Panda Express?

^..Chick-fil-a in my opinion.

I had the Panda Bowl on Saturday. For $6.99 I got the Orange Chicken and Chow Mein Noodles in a big bowl. The food was fresh and as good as any Panda's. The price was high, but fillin' up for $6.99 is not a bad deal at CP...

I had some Panda Express at Kings Island today, and I though it was very tasty.

This is such a complex topic. Does anyone remember some years back when CP basically went on a hunt for all the independent food service operators, and forced them all out. No contract renewals, etc. They wanted everything under the umbrella of their own Food Services divsion. So, we lost Berardi's, and we lost Coffelts, and a host of others. Then for a while, they farmed it out to a contract company, then back to internal operations.

Now we've come full circle, with national franchises taking the place of the old independents. While I am sure Chik-Fil-A and Panda Express have great food, I can patronize them multiple times a day in any mall or shopping strip.

I don't go to CP for Mall Food(tm). I go for fun, rides, and junk food I don't get elsewhere. And when I want a "regular meal", I would like it to be perhaps some kind of decent, maybe even locally produced type of food. (Can you say perch?)

It is becoming so homogenous! Bland. Does anyone recall the Stallone movie "Judge Dredd"? In that movie, there was a tongue-in-cheek reference that all restaurants were now Taco Bell. It's starting to feel that way at CP. The individuality that made CP what it was to me in years past seems to be morphing into a one-size-fits-all, pasty, bland,mish-mash of corporate nonsense.

I certainly understand that it takes money, and perhaps even corporate sponsorships to finance some big projects. However, I also feel that some attention should be paid to retaining some kind of unique identity.

No chili footers? The Chuck Wagon perverted into a pizza joint? Asian food in Frontier Town? This is a huge drift away from the unique right into the common.

Thank goodness they'll still have turkey legs on the Trail this year. (I actually got the official word on that.)

I agree, Tank.

Back in the 70's there were still a number of independent food operators, Interstate United Food Service, and Cedar Point food service, all with their own commissaries, etc. All cash went to C.P. cash control. But it made sense to me that C.P. would eventually discontinue those operations and keep it all to themselves.

So imagine my shock when Johnny Rockets showed up (esp when there's a Coasters right down the street) Now we got Starbucks, Chik-fil-a, Panda, Ben & Jerry's all at higher-than-the-mall prices. Good products to be sure, and they are well patronized, but C.P. has always been a step up from typical amusement park fare IMO, and customers shouldn't have to settle for the commercial familiarity of chain restaurants.

I operate a food joint at the Ohio State Fair with great once-a-year type fare, and it always amazes me to see people lined up for Subway, Taco Bell, McDonalds, etc when they could/should take advantage of the great Fair food they can't get at the mall.

Having said that, we were at Six Flags over Georgia this week and -for lack of anything better- ate at their Panda. It was identical to the regular restaurants found anywhere (maybe a dollar higher) and we were grateful not to be stuck with an over-priced chicken strip basket or a 7$ slice of Papa Johns pizza.

Sign of the times, I guess.

I too am kind of sad that they are getting more chains in the park. Sure most of them have good food, and decent prices for an amusment park, but there is something to be said for unique food that you can't get anywhere else. One great example is Kennywood. They have pretty decent food there; I meen come on... Potato Patch fries and Deep Fried Oreo's, how can you go wrong. I just hope CF can find a good balance to having chains in the park and their own "you can't get this anywhere else" establishments. I remember saying to people oh you have to go to this place in the park and try this...it's awesome! Now...there are less chances of that happening since I can go to the same places in my home town.

All in all, as long as they don't get rid of those famous CP fries (Happy Friar), and heart attack...er Cheese on a stick or replace Los Gatos with a Taco Bell I'll be happy.

^Uh oh.

I knew that would happen. Here we go.

I seen Panda on Sunday. The sign looks great now and there are actually two of them (one on the restaurant and one on the midway)

I'm glad that they are putting in more chains and will probably give them most of my business when I eat in the park. I feel that with chains there are usually no surprises and you have a general idea of what you are getting and how it's going to taste.

I don't think I've ever had a bad experience at any Chick-fil-A including Cedar Point's

They should start putting in Auntie Anne's Pretzels next!

<director_voice>
Cue Tim.
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I agree with delphi. Bring on the chains!! You really can't ever have enough of them.

*hands Bounty to Tim*
You might want to soak up that sarcasm before it floods the forum.

You know what else is good about chains?

When you're trying to follow a healthy diet, you can almost always find their nutrition facts somewhere... :)

^^ I'm just trying to agree with what the majority says. That's what everyone else thinks is good. Just follow the crowd, don't have your own opinions. So, bring on the chains!!

I am expecting a CVS or Walgreens in a year or two at CP. :)

^^^ Yea, but Josh...what's a day at an amusement park without cheese on a stick!

Well, Randi, that would be a day with slightly clearer arteries and a couple hundred less calories in my body ;)

^Ohhhh, your no fun.

Besides, how are all us nurses going to keep our hospital jobs if ya'll actually start to live healthy. ;)

$3 for an eggroll? That's outrageous!

^ They're like, $1.50-$2.00 at the Panda in the mall...

The prices aren't really THAT much higher.

If anyone has seen the Walgreens commercial where the two women drive all over town and out of state, I can just see the next visit:

"This is my Walgreens when me and my family go to Cedar Point" (as they walk by Millennium Force, and right in front of Walgreens)