WHAT? a theme park that really is for the family..
Written: Nov 20 '00 (Updated Nov 21 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: very family friendly, prices are affordable
Cons: it's not huge, not really for "thrill seekers"
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| vcrimson's Full Review: Idlewild Park |
In a day and age where the main theme of the theme parks is money, it's nice to go to one that makes their theme fun for everyone!!
Idelwild park is located in Pennsylvania..It was a short drive from Akron, Ohio, about 2 and a half hours of nice scenic highway driving. During the summer they often have a couple of "buy one-get one free" days. Usually Mondays, I think. This means that you can get two people in for about $16.00!!! You do have to have a coupon for this, however you can get them on Potato chip bags and other goodies if you just stop at a store quick on the way!
The first thing you'll notice about the park are the parking lots..."Where are the seas of pavement?" you'll ask yourself...Idlewild is actually surrounded by lots of wooded areas and their parking lot consists of nice grassy clearings amongst lots of trees...AND picnic tables!!!!The entire park, in fact is well integrated into the natural surroundings.
Idlewild does not have one of those "buy food in our park or suffer" policies....They encourage picnickers and make bringing your own lunch a pleasurable experience...most of the picnic tables are shaded by the trees and they are scattered throughout the parking area, making it easy to haul your coolers.
The park itself is not huge..not like Disney or Six Flags, but there is plenty of stuff to do! They've got a large swimming pool and water play area with several fun slides...and admission is included in the price! They also have a storybook forest which is a must for the young children!!It's a magical journey through all of your favorite fairy tales!! And if you have preschoolers, you definitely want to take them for a ride on Mr. Rogers Trolley to the land of Make Believe. Even adults will enjoy this leisurely stroll past King Friday's Castle and all the other famous landscapes of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. The children will love the little animated shows that the puppets do along the interactive trolley ride.
The park reminds me of the way amusement parks used to be. It's very clean, and very family friendly. The rides are not "super thrillers" but rather they are the old time favorites and the best thing is that the smaller children can ride them too. My daughter rode her first roller coaster at Idlewild park when she was 2...and I got to ride it with her. They encourage the parents to ride the kiddie rides with their children. They do have a bigger coaster too, it's still not HUGE, but it was fun nonetheless! They also have an old time carousel...the sort like you would expect to find at Coney Island 30 years ago...complete with the ring dispensing machine!!
The other really nice thing about Idlewild is that the whole park is grassy and shady...although the paths are paved, it's not an asphalt jungle, but rather it has a nice leisurely park feel to it! you won't leave the park feeling like you're going to die from being in the sun all day and you won't feel like you've walked a million miles either!
If you are looking for some old fashioned family fun at an affordable price, then Idlewild is the place to go!! and why not stop off in Pittsburgh on your way back? it's not far and there are loads of hotels along the way...not to mention there is a ton of stuff you can do in Pittsburgh! Just make a family vacation out of it! Don't forget to visit the Pittsburgh Zoo while you're in the area either!
The park is really just magical and your family is guaranteed to love it!!! Mine sure did!!!!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
vcrimson
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Member: crimson soleil
Location: Ohio and/or Nottingham
Reviews written: 106
Trusted by: 41 members
About Me:
i'm taking a little break.....be back soon
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