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My Top Ten Theme Parks and Amusement Parks in the USAFeb 09 '12 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line The United States is home to many of the best, largest and most amazing amusement parks, water parks, and theme parks and resorts. This is my top-ten list. You can find theme parks and amusement parks all over the world. However, theUnited Statesis home to many of the best and most popular theme parks and amusement parks in the World. I grew up inSwedenand I traveled Europe and I visited a few amusement parks and theme parks. There are some good theme parks in Europe as well but after visiting the United States I realized that the United States is the country with the best and largest theme parks. Just a brief overview; in the US there is Disneyworld and all its theme parks, Disneyland, the two Universal Studios and its theme parks, the Sea World parks, the many Six Flags amusement parks, hundreds maybe thousands of other amusement parks, numerous water parks, animal parks, dinosaur parks, educational theme parks, legoland(s), and I could go on. There is a Disneyland in Tokyo and Paris, but in the US there is a Disneyland plus Disney World, the largest theme park resort in the world. The theme parks in the United States, is a major tourist attraction and not just domestically. Many foreign visitors travel to theUnited Statesjust for the theme parks. I’ve been in the US for more than twenty years. However, within my first year in the US I visited Disneyland, Disneyworld, Universal Studios California, Cedar Point Sandusky, Ohio, Sea World in San Diego, Orlando, and Ohio, Geauga Lake Ohio, Kings Island Ohio, Magic Mountain California, Hurricane Harbor California, Knotts Berry Farm California, Splash Down Beach New York, and other amusement parks and theme parks I’ve forgotten or don’t remember the name of. I should mention that I was not even trying to visit theme parks and amusement parks during that year, I just thought it was fun to visit one when I happened to be in town. Later on when I got kids I made a more conscientious effort to visit theme parks and amusement parks since kids like that stuff. Yeah the list has grown quite a bit since then. To make a top ten list you have to select a small subset out of many theme parks and amusement parks. It feels a little bit dumb to exclude great amusement parks likeBusch Garden, Florida, the Dinosaur World parks, and the original Six Flags over Texas, which I am currently looking at through my window. However, this is a top ten list, and it includes only the cream of the most shockingly amazing, crazily well done, and just great theme parks and amusement parks, in my opinion. I should add that there are some famous parks that I have not visited like Coney Island inNew York, and Disney California Adventure Park, but I think I’ve visited most of the best ones. In the list below I have combined theme park resorts into single entries. I did that because you can visit adjacent and associated theme parks in one trip. Therefore the list really comprises more than 20 amusement parks and theme parks. I am listing both amusement parks and theme parks as the difference between them sometimes is a little fuzzy. The list is ranked based on my opinion and the opinion of my kids and my wife. 1. Disney World; Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach Disney World is the world’s largest theme park resort. It consists of six theme parks; Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon, and Blizzard Beach. The two last ones are water parks. Epcot is my personal favorite. It is a large theme park divided into two large areas Future World and the World Show Case. As you enter Epcot and Future world you pass under a 180 feet wide and tall metallic sphere called Space Ship Earth. There are many other futuristic looking buildings in Future World, as well as many cool and educational rides. The World Show Case features eleven pavilions located around a lake. Each pavilion represents a country and it features shopping, restaurants, architecture, buildings, entertainment, movies, and rides representing that country. Epcot is great for both kids and adults. Magic Kingdom is a very large theme park geared towards children. Here you’ll meet all the Disney characters and there are lots of themed rides of all kinds. This is where the famed Cinderella’s castle is. Hollywood Studios features a lot of movie themed rides and shows and it hosts the most fantastic show I’ve ever seen “Fantasmic”. Animal Kingdom features a lot animal themed rides and shows as well as a pretty impressive safari. Typhoon Lagoon is a huge water park featuring the largest wave pool in the world as well as the famous centerpiece with a ship on top of a mountain. It is also the most visited water park in the world. Blizzard Beach is a water park modeled after a ski resort with Mount Gushmore as its center piece. Blizzard Beach has more fast and long water slides but Typhoon Lagoon has more attractions for the whole family. You can spend a few days in each of these six theme parks without doing and seeing everything. Then there are parades, shows, and interaction with Disney characters. Disney World is large and amazing. I should add that except for Epcot and Magic Kingdom these theme parks would not have had the number one position on my list individually, but as a bundle they do. For example, I like Schlitterbahn better than either Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon. 2. Universal Studios; Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Theme Park Not far behind Disney World comes Universal Studios. Universal Studios have theme park resorts in Hollywood, Orlando, Japan and Singapore. I’ve been to the resorts in Hollywood and Orlando and they are both amazing. This entry is focused on the one in Orlando, which is the biggest of them. Hollywood Studios resort in Orlando features three theme parks; Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Theme Park, Wet’n Wild a water park, and there is also a City Walk. Hollywood Studios features movie themed shows and rides. The Universal Studios Theme Park has more shows and some rides and Islands of Adventure have more rides and some shows. Each theme park is divided into themed areas. Some of the shows are quite spectacular and use modern technology to impress you. There are also some really good rides. The Jurassic park ride features life sized dinosaurs including a Tyrannosaurus Rex attacking the riders. The Forbidden Journey at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is another spectacular ride which simulates flight on a broom stick through Harry Potter’s magical world. Here you can see shows and go on rides so amazing that nothing in Europe even comes close to it. In fact I’ve met people who flew across the world just to go on a certain ride. 3. Disneyland Disneyland is a theme park, which is part of Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, which also includes Disney California Adventure Park. I’ve been to Disneyland but not Disney California Adventure Park. In fact Disneyland was the first theme park I visited in theUnited States. Disneyland is quite similar to Magic Kingdom in Disney World and many of the rides, shows, and parades are similar. It has a castle but it is called Sleeping Beauty’s castle and Disneyland is divided into lands with similar names as those at Magic Kingdom. It has a few more attractions than Magic Kingdom, for example, Fantasmic, which is located in Hollywood Studios at Disney World. Disneyland is yet another magical experience. 4. Sea World (San Diego, San Antonio, Orlando) I’ve been to Sea World in San Diego, Sea World in Orlando, Sea World in San Antonio, Texas, and Sea World in Ohio (now closed). These are all great theme parks but they are also all similar. It is not like you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all. However, if you were to see a few top theme parks in theUSA, then it is good enough to pick the one that fits your route best. The Sea World theme parks all features entertaining shows featuring sea animals, sea otters, dolphins, orcas (the Shamu show), white whales, etc, as well as shows involving water acrobatics. There are also rides, roller coasters, aquariums, play grounds, and backstage tours where you can meet and touch all kinds of sea animals. One fun attraction we’ve done is the interaction with white whales, where you get to hug and touch white whales. Sea World is definitely something kids love. 5. Schlitterbahn, Texas Schlitterbahn in New Braunsfels, Texas, is the world’s largest water park. Typhoon lagoon and Blizzard Beachat Disney World are enormous and impressive water parks but Schlitterbahn beats them hands down, in my opinion. Well Typhoon lagoon and Blizzard Beach have those large center pieces in the middle and Schlitterbahn doesn’t. The first time I visited Schlitterbahn with my son we spent some time at what we thought was Schlitterbahn. That was until we asked about a certain ride and we were told to go, what seemed to me to be, outside the park. After clarification it was clear that we had spent the day at a small extension to one part of the park thinking that was all of Schlitterbahn. In addition to numerous water rides, other water fun, the park features pool side bars (for dad), hot tubs, surfing, and a long lazy river, and a kid area. Schlitterbahn is very family friendly. It is not very expensive and you are allowed to bring in your own food. A ticket is $14.99, which is quite a bit less than an entry ticket to Typhoon Lagoon or Disney World. If you visitTexas, Schlitterbahn is a great destination. 6. Cedar Point Sandusky, Ohio Cedar Point Sandusky in Ohio is one of my favorite amusement parks. It is often considered the roller coaster capital of the World. It currently shares the title for having the most roller coasters in the world together with Six Flags Magic Mountain in California. The roller coasters at Cedar Point are also truly impressive. Millenium Force was the first roller coaster to exceed 300 feet (in height) and it is the second longest roller coaster in North America (after the Beast at Kings Island). The Top Thrill Dragster is 400 feet (120 meter) tall and was the fastest, steepest and tallest roller coaster in the world when it was launched in 2003. I could go on. It was Cedar Point in Sandusky that started the so called roller coaster wars. However, Cedar Point also has a lot more to offer. Whenever I visit Ohio I want to visit Cedar Point. 7. Six Flags Magic Mountain, California Six Flags Magic Mountain in California was the first amusement park in the US that I visited. Like Cedar Point it is a quite impressive amusement park. Six Flags Magic Mountain was until October 2011 the park in the World with the most roller coasters. Now it shares the world record with Cedar Point Sandusky. There are 17 Six Flags parks and they are all great featuring among the best roller coasters in the world. Six Flags Magic Mountain also features shows and many other rides as well as family rides, bumper cars and kid’s rides. In one sense Six Flags Magic Mountain represents all the Six Flags parks in this list. 8. Kings Island, Ohio Kings Island in Mason Ohio is a large classic amusement park featuring a lot of roller coasters including the Beast. The Beast has succeeded to hold the record as the longest wooden roller coaster in the world since 1979.Kings Island features 14 roller coasters, 49 rides, river rafting rides, themed rides, kid’s rides, a water park with two wave pools (Soak City), a German Village and more. If you are passing through Ohio and enjoy amusement parks then Kings Island is worth a visit. 9. Screams, Waxahachie, Texas Closer to home, well were I live now, is the world’s largest Halloween theme park “Screams” featuring several haunted houses, a haunted castle, a haunted cemetery, hundreds of ghastly characters, rides, dining options, pubs, and many special features. We’ve had a lot of fun at Screams which is open in October (unfortunately only October). 10. Legoland, Carlsbad, California Our daughter loved Legoland in Carlsbad, California is lego themed park featuring various structures built using lego blocks, as well as 21 rides, movies, interactive attractions, shopping, dining, etc. What is so impressive about Leogland are the structures built using millions of lego blocks. For example, there are replicas ofManhattanand many other cities and famous buildings from around the world built using lego. Take a look at my photos below. This is a great park for young kids but also for the parents. Click on the thumbnail pictures for a larger view http://www.texaswikmans.com/TravelPhotos/Laguna%20Beach/LagunaBeach.html Special feature; Six Flags over Texas, Arlington, TX I would also like to mention the amusement park outside my window because it was the original Six Flags amusement park; Six Flags overTexas. Did you know that six flags have flown over Texas, that of France, Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and the United States of America. Six Flags overTexashas 13 roller coasters and 50 rides in total. Across the highway is Hurricane Harbor the associated water park. Six Flags over Texas feature the tallest free fall combo tower in the world, superman, (325 feet) and the tallest land based oil derrick in the world (300 feet), as well as the fastest and tallest roller coaster in Texas. Six Flags over Texas offer a lot family rides, kid rides, games, and themed rides. I would not put Six Flags over Texas in the top ten theme parks / amusement parks but it is a good local amusement park. Concluding Thoughts The many and impressive theme parks and amusement parks in the United States is a major tourist attraction in itself. You can find a good theme park, amusement park, or a water park almost anywhere in theUS. However, there are also some truly spectacular ones. I have made this top-ten list for those potential visitors who might be interested in theme parks and amusement parks, and I hope it helps.  |
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