[arby]

We certainly like parks and understand where you are coming from. Unfortunately I can't do many of the flat rides that go around in circles anymore so I have to stick more to coasters.

My dream is to travel to all 48 'lower contiguous' states and hit as many national parks and theme parks along the way. We'll do that in a series of 3-4 trips over a few years although we already have 16 states down.

I can't ever picture myself going to a park just for the credits. If I'm going to spend the money, I want to see all the park has to offer. I guess from that statement I am also more of a park enthusiast than a pure coaster enthusiast.

I'm thinking of doing a nice-sized Six Flags run in 2012. My wife 'discouraged me' from getting Cedar Fair platinum passes *and* Six Flags season passes this year. Maybe I can talk her into that next year if the economy picks up.

[Skycoastin Steve]

Thats one of the reasons that a TPR trip has never appealed to me.

Uhhh....they do a lot more than get credits and go to the next park. Read a trip report from one of their trips some time. They'll even spend entire days doing "culture" things and not even go to a major park.

[Edwardo]

But their trips are definitely park-centric and focused on doing parks more than anything on a trip. I wouldn't say they do 'a lot more' than parks, because that is the point of their trip. I'm not downing that, it's fine, but personally I'd rather take a cultural trip with a couple park days thrown in, than do a park trip with a cultural day thrown in.

My very good friend Matt is in Europe right now, but he wasn't doing much as far as culture, and was spending 10 days going to about 15 parks. That's all fine and dandy, it's just not my thing. He got a lot of flack from other coaster nerds because he wasn't doing anything signifigant culturally, and he'd never been before, but that's what he wants to do, and it's his money/time, and that's fine.

I had considered doing Alvey's first Japan trip, and he spoke to me multiple times directly. For what he was doing, which was mostly parks, I wasn't interested in paying that much, when I could spend quite a bit less (I priced the entire thing out) and not do nearly as many parks, which is what I'd rather do.

I'm not knocking his trips, but they're just not for me. And I have read TRs over there, not to mention I have multiple friends that have been on his trips, so I do know how they run. I'm just not particularly interested.

I have looked at ACE's Scandi trip, and I'd love to go, but I'm looking at it and seeing how I could maximize my time to do non-park stuff, which will be the deal breaker for me if I decide to go.

[Jay]

I can't ever picture myself going to a park just for the credits. If I'm going to spend the money, I want to see all the park has to offer. I guess from that statement I am also more of a park enthusiast than a pure coaster enthusiast.

It's interesting. Every park I go to the ONLY initial reason for going, is for the credits. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised and the park will be so much better than I expected I end up spending far more time than I planned there. And sometimes the park is "go in, get the credit, and leave in about 20 minutes." (Those type of places aren't typically too expensive )

For example Memorial Day weekend I went to a park for this:


And got this:


The park had a giant chairlift and alpine slide on the side of a mountain, and I had no idea.

I started writing a trip report for my Memorial Day trip like a two months ago, but haven't even looked at it in the last month. I hate myself.

I'm thinking of doing a nice-sized Six Flags run in 2012. My wife 'discouraged me' from getting Cedar Fair platinum passes *and* Six Flags season passes this year. Maybe I can talk her into that next year if the economy picks up.

I can't think of anything worse than a trip to nothing but Six Flags/Cedar Fair parks. Make sure to check out rcdb and check out the nearest parks near the parks you are going to. Chances are they will be better than the Six Flags/Cedar Fair park in question.

[arby]

It's interesting. Every park I go to the ONLY initial reason for going, is for the credits. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised and the park will be so much better than I expected I end up spending far more time than I planned there. And sometimes the park is "go in, get the credit, and leave in about 20 minutes."

Valid point. I wasn't thinking of that scale so I'll open mouth and insert foot.

I can't think of anything worse than a trip to nothing but Six Flags/Cedar Fair parks

I agree with you there, but I have us on a pretty tight budget right now (thanks to Dave Ramsey). So starting out, that's the most cost effective way for me to get to the largest number of parks initially. I know there are lots of other good ones out there, though.

So while I am technically planning on going to as many new parks as possible to get credits, I also like to explore every inch of a park. I guess you could call it either way. (waffling like a politician )