California Theme Parks (DVD, 2004)

I bought the California Theme Parks DVD because it is presented as a professionally made informative DVD of four of Southern California's best known theme parks. Some of the accompanying descriptions even call it a "documentary". It is anything but professionally made, informative or a documentary. In reality, this DVD consists of very amateur quality, hand held "home video" camcorder footage shot at the four parks. In other words, it looks like amateur video some tourist filmed in the parks. The focus even drifts in and out at times. Likewise, the editing is of amateur quality.

The DVD presents individual sections for Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios, Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure parks. The later two are lumped together and the editing inexplicably jumps back and forth between the two parks. There is what is presumably royalty free instrumental background music in the place of actual location audio throughout most of the DVD. While I understand why the DVD maker probably did this, some of the music choices badly clash with the visuals. I had to turn the sound down at times it was so grating.

The DVD description and packaging touts it as being informative. As far as I could find, there is no useful park information, either through narration or text, included. There are just series of scenes from the parks, sometimes subdivided into sections like "Disneyland trains" or "Disneyland parade", etc. Therefore, I see little value in the DVD as a trip planning tool for potential visitors other than the viewer getting a visual sampling of some of what is at the four parks. Nor do I feel that fans of the theme parks would find it satisfying as a fan DVD. There are much better fan produced theme park DVD's out there. It would not be satisfying as a "souvenir" of a visit to the parks, either, in my opinion.

Potential buyers of this title should not be fooled by the slick professional-looking packaging of the DVD and should be wary of the accuracy of the written descriptions of it. This is an amateur quality production at best. I have nothing against amateur or fan-made theme park DVD's, as I've purchased many of them myself. But, amateur DVD's should be clearly labeled as such and honestly described for what they are to be fair to potential buyers.