6. Knott’s Berry Farm

Image: Cedar FairBy this point, I suspect that my affinity for Knott’s Berry Farm is well-established. This place has even more history than Disneyland, and it was family-owned and operated for generations. One of the restrictions in the transfer of ownership was that it not be sold to The Walt Disney Company. I love that sort of fighting spirit that carries on past the grave.

Knott’s Berry Farm is an extremely impressive theme park that receives about four million guests annually. You’ll find plenty of great rides if you visit…and you should! The consensus is that the best ones are GhostRider, Montezooma’s Revenge, Silver Bullet, the Timber Mountain Log Ride, and Xcelerator. While of them are great, Xcelerator goes from zero to 82 miles per hour in 2.3 seconds. It’s an adrenaline junkie’s dream roller coaster.

5. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Image: SeaWorld EntertainmentThe crowded theme park market in Florida leads to an odd statistic. You’ll notice that four out of the five most trafficked theme parks in the world are in Orlando and Tampa Bay. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay received slightly less than 4.2 million guests last year, which is still only good enough for fifth place on the list. So, they’re top five in North American but only fourth in their own backyard. Florida truly is the theme park capital of North America (and the world, for that matter.)

Most theme park tourists would settle on four attractions as their best options. Those are Cheetah Hunt, Montu, and SheiKra plus their newest roller coaster, Cobra’s Curse. You, the readers, are huge fans of all of these attractions, as three of them finish in the top 26 of our Top 100. I’m going to defer for your choice as the best of the group, though.

According to you, Cheetah Hunt is one of the top 15 rides in the entire world. It’s a roller coaster based on the behavior and athleticism of cheetahs. Plus, it sits right beside a cheetah exhibit!

4. SeaWorld Orlando

Image: SeaWorld EntertainmentDespite all of the negative headlines that the SeaWorld franchise has earned in recent years, people still flock to SeaWorld. After peak attendance of 5.9 million in 2008, it has fallen back quite a bit in light of those headlines, though. In response, park officials have emphasized the creation of new attractions that deliver a second good reason to visit.

At SeaWorld Orlando, they’ve constructed four roller coasters during the 2000s, one of which they also improved through emerging technologies. The best three rides here are unquestionably Mako, Manta, and Kraken. Manta has a genius coaster cart design that causes a distinctive out-of-body sensation, while Mako is a pure demonstration of power. It currently stands as the best hypercoaster in the greater Orlando area. While both are good, SeaWorld’s decision to add a virtual reality themed component to Kraken has elevated its status. Now called Kraken Unleashed, it’s the best thing at any SeaWorld park.