Hersheypark. I grew up around it, I’ve seen it go from the Comet and the sooperdooperlooper to a true roller coaster park and it’s a great way to spend a day without breaking the bank. Maybe one day I’ll make it out to Cedar Point so I can compare the two.
Well said. I remember as a kid, starting around ten or so, my friends and I were allowed to visit a park every year. Our choices were Magic Mountain (now a Six Flags) Knott’s Berry Farm or Disneyland. The first couple of times we chose Magic Mountain because of all the great roller coasters (The “Revolution” was the world’s first steel loop coaster, IIRC)but by around twelve we realized there was just something special about Disneyland. There’s just so much attention to detail and it really does have a totally different vibe. Looking back, I know realize that Magic Mountain and the few other Six Flags parks I’ve been to are, well, kind of trashy.
Pretty similar experience to mine. I grew up going primarily to King’s Island (which later became Paramount’s King’s Island, and now that the folks behind Cedar Point have bought it, it’s reverted back to plain ol’ King’s Island) and, to a much lesser extent LeSourdesville Lake/Americana. I enjoyed these when I was a lad (well, King’s Island I enjoyed; even at seven or eight years old, I could tell that LL/Americana was pretty damned trashy), but at the age of ten, we went to WDW for the first time (when all it consisted of was the Magic Kingdom), and there was no going back to a place as pedestrian as King’s Island, as far as I was concerned. And then, three years later we returned to the World, and I was even more blown away now that the vaunted EPCOT Center was open. I mean, how could a 13 year old budding nerd not be? The ride in on the monorail, catching glimpses of The Great Ball. And then walking into the parks and staring up at Spaceship Earth as it loomed over us all. Plus, that day I had my first exposure to touch screen technology, not to mention all the wonders that awaited me in Communicores East and West. And right then I fell in love, and now, even 27 years later, despite the many changes they’ve made to the park, I’ve yet to fall out of love with it. And that love carries over to the rest of Walt Disney World.
So, uh, yeah. To my mind, there’s just a bit of difference between an amusement park and a theme park.
What you said. I like all of the WDW parks, but the Magic Kingdom is my favorite. It’s the only place where I walk around with a smile so big my face hurts after a while.
We went to the two Universal parks last summer, which were fun, but we couldn’t wait to get out of there. They just didn’t feel right. Most of the staff personnel just seemed to be going through the motions. The parks just didn’t have any spark.
FWIW, I first went to WDW and Universal back in the early 1990s when my sisters came to visit me in Orlando, where I was stationed at the time at the Navy base. None of the parks did a whole lot for me back then, probably because we commuted in every morning from my apartment (a real hassle), it was crowded beyond belief, hot as hell, and I couldn’t afford any of the restaurants.
My wife really had to twist my arm to get me to go back in 2007 with our then-10-year-old son. After finally agreeing to go, I did some basic research, and planned it right this time. It was by far the best vacation I’ve ever been on. We been back twice more since that first family visit, as well as a Disney cruise. In fact, we’re just now finalizing a purchase in the Disney Vacation Club (DVC).
Let me guess: you studied up on how best to maximize your usage of Fastpass? Because that is the best way to do WDW.
And out of curiosity, which property are you looking into purchasing DVC shares for? If I had the money, I’d definitely be purchasing Animal Kingdom Villas shares.
Mine would be Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, which is frequently called the “Roller Coaster Capital of the World.” It has the Magnum, The Millenium Force, and the Top Thrill Dragster, all of which were the tallest roller coasters in the world for a while, as well as the Raptor, the Blue Streak and the Mean Streak. It has a great location on the coast of Lake Erie as well.
Fastpasses, staying on property, dining reservations, and having a plan. Actually, here’s a list of tips from a Disney discussion board of which I’m a member.
We’ve stayed at AKV (this past February, actually), and it was very nice, but we absolutely love the Wilderness Lodge, so we bought into the Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.
I’m gonna have to go with Cedar Point as well. It is AWESOME, especially if you actually like good rides. (I’ve been to Disneyland many times, and it’s enjoyable enough, but the rides are super lame compared to Cedar Point. It’s the ~Disney experience~ though, I guess.)
Cedar Point is a great amusement park, as in roller coasters and waterslides and such–Chicagoans like me will drive two states to go there-- but the OP asks about theme parks, which I interpret as having a lot of “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Back to the Future” rides.
Just my opinion.
Legoland - because it’s LEGOLand!
The Windsor one, although I hear the Billund one is best. One day…
Another vote here for Cedar Point in Sandusky OH.
Disneyland
The original, and still the best. There’s just something…i don’t know…*magical *about it
When I was growing up, even though I lived in the southeast, my grandparents lived in southern California, and they took us to Disneyland once a year, every year. So nothing will ever compare to that magic for me. It’s Disneyland, hands down, no contest. I started thinking it was really lame when I was around 14 so I quit going, but then I went with my wife when we were about 24 and it was magical all over again. I felt like a kid again.
However, Magic Mountain, Cedar Point, and many others have far better coasters. We also went to Raging Waters in San Dimas about once a year growing up, which was a ton of fun as well.
Ah, yes, the DIS. At once an inviting place, full of potentially very useful information, and at the same time a den of evil, vindictive, thin-skinned soccer moms that’s lorded over by a self-loathing gay founder and owner. I much prefer these for my WDW info: Deb Will’s Allears.net and the Unofficial Guide To Walt Disney World.
I’ll join the pack and say Cedar Point. That’s the best place, hands down, to go for rides. It’s just got so many to choose from.
If my personal bias is allowed to play, though, I want to vote for the historic, majestic Kennywood Park. It’s home to my favorite two coaster, the Thunderbolt and the Jackrabbit. I can scientifically, undeniably prove that these are awesome:
The Thunderbolt is a wooden coaster, so it doesn’t have shoulder bars, which mean you don’t have to struggle to keep your head from banging around and getting a headache. You also feel more “free” in the car, which adds to the flying feeling.
The first drops are right out of the gate. You get two “appetizer” drops before you even hit the chain lift. You fly down into the ravine and *aaaaaaaaaalmost *hit the Phantom’s Revenge before swooping back up. It’s all right on the edge of a steep slope down to the Monongahela river, so you feel like you’re soaring.
The Jackrabbit looks beautiful at night- like something out of a movie- and has a special surprise in the middle of the ride that I won’t spoil for first-time riders. You’ll just have to try it for yourself.
But Kennywood also has that old-time charm. Most of it is a historical landmark, and the park went through a period where it restored a majority of the rides and facades back to the early 20th century versions. There is absolutely no commercial feel like with the big names, where they’re trying to sell you something every 5 feet.
What he said. We have gone nearly every summer since I was old enough to remember.
Cedar Point is AWESOME but it isn’t a theme park, unless you count rollercoasters as a theme.
It actually USED to be a theme park, and vestiges of the old theme-yness remain. In the upper west of the peninsula, under the Millenium Force track, there is a cluster of pioneer-theme shops and Ft. Sandusky. At one time it was a genuine historical attraction where you could see people doing pioneer crafts (I think the glass blowing studio is the only craft shop left).
Anyway, the original themeing and quasi-educational attractions were shifted and moved and removed to make way for new rides till you can no longer perceive a theme, unless you’re looking for it.
No Six Flags parks options in the poll?
Six Flags Great America. Love it, it’s close, etc. But I have a feeling I would love Cedar Point if I got a chance to go there.
Gotta go with Disneyland. Epcot’s a very close second, but DL is the original. Animal Kingdom is #3.
Heh. Don’t forget some of the worst abuses of inline pics, avatars & sig files. Still, when planning a trip, there are enough generous people there wiling to help with lots of good info. But yeah, you really need to learn to filter out the crazy.
I haven’t really experienced that too much, probably because I’ve never got into the social aspects of the board. I’ve pretty much just used it as a source of info. I’ve gotten information there that’s helped us out a great deal.
There are some real whack-jobs there, though. I actually ran into one in person at the local barber in my home town here in Connecticut. I got talking to them, and they told me their screen name on the DISboards. It took only a couple of minutes looking at their posts on the board to figure out that this was one person I didn’t want to have anything to do with.
I totally agree that the the Unofficial Guide To Walt Disney World is tops. That’s the book I recommend to people planning a trip. It has been my main resource for planning our trips.
I also agree that Allears.net is great. Another good site is Mousesavers.com.