Europe vs america

[Anonymous]

doe's anyone agree with me that parks in the uk and the rest of europe need to start building better rides which can keep up with the americans rides?

 

[Snoo]

Europe isn't America, plain and simple. We have more space, more money to waste, and less restrictions. That doesn't mean you can't create quality, it just means that you won't be seeing any Kingda Ka's anytime soon.

 

[Anonymous]

yea but still no excuse they have loads of room no where near to america but good example of where they could do better is like stealth, as you said they could have built something of the same scale as kingda ka. rides we nee are like medusa/kraken or like X things like that even if they are smaller still would be better than some of the rides we have now

 

[RCF]

lol. n00b. But I don't think Europe can and ever will really compete with the U.S., as harsh and biased that may sound. If you're looking for rides that are fast (like Ka) or 4-D coasters (X2) then go to Japan.

 

[Anonymous]

yea i get what your saying but merlin who owns thorpe park and places like that is the second biggest entertainment company on the planet under disney so thats why i think we should be sort off trying to at least start building them. dont get me wrong thorpe park and alton towers have sort of started with saw which is brilliant and the towers new ride is the 1st of its kind like most of its rides but they are like prototypes then everywhere else extends and expands them making them better.

 

[Rush]

If you go and ride some more European coasters, I think you'll easily be able to find some which rank as "American class", if not higher. I'd be willing to say that coasters such as Katun, Dragon Khan, Expedition GeForce, Blue Fire, Balder and I suppose... Nemesis are better than many of their American counterparts.

We may not have rides as tall or as fast as the Americans but Europe does have some damn good rides which I'm sure many Americans would LOVE to have in their home parks too.

 

[Anonymous]

true dragon kahn is good but it annoys me when parks of same company build like two launch coasters when one could have like a stand up of floorless, inferno at terra mitica is probley one of the most different coaster i have been on

 

[Antinos]

While we may have more coasters, the atmosphere at parks over here generally is not as good as in Europe. To add to that, Europe has its fair share of world class coasters. I have been to Disneyland Paris, Parque de Atracciones de Madrid, Tibidabo, and Parc Asterix. DLP is on par with WDW, but that's because it's a Disney park. PdA is one of the most beautiful parks I have ever been to. It's more like a city park rather than an amusement park. There's so much open space and areas to run around, relax, have a picnic, etc. Tibidabo has a one of a kind location. The view is marvelous and the quirky atmosphere is unlike any other. Parc Asterix is also one of the most beautiful parks I have ever been to. It really is like you're walking around in the cartoon. Everything is themed to the most minute detail. It's about quality, not quantity.

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

Bigger =/= Better...

Simple as...

Also, the park's can't just build rides here there and everywhere without permission from the councils... Indeed, Stealth is about as tall as Thorpe is gonna get (due to the proximity to Heathrow) and Towers cannot build above the tree line...

Let's look as well as what happened to Six Flags when they had a very 'build big coasters' ideals, they went into outrageous debt and had to sell quite a few of their parks...

Yes America does have some good rides, but so does Europe... And both are so different from each other that I'm happy the way it is...

Also, please start using capitals... Because it's really hard to read your posts...

 

[caffeine_demon]

I think the old "Usa is so much better than Europe" thing is a good 70% hype. To guve a few examples:

`1 - Europa park - the attention to detail throughout is stunning, and Euro Mir is pretty unique.

2 - DLP - Much maligned, I thought ride wise it was better than WDW in orlando (although I hear cali is the best)

3 - Heide park - seriously nicely landscaped, and it has colossos

4 - NEMESIS - 'nuff said

5 - Oblivion

6 - Djurs sommerland - Piraten <3 & a great family park

7 - Blackpool pleasure beach - a number of unique rides

but on the othjer side we do have test track, spiderman, cedar point, some seriouslly coaster filled 6 flags parks, el toro, boulder dash and revenge of the mummy

 

[Ben]

I just like to say they're different. America has some truly fantastic rides and some truly fantastic parks, but, so does Europe. They're just very different, and it depends which style you prefer as to which is "best".

 

[CMonster]

Somewhat on topic (not really ), I find it funny that one of America's most beautiful parks, if not the most beautiful park, is themed to Europe.

 

[Snoo]

I think the old "Usa is so much better than Europe" thing is a good 70% hype. To guve a few examples:

`1 - Europa park - the attention to detail throughout is stunning, and Euro Mir is pretty unique.

2 - DLP - Much maligned, I thought ride wise it was better than WDW in orlando (although I hear cali is the best)

3 - Heide park - seriously nicely landscaped, and it has colossos

4 - NEMESIS - 'nuff said

5 - Oblivion

6 - Djurs sommerland - Piraten <3 & a great family park

7 - Blackpool pleasure beach - a number of unique rides

but on the othjer side we do have test track, spiderman, cedar point, some seriouslly coaster filled 6 flags parks, el toro, boulder dash and revenge of the mummy

Were you drunk when you posted this?

 

[marc]

Also look what happened when Six Flags did try and open parks in Europe, they failed and they sold them.

Universal built Portaventura and sold it.

Even Disney nearly failed in Europe and look how big they are.

Its more expensive to build rides is Europe/UK due to planing permission and the exchange rate.

Saw cost £13 million, Manta I think cost $13 million thats a huge difference. Apply a basic exchange rate, not that it works really, Manta would cost the UK £18.2 million.

UK parks simply cannot afford the same type of coasters they build in the USA even if we could build as high.

Europe has better coasters than the UK though as they do have fewer restrictions. Some coasters in Germany and Holland are just as good as some in the USA, just not as many.

 

[Enicomb]

lol. n00b. But I don't think Europe can and ever will really compete with the U.S., as harsh and biased that may sound. If you're looking for rides that are fast (like Ka) or 4-D coasters (X2) then go to Japan.

Ring racer.

 

[oriolat2]

Universal built Portaventura and sold it.

You got it wrong. PortAventura was planned and built to look and feel like a Busch Gardens Park. Madamme Tussaud's had their shares at the beginning of the park, hence the good themeing.

It's when Universal tried to expand over Europe that they took over PA in 1998. They saw that the American model they were trying to apply was not feasible in Europe because people just don't go as many times to parks as they do in America.

Back to topic.

I'd say that America tries to beat all kinds of records and have a greater number of good rides and over Europe, when parks invest, they put a lot of effort into making that ride really special.

So, America = more coasters, most of them really good but themeing-wise, not too elaborated.
Europe = not that many coasters but even small parks make efforts to built unique rides with themeing and details.

 

[Enicomb]

Ring racer.

When and if it does eventually open.
On top of that Dragster and Ka have the elements of speed as well as hight. Ring Racer only has speed.

True; and I knew someone would says 'it's not running'

But that wasn't the point I was replying to; my mine point was simply that you can have fast coasters out side of America (or the far east for that matter).

 

[marc]

Universal built Portaventura and sold it.

You got it wrong. PortAventura was planned and built to look and feel like a Busch Gardens Park. Madamme Tussaud's had their shares at the beginning of the park, hence the good themeing.

It's when Universal tried to expand over Europe that they took over PA in 1998. They saw that the American model they were trying to apply was not feasible in Europe because people just don't go as many times to parks as they do in America.

Back to topic.

I'd say that America tries to beat all kinds of records and have a greater number of good rides and over Europe, when parks invest, they put a lot of effort into making that ride really special.

So, America = more coasters, most of them really good but themeing-wise, not too elaborated.
Europe = not that many coasters but even small parks make efforts to built unique rides with themeing and details.

Cheers I knew they were involved somewhere along the line lol. Do they still own some of it or have PA just got a licence to sell some of the stuff?

 

[CMonster]

Saw cost £13 million, Manta I think cost $13 million thats a huge difference. Apply a basic exchange rate, not that it works really, Manta would cost the UK £18.2 million.

Wait, isn't that backwards? Wouldn't Manta be like 7.5 milion pounds? Unless the dollar has become twice as valuable as the British pound overnight.

 

[Anonymous]

Saw cost £13 million, Manta I think cost $13 million thats a huge difference. Apply a basic exchange rate, not that it works really, Manta would cost the UK £18.2 million.

Wait, isn't that backwards? Wouldn't Manta be like 7.5 milion pounds? Unless the dollar has become twice as valuable as the British pound overnight.

Yeah thats true the exchange rate is around 1.2 to the pound meaning that if SAW was in america it would cost around $14.2 million. Manta is about £11.8 million.

European parks are definatley a lot better themed than American ones.