Amusement Parks
 

Here, we discuss amusement parks, the rides you like, the rides you don't like, rides that have made you puke (lol) and good and bad experiences you've had.

I've only been to two, so far. Cedar Point and Valley Fair. I love Cedar Point. The Top Thrill Dragster is my favorite ride there, but I hate any rides that spin. I recently got sick on the Whirlwind ride at Cedar Point, I think that's what it's called. I also got sick on the Octopus ride, when I was a kid at Valley Fair. Those are like the only bad experiences I've had. Overall, amusement parks are one of my favorite things to do. I would go everyday if I could...lol :p

For those who don't know what the Top Thrill Dragster is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aan5PoQt6Co Woohoooooo! Love this ride, it's the best!...:p:p:p

Other favorites include:
The Maverick-Cedar Point
The Millenium Force-Cedar Point
The Magnum-Cedar Point
The Power Tower-Cedar Point
The Raptor-Cedar Point
Wild Thing-Valley Fair

What holds you in, lap belts?


The worst ride I have ever been on is the Superman ride at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. I had a panic attack after the ride, it was so scary. I didn't feel secure in the seat, because the person next to me was much bigger, and the lap thing didn't feel close to my body. I used to love scary rides, but not anymore!!

I loooooove X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountian, I really needed to sit down after that ride, it was insane!

2 weekends ago I took my family to Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, IL, and last weekend took them to Six Flags over Texas in Arlington. I am predisposed to prefer Great America since I grew up going to that park. Texas had some better rides, but the park was dirty and cramped and lacked the landscape and overall "prettiness" of Great America.

My favorite coasters are:
Batman at Texas
Batman at Great America
Titan at Texas
Raging Bull at Great America
Superman at Great America

The Demon at Great America really needs to be retired. It was THE coaster when I was a kid, but it doesn't stand up to the new cool ones and it bangs around a lot. I also hate the American Eagle because it it very rickety and bangy as a wooden coaster.

I haven't been to an amusement park in years. I love 'em and I have no fear. It was a running joke between my husband and me that, if we ever had kids, I'd be the one hitting the roller coasters with our buddies while he shepherded the little ones on the kiddie rides.

The last time I went to an amusement park was in 2000, when my husband's company held a picnic at Lake Compounce. They had just reopened the Lake Plunge after a kid drowned, so of course I had to do the Lake Plunge. FUN. (The kid, btw, should never have been allowed on the ride. He was only six years old, couldn't swim, and wasn't wearing a life jacket.)

One of these days I'll get to Cedar Point. I have friends who go every year and I've heard nothing but good.

LOL

I always got asked if I went to SFOT all the time (since my alma mater is located in the city). I went in 9th grade, but haven't been back since. That area was bad before, but now that the stadium is there, I refuse to drive to that part of Arlington.

I think Arlington is trying too hard to be a giant theme park.

It's not really a lap belt. It's more like a lap bar that holds you in place.

I heard so much about the Superman ride. I really want to try that one. It looks like so much fun.:)

OMG Cedar Park and memories.

My husband is from Ohio and during one of our family visits we went to Cedar Park. This man dragged me to every roller coaster ride that existed in the park. He is a fanatic for roller coasters. Thank heavens the Millennium force did not exist.
At the top of the hill, there is a camera that takes pictures of each rider; well he is all happy with arms up screaming, and then there is me, hand clenched to the bar with a constipated face. We did not buy that picture.

When we were done, I thought things couldn’t get any worse. Well we went on the Mean Streak (I think that’s what is called) a wooden roller coaster than moves you around. Guys I wouldn’t go on this ride if you want your lower parts to stay in tack. During the ride I am bopping and upper part is rocking and rolling, then whap, my underwire bra breaks.

Cedar Park reminds me of constipation with a broken bra. I haven’t gone back since.

I love Cedar Point!!!
Top Thrill Dragster is great but I really love The Maverick!! It's my new favorite there!
Even The Raptor (a smaller coaster there) is fun!!

If you get a chance to do a Hall-o-Weekend there definitely do it! I love that!

Considering I was born and raised in Sandusky, Ohio, and worked at Cedar Point back in the good ol days (when the Magnum was the tallest coaster there)... guess which amusement park is my favorite? ;)
Since we're in SW Ohio now though, we go to Kings Island a lot. They have the best kiddie land there. Well, it WAS the best, but Cedar Fair decided not to renew the contract with Nickleodeon so everything was converted over to the Peanuts theme that CP has. Blah. My daughter does NOT care for the change. Dora and the Backyardigans are better than Snoopy to a kid.
Diamondback at KI... amazing. It's a combo of the Millenium/Maverick at CP, big hill then big air. and the seats are "open air" so you hardly feel like youre strapped onto anything at all.

If you get a chance to do a Hall-o-Weekend there definitely do it! I love that![/QUOTE]

My hb would love to go back. I will have to tell him about the Hall-o-Weekend. His favorite holiday.

lane swerve/
Last year we went haunted housing in Akron. Not sure what is called but it used to be a school house now closed.
back to amusement parks.

We always got season passes for Kings Island in high school and college. I'm not actually that into rides -- terrified of heights, but I can generally handle regular rollercoasters (the Beast, Vortex, the newish one that swings back and forth and rotates, etc.) You couldn't get me on Power Tower or Son of Beast for all the money in the world, though.

Son of Beast is indefinately closed! Too many injuries on it. We rode it last spring a few weeks before they closed it, and it hurt. Not fun at all! They'll tear it down and replace it someday.

I have been to Six Flags Astroworld, Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, Six Flags Worlds of Adventure/Geauga Lake, Six Flags Great America, all of the Disneyworld parks (do they count?) and Cedar Point. Plus all of their waterparks.

There is no competition; Cedar Point makes the rest of them look like kiddie land. Not only do they have the most rides, but they're the best. Top Thrill=awesome. Millenium Force=pure bliss. I could go on and on about "America's Roller Coast." Definitely go for Hall-O-Weekends if you ever get the chance.

Fiance and I have set Hershey Park in our sights for our next visit, so we'll see how it stacks up.

I have no desire to go to Disney. Never have, never will.

Six Flags Ohio/Geauga Lake is now defunct. It used to be the old Sea World (which I loved) plus the amusement park. Now its just a waterpark. Cedar Fair bought it and sold off all the rides.

Cedar Point all the way for me! I grew up about three hours away so summer wasn't complete without a trip to Americas roller coast. I would recommend to stay away from the Mean Streak unless you want a whiplash induced headache.

You ever hear about how someone lost a hand on the Mean Streak? It's a horrible ride. My body just can't handle wooden coasters.

Never heard that one, but the only wooden coaster out of the three there that I ride is the Gemini. It's probably my favorite coaster there.

Yeah, I know. A lot of the Six Flags parks have closed.

People keep telling about that. I definitely will have to go.

My friend told me about the Beast at Kings Island, though I have never been, yet. But what's the Son of the Beast? I don't think anything can be as bad as the Mean Streak. I would like it, if it wasn't so rough.

lol
It's really bad if you ride all the way in the back car. Killer on the back.

:eek: Someone lost their hand on the Mean Streak? Are you kidding me? When did this happen? And it's still open?

Mean Streak is the best wooden coaster I have been on. You have to appreciate wooden coasters as a genre to love it though.

People who get hurt on coasters are, for the most part, dumbasses who weren't following the rules.

I feel vindicated now -- my husband loved that ride and I kept telling him people would get hurt on it!

Ditto, ditto, ditto. And while I love the Corkscrew, I always hit my ears on the bar that comes down to hold you in and it hurts :( I love it anyway though.

I'm really disappointed to hear that Kings Island doesn't have the Nickelodeon stuff anymore. My kids LOVED it years ago when we went and they got to meet Sponge Bob, see Slime Time Live, etc.

The Beast is pretty cool. It's a very LONG ride, and most of it is through woods. Not gonna lie though, I have to sidle my bootie in bass akwards because the seats are SMALL. But it's great at night, it has tunnels, it's prolly the best wooden one I've ever been on. I love the Gemini at CP as well, and the Blue Streak is classic! The best was before they put the updated snug fitting thigh bars on the Blue Streak, and it just had a seatbelt and the automatic lap handlebars. We used to unbuckle the belts and there would be so much space between your body and the bars that you REALLY got air going over the little hills. Alas, they put in the bright orange bars that stick to your thigh, boo.
The Mean Streak versus hand story -
So, it was 1991, the very first year for the Mean Streak. Some guy had ridden the ride several times, and could lean out of his car and actually touch/slap the wooden supports on certain parts of the ride. He later claimed to have done it several times. Well, the last time he did it, he leaned too far out of his car and tried to hit a part the was very low, on the same level as the train. His hand was severed between the train and a part of the wooden structure. My boss from when I worked there was in the Mean Streak Photo Booth when it happened, she said his screams gave her goosebumps.

AGDee, meeting Dora and Boots was the highlight of my daughter's year last summer at KI. Even after the Nick theme (after Hannaa Barbara land) the one indoor ride kept it's Scooby Doo theme, and she LOVED it. It's no longer Scooby Doo. It's a generic themed scary ride now, an it's REALLY scary. She wasn't scared of Scooby Doo, but when we rode it this past June, she started crying! We won't try that one again any time soon.

I love amusement parks, though I haven't been to one in a while. I used to go to Great America all the time - Raging Bull and Batman are my favorite coasters there. I have never been to Cedar Point but want to go there someday.

As for abandoned amusement parks...check out these haunting photos of Six Flags New Orleans, abandoned post-Katrina.

I love Cedar Point! It's been a while since I've been there though. I also love Dorney Park, and Busch Gardens VA (even though they got rid of the best ride there :( :(), though I do wish Busch Gardens had more roller coasters!