I wonder if these parks are all about to become casualties of expensive gasoline. It strikes me that amusement park visits would be the first thing that people on a budget would cut out-face it, 6 Flags was never cheap. Throw in a 200 mile rondtrip (with an SUV getting 10 MPG), and you have a pretty expensive day. I almost wih the older, smaller parks could make a comeback-at least they were reasonably priced. But I guess their day is gone.
Disneyland is doing better this year than recently in spite of the gas prices and the recent park admission price hike (although still pretty dead compared to 10-15 years ago). I’m sure that the 50th Anniversary, plus the installation of a new park director has really helped that.
I work about two miles from Magic Mountain (live about 40), yet live over 100 miles from Disneyland. I go to Disneyland about once a month or more, MM maybe once a year. I can’t speak for other 6 Flags locations, but MM certainly thrives on the locals.
So for me anyways, it ain’t gas. It’s the quality of the experience.
SFMM is only 40 miles from downtown L.A., and just a few miles from the San Fernando Valley, so distance isn’t a problem – 'round here, most people’s daily commutes are longer than that!
When I lived in Sylmar, my roommate & I would visit every week over the course of a whole summer. They had a “Twicket” program, which was a pass you could validate for $1 and allow you to visit again within a week. Most people just threw 'em away, so we would spent a few minutes inside the gate asking for people’s Twickets. 
Even parking was free, we found a back road that bypassed the parking gate completely. Sometimes we’d only stay an hour or two (long enough to get a Twicket and ride Viper a few times), sometimes we’d stay all night and (try to) pick up chicks. All for just a couple bucks per visit.
Man, those were good times.
The ride where you watch Settembrini and Naphta argue endlessly is a loser. They need to replace it with something a bit more lively.
Are you sure about Disneyland being dead? I’m a Disney Freak (and I wear that badge proudly, thankyouverymuch!) and have been severeal times this year. Throughout the 50th celebration (a little over ayear, at this point), the park has reached capacity more times than in the park’s history.
On days when things are normally dead (during the week, “off” weekends), the park is still packed. Wall-to-wall people, every time I’ve gone.
Wow. That was during my Crazed Youth[sup]TM[/sup] when I lived in Valencia. I remeber going to Magic Mountain occasionally - I mean, I remember that I went, but I don’t remember much about it. Those days are kinda hazy to me now. 
Ya know, it’s interesting that you started this thread. I was in chat the other day and it was mentioned there. I just got thru looking at it on Google Earth.
The news article I saw about Six Flags was that one of the significant factors in their declined attendance / revenues was that they sharply raised the price of the season passes.
Seems that most of the people buying the cheap passes were assorted hooligans - their attendance may be down, but the disturbances and crime have decreased at a rate higher than the attendance numbers alone would otherwise predict.
So, they may have a somewhat more safe environment for families to go to, but it’s still horridly expensive.
I’m sure the TLC riot a few years back didn’t help either.
I worked at the Spilliken Corners rib (sammich, waffle, beer) place the first summer it was open! I transferred out to the broom/basket shop, then went over to the leather store. That would be urr… 1977-78? I quit when the stabbings started. The park was owned by Newhall Land & Farming then.
I went out to visit several years ago, and went with The Sausage Creature and my oldest daughter. It was still pretty grubby, but we had fun riding coasters. I hope they can find a buyer for it.
Amen brother. Almost twenty years ago my first job was working games at Darien Lake about 30 miles east of Buffalo. It’s on the list. After Six Flags bought it ticket prices went through the roof. I’ll give them credit, they dumped a lot of cash into it with new rides and a hotel.
The season is pretty short here, I can see why they are struggling. Selling it for the real estate is a joke, it’s surrounded by farms.
That sucks, I’ve always said it was the best job I ever had. Sure it was minimum wage and you could get fired for just about anything but man o man there were girls everywhere.
$8 to park? $43 for adults, $28 for kids? Boy, you folks had better stay the hell away from Disneyland! Adults are $59, kids 3-9 are $49, and parking is $10 for cars and $12 for “oversize” vehicles.
And the food in Disneyland is very bland, salty and expensive, unless you eat at the Blue Bayou, where the food is better but still expensive. California Adventure has better food but much fewer rides.
Forgot to add- in case it’s early where you are, that’s almost $250 bucks before you even get to Main Street for a family of four.
Yeah, but the killer is that Wild Waves/Enchanted Village is maybe a tenth the size (at best) of Disneyland. It’s just a dopey little regional waterpark with a couple of mediocre roller coasters.
Like I said, it’s up now due to the 50th and some changes. Were you there a few years back when Pressler and Harris were still running the joint? Garbage all over the place, paint peeling everywhere, crappy uniforms, etc. It was sad to be there, and attendance certainly reflected that.
I believe it’s $63 for adults now, but don’t quote me on that.
Also, the food at Disneyland is bland? You’ve never been to the Blue Bayou, have you? Good food, great atmosphere, and not that much more than you’d pay for a crappy burger somewhere out in the park. They’ve also revamped the Orleans Cafe to make it a sit down restaurant with Monte Cristos, etc.
I’d be willing to pay more for Disneyland or, you know, just get an annual pass because- to me at least- it’s worth it. Everywhere you go, the “castmates” are smiling, friendly, and accomodating. If you want something (or to do something) at Disneyland, all you have to do is ask- if it’s reasonable, they have to do it (this includes as ing the staff for pins off of their outfits). Even on the busiest day, I’ve never waited longer than an hour for a ride at Disneyland. Wait, I went the day Indiana Jones opened- - that was 2 hours.
The fact is that the Disneyland park is much cleaner, much safer, and a much more “magical” (IE they spent a ton of time on detail) than any other park I’ve been to- - and that includes Disneyworld. To me, and apparently many others, all of those details make Disneyland worth the price.
California Adventure, on the other hand, sucks major donkey balls.
I remember being more impressed with Knott’s Berry Farm than Magic Mountain. The latter always seemed like they were kind of “second class” attraction.
[hijack] Another attraction which I didn’t realize had closed is the Indian Dunes Motocross track (also owned by Newhall Land and Farm)story… about halfway down the page). During the late seventies/early eighties, my sister and I used to work selling hamburgers out there. We also used to work at Newhall Bowl. I think it’s still there - under a different name.[/hijack]
Diosa, check my post again. I actually eat ONLY at the Blue Bayou! 
Hmm. Aren’t you comparing a plain ol’ amusement park to a theme park, though?
Not a bad word against well-run amusement parks, but there’s a difference, and to me it justifies the difference in price. At an amusement park the emphasis is on the rides. If the place is well-run you’d also expect some theme park elements - attractive landscaping, some costumed characters, a couple-three scheduled shows, some attempt to divide the park into sections with names and decorative elements to match - but mostly it’s about the rides. When I go to an amusement park, being a major ride wimp, I expect I’m taking the kids and I’m there to spend time with them. The kids like it, so I’ll do it for them, but I do not look forward to it.
At a theme park, on the other hand, I expect I will be entertained even if I never set foot on a ride. Theme parks can have terrific rides, but what sets them apart is the theme bit. They work to create an illusion that you’ve been taken to another place or time - and although you don’t believe it, if it’s well-done you’re being entertained all the time, not just when your butt is physically on a ride. Even as a major ride wimp, I look forward to visiting a well-run theme park, because I know even if I never get on a single ride I’ll come out feeling that I got my money’s worth. We’re going to (the original) Legoland in August and I’m already grinning at the thought 