Favorite Non-Disney park

[mej]

I love Sea World because my kids adore it. (My son wants to be a monorail driver but my daughter wants to train Shamu!) I also enjoyed De Eiftling in Holland (even though I was there supervising 30 eleven year children) - the bins said "Thank you"! and I was impressed by Alton Towers, even though it was very hilly! I stayed in the hotel and that was fun.

 

[Smee]

Best other Theme Park is IOA.

But the best amusement park is Cedar Point, hands down. They push the coaster angle hard but the park is much more. Hotels and Campground on the property, right at the gates. Very clean, friendly staff, safe and well maintained rides, and lots of them.
Great water park, boat marina, good food. And all of it is very reasonably priced.

And no park anywhere moves a line like CP, they cycle more riders per hour than any other park.

I've been to most of the big ones, CP is the best.

 

[lemonade]

Islands of Adventure. I love that place. Maybe that's why I've been 6 times in 3 years.

 

[disneyman15]

Universal Studies in Orlando because it has some good rides but it does not compare to Disney.

 

[donaldduck1967]

IOA

 

[ToTBellHop]

Six Flags Worlds of Adventure--10 coasters, a new waterpark, and the old Sea World Ohio all in one!

 

[dandaman]

Cedar Point all the way!!!!! Best rides on Earth (non-Disney, of course...)! I'm going September 18th! BTW, SFWoA is gone, it turned back to Geauga Lake... Cedar Fair bought it for $145 M...

 

[DCL]

Aside from Disney World, Cedar Point is the most amazing place I have ever been to! I've been there twice and I can't wait to go back again...

.... has anyone been on the top Thrill Dragster?? 0 to 120 mph in something like 4 seconds.... up and down over 400 ft! That looks absolutely incredible!!

 

[NemoRocks78]

1. Universal Studios Florida - Revenge of the Mummy, MIB Alien Attack, E.T. Adventure, Shrek 4D, Jaws....what more can you ask for?

2. Knott's Berry Farm - Holds one of the best woodies in the country, GhostRider. Great coasters and theming make it one heck of a theme park.

3. Islands of Adventure - Awesome theming and amazing attractions.

4. Paramount's Carowinds - Has some pretty fun rides and coasters. A little "low" on the theming side, but a fun park overall.

5. Universal Studios Hollywood - The USH Tram Tour....what more can I say?

 

[donaldduck1967]

IOA .... love hulk and DD

 

[Tim G]

6Flags Magic Mountain

For Shure!!!

 

[Tim G]

Some more photos of 6Flags Magic Mountain

 

[goofyfan13]

Cedar Point hands down, no comparison anywhere. When a park whens the golden ticket award for best amusement park in the country 7 years in a row, that just has to tell you something. It has so many great rides. I know it has more stuff to do than just coasters, as many people have said, but I don't go there for that, just the white knuckle thrills.

.... has anyone been on the top Thrill Dragster?? 0 to 120 mph in something like 4 seconds.... up and down over 400 ft! That looks absolutely incredible!!

I've ridden dragster probobly 11-12 times. I can tell you that while it is a VERY short ride, it is still probobly the most amazing coaster I have ever been on. I still get nervous sitting in that launch spot waiting to go. Then the speed just hits you. If you sit in the front seat your cheeks flap in the wind, it feels so weird. But an incredible ride none the less.

 

[xfkirsten]

SeaWorld of Californa!!!!!!! :sohappy: :sohappy:

Not that I'm biased or anything. :lookaroun

Seriously, though. The park itself is beautiful - right on Mission Bay, with gorgeous surrounding views of San Diego, especially from the Skytower. Nicely themed without being too over-the-top. There's also more in the way of animal attractions here than there are in Orlando's park, due to zoning restrictions on the bay (it has to be officially classified as a marine park to be there, which brings with it many restrictions on the ride-to-educational-exhibit ratio) which I think keeps the focus nicely on the animals. Wonderful shows - Cirque de le Mer is spectacular!! It's completely different than Orlando's old version of that show, which got the death it deserved. And Sea World of California is also currently the only park in the Western Hemisphere to exhibit Commerson's dolphins - they're strikingly beautiful!! Our killer whale stadium and Shamu Close Up are also WONDERFUL, and afford a much better view of the killer whales than SeaWorld of Florida or Texas, all day long.

 

[xfkirsten]

6Flags Magic Mountain

For Shure!!!

LOL... I drive by that place every time I drive home to Seattle. It's SO tempting to stop (come on, I'd rather be on those coasters than on the drive through the wasteland north of there! ) but I always have my rat in the car, so I can't just leave him all day in a hot car.

But Magic Mountain loses points in my book for the gangs, and it's just not a pretty/tidy park in general.

 

[surfsupdon]

Busch Garden's Williamsburg!!! It is a fantastic theme park, not just an amusement park. Absolutely gorgeous! Perhaps that is why they win Most Beautiful Theme Park in the USA year after year. Kind of hard to imagine that anything could beat the MK, but in all honesty, it does!

Perfctly stated. It does seem hard that something could beat Magic Kingdom, but Busch Gardens Wmsbg. does an amazing job. My favorite theme park outside of Disney. Simply beautiful, and full of great attractions, delicious food, and fun events!

 

[GoofyFan1]

Busch Garden's Williamsburg!!! It is a fantastic theme park, not just an amusement park. Absolutely gorgeous! Perhaps that is why they win Most Beautiful Theme Park in the USA year after year. Kind of hard to imagine that anything could beat the MK, but in all honesty, it does!

I definitely agree with you. Next summer we are going back. While WDW will always be my favorite, Busch Gardens Williamsburg is soooo close as second.

I love the area. I'm considering retiring to the Tidewater area, eventually.

 

[Disnut]

I love being on this site because you all have made me look at theme parks diferantly next time I get to go to one I will most likely look at things a whole lot differant.

 

[Aeroshen]

I'd go with Busch Gardens: Williamsburg.

I personally like this park (close second) because of the overall theming of the park, and how all of the rides fit together with the theming of differnt sections of the park. It has some good rollercoasters (Apollo's Chariot, Alpengheist, Lochness Monster, Big Bad Wulf), Water rides (Roman Rapids, Log Flume thingy), and food (Italy). The park keeps a clean overall appeal, and the food is good (i did mention this right). Also the lines aren't too bad aslong as it is the right time of year (and if its not raining). The park is relatively close to where i live; only about an hour away and an hour and a half with traffic

~Aeros

 

[Kopp8699]

Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure for Orlando parks. Six Flags Great Adventure (new coaster this year) for NJ parks. Cedar Point for other parks. All four have good rides.