{"id":1238,"date":"2018-02-28T02:47:54","date_gmt":"2018-02-28T02:47:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/?p=456"},"modified":"2024-05-09T05:53:06","modified_gmt":"2024-05-09T05:53:06","slug":"theme-park-signatures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/theme-park-signatures\/","title":{"rendered":"Theme Park Signatures"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_63 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/theme-park-signatures\/#Besides_the_branding_what_makes_a_Disney_or_Universal_different_from_a_Seaworld_or_Legoland_Are_there_true_differences_to_speak_of\" title=\"Besides the branding, what makes a Disney or Universal different from a Seaworld or Legoland?\u00a0 Are there true differences to speak of?\">Besides the branding, what makes a Disney or Universal different from a Seaworld or Legoland?\u00a0 Are there true differences to speak of?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/theme-park-signatures\/#Glossary\" title=\"Glossary\">Glossary<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/theme-park-signatures\/#Cedar_Fair_Six_Flags_%E2%80%93_Signature\" title=\"Cedar Fair &amp; Six Flags &#8211; Signature\">Cedar Fair &amp; Six Flags &#8211; Signature<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/theme-park-signatures\/#Disney_%E2%80%93_Signature\" title=\"Disney &#8211; Signature\">Disney &#8211; Signature<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/theme-park-signatures\/#Universal_Studios\" title=\"Universal Studios\">Universal Studios<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/theme-park-signatures\/#Legoland_%E2%80%93_Signature\" title=\"Legoland &#8211; Signature\">Legoland &#8211; Signature<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/theme-park-signatures\/#Seaworld_%E2%80%93_Signature\" title=\"Seaworld &#8211; Signature\">Seaworld &#8211; Signature<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/theme-park-signatures\/#Guest_Experience\" title=\"Guest Experience\">Guest Experience<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/theme-park-signatures\/#Cedar_Fair_%E2%80%93_Social_Media\" title=\"Cedar Fair &#8211; Social Media\">Cedar Fair &#8211; Social Media<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/theme-park-signatures\/#Six_Flags_%E2%80%93_Social_Media\" title=\"Six Flags &#8211; Social Media\">Six Flags &#8211; Social Media<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/theme-park-signatures\/#Disney_%E2%80%93_Social_Media\" title=\"Disney &#8211; Social Media\">Disney &#8211; Social Media<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/theme-park-signatures\/#Universal_Studios_%E2%80%93_Social_Media\" title=\"Universal Studios &#8211; Social Media\">Universal Studios &#8211; Social Media<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/theme-park-signatures\/#Legoland_%E2%80%93_Social_Media\" title=\"Legoland &#8211; Social Media\">Legoland &#8211; Social Media<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/theme-park-signatures\/#Seaworld_%E2%80%93_Social_Media\" title=\"Seaworld &#8211; Social Media\">Seaworld &#8211; Social Media<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<\/h3>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Besides_the_branding_what_makes_a_Disney_or_Universal_different_from_a_Seaworld_or_Legoland_Are_there_true_differences_to_speak_of\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 15px; font-family: Geologica; line-height: 22px;\">Besides the branding, what makes a Disney or Universal different from a Seaworld or Legoland?\u00a0 Are there true differences to speak of?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px; font-family: Geologica; line-height: 22px;\">Well, based on these charts, yes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px; font-family: Geologica; line-height: 22px;\">This is\u00a0the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/index.php\/2017\/03\/19\/the-business-of-theme-parks-part-i-how-much-money-do-they-make\/\">third<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/index.php\/2017\/12\/27\/the-business-of-theme-parks-part-ii-how-much-do-they-cost-and-earn\/\">installment<\/a> in our ongoing series where we dissect the economics and characteristics of attractions.\u00a0 Previously, we reviewed the economics and business models of theme parks, waterparks, and other attractions.\u00a0\u00a0Here, we\u2019re taking a closer look at the physical composition and\u00a0guest experiences at the major theme parks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px; font-family: Geologica; line-height: 22px;\">Let&#8217;s take a closer look.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-489\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/chart-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1601\" height=\"1700\" \/> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-488\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/chart-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1601\" height=\"1700\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">In this analysis, we\u2019ll be using a generally acceptable set of jargon; i.e., generic terms that we believe should be generally understood by those in the attractions industry.\u00a0 That said, we have many readers who are not industry insiders and so before we begin, a definition of terms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Feel free to skip if you know this already.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Glossary\"><\/span><strong>Glossary<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Hard Rides &#8211; As they are defined here, these are any ride attractions that are not coasters.\u00a0 This includes Ferris wheels, carousels, giant frisbees\/disc rides, halfpipes, towers, tumblers, and so on.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Water rides \u2013 these are rides that take place in the water, but are not waterpark rides.\u00a0 That is, there is a high likelihood of getting wet, but\u00a0there are ride vehicles in the form of\u00a0rafts, flumes, or tubes and do not end in riders being\u00a0completely submerged in pools.\u00a0 These include examples such as Jurassic Park at Universal Studios or Splash Mountain at Disney.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Kids rides \u2013 these are basically smaller versions of their adult equivalents.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Explore and Play areas \u2013 these are any type of attraction where guests interact or move through the environment themselves, rather than being propelled by a vehicle.\u00a0 This is a large and varied category including playgrounds, Lego build experiences, animal interaction experiences, environmental and landscape design elements.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Dark rides \u2013 rides or coasters that take place almost entirely indoors, in a climate-controlled and media-rich environment.\u00a0 Vehicle types range from boats to moving seats to coasters.\u00a0 Think Buzz Lightyear or Harry Potter.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Attraction inventory count &#8211; this is simply the number of individual rides and experience at a given park, per category.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Attraction inventory capacity \u2013 this is an important concept in planning a theme park.\u00a0 This goes by various names, including throughput, theoretical hourly capacity, or simply capacity.\u00a0 This is a measure of the number of experiences that either a single ride or attraction, or the entire theme park, can deliver to guests in one hour.When we speak of a ride\u2019s hourly capacity, that is the number of people who can theoretically ride the attraction in one (1) hour.\u00a0 A\u00a0theme park\u2019s hourly capacity is the number of discrete experiences that the entire park can deliver in\u00a0an hour.\u00a0 This is calculated by taking the sum of each individual attraction\u2019s hourly capacity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cedar_Fair_Six_Flags_%E2%80%93_Signature\"><\/span><strong>Cedar Fair &amp; Six Flags &#8211; Signature<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">We\u2019ve grouped these park chains together because, for better or worse, their signature is nearly identical.\u00a0 With nearly 60% of the park attraction count composed of hard rides and coasters, these two park brands are truly ride parks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-484\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/05-Six-Flags-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1601\" height=\"1700\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-476\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/01-Cedar-Fair-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1601\" height=\"1700\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Note that Six Flags has slightly more of its inventory dedicated to coasters than does Cedar Fair, which has a more balanced representation of hard rides and coasters.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Half of the remaining attraction mix count, at both parks, is dedicated to water rides and kids rides.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">When we look at capacity (below), however, it is nearly the same except for one interesting detail: <strong>even though the sheer count of water rides is lower than other categories, such as kids rides, we see that the actual capacity of the water rides is much higher<\/strong>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">This speaks to the nature of water rides as high capacity attractions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-485\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/05-Six-Flags-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1601\" height=\"1700\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-477\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/01-Cedar-Fair2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1601\" height=\"1700\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">This next set of parks is interesting for their contrast to ride parks.\u00a0 While in common perception, we know that Disney and Universal Studios parks are not exactly ride parks, it is hard to define exactly what they are.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Disney_%E2%80%93_Signature\"><\/span><strong>Disney &#8211; Signature<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">What a Disney park is, exactly, is almost the exact reverse of a ride park.\u00a0 <strong>Coasters are de-emphasized, and instead, shows, explore areas and play structures, and dark rides dominate.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">50% of the raw inventory count is composed of explore areas, play structures, and shows.\u00a0 This includes the character greetings available at the Disney parks, both seated and live street shows, parades, fireworks shows, and various explore areas such as Snow White\u2019s grotto or Sleeping Beauty\u2019s castle scattered throughout the parks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Environment-controlled dark rides are a main feature of Disney parks.\u00a0 This includes traditional rides such as It\u2019s a Small World, Pooh\u2019s Hunny Hunt, Peter Pan\u2019s Flight,\u00a0as well as the modern man-eaters, like the Buzz Lightyear rides, Mystic Manor, or Pirates of the Caribbean.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-478\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/02-Disney-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1601\" height=\"1700\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">As with the ride parks, there is a difference between ride count and ride capacity.\u00a0 <strong>When we look at capacity, we see that shows are the single largest category of attraction capacity at a Disney park.\u00a0 With the parades and firework shows, this category comprises over one-third of Disney park capacity<\/strong>, with dark rides second at 25%, and explore areas and play structures slightly under 15%.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-479\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/02-Disney2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1601\" height=\"1700\" \/><\/p>\n<h1><\/h1>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Universal_Studios\"><\/span><strong>Universal Studios<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Universal Studios \u2013 well, it\u2019s similar to a Disney park.\u00a0 As we\u2019ve written repeatedly, Disney and Universal are in a class by themselves when it comes to their business model, the sheer scale of their construction costs, and corresponding revenues.\u00a0 And when we examine their attraction inventory signature, it\u2019s almost identical.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The higher number here, compared to Disney, along the \u2018coaster\u2019 metric is actually due simply to the inclusion of PortAventura, which has more coasters and rides than a typical Universal park.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-486\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/06-Universal-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1601\" height=\"1700\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-487\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/06-Universal-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1601\" height=\"1700\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">While we care not to speculate whether this similarity in attraction mix is intentional or not, this point is worth some contemplation by other operators or would-be developers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>An attraction mix of this nature widens the audience, with families of younger children and toddlers able to attend<\/strong>.\u00a0 Without an overemphasis on thrill rides, attractions of a scenic nature, and shows, guests of older ages will find something for them as well.\u00a0 It simply\u00a0broadens the target market, which might be\u00a0among the reasons why both Disney and Universal have the highest-attended parks in the world.\u00a0 Worth considering.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Legoland_%E2%80%93_Signature\"><\/span><strong>Legoland &#8211; Signature<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">In terms of raw count, <strong>explore\/play areas comprise nearly 25% of the attraction mix as the single highest category in Legoland parks, but these parks are actually quite balanced<\/strong>, with a mix of exhibits, water rides, coasters, regular rides, all comprising around 10% of the inventory count each.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">In the context of a Legoland park, the largest category of explore\/play areas are the various Lego build experiences; i.e., Lego Mindstorms, Lego Academy, Lego Factory, etc.\u00a0 There are also numerous playgrounds themed in the various Lego sets; i.e., pirates, forestmen, adventure, Duplo, city station, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Exhibits are mostly figures and scenes built of Legos, of course.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/03-Legoland-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1601\" height=\"1700\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">When we look at attraction inventory capacity, the park becomes even more balanced, with no single category over 20%.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-481\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/03-Legoland-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1601\" height=\"1700\" \/><\/p>\n<h1><\/h1>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Seaworld_%E2%80%93_Signature\"><\/span><strong>Seaworld &#8211; Signature<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Seaworld parks &#8211; including the Busch Gardens branded attractions &#8211; are balanced parks<\/strong>.\u00a0 With wildlife exhibits, explore and play experiences, shows, and a mix of coasters, the parks offer something for everyone, a sentiment that was echoed by a large number of guests\u00a0on social media.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Wildlife and marine animal exhibits are numerous, as well as explore\/play experiences.\u00a0 In the context of the Seaworld parks, the latter are mostly animal interactions, such as safaris and marine animal interactions with penguins, dolphins, belugas, and so on.\u00a0 These are mostly upcharge (separately charged) experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-482\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/04-Seaworld-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1601\" height=\"1700\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Because of the lower capacity nature of these explore areas as well as animal exhibits, the overall capacity for these attractions diminishes somewhat in the capacity calculation.\u00a0 Nevertheless, the Seaworld parks are &#8211; contrary to the perception of many &#8211; quite balanced in attraction content.<\/span> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-483\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/04-Seaworld-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1601\" height=\"1700\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Guest_Experience\"><\/span><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Guest Experience<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Now let&#8217;s move onto what people are actually saying about the parks.\u00a0 For this, we looked at social media.\u00a0 In contrast to surveys or focus groups, we find social media to be a\u00a0better proxy to gauge customer perception and sentiments, as responses and reviews are usually both immediate and unfiltered.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">For these reviews, our sources were Facebook, Tripadvisor, and Twitter, and we targeted at least 100 reviews per brand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cedar_Fair_%E2%80%93_Social_Media\"><\/span><strong>Cedar Fair &#8211; Social Media<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Most-mentioned<\/strong>: As might be expected, <strong>coasters<\/strong> are the main attraction at Cedar Fair parks, above any other type of ride.\u00a0 Even though these are less than 50% of the actual attraction inventory, these are above and away, the main event in public perception.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-458\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Cedar-Fair-Attractions.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1602\" height=\"1357\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Favorable mentions<\/strong>: there were some comments about the lack of entertainment and attraction diversity; however, on the whole, the\u00a0best thing about the park\u00a0is its entertainment value.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Interestingly, discounts were also mentioned in some volume.\u00a0 These comments related to the ability to receive online and package discounts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Service is a category that received mixed reviews.\u00a0 The number of favorable reviews in this category <strong><u>was equaled<\/u><\/strong> by complaints about insufficient staff, rude behavior, and lack of training.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-460\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Cedar-Fair-Positive.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1602\" height=\"1357\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Areas for Improvement<\/strong>: while tickets were often mentioned as being too expensive, the more mentioned category was expensive food and beverage, which\u00a0seemed to be the worst thing about Cedar Fair parks, at least on social media.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">While queues were mentioned as a complaint, the number of <em>favorable<\/em> mentions in this category cannot be ignored &#8211; in fact, this was mentioned in equal measure both favorably and negatively.\u00a0 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Many guests praised the fact that the parks were not crowded during certain times of the year, and planned their trips around this point<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-459\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Cedar-Fair-Negative.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1602\" height=\"1357\" \/><\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Six_Flags_%E2%80%93_Social_Media\"><\/span><strong>Six Flags &#8211; Social Media<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Most mentioned<\/strong>: Similar to Cedar Fair, coasters are the main attraction here, with numerous mentions of Superman, Batman, Joker, Boomerang, and Goliath.\u00a0 Many coasters at Six Flags have entered the pantheon of classics, and many guests praised the fact that old coasters were still operating.\u00a0 These are by far the most-mentioned, and among the best things to do at Six Flags.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-470\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Six-Flags-Attractions.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1602\" height=\"1357\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Favorable mentions<\/strong>: the guest experience is similar, though not the same, as at Cedar Fair.\u00a0 Both &#8216;entertaining&#8217; and &#8216;discounts&#8217; earned top spots in favorable mentions, although one of the best things about Six Flags was is also its annual passes.\u00a0 Conversely, there were some complaints about the emphasis on high thrill rides.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-472\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Six-Flags-Positive.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1602\" height=\"1357\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Areas for improvement<\/strong>: Prices for both entry tickets and parking were consistently mentioned.\u00a0 Scheduling conflicts received a prominent 3rd position at Six Flags, with mentions of attractions closed due to maintenance and understaffing.\u00a0 These were among the worst things in the Six Flags experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-471\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Six-Flags-Negative.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1602\" height=\"1357\" \/><\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Disney_%E2%80%93_Social_Media\"><\/span><strong>Disney &#8211; Social Media<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Most mentioned<\/strong>: the dark rides and the parades\/shows, in almost a mirror image of the attraction signature mentioned above.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-461\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Disney-Attractions.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1602\" height=\"1357\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Favorable mentions<\/strong>: the best things about a Disney park are their theming, environmental design, and the overall well-kempt landscaping.\u00a0 The high quality of food, service, and functionality of fast passes were all top mentions.\u00a0 Discounts were only a top 6 mention.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-463\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Disney-Positive.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1602\" height=\"1357\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Areas for improvement<\/strong>: crowding and long lines were the most frequent complaints at Disney, with many guests mentioning that the crowding was unbearable, especially with children.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Although, if lines are the worst thing about a Disney park, perhaps it&#8217;s a testament to what Disney is doing right, for so many guests to want to arrive!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-462\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Disney-Negative.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1602\" height=\"1357\" \/><\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Universal_Studios_%E2%80%93_Social_Media\"><\/span><strong>Universal Studios &#8211; Social Media<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Most mentioned<\/strong>: dark rides were mentioned by name, including the Transformers and the Mummy.\u00a0 Shows, coasters, and water rides are placed in several top slots as well, with the latter&#8217;s Jurassic Park a consistently high mention.\u00a0 These are both among the most-mentioned elements, and some of the best things to do at Universal Studios.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Universal-Studios-Attractions.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1602\" height=\"1357\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Favorable mentions<\/strong>: Visitors were pleased to find entertaining attractions for all ages and proclivities, followed by the theming and environmental design.\u00a0 In the latter category, a consistently high mention was the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which ranks as one of the best things to do at Universal Studios.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Fast passes were also very popular among guests, although some complained about the high prices.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-475\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Universal-Studios-Positive.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1602\" height=\"1357\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Areas for improvement<\/strong>: queues were the most commonly mentioned complaint, but, many guests actually commented that as bad as the queues were, they were relatively light compared to neighboring parks (Disney).\u00a0 An interesting category of complaints was service and organization, these areas received an equal number of negative as positive reviews.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-474\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Universal-Studios-Negative.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1602\" height=\"1357\" \/><\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Legoland_%E2%80%93_Social_Media\"><\/span><strong>Legoland &#8211; Social Media<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Most mentioned<\/strong>: befitting its attraction signature, Legoland received a balanced mention across exhibits, explore areas, shows, and rides.\u00a0 Among the best things to do at Legoland are the Lego build areas, as well as the 4D rides, Star Wars exhibits, and architecture exhibits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-464\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Lego-Attractions.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1602\" height=\"1357\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Favorable mentions<\/strong>: the top mention was in the Lego theme, guests felt that these were tastefully and consistently done, with several comments on the Ninjago themed areas.\u00a0 Service was also a top mentioned area.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-466\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Lego-Positive.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1603\" height=\"1357\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Areas for improvement<\/strong>: the main issue for Legoland parks was the lack of entertainment diversity, this was the most consistently mentioned complaint for the park.\u00a0 The park schedule was also a frequently mentioned complaint, with visitors mentioning that some parks didn&#8217;t respect the actual opening\/closing hours stated on their websites, and attractions closed for maintenance or understaffing issues.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-465\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Lego-Negative.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1603\" height=\"1357\" \/>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Seaworld_%E2%80%93_Social_Media\"><\/span><strong>Seaworld &#8211; Social Media<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Most mentioned<\/strong>: Animal shows, of course, were the most-mentioned element at Seaworld parks.\u00a0 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">In the post-Blackfish era, however, it was refreshing to see that many visitors expressing their satisfaction at seeing a change in the wild animal shows and rescued pets<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-467\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Seaworld-Attractions.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1603\" height=\"1357\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Favorable mentions<\/strong>: the diversity and variety of Seaworld parks that offer a mix of rides, exhibits, and shows; <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">i.e., something for everyone, was an aspect that was surprising and something that outshined every other park category in this review<\/span>.\u00a0 This principle was, far and away, the best thing about a Seaworld park.\u00a0 Discounts were a close second.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-469\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Seaworld-Positive.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1602\" height=\"1357\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Areas for improvement<\/strong>: Prices for parking and food and beverages were the most frequently cited complaints.\u00a0 Long queues and scheduling also received negative reviews; visitors consistently mentioned closed food and merchandise outlets, even after the parks had opened.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-468\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Seaworld-Negative.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1602\" height=\"1357\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Besides the branding, what makes a Disney or Universal different from a Seaworld or Legoland?\u00a0 Are there true differences to speak of? &nbsp; Well, based on these charts, yes. This is\u00a0the third installment in our ongoing series where we dissect the economics and characteristics of attractions.\u00a0 Previously, we reviewed the economics and business models of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3767,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,9],"tags":[47,14,51,58,52,18,54],"class_list":["post-1238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides-and-references","category-theme-parks","tag-cedar-fair","tag-disney","tag-legoland","tag-seaworld","tag-six-flags","tag-theme-parks","tag-universal-studios"],"acf":{"":"","bfi_title":"","bfi_title_2":"","bfi_description":"","chart_image":"","chart_title":"","chart_description":"","bc_title":"","bc_sub_title":"","bc_content":"","bc_right_side_content":"","highlighted_image":"","highlighted_sub_title":"","highlighted_title":"","highlighted_bottom_text":"","highlighted_button_text":"","highlighted_button_link":"","below_highlighted_title":"","below_highlighted_sub_title":"","below_highlighted_content":"","below_highlighted_right_side_title":"","below_highlighted_list":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1238"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1238\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3767"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}