Is Das Festhaus a REAL Beer Hall?

Is Das Festhaus a real Beer Hall

  • Yes

    Votes: 6 33.3%

  • No

    Votes: 12 66.7%
  • Total voters
    18
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Pretzel Kaiser

Pretzel Kaiser

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Apr 5, 2011
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The glorious bastion known as the BGWFans Chat Room recently had a debate based on the recent decision to put Entwined into the Festhaus. While nobody thinks it should be it should be there, the question came up whether the Festhaus is a real beer hall or a restaurant that is supposed to portray a real beer hall.

Now that that's finished, my opinion is that it's not a real beer hall. While it certainly is themed to be one, the key purpose and audience for them are different.

Beer Hall: A large hall that is primarily for adults to drink beer, not really a family venue.

Das Festhaus: A family restaurant that does have German feel, but is mainly a place for tourists to eat pizza and french fries. Beer is served, but is not the primary function of the location.
 
Das Festhaus was (cause with the newest addition of Gingerbread houses and fairies is not) a Beer Hall. When built, it was designed to be a beer hall. A place to enjoy food, drinks, friends, family, music, etc. A beer hall's not a place you go JUST to get drunk.

I'll just leave this here...
http://imgur.com/g3BJA
 
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The Festhaus is a themed restaurant for more than adults who drink beer. Its theme should not interfere with its function; to feed families and entertain them. For example, Celtic Fyre is themed to a pub and refreshments are served but does that make it a pub? Nope. Both are theaters and both share an alcohol related theme of pubs/beer halls, yet their themes should have no impact on their purpose.
 
Party Rocker said:
For example, Celtic Fyre is themed to a pub and refreshments are served but does that make it a pub? Nope. Both are theaters and both share an alcohol related theme of pubs/beer halls, yet their themes should have no impact on their purpose.
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Okay, I call apples and oranges on this one even though we gave the same initial answer.

Abbeystone is a theater; it can't be argued. Das Festhaus is a cafeteria that happens to have entertainment - it was initially a beer hall that happened to serve food, but in recent years it's crossed over into cafeteria.
 
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Beer Hall: A large hall that is primarily for adults to drink beer, not really a family venue.

Das Festhaus: A family restaurant that does have German feel, but is mainly a place for tourists to eat pizza and french fries. Beer is served, but is not the primary function of the location.


Hmmm....I think the second option sounds much more appealing to tourists and families. That's who Busch caters towards. So, it's totally fine with me. Let the kids have fun. I think Entwind should be in there and I think people will like it. Things evolve and I think it will only make Festhaus more popular.
 
CarterGee said:
Beer Hall: A large hall that is primarily for adults to drink beer, not really a family venue.

Das Festhaus: A family restaurant that does have German feel, but is mainly a place for tourists to eat pizza and french fries. Beer is served, but is not the primary function of the location.


Hmmm....I think the second option sounds much more appealing to tourists and families. That's who Busch caters towards. So, it's totally fine with me. Let the kids have fun. I think Entwind should be in there and I think people will like it. Things evolve and I think it will only make Festhaus more popular.
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I agree that Festhaus is not a beer hall, but a beer hall themed cafeteria-style restaurant, and I swear this isn't not a loaded question, but honestly: if what you're saying is true, what is the point of theming at an amusement park, at all? Why go to such great lengths to make the place look like a particular time or a particular place if you're just going to stick whatever show in whatever venue, so tourists can eat pizza and fries?

Wouldn't you agree that Busch Gardens has tried, since it was opened, to be more than that?
 
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I think that's sort of always the question when it comes to Busch. We've had shows like Rockin the Boat, RL Stein's Haunted Lighthouse, and Sesame Street in places they don't "belong." So installing Entwind, a german-themed fairy tale journey of sorts, really isn't all that radical when you consider past iterations of park shows. It's not even that radical with theming that doesn't fit the time period. Submarines in ancient Scotland with LNM? A ski lift for Alpengeist? I think Festhaus still looks very much authentic and fits in with the rest of the park, but the fundamental question here is "Does Busch try to be authentic?" And the answer is yes and no. Busch captures the essence of something but doesn't really make any promises to replicate the exact experience (if that's what you want go to Jamestown).

I don't think it's a "whatever show" that doesn't fit a fantastical theme. It's highly themed to German influence, and even though it's a kiddie show, it fits the European theme pretty well. Busch has always had a mix of attractions in variety of places, so when it comes to a show that could destroy the authenticity of the festhaus, I don't think Entwind is it.

Busch tries to entertain guests in a european setting. It's evolved throughout the years to be less of an exact experience (yes, that's what it was when it opened) into a crowd pleaser with flexibility and I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.
 
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The park is stickin to a general theme of Germany. Yes things are skewed out of time but at least they fit the overall theme.

When I referred to Celtic Fyre, I was talking about the snack stand in the old lobby. It was designed to go with the show and themed to be pub like.
 
Job Description - German Beer Maiden

"PRIMARY PURPOSE AND FUNCTION OF JOB:
To enhance guest experience and the thematic atmosphere of the Festhaus by energetically portraying an authentically costumed German Beer Maiden character that will evoke a traditional German beer hall atmosphere through interaction with guests by following scripted themes evocative of what a beer maiden in a German beer hall would say while vending beer products to eligible guests"
 
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Party Rocker said:
The Festhaus is two faced, one kid one adult. Do we need to draw a line down the middle?
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Yes. Or better yet, just put kids shows in one venue, and adult things in another. Or, even better still, make things that everyone can enjoy together.

That's what Festhaus really needs: a sort of non-intrusive German-themed show that people can enjoy together as a family, and eat their food in relative comfort while taking it in.

Someone should come up with a show like that.
 
DrMoneyHATESBuschGardens said:
That's what Festhaus really needs: a sort of non-intrusive German-themed show that people can enjoy together as a family, and eat their food in relative comfort while taking it in.

Someone should come up with a show like that.
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That would never work. I can't even picture it.
 
During HoS, they can have Elmo and friends dancing with the Nurses, that will please everybody.

(I'm sorry, but I can see DocMoney's head exploding at this thought. No offence. :p)
 
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Sharing is caring, the young kids get the show, the adults get the beer! Both can enjoy the venue at the same time.
 
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