Tell me about your favorite theme park attractions

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

In three and a half days, I'm on vacation and we're going to Disneyland for several days. (We're locals and are driving there, rather than paying the OMG prices for the Disneyland hotel, which is apparently quite spiffy.)

My oldest kid is a few years away from graduating high school and SoCal high schools almost uniformly have a Disneyland grad night, so this is probably the last time all four of us will be going to Disneyland for the foreseeable future. We're going to be doing Disneyland, then California Adventure and then back to Disneyland, probably for all the Star Wars stuff, which none of us has ever been to. We've got a ton of favorites picked out for the first two days especially.

All of this has me thinking about other theme parks I've enjoyed around the country and overseas.

What are your favorites, either in whole or in part?

 

[Mad_Jack]

When I was doing Rocky Horror, I went to a convention in Orlando, FL - we held the shadowcast of the movie at Universal Studios Citywalk. It was really cool because I got to see LEGOLAND.

 

[gamerprinter]

Not like I really have one, but my nephews are going to Japan next month for 2 weeks to visit family. Mom was supposed to go, but had a mini-stroke event and fall... so she's not going, nor I as care-giver. But one of their planned excursions in Japan, is an actual old insane asylum that has been converted into a high tech horror show with actors. No ride, but you walk through the place. They say it's so scary there are two early exits so patrons can leave the premises and get the Hell outta there. My daughter would love something like that. I'd like to see that...

 

[Mad_Jack]

a high tech horror show with actors.

I luvs me some scare houses.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Not like I really have one, but my nephews are going to Japan next month for 2 weeks to visit family. Mom was supposed to go, but had a mini-stroke event and fall... so she's not going, nor I as care-giver. But one of their planned excursions in Japan, is an actual old insane asylum that has been converted into a high tech horror show with actors. No ride, but you walk through the place. They say it's so scary there are two early exits so patrons can leave the premises and get the Hell outta there. My daughter would love something like that. I'd like to see that...

This is a real rollercoaster of a post. I'm sorry about what happened to your mom. That's awful.

And converting a former asylum into a haunted house feels almost too easy -- it's got to be incredibly effective.

 

[fba827]

Haunted mansion. It has excellent ambience and effects. A strong enough narrative.

Also white water canyon ( it’s at a local theme park but I’m positive other places have similar things. You sit in a large circular 6 person thing that is basically a large tire with seats in a circle. It floats around a water track, some rapids and splashes). I find it just very relaxing but exciting at the same time. And if it is a hot day the water splashes are nice and welcome.

 

[aco175]

Can't believe nobody posted this yet.

We are going to Colonial Williamsburg in a few weeks myself. Not sure if the two high-school kids will enjoy it that much. Last years we went on a cruise in the Caribbean and that may prove better for them.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Can't believe nobody posted this yet.

View attachment 279309

We are going to Colonial Williamsburg in a few weeks myself. Not sure if the two high-school kids will enjoy it that much. Last years we went on a cruise in the Caribbean and that may prove better for them.

It has been decades since I've been, but I really liked Busch Gardens: The Old Country back in the day.

 

[Undrave]

I went to Tokyo DisneySea 10 years ago and I plan on going back there this fall on a trip to Japan and I CANNOT WAIT.

I think my favorite ride there was Journey to the Center of the Earth! Such a unique ride and it's full of surprises! I went basically blind and I was so surprised by it and it was absolutely amazing! If you intend to go there one day, I urge you not to look up ride through videos.

In the same area of the park (Disney Sea as Port of Calls and not Lands), Mysterious Island, was 20 000 League Under the Sea! It's a Dark Ride that simulates amazingly a trip under the water. It is incredibly charming and also has its own fun surprises and unique characters. It also has short standby time during the off-season. It's practically walk on in the evening.

Their version of Indiana Jones is a hoot (and has a Single Rider Line the locals never use ), though it uses the same track layout as the Anaheim version it has an Aztec theme! The cue winds through the interior of an impressive pyramid!

I'm particularly looking forward to riding their Sinbad ride because it was closed the last time I was there. I hope it doesn't happen again ><. The song for this attraction is pretty amazing. It's called Compass of your Heart and was composed by Alan Menken. The ride itself plays it in Japanese but an English version exists if you want to listen to it.

Sadly, my second favorite ride in the park is no more, having being re-themed to a Finding Nemo ride in an effort to bring more IPs to a park often viewed as an 'Adult Park' or a 'Date Spot'. the reskin looks serviceable, and they added much needed shade to the outdoor queue area, but I'm sad I only ever got to ride it once... Let me introduce you to Storm Rider :


It also had amazing surprises I wasn't expecting.

DisneySea also has a fun show called Big Band Beat featuring Big Band era music, with Disney Characters dancing the swing and culminating in a drum solo by Mickey Mouse himself. It was a hoot!

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

I live in Florida, so just stepping outside my house is like entering a theme park with multiple themes... 80% "the horror".

I haven't been to a theme park in years. I kind of want to. Maybe i'll take advantage of some of the travel I do for work and visit one of the Orlando parks.

 

[Marc Radle]

I’ve always had a soft spot for Hershey Park.
Hershey is a really cool town (it really does smell like chocolate) and the amusement park is wonderful.

 

[billd91]

I've been to a few parks including:
Six Flags Great America (my closest one and the one I've been to the most)
Disneyland
Disney World
Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Valleyfair
Hershey Park
Six Flags St Louis
Universal Orlando
Legoland Windsor
Mount Olympus (where I worked a summer back when it was still Familyland)

By my memory, Six Flags Great America and Busch Gardens Williamsburg had the best roller coasters - usually my favorite reason for going to amusement parks.
Disney World, however, had the best hospitality since we stayed at the resort and went to multiple parks while there. They DO hospitality.
Legoland Windsor was kind of cool, but it was also October so the weather was getting cold, meaning it wasn't quite as fun as it could have been.
Universal Orlando's Harry Potter areas are VERY immersive. That was extremely cool. But they were split into the two Universal parks on site so you had to get the park hopper pass to go to both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. And that was expensive. Plus, Jo Rowling lumps my daughter in with rapists lurking in bathrooms and women's prisons so we're never effing going there again unless she recants and pays through the nose to atone for her statements.

 

[Blue]

Used to go to Great Adventure (Six Flags: Great Adventure for all you non-NJ people) all the time when younger. Actually had two friends working for the Totally Fun Company (yes, that was it's name) doing stage productions and they funneled me most of their free tickets, so one summer I was there all the time.

Williamsburg, Busch Gardens, Hershey Park, all several times. I've been to both US Disneys when a kid, only Disney World (twice) as an adult.

Interesting and little known one in the Pennsylvania area nto too far from the New Jersey border is a Knoebels. Good roller coasters including two wooden ones, good food, and cheap compared to all the rest. With attached (and detached) campgrounds where you can just walk (or shuttle) in.

America's Largest Free-Admission Amusement Park | Knoebels Amusement Resort

Knoebels is America's largest free-admission amusement park with something for everyone - rollercoasters, kid-friendly rides, swimming, camping, golf.

www.knoebels.com

 

[jdrakeh]

I loved classic "fun houses" with my favorite being Cyclone Sadie's at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City (the attraction was closed in the late 80s or early 90s as fun houses fell out of fashion at theme parks). Also, Terror on Church Street in Orlando, which I first learned about when I was gifted a t-shirt from the attraction.

 

[Mannahnin]

I visited Disneyland for the first time almost a year ago, and had a wonderful time. My sister lives out there and is a fan, with a season pass, so that helped. We optimized it pretty well.

The Star Wars rides and area were probably our favorites (Rise of the Resistance is incredible, but Smuggler's Run is super fun as well), but the Indiana Jones ride and Space Mountain were also amazing. I was definitely a fan of the Matterhorn as well.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I visited Disneyland for the first time almost a year ago, and had a wonderful time. My sister lives out there and is a fan, with a season pass, so that helped. We optimized it pretty well.

The Star Wars rides and area were probably our favorites (Rise of the Resistance is incredible, but Smuggler's Run is super fun as well), but the Indiana Jones ride and Space Mountain were also amazing. I was definitely a fan of the Matterhorn as well.

My little one's most insistent request, like we were going to ignore the giant mountain in the middle of the park: "We are going on the Matterhorn, right?" It's almost certainly the very first thing we're going to do.

 

[Lidgar]

Rise of the Resistance. It's about as amazing as they come. We do Disneyland every year, so just planning our next trip now.

PS - Pirates of the Caribbean is my other go to when it's hot and we just want to chill for a bit.

 

[Undrave]

I loved classic "fun houses" with my favorite being Cyclone Sadie's at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City (the attraction was closed in the late 80s or early 90s as fun houses fell out of fashion at theme parks). Also, Terror on Church Street in Orlando, which I first learned about when I was gifted a t-shirt from the attraction.

Walkthroughs attractions are generally underrated. Classic fun houses, walkthrough haunted house with actors... I'm personally a fan of mazes! At the Old Port in Montreal they have SOS Labyrinthe where you not only have to navigate the maze (which is changing every month or so, since its uses cloth partitions) but you also have to find four areas in the maze to 'win'. When I went a decade or so ago you had to get stamps but I don't know what they use now. They even had a timed leaderboard if you wanted to compete.

 

[Mannahnin]

Undrave reminds me as well that The Haunted Mansion was great as well, though there was a long line for it.

My little one's most insistent request, like we were going to ignore the giant mountain in the middle of the park: "We are going on the Matterhorn, right?" It's almost certainly the very first thing we're going to do.

It's super fun.

Speaking of lines, I definitely recommend the Genie+Lightning Lane upgrade, and getting in "virtual line" for your next ride while you're physically in line for the previous one. This was part of the optimization I mentioned. My sister was sharp about keeping an eye on the current wait times for rides we wanted to do, and once our time slot for a Lightning Line entry came up, as soon as we walked into the shorter LL queue and scanned in on our phones, she'd be checking availability on other rides and getting us plugged in for an entry time at the next ride.

We went on a Sunday, and once it got past around 8:00pm and the crowds thinned out we were able to get into all kinds of rides very quickly, but during the day I was very happy to have the Lightning Lanes where they were available (as I recall the Haunted Mansion and Jungle Cruise did not have the option, for example).

 

[Mad_Jack]

Also white water canyon ( it’s at a local theme park but I’m positive other places have similar things. You sit in a large circular 6 person thing that is basically a large tire with seats in a circle. It floats around a water track, some rapids and splashes). I find it just very relaxing but exciting at the same time. And if it is a hot day the water splashes are nice and welcome.

Flume-style water rides have always been my second favorite thing after rollercoasters.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Hershey Park.
Hershey is a really cool town (it really does smell like chocolate) and the amusement park is wonderful.

We stopped at Hershey on the way back from our 8th grade field trip to Gettysburg...
I was kinda pissed at the time, because pretty much everybody on the trip came home with ridiculous amounts of chocolate, but I hadn't outgrown my chocolate allergy yet (and was poor) so I had to limit myself to a single candy bar.
I do recall there was a pretty cool shopping mall near there.