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I understand that Disney and universal are mega parks but to be mostly devoted to them! Maybe this site should be renamed. I personally would like to hear more about other parks that I might like to visit. If I want to hear about Disney all the time I would just go to their website. This site has so much more potential to stand apart from others totally devoted to Disney. Instead of themepark tourist this is more Disney tourist.
Thank you so much for including Kennywood on your list. It is a great old park starting as a "trolley park" on the end of the car line with picnic groves and later a merry go round and pool. It has grown and evolved since. It is a great example and the three coasters mentioned are now on that classic coaster registry. It is in good company, as well.
Can you tell us more about this? I'd love to find
out more details.
Loved the fact that both Thorpe &Alton made your list. For me Alton is the UK Disney, it was when I first visited back when I was 11 &it didn't disappoint when I returned 26 years later. Pleased to see Phantasialand is strong rember visiting that back in 89 and would love to go back now I a! Not such acwuss with coasters. More than anything you have me super excited about Busch gardens in 15 days timevwoo hop
KENNYWOOD - is a Classic! (how many parks date back to 1901?!?) That could be another article...
Thanks for mentioning these parks, but I wouldn't consider them "underdogs", they're quite successful in their own rights, many of which were inspirations for Disney and Universal parks.
Oh, definitely! Agreed. "Underdog" in the sense that they're under-appreciated and sometimes discounted when compared to the "big guy," like the underdog in a boxing match. People just assume that Alton Towers can't possibly have anything that compares to Disneyland, so they write Alton Towers off. The reason we highlighted these parks is because you and I know that they meet and even EXCEED Disney's standards in one or more ways, and that they should NOT be counted out. Definitely something I hope folks understand after reading.
I also adore Knott's Berry Farm. Less so now that the family sold the ride area to a more aggressive ride company, and it has lost some of its old-fashioned charms. Still, it's a great place, and well worth a visit, particularly if you're in town for Disneyland or California Adventure.
No Six Flags Park as Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ is the biggest amusement park destination in the Northeastern United States as they have 20 roller coasters including Kingda Ka which is a launch type roller coaster. Plus a safari attraction there.
You're right. Six Flags Great Adventure is an INCREDIBLE coaster park that many enthusiasts rate as one of the best thrill parks in the planet. So... "an underdog?" "In Disney's shadow?" Under-appreciated? Nah, I wouldn't say so. Great Adventure is in an entirely different race than Disney's parks, so the competition or comparisons between them are non-existant. Apples and oranges, as they say.
Does Great Adventure deserve attention and praise? Absolutely. But I wouldn't necessarily say that it's an underdog stuck in Disney's shadow, you know?
20? You're padding their count quite a bit don't you think? Try 12. Plus the park is disgusting, dirty, and very unreliable in regards to park operations. I avoid that park along with most other six flags property like the plague.
The two major parks in Ohio, but for different reasons. Cedar Point in that it is a pure Amusement Park, it does have some theming and is sort of broken up into areas but most of those are named after the biggest ride in the area ie; Gemini Midway, Millennium Midway and the Main Midway. There is the Frontier Trail area that leads to Frontierland. But Cedar Point is mainly a Thrill Amusement Park whereas down in Mason Kings Island is a Theme Park. Kings Island though has gone through changes due to its various owners I would have to say in the beginning it was a truer Theme Park with the Hanna Barbera characters running around and even when Paramount took over the theming was very noticeable in that the newer rides were named after some of Paramounts popular films. Even now that Cedar Fair owns it the theming is quite heavier compared to most of the original Cedar Fair parks even though the movie names had to be dropped due trademark rules.
You left off one park that is literally in Disney's and Universal's backyard, Busch Gardens Tampa. Great coasters and lots of exotic animals.
Love both Kennywood and Busch Gardens Williamsburg!
Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a great theme park....glad you listed it. I would say that Dollywood also is an excellent pkace to visit and have fun. Besides the theme park, a family can also enjoy her water park Splash Mountain. Dolly's Dixie Stampede complements her theme park. With all the other attractions around that area plus the beauty of the mountains, Dollywood is a fine place for a theme park vacation.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a great theme park....glad you listed it. I would say that Dollywood also is an excellent pkace to visit and have fun. Besides the theme park, a family can also enjoy her water park Splash Mountain. Dolly's Dixie Stampede complements her theme park. With all the other attractions around that area plus the beauty of the mountains, Dollywood is a fine place for a theme park vacation.
In my opinion, Holiday World in Santa Claus, IN is one of the nicest parks. We are Disney fanatics, BUT Holiday World is the cleanest park we have been to next to Disney and they offer FREE soft drinks for all visitors, all day long with pop stations scattered through the park. It is smaller than most, but very nice.
I am originally from Pittsburgh and literally grew up @ Kennywood Park, as did my children. However, I lived in Evansville, IN for several years and have nothing but good things to say about Holiday World. The Voyage is definitely one of the best coasters I've ever ridden. And we enjoyed the Holiday Theme.