<p>Ever since the lockdowns ended, it might seem that Disney and Universal have widened the gap between themselves and the rest of the theme and amusement park business. In both California and Orlando, Disney and Universal are coming off huge Spring Break seasons, drawing massive crowds that far overshadowed attendance at rival parks.</p><p>Without access to billion-dollar parent companies with large archives of intellectual property, Six Flags, SeaWorld and Cedar Fair might not seem like they have a path forward to challenge Disney and Universal for theme park attendance and revenue. But just because other park operators do not access to the cash necessary to follow the same path as Disney and Universal does not mean that there is no way for them to succeed.</p><div style="border-top: 1px solid #999;border-bottom: 1px solid #999;padding: .5em">Sign up for our <a style="color: red" href="/newsletter">Park Life newsletter</a> and find out what's new and interesting every week at Southern California's theme parks. <a style="color: red" href="/newsletter">Subscribe here</a>.</div><p>Inspiring attractions do not have to cost billions of dollars. Disney and Universal have spent </p><aside class="related right"><h2 class="widget-title">More from Robert Niles</h2><ul><li><a href="/2023/04/04/niles-disney-thwarts-floridas-bid-to-take-over-special-district-but-company-needs-oversight/">Disney thwarts Florida’s bid to take over special district, but company needs oversight</a></li><li><a href="/2023/03/28/niles-is-universals-new-early-entry-a-good-deal-or-a-cash-grab/">Is Universal’s new early entry a good deal or a cash grab?</a></li><li><a href="/2023/03/21/niles-looking-around-disneys-world-for-clues-to-disneylands-future/">Looking around Disney’s world for clues to Disneyland’s future</a></li><li><a href="/2023/03/14/niles-springtime-is-now-halloween-time-at-theme-parks/">Springtime is now Halloween time at theme parks</a></li><li><a href="/2023/03/07/niles-six-flags-need-to-rebuild-trust-with-fans-to-get-back-on-track/">Six Flags needs to rebuild trust with fans to get back on track</a></li></ul></aside><p></p><p>that kind of money to create immersive new franchise-driven lands such as <a href="/2019/08/22/absolutely-everything-you-need-to-know-about-star-wars-galaxys-edge-at-disneys-hollywood-studios/">Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge</a>, <a href="/2022/10/06/grinchmas-christmas-in-the-wizarding-world-of-harry-potter-return-to-universal-studios-nov-25/">The Wizarding World of Harry Potter</a> and most recently, <a href="https://www.dailynews.com/2023/01/02/you-cant-see-in-or-out-of-universals-new-nintendo-land-which-sucks-you-into-a-video-game-world-see-photos/">Super Nintendo World</a>. These lands make visitors feel like they have stepped into the movies or video games that inspired them. Add these to classic attractions and new adventures featuring all of these companies’ other franchises, and it’s clear why Disney and Universal parks are so popular.</p><p>Yet a suggestive environment can be just as effective in firing a visitor’s imagination as a fully immersive one. Knott’s Berry Farm owner Cedar Fair is leaning into suggestive environments at several of its parks this year, and early results suggest that visitors are impressed.</p><p>Cedar Fair this month opened the new Aeronautica Landing at its Carowinds park that straddles the border of North and South Carolina. This land offers a couple of new carnival rides from Zamperla — nothing like the custom experiences found in the Star Wars and Harry Potter lands. But with names and decoration themed to airplanes, Cedar Fair has created a land that allows visitors to take to the sky in their own aeronautical adventure – one that pays tribute to North Carolina’s history as the site of the Wright Brothers’ first flight.</p><p></p><p>At Knott’s, the company is revamping Fiesta Village, swapping a lame diarrhea pun on its looping coaster for a rebuilt <a href="/2022/08/31/what-to-expect-from-montezooma-coaster-renovation-at-knotts-berry-farm/">MonteZOOMa: The Forbidden Fortress</a> that promises a more engaging story throughout its queue. Cedar Fair’s Kings Island, near Cincinnati, is getting a plussed Adventure Port land this year, too.</p><p>IP-themed lands cost fortunes because they need to recreate every familiar detail expected by passionate fans. Working with broader genres allows an attraction to be more suggestive within its environment and remain effective. No, just slapping a superhero name and face on a roller coaster marquee is not enough. But so long as a park provides enough environmental detail and story points in a new attraction to suggest that we are about to embark upon some aspirational adventure, our imaginations will fill in the rest.</p><p>And that’s how the rest of the industry can compete with Disney and Universal.</p><p> </p>
