Southern California Tourist Advice Please

[Ritterskoop]

Looks like Cedarpoint is about $105.00 (plus tax) per person for 4 people. With parking, maybe Disneyland would be worth $650-700, maximum.

How is CedarPoint relevant to a discussion of Southern Cal attractions? I could also compare Disneyland to Carowinds, which is our little theme park y'all have never heard of, but that would not be helpful.

[Appa23]

Looks like Cedarpoint is about $105.00 (plus tax) per person for 4 people. With parking, maybe Disneyland would be worth $650-700, maximum.

How is CedarPoint relevant to a discussion of Southern Cal attractions? I could also compare Disneyland to Carowinds, which is our little theme park y'all have never heard of, but that would not be helpful.

Pretty simple. CedarPoint is another internationally-known and often-visited amusement park.

It is Mecca for roller-coaster enthusiasts.

[tanstaafl2]

Looks like Cedarpoint is about $105.00 (plus tax) per person for 4 people. With parking, maybe Disneyland would be worth $650-700, maximum.

How is CedarPoint relevant to a discussion of Southern Cal attractions? I could also compare Disneyland to Carowinds, which is our little theme park y'all have never heard of, but that would not be helpful.

I have to say that seems perhaps a wee bit snarky.

Don't know who "y'all" is but apparently it is not me as I have not only heard of it but been there.

Doesn't seem unreasonable (at least to me) in responding to the question of what the value of a Disney trip would be, for a person to try to estimate it from a known frame of reference. Now whether Cedar Point (or Carowinds or in my case Six Flags) is a reasonable frame of reference to draw a conclusion from, particularly if someone has never been to Disneyland (or Disneyworld, which itself is a different experience even from Disneyland) and is basing it solely on a description, may be a debatable point.

But it seemed perfectly relevant to the general discussion at hand.

[Estonut]

You may just want to spend the day in L.A.

Any time:
A meal at the restaurant at the top of the Bonaventure (downtown), with a rotating view of the city (360 degrees per hour).
Many museums for various interests.

Daytime:
Venice beach - you ain't seen anything like it.
L.A. Zoo - in Griffith Park, where you can picnic

Nighttime:
I believe the Griffith Park observatory has re-opened after extensive renovation.
Greek Theatre (or Universal Amphitheatre) if an event is booked while you're there.
Driving tour (or organized bus tour) of LA/Hollywood.
"Wicked" has just been extended at the Pantages Theatre through July 6th. Your young thespian would probably LOVE this!

[Ritterskoop]

Looks like Cedarpoint is about $105.00 (plus tax) per person for 4 people. With parking, maybe Disneyland would be worth $650-700, maximum.

How is CedarPoint relevant to a discussion of Southern Cal attractions? I could also compare Disneyland to Carowinds, which is our little theme park y'all have never heard of, but that would not be helpful.

I have to say that seems perhaps a wee bit snarky.

Don't know who "y'all" is but apparently it is not me as I have not only heard of it but been there.

Doesn't seem unreasonable (at least to me) in responding to the question of what the value of a Disney trip would be, for a person to try to estimate it from a known frame of reference. Now whether Cedar Point (or Carowinds or in my case Six Flags) is a reasonable frame of reference to draw a conclusion from, particularly if someone has never been to Disneyland (or Disneyworld, which itself is a different experience even from Disneyland) and is basing it solely on a description, may be a debatable point.

But it seemed perfectly relevant to the general discussion at hand.

OK. My bad. I thought it was out of left field, because the conversation was about Disneyland and Southern Cal. I didn't understand the relevance, but I should have done what I usually do, and kept shut. Thanks for letting me know.

[MarleysGh0st]

How is CedarPoint relevant to a discussion of Southern Cal attractions? I could also compare Disneyland to Carowinds, which is our little theme park y'all have never heard of, but that would not be helpful.

I have to say that seems perhaps a wee bit snarky.

Don't know who "y'all" is but apparently it is not me as I have not only heard of it but been there.

Doesn't seem unreasonable (at least to me) in responding to the question of what the value of a Disney trip would be, for a person to try to estimate it from a known frame of reference. Now whether Cedar Point (or Carowinds or in my case Six Flags) is a reasonable frame of reference to draw a conclusion from, particularly if someone has never been to Disneyland (or Disneyworld, which itself is a different experience even from Disneyland) and is basing it solely on a description, may be a debatable point.

But it seemed perfectly relevant to the general discussion at hand.

OK. My bad. I thought it was out of left field, because the conversation was about Disneyland and Southern Cal. I didn't understand the relevance, but I should have done what I usually do, and kept shut. Thanks for letting me know.

There you go again, Skoop, apologizing because you let a little sarcasm show.

If anything, tanstaafl was the one being snarky here, jumping into a thread that he had not, up to that point, been participating in, over the familiar suthren saying "y'all". And you didn't even use the universal "all y'all".

And there are valid differences between a park in Southern California and one in Northern Ohio.

More anon.

[MarleysGh0st]

More anon.

Continuing with the Disneyland/Cedar Point annual pass comparison:

It does look like Cedar Point offers a good value, particularly for fans of the roller coasters that they specialize in. $105 for the season pass compared to $42.95 for a one-day ticket is a factor of only 2.4.

Disney charges $66 for a one-day/one-park ticket. $91 if you want a one-day park hopper. Their Premium Annual Passport, at $379, is 5.75 times the former, 4.2 times the latter (and since the passport gets you into both parks, that's the most valid comparison). The free parking is an added bonus, that I'm not adding into the calculations.

But wait...Cedar Point is basically only open for a four month season, plus weekends for two more months. Even if we're generous and call that a full six months, that gives Disneyland (a 365-day park) twice the utility. And suddenly, their cost is comparable.

And for PSM, who says she'd value the pass at $250 per person, I'll note that Disney has met her request with a "Deluxe Annual Passport" for $259 (only 2.8 times the one-day park hopper). This one is good for 315 days a year, blocking out only Saturdays during peak season, plus Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas week. If your family only goes to the park when it's not busy, why didn't you take that deal?

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

And for PSM, who says she'd value the pass at $250 per person, I'll note that Disney has met her request with a "Deluxe Annual Passport" for $259 (only 2.8 times the one-day park hopper). This one is good for 315 days a year, blocking out only Saturdays during peak season, plus Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas week. If your family only goes to the park when it's not busy, why didn't you take that deal?

I enjoy the 10% discounts at restaurants and shopping. Not only do I get discounts at the parks, but I also get discounts at the stores in Downtown Disney. Traditionally, we go to the park for New Year's Eve and if we had the Deluxe Passport, we wouldn't be allowed to go.

The Deluxe Passport used to offer fewer blockout dates. If I recall correctly, the blockout dates were Saturdays during the summer. When this was the case, I had a Premium Pass, for the parking and discounts while the rest of the family had the Deluxe pass.

[MarleysGh0st]

Lest anyone think I'm the mouse devil's advocate here, I'll add that there's a third party to this economic negotiation between Disney squeezing out some marginal revenue from locals, who are in turn squeezing out some marginal utility from yet another short visit to the park. That third party is all the infrequent visitors who have paid top dollar for their experience. Even if the locals only go during the slow times, they are adding to the lines and marginally degrading the experience for the new visitors.

Disney execs probably would love every day to be as crowded as Christmas week, but recognize that they might lose some goodwill from their visitors if that were so. I'm sure they've made some calculations--kept as closely guarded proprietary secrets--about just how long they can keep the lines to maximize their profits without scaring the customers away.

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

Even if the locals only go during the slow times, they are adding to the lines and marginally degrading the experience for the new visitors.

My family is majorly degrading

[Appa23]

More anon.

But wait...Cedar Point is basically only open for a four month season, plus weekends for two more months. Even if we're generous and call that a full six months, that gives Disneyland (a 365-day park) twice the utility.

But, Disneyland's rides are only half as good.

You asked what value I would give to an annual "super-duper" pass to Disneyland, and I gave you my number.

Your number may be higher.

Some may feel that Disneyland is worthless now that it no longer has the venerated WWTBAM Play-It attraction.

As for me, for $494.28, I can buy platinum passes that gets my family into every Cedar Fair amusement park and water park in North America, including Knottsberry Farm in CA, Carowinds, King's Dominion, and CedarPoint, among many others.

[Bob78164]

It looks like I might have to go to the Southern California for a few days. If that occurs, it'll be within the next month. My wife and 11-year old daughter will be coming with me. My suddenly-serious-about school son (he's a junior who is starting to look at colleges and realize that a 3.25 or so isn't going to be good enough for where he wants to go) will stay behind with friends (while I will miss him, I am proud of his decision). It looks like we'll have about two days to explore outside of the business purpose for the trip - one of them will be spent at Disneyland, the other is open.

Any suggestions from those of you who live in/have visited the area? Is it worth it if you only have a day for Disney to get a ticket for Disneyland and California Adventure? What other stuff would be enjoyed, or "should" be seen by an 11-year old (and her parents)? Just FYI, she's very much into drama (acting AND she wrote a short play that she has organized a good portion of her class to put on as a surprise for her teacher) and animals. It's been 20 years since I've been to LA and that was only for a short visit as well. Any and all advice is appreciated!

Thank you!

I hope that you and your family have some time for a visit. Los Angeles has wonderful theatres, some large, some small. Some have even featured works (well, a work) by our own Frank Tangredi.

Please feel free to contact me off line (either via PM or e-mail to my screen name here at Yahoo!) or to continue the discussion here on the thread. --Bob

[Bob78164]

Some may feel that Disneyland is worthless now that it no longer has the venerated WWTBAM Play-It attraction.

That would be me. I purchased a season pass specifically for Play It! When Play It! died, I allowed my pass to expire. I think I've been there once since, to meet an old friend from law school who is a devoted fan of the House of Mouse (she and her husband got married at the Disneyland Hotel). --Bob

[MarleysGh0st]

Some may feel that Disneyland is worthless now that it no longer has the venerated WWTBAM Play-It attraction.

That would be me. I purchased a season pass specifically for Play It! When Play It! died, I allowed my pass to expire. I think I've been there once since, to meet an old friend from law school who is a devoted fan of the House of Mouse (she and her husband got married at the Disneyland Hotel). --Bob

Sadly, TPTB decided that all you repeat visitors to Play It! were no more valuable to them.

[tanstaafl2]

I have to say that seems perhaps a wee bit snarky.

Don't know who "y'all" is but apparently it is not me as I have not only heard of it but been there.

Doesn't seem unreasonable (at least to me) in responding to the question of what the value of a Disney trip would be, for a person to try to estimate it from a known frame of reference. Now whether Cedar Point (or Carowinds or in my case Six Flags) is a reasonable frame of reference to draw a conclusion from, particularly if someone has never been to Disneyland (or Disneyworld, which itself is a different experience even from Disneyland) and is basing it solely on a description, may be a debatable point.

But it seemed perfectly relevant to the general discussion at hand.

OK. My bad. I thought it was out of left field, because the conversation was about Disneyland and Southern Cal. I didn't understand the relevance, but I should have done what I usually do, and kept shut. Thanks for letting me know.

There you go again, Skoop, apologizing because you let a little sarcasm show.

If anything, tanstaafl was the one being snarky here, jumping into a thread that he had not, up to that point, been participating in, over the familiar suthren saying "y'all". And you didn't even use the universal "all y'all".

And there are valid differences between a park in Southern California and one in Northern Ohio.

More anon.

Was unaware that one had to be participating in the thread previously to comment on it. I wasn't actually commenting on the "y'all" (a term I use routinely) part as much as the apparent presumption that no one would be familiar with Carowinds.

Nor did I have any expection of Skoop apologizing. I was merely offering my perspective on the seeming tone of the comment, which I thought, and still think, was a a wee bit snarky. It can be hard to know in the bored context.

As to the validity of the comparison between parks that was offered I am relatively sure, wait, let me check, yes, that I noted there was room for debate as to whether it was a good comparison. But I still believe trying to find a frame of reference for the comparison to be a reasonable notion.

If I in fact was the one being a wee bit snarky, well I think I can live with that!

And as to whether I am being a wee bit snarky now, yes I hope so as it is more or less my intent...

[MarleysGh0st]

Was unaware that one had to be participating in the thread previously to comment on it. I wasn't actually commenting on the "y'all" (a term I use routinely) part as much as the apparent presumption that no one would be familiar with Carowinds.

Yes, clearly Skoop was not using any hyperbole in her comparison of theme parks. Rather, she was making a literal, blanket statement that nobody on this Bored knows of this park.

And since the Bored, collectively, knows everything, that statement was clearly absurd.




Snarkiness in this post also deliberate.

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

Was unaware that one had to be participating in the thread previously to comment on it. I wasn't actually commenting on the "y'all" (a term I use routinely) part as much as the apparent presumption that no one would be familiar with Carowinds.

Yes, clearly Skoop was not using any hyperbole in her comparison of theme parks. Rather, she was making a literal, blanket statement that nobody on this Bored knows of this park.

And since the Bored, collectively, knows everything, that statement was clearly absurd.




Snarkiness in this post also deliberate.

FTR I have have never actually been to Carowinds, but my nieces get season passes.

[MarleysGh0st]

FTR I have have never actually been to Carowinds, but my nieces get season passes.

And how many cents per day do they consider a fair price for that?

[earendel]

Was unaware that one had to be participating in the thread previously to comment on it. I wasn't actually commenting on the "y'all" (a term I use routinely) part as much as the apparent presumption that no one would be familiar with Carowinds.

Yes, clearly Skoop was not using any hyperbole in her comparison of theme parks. Rather, she was making a literal, blanket statement that nobody on this Bored knows of this park.

And since the Bored, collectively, knows everything, that statement was clearly absurd.




Snarkiness in this post also deliberate.

Just remember, some snarks are boojums.

[trevor_macfee]

Thank you all so much for your replies! I'm glad my query could be the catalyst for so much discussion - but I wouldn't have expected less from this bored. I am now more informed for the potential SoCal visit and will share a full report should the trip occur.


And I will of course check out CaroWinds, Cedar Point, et al should my travels take my family in any of those directions.