jett said:
But then why built some mediocre aquarium? What's the point when there are better ones out there?
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That's like asking what's the point of having a car if you can't have a Porsche. Just because it's not comparable to the best in the world doesn't mean that it will not offer an enjoyable and worthwhile experience, that would have otherwise required you to get on an airplane.

Great cities are great at a lot of things, but they're not the very best at everything, nor do they need to be. Who knows how many years, or more likely, decades, it would have taken for the stars and funding to align for Toronto to get a premier aquarium? In the meantime, I'll be enjoying this one for years. Let's optimistically hope that if it does good business, we'll get a bigger and better one down the line.
 
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jett said:
I find that's the problem with Toronto. It has some good ideas, but then always ended up with mediocre outcomes. ... So many opportunities. All failed.
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Welcome to the forum Mr.Happy. Interesting that with so much mediocrity has led to a city that by so many indicators is successful. It is almost as if a city is the sum of its parts and having a "world's best" attraction, buildings, businesses, economic sectors, etc doesn't stack up against having a lot of good and diverse attractions, buildings, businesses, economic sectors, etc. The aquarium adds to a growing mass of attractions, the more there are, the greater the diversity, the better off we are. To say we should do "the best" or do nothing is ridiculous. What city is it that is doing everything the best and why haven't you moved there?
 
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Ramako said:
Here are Trip Advisor's ratings for Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies and Ripley's Aquarium of Mrytle Beach.
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I hope they don't bring to Toronto some of the tourist trap ideas that I have come to associate Ripley's with. They are talking about having people dressed up as mermaids swimming down into the water, blowing a kiss, and going back up for air in those reviews. I hope they don't have all that commercialized nonsense here. Sell the wonder of the sea and nature, not Disney's latest sea based movie.
 
EnviroTO said:
I hope they don't bring to Toronto some of the tourist trap ideas that I have come to associate Ripley's with. They are talking about having people dressed up as mermaids swimming down into the water, blowing a kiss, and going back up for air in those reviews. I hope they don't have all that commercialized nonsense here. Sell the wonder of the sea and nature, not Disney's latest sea based movie.
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The marketing material on the aquarium seems to focus on the educational and conservational elements of the aquarium. I'm sure that they are aware that there's a certain stigma attached to the Ripley's name which won't play in a market like downtown Toronto.
 
interchange42 said:
So, thumbs way up in Gatlinburg and mixed reviews in Myrtle Beach.
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Number 3 attraction in Gatlinburg, beat out by Bill Gladwell the Mentalist and Roaring Fork drive through nature, but barely slipping past Horseback Riding (#5) and Christ in the Smokies Museum and Garden (#8) in the rankings.
 
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Ramako said:
Here are Trip Advisor's ratings for Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies and Ripley's Aquarium of Mrytle Beach.
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If you read the comments, most people say they are small and over priced. One person said that the Myrtle Beach Aquarium takes only one hour to go through and another says that they rush you through, to accommodate all the customers. It got good ratings but the comments do not make it seem that good. I wonder how much the price is, with all those complaints.


Hey, the Salt & Pepper Shaker Museum and Christ In The Smokies Museum & Gardens, also got 4.5 stars. Gatlinburg sounds like a happenin' place.
 
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I can't help but think that the price will seem like a bargain compared to the elevator ride next door.
 
Torontovibe said:
If you read the comments, most people say they are small and over priced. One person said that the Myrtle Beach Aquarium takes only one hour to go through and another says that they rush you through, to accommodate all the customers. It got good ratings but the comments do not make it seem that good. I wonder how much the price is, with all those complaints.


Hey, the Salt & Pepper Shaker Museum and Christ In The Smokies Museum & Gardens, also got 4.5 stars. Gatlinburg sounds like a happenin' place.
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The comments on the Gatlinburg Aquarium don't seem down on the size or price. Regardless, I'm sure ours will be bigger and better than either of them, and probably more expensive.
 
Having had a family membership for more than a decade and a half, I can safely say that I've spoken to more FORMER members since its renovation than a I have new members. on a personal note the crystal is still hideous, and on a a practical one, due to its natural lighting excludes an awful lot of display space for UV sensitive exhibits and is a truly horrible use of floor space.
 
Landscape design ftw said:
Sadly the ROM, is a shadow of its former self, and the science center is taking a nose dive except for its landscaping.
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The OSC grounds now (well, in the summer) have that let-everything-grow-wild look on the street-frontage areas that passes for "landscaping" nowadays? I would certainly not consider that an exception to a nosediving trend :(
 
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Every time I walk by the ROM I'm quite impressed. I really can't see how anyone doesn't like it, aesthetically speaking.
 
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