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After thinking this through, there is a fairly concerning precedent here. What is to stop any large City from putting a few small rides on any plot of 75 acres or more and calling it an amusement park?

In substance these would clearly not be amusement parks, but then neither is the Dallas zoo. They clearly market themselves as a zoo, not an amusement park.

This may require a legislative solution. Simple fix, just eliminate the amusement park loophole entirely, along with the day care and educational institution loopholes.

I'm thinking of filing a false / misleading advertising complaint with the AG given that this new Dallas Amusement park is using the name "zoo" in their title, when they are, in fact merely a low end amusement park. Probably wouldn't get far but might be interesting to see the response.

casp625 wrote:

"Amusement park" means a permanent indoor or outdoor facility or park... . The term does not include any public or private driveway, street, sidewalk or walkway, parking lot, parking garage, or other parking area.

Oh so there was wording... amusement park does not include the sidewalk or walkways. The zoo is primarily sidewalks, sounds good.

Also does not include "walkways". Whether they are public or private.

ScottDLS wrote:

Soccerdad1995 wrote:And remember that the zoo is claiming their entire premises are an amusement park. So any regulations such as not serving alcohol, or ADA requirements for access would apply to the entire zoo, not just specific rides.

Six Flags in Arlington sell beer and wine at some restaurants, don't they?

I don't know. And I am not sure of what, if any, restrictions exist for alcohol sales at amusement parks. Unfortunately, I am pretty ignorant on this as I have not had the opportunity to fully familiarize myself with the applicable regulations.

My point was to stress that we should consider the fact that they are claiming the entire zoo as an amusement park when we are looking at applicable regulations. One example may be regulations around the sale of alcohol. I am sure there are others as well.

And when I say regulations on an activity I am not necessarily limiting that statement to just a ban on the activity. It may well be the case, for example, that alcohol sales are restricted to certain locations (e.g. restaurants only), as one possible example.

And remember that the zoo is claiming their entire premises are an amusement park. So any regulations such as not serving alcohol, or ADA requirements for access would apply to the entire zoo, not just specific rides.