Amusement Park Enthusiasts.......

[Maxi'sMinis]

I am shopping for a new amusement park adventure this summer. Does anyone have a favorite that you go back to time and again? What are your favorite rides. I love the trill rides. Tell me about the best ride you have ever been on.

 

[Leeana]

We live right by Cedar Point here in Ohio...which is pretty funny as when people ask where we live "oh just up by cedar point". Everyone i know has a season pass for Cedar Point - it is "the" place here to be during the summer. I do not do rollar coasters however i have rode the "Iron Dragon" at cedar point about 2x, it is the "sissy ride" that everyone starts out on..i can scream all the way through that ride..in fact you probably could have heard me in the next state going OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG both times...

This is the Iron Dragon ride @ Cedar Pont link @



But i like to go mostly during Halloweekends @ cedarpoint which is about a week around halloween...lots of fun there that does not involve going 70 MPH in a circle.

We went to universal studios back in 2000 when we went to the daytona 500 ... love universal studios, a lot of animated rides that do not involved flipping and rolling and being upside down and going about 70 mph.

 

[minifancier]

Well your a ways away from this but how about Silver Dollar City? That is in Branson MO. and it is like a Disneyland only set in the 1800's~!

You will see glass blowing basket weaving and many other things of that era.

Plus the rides are Fantastic, LOTS of water type rides, and most all of the big rides coasters and such are such that they are set Back on the Other side of the Hill, so you REALLY don't know what it is like till you are actually on it.~! Cool.

Besides Silver Dollar City, you ARE really just a few miles from downtown Branson, with Lots of Country Music theaters to take in and such.

 

[LindaL]

ohhh.....you will have to ask me this again after I get back from my vacation in Florida in mid- April (when I get back). We are going to Sea World, Busch Gardens and Islands of Adventure. I have never been to any of these places and I am sooooo excited to try out all the coasters and other rides....scarier is BETTER....LOL!! I am such an adrenaline junkie!!

Right now the best ride Ive ever been on is the one at California Adventure...their coaster (but I can't think of the name of it right now..........lol!! Having a brain fart....

) Also, on top of the Stratasphere Hotel in Vegas....the Hotshot...OMG I love that ride!!

Luckily Deb loves rides just as much as I do, so our vacays will somehow include amusement parks...lol

 

[SHANA]

The closest amusement park to me is La Ronde in Montreal, Quebec. I have been many times. Lots of fun. I also have been to Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario which has some rides as well, including Dragon Mountain(roller coaster) that I have been on many times as well as The Skyscreamer which I also have been on.

 

[anoki]

Canada's Wonderland in Toronto, Ontario

:ThumbUp

Actually I'm somewhat biased on that, since I haven't been able to get to any other parks!

And I haven't been able to get to Wonderland for a few years

but one of these days I'll get back and try all the new coasters!

~kathryn

 

[Sonya]

I've been to Bush Gardens in Va, Disney in FL, Kennywood in PA, Seaworld in VA (I think it was VA), Michigan Adventures in MI, a park in NC (I can't remember it's name...I want to say Carowins) and Cedarpoint in OH....if you are looking for rides.........Cedar Point all the way! Cedar point has the latest and greatest....the best rollercoasters ever....warning, be prepared for long lines for the coasters even during the week....but they are well worth it for the thrill seekers!

 

[BigDogs & LittleHorses]

Here in Oregon the climate just isn't right for amusement parks, but we have two small old fashioned "Scooby Doo" type amusement parks, Oaks Park in Portland and Enchanted Forest in Salem.

Oaks Park opened in 1905 I believe and is now a non-profit. In fact, there is no admission... you can walk right in, bring a picnic lunch and eat by the river if you want. Don't have to spend a dime.

They have quite a few classic carnival rides like the carrousel, Scrambler, Octopus, bumper cars (metal ones!), etc. and also has a huge roller skating rink with a big pipe organ. But no massive roller coaster like a six flags or anything on that scale. Very old school. Kind of run down and dirty, but that's part of its charm. Not really worth a trip from out of town, unless that is what you are looking for.

 

[Christina_M]

I agree with Cedar Point. It's reated in the top 10 in the World for roller coasters. I've been to Walt Disney parks in Florida, but nothing compares to Cedar Point for a roller coaster enthusiasts. I would get a Cedar Point Hotel right there within walking distance to the park. When you stay with them,they offer all guest to get in 1 hr. early to the park to ride the coasters. If gives you a jump on the rest of the people coming through the gate. The newset roller coaster is Top Thrill Dragster...I love rollar coasters but this one scared me!

They were having problems and it kept coming back down instead of going over like it was supposed to!!!

My husband and bother-in-law rode it, but I figured I would wait until next ime when it's working correctly.

 

[Sonya]

The Top Thrill Dragster was awesome! I work till late tonight but tomorrow morning I will scan the picture we had taken when we rode it and post it...it is one of those pics the park takes for you..good advice staying in the compound to get in early...that's what we did too....if you do go there I would also suggest goin to Put-in Bay on S. Bass Island. Its not far from Cedar Point..you ride a ferry over to it. Its about 30 mins west of Cedar Point..It is really cool...also another thing to do over there is a drive-through safari...can't remember the name but there are signs everywhere for it..it was alot of fun too. I post pics tomorrow.

 

[Sonya]

Well my scanner isn't working for some reason so I took a picture of the picture so it didn't turn out very good. Me and my husband are the ones in the very back seats. The pic on the right is "take off" and the pic on the left is after it's all over...you can see my husband was very happy with the ride. The guy two seats in front of us in the take off picture is hilarious...I cut some of him off, but his hair is standing on end...hehehe.

It says on the photo cover for the Dragster:

track length 2800' (very short)

lift height 420'

angle of lift 90degree

vertical drop 400'

angle of descent 90degree

angle of twist on descent 270degree

launch speed 120mph (less than 4 seconds)

drop speed 120mph

I think I liked the Maverick even better though...it was their newest when we went in 2007:

track length 4450'

lift height 105'

vertical drop 100'

angle of descent 95degree

speed of 1st drop 57mph

speed of second launch 70mph

time 2:30 (that's why I liked it, it was much longer than the dragster)

Another good one was the Millennium Force:

track length 6595'

lift height 310'

angle of lift hill 45degree

vertical drop 300'

angle of descent 80degree

speed 93mph

time 2:20