When Will Arizona Get a Decent Theme Park?

[ajonesaz]

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

Wet N Wild is in Glendale, Big Surf is in Mesa, Golfland Sunsplash is in Mesa, City of Chandler has 4 Aquatic Centers, City of Mesa has 9, Town of Gilbert has 4...the list goes on for water parks. All of the City pools are like $1 to get into and you can bring your own food. I wouldn't see a pull for a park that charges you $40 to get in and over charge for food, etc.

Tucson has a water park as well, the last thing we need would be another waterpark, I think we are served well there.

A roller coaster type park on the east side would probably do really well. The roller coasters and Castles and Coasters is decent but its a long drive to a bad area so a lot of people probably don't go.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by ajonesaz

Tucson has a water park as well, the last thing we need would be another waterpark, I think we are served well there.

A roller coaster type park on the east side would probably do really well. The roller coasters and Castles and Coasters is decent but its a long drive to a bad area so a lot of people probably don't go.

I don't think Golfland/Sunplash in Mesa loses much business because it doesn't have a roller coaster. It's got everything else.

[ajonesaz]

Originally Posted by observer53

I don't think Golfland/Sunplash in Mesa loses much business because it doesn't have a roller coaster. It's got everything else.

Agreed, its a nice place that has done well keeping up with the times, I think they are always under construction adding things every time I drive by there

But as far as the posters complaining here "theme park" translates into "roller coaster"

Man I wish someone bought Legend City and kept it open. It closed right before the population boom in the valley. If they could have stayed a float a few more years I think they would have survived!

[TempeAZnative]

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

Wet N Wild is in Glendale, Big Surf is in Mesa, Golfland Sunsplash is in Mesa, City of Chandler has 4 Aquatic Centers, City of Mesa has 9, Town of Gilbert has 4...the list goes on for water parks. All of the City pools are like $1 to get into and you can bring your own food. I wouldn't see a pull for a park that charges you $40 to get in and over charge for food, etc.

Big Surf is in Tempe not Mesa.

Anyway Phoenix had a Theme Park here in Legend City we went there all the time as a kid and Wallace and Ladmo had a stage there.

[rich67]

Hopefully never..lol. Arizona itself is one big theme park! From the Saguaro NM, to the Grand Canyon, to Lake Powell, to Sedona, Tombstone, the list is almost endless! I lived in Los Angeles, and now I am now in Florida..will be retiring in N. Arizona in about 5 years. Pre-packaged entertainment draws two things to towns they are based in: crime and overpopulation. Orlando has more tourist-based crime (theft, credit card fraud, robbery) than any other area outside of the mouse's span of control. I have taken my kids to every theme park known to man while they were growing up...and my kids could care less now. They barely remember their visits. They would rather swim in Lake Powell or hike around the Grand Canyon, or drive along Schnebly Hill in Sedona...all considerably less expensive and more memory-inducing than some mind-numbing, overstimulating phony plastic and metal oasis in the middle of a desert or any city for that matter. We went to Lake Powell one time...and they can recall every moment of that vacation and they can't wait to go back.
Do I sound really biased? LOL...sorry. I am just really against a place charging people an arm and a leg for entertainment. Admission to Disney is $100 per person, hotels can run $150-$300/ night (even camping at Wilderness in Disney is $100 a NIGHT for a CAMPSITE!), food in the park is as expensive as a movie theater, souvenirs the kids clamor for...one weekend can set a family of four back thousands of dollars. A one-time Griswold road trip would be far more memorable than to have a park in the next town that you could blow your money on once a month. Plenty of other things to do in the wonderful Grand Canyon State.

[Colt AZ]

Originally Posted by rich67

Hopefully never..lol. Arizona itself is one big theme park! From the Saguaro NM, to the Grand Canyon, to Lake Powell, to Sedona, Tombstone, the list is almost endless! I lived in Los Angeles, and now I am now in Florida..will be retiring in N. Arizona in about 5 years. Pre-packaged entertainment draws two things to towns they are based in: crime and overpopulation. Orlando has more tourist-based crime (theft, credit card fraud, robbery) than any other area outside of the mouse's span of control. I have taken my kids to every theme park known to man while they were growing up...and my kids could care less now. They barely remember their visits. They would rather swim in Lake Powell or hike around the Grand Canyon, or drive along Schnebly Hill in Sedona...all considerably less expensive and more memory-inducing than some mind-numbing, overstimulating phony plastic and metal oasis in the middle of a desert or any city for that matter. We went to Lake Powell one time...and they can recall every moment of that vacation and they can't wait to go back.
Do I sound really biased? LOL...sorry. I am just really against a place charging people an arm and a leg for entertainment. Admission to Disney is $100 per person, hotels can run $150-$300/ night (even camping at Wilderness in Disney is $100 a NIGHT for a CAMPSITE!), food in the park is as expensive as a movie theater, souvenirs the kids clamor for...one weekend can set a family of four back thousands of dollars. A one-time Griswold road trip would be far more memorable than to have a park in the next town that you could blow your money on once a month. Plenty of other things to do in the wonderful Grand Canyon State.

Yep, but color me biased about Arizona as well!

[ajonesaz]

Originally Posted by rich67

Hopefully never..lol. Arizona itself is one big theme park! From the Saguaro NM, to the Grand Canyon, to Lake Powell, to Sedona, Tombstone, the list is almost endless! I lived in Los Angeles, and now I am now in Florida..will be retiring in N. Arizona in about 5 years. Pre-packaged entertainment draws two things to towns they are based in: crime and overpopulation. Orlando has more tourist-based crime (theft, credit card fraud, robbery) than any other area outside of the mouse's span of control. I have taken my kids to every theme park known to man while they were growing up...and my kids could care less now. They barely remember their visits. They would rather swim in Lake Powell or hike around the Grand Canyon, or drive along Schnebly Hill in Sedona...all considerably less expensive and more memory-inducing than some mind-numbing, overstimulating phony plastic and metal oasis in the middle of a desert or any city for that matter. We went to Lake Powell one time...and they can recall every moment of that vacation and they can't wait to go back.
Do I sound really biased? LOL...sorry. I am just really against a place charging people an arm and a leg for entertainment. Admission to Disney is $100 per person, hotels can run $150-$300/ night (even camping at Wilderness in Disney is $100 a NIGHT for a CAMPSITE!), food in the park is as expensive as a movie theater, souvenirs the kids clamor for...one weekend can set a family of four back thousands of dollars. A one-time Griswold road trip would be far more memorable than to have a park in the next town that you could blow your money on once a month. Plenty of other things to do in the wonderful Grand Canyon State.

Agreed, jobs in that industry pay very low on the average. People working in Orlando can't even afford to live there, they live out of shady motels.

[KurtAZ]

Originally Posted by TempeAZnative

Big Surf is in Tempe not Mesa.

You are correct...my mistake.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by rich67

Hopefully never..lol. Arizona itself is one big theme park! From the Saguaro NM, to the Grand Canyon, to Lake Powell, to Sedona, Tombstone, the list is almost endless! I lived in Los Angeles, and now I am now in Florida..will be retiring in N. Arizona in about 5 years. Pre-packaged entertainment draws two things to towns they are based in: crime and overpopulation. Orlando has more tourist-based crime (theft, credit card fraud, robbery) than any other area outside of the mouse's span of control. I have taken my kids to every theme park known to man while they were growing up...and my kids could care less now. They barely remember their visits. They would rather swim in Lake Powell or hike around the Grand Canyon, or drive along Schnebly Hill in Sedona...all considerably less expensive and more memory-inducing than some mind-numbing, overstimulating phony plastic and metal oasis in the middle of a desert or any city for that matter. We went to Lake Powell one time...and they can recall every moment of that vacation and they can't wait to go back.
Do I sound really biased? LOL...sorry. I am just really against a place charging people an arm and a leg for entertainment. Admission to Disney is $100 per person, hotels can run $150-$300/ night (even camping at Wilderness in Disney is $100 a NIGHT for a CAMPSITE!), food in the park is as expensive as a movie theater, souvenirs the kids clamor for...one weekend can set a family of four back thousands of dollars. A one-time Griswold road trip would be far more memorable than to have a park in the next town that you could blow your money on once a month. Plenty of other things to do in the wonderful Grand Canyon State.

Good grief, another naysayer! Although you're correct about Arizona having plenty of natural places to enjoy, you're missing the point about the state being passed over many times by vacationers who want to have more to do and see besides just nature or "Old West" type of attractions. Arizona loses so many tourist dollars to California because they have the attractions that many people want to go to: Disneyland, Sea World, Universal Studios, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and the list goes on. Even many Arizonans go out of state (primarily to CA) on vacation. Wouldn't you rather keep the tourist dollars here, and increase tourism revenue???

All you're thinking about is the negative aspects of theme parks (crime, being overpriced, etc.). Admittedly, theme parks are not exactly tops on my list when I go on vacation either (mainly because of too many rugrats). However, I look at the bigger picture. While tourists flock to AZ to see the Grand Canyon, they often stay for a day or two, then quickly leave to go to southern CA, or even Texas or Florida for thrill rides and entertainment. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather increase tourism, bring in the business and the revenue, and put AZ on the map as being more than just a pit stop. And I'll take my chances on theft & credit card fraud ... which by the way happen EVERYWHERE, not just at hot tourist spots like Orlando, etc.