I have great memories of the park from my childhood it was almost magical and fairytales really did come to life at the park. I've taken my kids to Storybook Gardens a few times and I think I know why the park is not doing well. It seems that London has lost the focus on what Storybook Gardens was and meant to the people who attended the park. Now it seems to have no real theme. There is a merry-go-round outside the park entrance, there a spiderweb, slide, splash pad, animals and a whole bunch of things but no theme. There a a few reminders from the past sort of off the path like an oil bridge, shoe and other things but it's just not the same.
London could revive the park a few different ways
- Get back on coarse and make the park true to the name, failytales never loose their value. Forget using bigger attractions to gain attendance if people want that they go to East Park. Keep Storybook Gardens simple, fun and family oriented and it will survive.
- If you don't want to stay on theme then rename it. A new identity not only give a fresh start but a chance to separate from the fairytale theme and take on a more modern approach. It would be a shame to see the Storybook Gardens theme gone but it is also a shame to keep reading about how poor it is doing.
One thing for sure London must really focus on Storybook Gardens and try to pull it from it's financial slump. Raising admission, paying to park is not the way to do it. These plans of attack will eventually turn Storybook in to a ghost town and that's not a good theme to go with.
London is an amazing city full of amazing people and places. I'm sure if everyone put there heads together a solution can be found.