Theme Parks: Out of Touch?

[Raiders Army]

We just got back from Six Flags over Texas. I found it interesting that my younger kids have no idea what Looney Tunes are. They have heard of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, but didn't know who Yosemite Sam or Speedy Gonzalez were. The "kids" portion of the park was devoted to Looney Tunes characters and while the rides are the main attraction, nobody cares about whether it's called the Porky Pig Roller Coaster or the Tweety Bird Roller Coaster.

We went on a theme ride on a boat that told the story of Yosemite Sam and Bugs et al's efforts to capture him. The kids thought the story was stupid and the ride was lame. I would think their reactions would be different had it been a Spongebob ride or a Chowder ride.

It's a lot different for my kids nowadays than it was when I grew up. Cartoons were on Saturday and after school and that was it. There were no live-action shows for kids really unless you count The Electric Company and Seseme Street. Now, kids have Hanna Montana, the Wizards of Waverly Place, and the Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

If it were me, I'd make my theme park updated to what kids know about. I understand there is a Warner Brothers theme with Six Flags (that's how they have Batman and Superman rides as well as the Looney Tunes). Disney has the Disney shows locked up, but there are possibilties with Nick and Cartoon Network.

On a side note, it took me a while to remember that Scooby Doo was Hanna Barbera as well as the other characters who competed in Laff-a-lympics like Grape Ape, Muttley, Yogi the Bear, etc.

[JeeberD]

How long are you in town for?

[thesloppy]

Sounds like your kids could've used a heavy dose of ACTION PARK! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_Park)

[thesloppy]

On a side note, it took me a while to remember that Scooby Doo was Hanna Barbera as well as the other characters who competed in Laff-a-lympics like Grape Ape, Muttley, Yogi the Bear, etc.

Also, Laff-a-Lympics was the worst fucking show ever...except for maybe Wacky Races, or Yogi's Arc, and only because those are all the same Goddamn show. Oh! It's Scooby Doo racing Dyno-Mutt!!! I can't believe I likely suffered through hundreds of episodes of that crap. Scooby Doo and Dyno Mutt weren't exactly what I would call COMPELLING, even in their most pure state. I sure didn't want to watch them throwing the discuss around for a half hour.

..but I did. :(

[Raiders Army]

How long are you in town for?

We're back home. It was a surgical strike this weekend. We left Lawton, OK on Friday after work (well, really about 4ish) and came back today. On a side note, the new Cowboys stadium is really looking nice. When is it supposed to be completed?

[JeeberD]

I'm not exactly sure when it's supposed to be completed, but it'll be open by next season. No more Texas Stadium after this year... :(

[sabotai]

Also, Laff-a-Lympics was the worst fucking show ever

LIAR!

[oliegirl]

Also, Laff-a-Lympics was the worst fucking show ever...(

OMG, I LOVED Laff-A-Lympics!!!!

[thesloppy]

LIAR!

I'm really having trouble coming up with a worse cartoon...I guess I'd rather watch Laff-A-Lympics than the health & safety part of Superfriends.

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Oh great, Batman's got a lot to tell me about apples.

[thesloppy]

It should be noted that pretty much all Hannah-Barbera cartoons suck. Remember Jabberjaw? If you don't, he was a shark who played the drums and solved mysteries. Aww, who are we kidding, it was just Scooby Doo with a shark who sounded like Curly Stooge. Then there was Speed Buggy. See, he was---awww, it was just Scooby Doo again, but with a talking dune buggy. Then all of a sudden the Flintstones moved next to the Adams Family, and Captain Caveman was their neighborhood policeman, and everything went to HELL.

Every Hanna Barbera cartoon just looked cheap. Apparently they had a color pallet of 8 colors, and they seemed content to animate about 3 or 4 frames a second. Plus, Shaggy was in seemingly in every show they ever made. You can put goggles on him, or give him an eye patch or whatever, but even when I'm 7 years old, I know Shaggy when I see him.

Does anybdody remember the Pac-Man cartoon? It was..depressing. I felt sad after watching Pac Man. I just wanted them all to die.

That's not to say that Hanna Barberra didn't do some cool stuff. Snagglepuss and the Herculoids are where it's at, but really, when it comes down to it, it was all about Thundarr the Barbarian (demon dogs!).

[thesloppy]

It's a lot different for my kids nowadays than it was when I grew up. Cartoons were on Saturday and after school and that was it. There were no live-action shows for kids really unless you count The Electric Company and Seseme Street. Now, kids have Hanna Montana, the Wizards of Waverly Place, and the Suite Life of Zack and Cody.


Back (kind of) on topic, I don't envy the new generations youth-oriented TV. It all seems kind of like dumbed-down soap operas.

[larrymcg421]

Some of them are out of date, but Universal Studios is opening a complete Harry Potter section, which I imagine will be extremely popular.

[Buccaneer]

It should be noted that pretty much all Hannah-Barbera cartoons suck.


I think you should qualify that as suck since 1980 or so?

[thesloppy]

I think you should qualify that as suck since 1980 or so?

No way, Wacky Races was like '65 or something, and they were already knee-deep in suck at that point. Magilla Gorilla? Top Cat? Quick Draw McGraw? Those guys were suckin' it up from the get go. The Flintstones and the Jetsons are worthy of respect, but honestly they're not particularly funny.

[JeeberD]

HB cartoons were just about all I got to see on AFN in Germany, so I grew to appreciate them. You learn to do that when you only have one channel that you can watch...

[Buccaneer]

I'll go along with that. I remember, as a kid (yes, way back in the 1700s :rolleyes: ) the greatest part of the week was the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour (which I think became 2 hours at some point). After that, it was the HB crap like Huckleberry Hound and Quick Draw, but at least it was something and we watched it. Then it got worse. Not wanting to tear myself away from the TV, I would even sit through the Courtship of Eddie's Father that came on in the early afternoon. Ugh.

[thesloppy]

I'll go along with that. I remember, as a kid (yes, way back in the 1700s :rolleyes: ) the greatest part of the week was the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour (which I think became 2 hours at some point). After that, it was the HB crap like Huckleberry Hound and Quick Draw, but at least it was something and we watched it. Then it got worse. Not wanting to tear myself away from the TV, I would even sit through the Courtship of Eddie's Father that came on in the early afternoon. Ugh.

OK, I have to rescind my earlier comment, 'cuz you just reminded me of the show 'Family Affair', and THAT was the worst show ever.

[Raiders Army]

Back (kind of) on topic, I don't envy the new generations youth-oriented TV. It all seems kind of like dumbed-down soap operas.

True, but to a certain extent that was what Transformers, GI Joe, the Smurfs, etc. were like as well. Gummi Bears too.

We were just saying that our kids don't even know who the Three Stooges are or who Abbott and Costello are. Tom and Jerry plays on Cartoon Network so they know those guys, but much of what we knew as kids our kids haven't really seen.

[thesloppy]

Today there seems to be so much 'content' to choose from and so many different places to get it, as compared to back when a lot of us were kids and there was only really one trough to drink from (or more aptly, 3-4 channels). The concept of Saturday Morning Cartoons was serious bidness back then, a time when everybody in your peer group was watching exactly the same thing, nowadays you could watch cartoons 24 hours a day if you wanted to...and your buddy could watch 24 hours of cartoons a day, and you still might not even be watching the same stuff.

[Autumn]

Thank you, yes, Hanna Barbera sucked. Did they have the one with that dinosaur that shot rocks out of its horn? Listen, if you can't amuse an eight year old you're really suffering.

I'm often surprised too by things that kids don't know anymore. Like Popeye. My son knows him just because a cheapass relative got him a DVD set of all the old cartoons. But I don't know any other kids who know who he is. I think they rested on their laurels with things like Looney Tunes, and even Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, etc, figuring they'd always be famous even if they didn't keep it up.

[Buccaneer]

Thank you, yes, Hanna Barbera sucked. Did they have the one with that dinosaur that shot rocks out of its horn? Listen, if you can't amuse an eight year old you're really suffering.

I'm often surprised too by things that kids don't know anymore. Like Popeye. My son knows him just because a cheapass relative got him a DVD set of all the old cartoons. But I don't know any other kids who know who he is. I think they rested on their laurels with things like Looney Tunes, and even Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, etc, figuring they'd always be famous even if they didn't keep it up.

One of my most endearing childhood memories was coming him from school and watching Popeye. These obviously were in syndication but I still had the joy growing up watching these, esp. the ones that had live-action sequences in them.

I am thinking about my 11-yr old son. He is not growing up watching TV cartoons but what he will remember for a long time are the Pixar movies (his favorites). That should mean something, since I grew up on Disney movies.

[SFL Cat]

My mom and dad divorced when I was young, so when I wasn't staying with a sitter after school, I was a latch-key kid. I remember the UHF station in Louisville had quite the cool kids lineup in the afternoon after school

Started with Presto the Clown - a lot like Captain Kangaroo, except the guy was a circus clown. He'd do magic tricks and read letters and show lots of Hanna Barbara cartoons in between. Then the cool shows came on...Speed Racer, Ultraman, Gilligan's Island and the Rifleman. Great way to speed a winter afternoon.

[Izulde]

OMG, I LOVED Laff-A-Lympics!!!!

So did I!

I've been wanting to find them again to see if they're still as enjoyable as I remember.

[thesloppy]

Then the cool shows came on...Speed Racer, Ultraman, Gilligan's Island and the Rifleman. Great way to speed a winter afternoon.

You know, Speed Racer catches a lot of flack, and sure he was always carting around a monkey, and his sugar-addled mongoloid brother, but people were dying in those stupid ass races. Some chucklehead would shoot off the road and erupt into a ball of flames, and you'd never see that guy again. That was somewhat refreshing compared to GI Joe and the Go Bots and He Man all endlessly playing patty-cake with eachother every week.

Does anybody remember the '70s Tarzan cartoons? Those were advanced cartoons, there were aliens and mythical civilizations and all sorts of weird crap going on in there.

As far as Popeye goes, old Popeye who would just mumble "skeedlee skeedlee" to himself, and fight pirates, was awesome. Somewhere in there he got boring and started talking way too much and became Olive Oyl's bitch.

[Buccaneer]

Yeah, but Wacky Races >>>>>> Speed Racer.

[Bearcat729]

We just got back from Six Flags over Texas. I found it interesting that my younger kids have no idea what Looney Tunes are. They have heard of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, but didn't know who Yosemite Sam or Speedy Gonzalez were. The "kids" portion of the park was devoted to Looney Tunes characters and while the rides are the main attraction, nobody cares about whether it's called the Porky Pig Roller Coaster or the Tweety Bird Roller Coaster.

We went on a theme ride on a boat that told the story of Yosemite Sam and Bugs et al's efforts to capture him. The kids thought the story was stupid and the ride was lame. I would think their reactions would be different had it been a Spongebob ride or a Chowder ride.

It's a lot different for my kids nowadays than it was when I grew up. Cartoons were on Saturday and after school and that was it. There were no live-action shows for kids really unless you count The Electric Company and Seseme Street. Now, kids have Hanna Montana, the Wizards of Waverly Place, and the Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

If it were me, I'd make my theme park updated to what kids know about. I understand there is a Warner Brothers theme with Six Flags (that's how they have Batman and Superman rides as well as the Looney Tunes). Disney has the Disney shows locked up, but there are possibilties with Nick and Cartoon Network.

On a side note, it took me a while to remember that Scooby Doo was Hanna Barbera as well as the other characters who competed in Laff-a-lympics like Grape Ape, Muttley, Yogi the Bear, etc.

Having acess to all the Nickelodeon characters didn't seem to keep Paramount in the amusment park game here at Kings Island, but I'm not sure if it had anything to do with the lack of kids in the park. Because they updated that area a few times once they took over the park and they did have to change it from all the Hanna Barbera cartoon titles they used to have.

Sad to say but I still miss the Smurf ride.

[Bad-example]

Yeah, but Wacky Races >>>>>> Speed Racer.


no

[kingnebwsu]

I heart Laff A Lympics. My team was always the Yogi's...but it seemed like the damn Scoobies won most of the time. That was my brother's team. DAMN SCOOBIES!!! :p

[kingnebwsu]

Dola. I just had to look it up...

hxxp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laff_a_lympics

"Overall standings: The Scooby Doobies 14 wins, The Yogi Yahooeys 7 wins, The Really Rottens 2 wins and 1 three way tie."

Damn Scoobies! I knew I picked a losing team. My childhood was ruined!!! :)

[JonInMiddleGA]

I understand there is a Warner Brothers theme with Six Flags (that's how they have Batman and Superman rides as well as the Looney Tunes). Disney has the Disney shows locked up, but there are possibilties with Nick and Cartoon Network.

Nick's programs/characters appear to be pretty well tied up between the former Paramount parks (sold to another operator a couple of years back) and Universal's parks.

Meanwhile Cartoon Network does have some limited branding in a U.S. park or two (albeit using HB characters) but is going with the whole hog in the international market, starting with a fully branded indoor theme park in Kuwait (http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/2008/02/cartoon_network_to_open_theme_park.html) and another one planned to be co-branded (http://news.noida-properties.com/316/turner-to-launch-cartoon-network-theme-parks-in-noida/) in India. Although in the case of the latter, the featured characters are largely defunct at this point (Powerpuff Girls, Johnny Bravo, and Tom & Jerry).

[ShaqFu]

but there are possibilties with Nick and Cartoon Network.

Well, Paramount Parks did have the Nick themes, before the parks were sold to Cedar Fair and those appear to remain intact. So, unless they cancel out the deal or another parks strikes a deal, Spongebob will be found at the former Paramount parks now owned by Cedar Fair.

Cartoon Network on the other hand is a Time Warner property and I believe the Six Flags parks still have agreements in place with Time Warner -- Batman, Superman and so on.

The problem is that too many parks try to be Disney, but can't match them on theme, though Disney did stoop to their levels with the hideous California Adventure.

[MylesKnight]

Speaking of Wacky Races, the Andrettis' at Indianapolis or Earnhardt Sr. at Daytona had nothing on these guys in terms of bad racing luck.

http://melaman2.com/cartoons/singles/stills/Z/whacky-dick_dastardly_&_Muttley.gif

Through their entire racing careers, Dick and Muttley never crossed the finish line first, but instead had their hearts broken in the last instant too many times to remember.

Cheers to these two near Racing Hall of Famers!! :)

[Raiders Army]

Having acess to all the Nickelodeon characters didn't seem to keep Paramount in the amusment park game here at Kings Island, but I'm not sure if it had anything to do with the lack of kids in the park. Because they updated that area a few times once they took over the park and they did have to change it from all the Hanna Barbera cartoon titles they used to have.

Sad to say but I still miss the Smurf ride.
From what I remember I don't recall Nick having the shows waaaaaay back in 2006 that it does now other than Spongebob Squarepants. Realize that this comes from television osmosis while my kids are watching. Regardless, the rides should be the attraction. I guess in my first post I should have stated that the ride was a very slow boat ride through a "cave" that told a story...much like Pirates of the Carribbean at Disney World was when we went through in 2003.

Nick's programs/characters appear to be pretty well tied up between the former Paramount parks (sold to another operator a couple of years back) and Universal's parks.

Meanwhile Cartoon Network does have some limited branding in a U.S. park or two (albeit using HB characters) but is going with the whole hog in the international market, starting with a fully branded indoor theme park in Kuwait (http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/2008/02/cartoon_network_to_open_theme_park.html) and another one planned to be co-branded (http://news.noida-properties.com/316/turner-to-launch-cartoon-network-theme-parks-in-noida/) in India. Although in the case of the latter, the featured characters are largely defunct at this point (Powerpuff Girls, Johnny Bravo, and Tom & Jerry).
There are some good Cartoon Network properties, but as above, the ride needs to draw the kids. I saw this guy (or gal) dressed up as a giant red tooth (I think). I had no idea what character he was supposed to be for Looney Tunes.
Well, Paramount Parks did have the Nick themes, before the parks were sold to Cedar Fair and those appear to remain intact. So, unless they cancel out the deal or another parks strikes a deal, Spongebob will be found at the former Paramount parks now owned by Cedar Fair.

Cartoon Network on the other hand is a Time Warner property and I believe the Six Flags parks still have agreements in place with Time Warner -- Batman, Superman and so on.

The problem is that too many parks try to be Disney, but can't match them on theme, though Disney did stoop to their levels with the hideous California Adventure.

I didn't know CN was a Time Warner property. That's interesting.

[cuervo72]

Yeah, but Wacky Races >>>>>> Speed Racer.

I liked Wacky Races (and Penelope Pitstop was cute). I could *never* stand Speed Racer.

And Boomerang is great for "vintage" cartoons, from Looney Tunes to much of the HB stuff to more recent shows like Dexter's Lab (and Johnny Bravo for one that JiMGa mentioned).

[CamEdwards]

Giant red tooth? Probably Gossamer, who incidentally, is 62 years old.

Gossamer (Looney Tunes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_(Looney_Tunes))

One bright note... both of my three year olds actually prefer Boomerang to the Cartoon Network. In fact James' favorite show is Tom and Jerry, followed by the old Scooby Doo.

[Buccaneer]

I remember Gossamer, even though I didn't recall the name - just the look.

[SFL Cat]

I liked Wacky Races (and Penelope Pitstop was cute). I could *never* stand Speed Racer.


Hmmm, I was just the opposite.

But Looney Tunes rock!!! They were the best cartoons EVER.

And speaking of those old Tarzan cartoons, does anyone remember the old Flash Gordon cartoon made by the same company (Filmmation I think). I thought that was awesome when it first came out.

[Passacaglia]

I was hoping this thread would be about a Hall & Oates Theme Park.

[thesloppy]

I was hoping this thread would be about a Hall & Oates Theme Park.

John Oates Moustache Rides?

[SFL Cat]

I was hoping this thread would be about a Hall & Oates Theme Park.

Ahhh! A horror theme park!

[Raiders Army]

Giant red tooth? Probably Gossamer, who incidentally, is 62 years old.

Gossamer (Looney Tunes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_(Looney_Tunes))

One bright note... both of my three year olds actually prefer Boomerang to the Cartoon Network. In fact James' favorite show is Tom and Jerry, followed by the old Scooby Doo.

Yeah, that was him. I don't really remember that guy, but I wasn't a big Looney Tunes type of kid. I was into Tom and Jerry and especially the Scooby Doo episodes where they'd run around during a song at the end of the show and the episodes where they'd meet famous people like the Three Stooges, the Harlem Globetrotters, etc.

[thesloppy]

Looney Tunes is the top of the pops. That's not even open for discussion, is it?

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[Cringer]

Let me know when a theme park opens a section based on Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Family Guy.

My daughter (and my wife I am sure) would like one with Chowder and that new Super B! cartoon or whatever it is called.

[MylesKnight]

Chowder is awesome!! Schnitzel is the MAN!! "Radda, Radda, Radda."

Thanks for throwing that in there Cringer!

[Passacaglia]

Ahhh! A horror theme park!

Seriously. The "Maneater" ride would be terrifying.

[Butter]

Back (kind of) on topic, I don't envy the new generations youth-oriented TV. It all seems kind of like dumbed-down soap operas.

Not really dumbed down soap operas. Just really bad sitcoms. Like 22 versions of Saved by the Bell. Or Small Wonder. With bad pop songs.

[cuervo72]

Let me know when a theme park opens a section based on Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Family Guy.

My daughter (and my wife I am sure) would like one with Chowder and that new Super B! cartoon or whatever it is called.

The Mighty B. It's as if they took the Mary Katherine Gallagher character and made an animated series out of it.


/trying to imagine an attraction featuring the Mooninites

[Cringer]

I figured this is a good thread since it was mostly about cartoon characters. I just saw one of the greatest cartoon characters of all time, as a 'guest' character in Bugs Bunny. Came back from dropping the daughter off and the channel she had the TV on was now showing a Bugs cartoon. It was featuring the drunken stork. An alcoholic stork was just pure genius for a kids cartoon. They need to make a ride out of that....

[Marc Vaughan]

Not really dumbed down soap operas. Just really bad sitcoms. Like 22 versions of Saved by the Bell. Or Small Wonder. With bad pop songs.

Its impossible for adults to judge kids shows - if you look back at the pap I watched as a kid (Saturday Morning Swapshop, TISWAS etc.) then that was equally as 'deep' as anything shown today.

I regularly watch kids TV with my kids while working on the laptop and find it of a similar standard to what I saw when younger, yes some is rubbish - but some is actually pretty good.

For instance the 'Avatar' cartoon series is actually pretty good and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy novels :D

[rkmsuf]

Ever watch the "new" tom and jerry and compare it to the originals? It's not even close. The new version is pure trash.

[Cringer]

For instance the 'Avatar' cartoon series is actually pretty good and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy novels :D

My daughter loves it. I only 'half' paid attention to it when it was on and thought it was ok. Then they had that 2 hour long movie which was the final I guess. I sat there watching that thing and didn't want to leave, I thought it was great.

[cuervo72]

Love Avatar. My wife -- can't stand it.

*shurg*