, "yeah, but you can still only ride 5 of them in a day!"

Which theme park have you been to that has not had long lines to the rides?

I remember doing multiple rides on the same roller coaster without giving up my seat as a teen at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. At peak times they had 20+ minute lines, but I never considered that as worthwhile.

Disney lines are horrific by comparison. It’s nice they add some theming while you wait, but you will have a far better time just skipping the rides unless you want to run to something at park open or schedule your day around fast pass.

Horror stories about the lines these days, unless you buy the extremely expensive passes that let you skip them, are why I'd hesitate to go even for free. I don't get why people pay for it. 55 minutes in a line for every 5 minutes of fun is a shit deal even if it's free, IMO. Sounds like hell.

Cartmanland /s

I've been to a number of parks where it seemed like average wait times were closer to 15 minutes rather than 1-3 hours. In fact, other than Disney or Universal Studios that's generally been the norm, and for a while I would go to theme parks multiple times a year.

Knott's Berry Farm on Thanksgiving used to be one of my family's best kept secrets. People have since caught on but you you used to be able to walk up to a ride and ride it within minutes.

And the fried chicken at Knott's - used to be amazing (late 70's/early 80's). Wonder if it's still a thing with them.

It's been a hot minute (like 20 years), but the Maryland Six Flags used to stay open until 8 or 9 PM in the summer and I could ride the coasters with basically no wait (waterpark was closed, though).

I went to Disney in Tokyo during COVID, when they let only 5000 people a day in. That was about the level at which I thought it was fun, but it still felt kinda busy (fastpass rides still sold out).

I have a hard time imagining anyone could enjoy it in a normal situation.

I got extremely lucky going to Disneyland during a massive off-peak week, right at the beginning of September but just after the Labor Day holiday. Every ride was practically walk up. The only real wait was for the new Star Wars ride which had only recently opened. My wife and I managed to see everything in both parks in a day and a half at a pretty leisurely pace.

Another good time to go is early January, just after school starts up. It's not hot, and it's not crowded.

Does anyone else think Disney’s rides suck, too?

Using a fast pass is a must at Disney. Little to no wait at every ride. Additionally staying at a Disney resort let’s you stay an hour after everyone else and then even without the fast pass you cruise thru every line.

>I'd rather go to a state park than Disney lmao

How are we even equating a State Park with theme parks like Disney? It originally was suggested as State Fairs vs Disney. At least a typical State Fair has some sort of amusement rides that tilts in the direction of a Disney level theme park. While State Fair to Disney is at least apples and oranges, State Parks to Disney is like comparing fruits to anything else unrelated.

For me it's more about just how boring state fairs are. Maybe if you have young kids that want to pet a goat or are really into fried oreos on a stick.

You said "state park" which is a very different thing than what GP was talking about. I like Disney alright but spending time in nature at a state park can be just as fun IMO. State fair though? Count me out.

Growing up in Kansas I never got the Disney thing either. Disney was re-running their hits in theaters decades after they were originally released, and of course knocking out Don Knotts films like "The Apple Dumpling Gang". I thought it was a generational thing — like, of course my parent's generation are into Disney.

Moving to California though I was surprised by how much traction Disney continues to get with the follow-on generations.

I've got ambivalent feelings about Disney-- over the whole forever-copyright thing, trying to own our entire culture, etc.

Their IRL entertainment products-- the resorts/parks, travel, etc-- are super-premium. They are not a great value. And they are in a weird "bubble".

But man, your kids are entertained and customer service is good and everything is fun for everyone.

>I'd rather go to a state park than Disney lmao

Same here, even as a kid I preferred the state park. I've never been to Disney, but I've never liked theme parks. I do like water parks though.

No kidding on the cult thing!

I grew up going to Disneyland, had an annual pass in the past and still live fairly close to it; it's an easy day trip. Almost went when the new Star Wars section opened - until I started to look at the pricing. Would have been over $100 a day for tickets (!), never mind all the other costs. The last time I went tickets were in the $80 a day range and I thought that was nuts.

Obviously they are getting people to still pay it - good for them; I'm out. Too many other things to do. And it warms my heart to see Universal in Orlando really taking on the mouse. Disney has killed Star Wars and Marvel - Thor's theater receipts are an utter joke. Disney has gotten complacent and lazy; maybe a good fleecing will wake them back up.

You think the Disney Cult is bad, try suggesting that one can live a full life without ever traveling to Europe

I have; I wasn't impressed.

Honestly, they weren't shittier, they were better before every red cent was squeezed out of the consumer. The appeal of Disneyland has really waned for us over the years and it's not just the pricing.

That's a good point. I think shittier vs. better is largely a matter of subjective personal preference. And I would kind of agree that they were better before every red cent was squeezed out of the consumer. However, that's speaking to the experience. But in terms of facilities, I think things are better now; paved parking lots over dirt parking lots, padded seats over concrete benches, individual urinals with stall dividers over troughs, etc.... Using Disney as an example (I've never been), I'm sure that the facilities and hardware of the park today are way above where they were decades ago (even if the experience is arguably much worse).

Disneyland definitely had troughs in the men's rooms, even in recently-constructed buildings. I have been to Disneyland nearly every year since 2015.

Also the annual passes, that lots of locals use to make multiple trips per year affordable, have been increasing in price. Disney wants their visitors to spend money, and those who economize using annual passes have proven to be on the whole, not the most advantageous customers.

Yeah, if they were shittier back then it was because, as a country, culturally, we just had worst taste. I mean, TV dinners, polyester ... I could go on.

Disney is really overrated as a park.

I live in NH and the local amusement park, called Canobie Lake, has more rides and ride systems than the Magic Kingdom. The "themeing" isn't as nice but it's a fraction of the cost.

I like the Disney Parks, but you're really paying a heavy premium for IP and a potential visit with a Princess. For most people your local Six Flags will be a far better value for the dollar with not much of a dimunition of the experience.

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