The following appeared in a corporate planning memorandum for a company that develops amusement parks: “Because travel from our country to foreign countries has increased dramatically in recent years, our next project should be a ‘World Tour’ theme park with replicas of famous foreign buildings, rides that have international themes, and refreshment stands serving only foods from the country represented by the nearest ride. The best location would be near our capital city, which has large percentages of international residents and of children under the age of 16. Given the advantages of this site and the growing interest in foreign countries, the ‘World Tour’ theme park should be as successful as our space-travel theme park, where attendance has increased tenfold over the past decade.”

The following appeared in a corporate planning memorandum for a company that develops amusement parks:

“Because travel from our country to foreign countries has increased dramatically in recent years, our next project should be a ‘World Tour’ theme park with replicas of famous foreign buildings, rides that have international themes, and refreshment stands serving only foods from the country represented by the nearest ride. The best location would be near our capital city, which has large percentages of international residents and of children under the age of 16. Given the advantages of this site and the growing interest in foreign countries, the ‘World Tour’ theme park should be as successful as our space-travel theme park, where attendance has increased tenfold over the past decade.”

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.

The author’s argument is that attendance at amusement parks has increased, therefore the next park should be a replica of another country. What he fails to take into account is that amusement parks, in general, are in decline in America and that attendance at theme parks around the world has been declining. The decline in attendance at amusement parks in the US is due, at least in part, to the growth of other entertainment venues. A new generation of consumers has grown up, and many of them will not even consider going to an amusement park. Gone are the days when children would line up for hours to ride their favorite rides. The parents that once did are aging and are not interested in spending a day at an amusement park with their grandchildren. Amusement parks are costly to build and maintain, and they cannot compete with other entertainment venues such as movie theaters or sporting events. The theme parks that do survive are those that have diversified their attractions to include rides with simulators, virtual reality, and 4D effects. The popularity of these attractions makes them more attractive to families, and they make up for the decline in attendance for traditional rides

The author’s argument that the next park should be near the nation’s capital is a flawed one, because more Americans, not fewer, are traveling to foreign countries. Americans who can afford it do so every year. The desire to travel overseas is not limited to the wealthy. Many middle-class families have vacationed in Europe, Asia, and Central and South America, and many of them have returned to the United States with stories of their adventures. It is not reasonable to assume that only wealthy families can afford to travel to foreign countries. If the author wants to design an attraction that will appeal to families from affluent neighborhoods, then he should design a theme park near a city with a large university population. There, he could create a park where families could spend time together enjoying rides, games, and food. The author’s assertion that large cities have large numbers of children under the age of 16 is also flawed. Children from low-income families often live in the suburbs, and it is unlikely that they would spend their vacations in theme parks

The author assumes that attendance at his parks will increase. It is difficult to predict what will happen in future years, but one thing is certain. Amusement parks around the world have been declining for decades, and it is unlikely that attendance at his parks will skyrocket. The author’s assumption that attendance at his parks will increase is not based on any facts. He cites the increase in attendance at the Disney theme parks as evidence of the success of his theme parks, but there is no way of knowing how much the increase is related to the success of the Disney theme parks. In addition, the author does not acknowledge that attendance at his theme parks is declining. What he proposes is a plan to increase attendance that is based on assumptions rather than facts. His assumption that attendance at his parks will increase is questionable, and his reasoning for it is flawed.