Rank your top 10 theme/amusement parks

[DisneyGigi]

Headed to dollywood this Monday/Tuesday. That park is so charming. We’ve had passes for a few years now and usually make it there 2-3 times a year. Love Dollywood.

Wise choice going during the week! We used to go many times a year. All the way back to when Dollywood took over Silver Dollar City. I was just a kid. It isn’t that far from where we live. I do love it, I just hate the Pigeon Forge traffic. That place has exploded in the last 10-15 years!

 

[Touchdown]

The festival of nations is my second favorite time to visit (Christmas is #1) I love all the acts they bring in from around the world. Be sure to see drum struck this year, they were my favorite.

 

[Trackmaster]

Kings Island talk makes me happy. It's not perfect, and obviously lacks Disney quality themeing throughout, but it's a great regional amusement park.

Yeah, but all of the Universal talk is concerning. Universal is just a bunch of screen rides people! It does not hold a candle to Disney. If the theming is going to suck, at least get on some real coasters and enjoy the great outdoors. Not just get on a vehicle, stay still and watch a video screen and have your seat move around.

 

[Touchdown]

The Incridible Hulk Coaster
Doctor Doom Fear Fall
Storm Force
Dudley Do Right Ripsaw Falls
Popeye’s Bildge Raft Barges
Jurassic Park River Adventure
The Flying Hipogriff
Hagrids Bike Coaster
Every Ride in Suess Landing
Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket
Revenge of the Mummy
MIB Alien Attack
ET Adventure
Volcano Bay
not to mention every live show they have

You can criticize them for their recent reliance on screen based rides but that does not mean that screen rides are the only rides they have

 

[Spirit of 76]

My $.02:
Epcot
Animal Kingdom
Magic Kingdom
Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Cedar Point
DHS
Dollywood
Kings Island
Busch Gardens Tampa
Camden Park
I don't remember my trip to Disneyland...I was one, (51 years ago).

 

[UpAllNight]

Disneyland
Animal Kingdom
Magic Kingdom
Islands of Adventure
California Adventure
Seaworld Orlando
Universal Studios Hollywood
Epcot
Port Aventura
Knotts Berry Farm

Maybe DLP ahead of Knotts but not been for a while so need to refresh my memory.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

Yeah, but all of the Universal talk is concerning. Universal is just a bunch of screen rides people! It does not hold a candle to Disney. If the theming is going to suck, at least get on some real coasters and enjoy the great outdoors. Not just get on a vehicle, stay still and watch a video screen and have your seat move around.

No, this is not true. They have some, but not all. King Kong for instance is just a partial screen ride. Lots of great theming on that ride too. Spiderman is a hybrid as well. There is no way you aren't moving on that ride a lot. Then there are the outdoor rides, lots of them too. The entire Dr. Seuss section is just classic rides. Cat and the Hat is very Disney-esque and so is E.T. There is Popeye and Bluto's Barges which is a ride that you will get drenched on like none other you've ever seen. Jurassic Park's entire section is unique. Great theming there. Love the cave section. How about The Mummy? Come on, that isn't a great dark coaster? Excellent theming too. I just wish they would do something with the Sinbad stage because that was a fine show.

I don't know, to each their own.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

The last two only qualify because they are the only other theme park type places we visit besides Disney. We have had annual passes to Dollywood, for a few years and did not even use them last year, we spent so much time other places. (Disney) lol
We may go back while taking a small Disney break. 15 trips to Orlando and Disney and have never set foot in any other park there.

I would love to hit Dollywood and I say it every year. Maybe 2019 though and for sure if we can't go to WDW this year. I live near Toronto, so even Pigeon Forge is about 11-12 hours away but I would love to see it, I hear nothing but good things about it. Definitely a bucket list, multiple times over.

But hey, hit up Universal when you are in Orlando next. I know that to have a good time you never have to leave WDW's property and that is true, there is something for everyone and I did a lot of exploring my last trip and still didn't get everywhere. But Orlando still has a lot more to offer. Both Universal parks are worth the price of admission. Sea World is worth seeing as well and if you venture to Tampa then Busch Gardens is worth it. I don't get the Disney fans who don't like Universal, because they do things well there. It doesn't have the nostalgia to the same extent and there isn't that aura of magic, but there is still an aura there that you'll like.

 

[Trackmaster]

No, this is not true. They have some, but not all. King Kong for instance is just a partial screen ride. Lots of great theming on that ride too. Spiderman is a hybrid as well. There is no way you aren't moving on that ride a lot. Then there are the outdoor rides, lots of them too. The entire Dr. Seuss section is just classic rides. Cat and the Hat is very Disney-esque and so is E.T. There is Popeye and Bluto's Barges which is a ride that you will get drenched on like none other you've ever seen. Jurassic Park's entire section is unique. Great theming there. Love the cave section. How about The Mummy? Come on, that isn't a great dark coaster? Excellent theming too. I just wish they would do something with the Sinbad stage because that was a fine show.

I don't know, to each their own.

I consider Spiderman to be a screen ride and not really a hybrid, as the core action takes place on the screen, and the props are just light theming to the side. In contrast, most Disney has the core action happening with the animatronics and their other tricks, with screens acting as support.

I think that Universal has had its golden eras, and most of the rides that you mentioned were made in eras where Universal was doing better stuff. The park has just had a lot of stinkers lately where they've pretty much all been screen rides. Even the beloved Harry Potter rides are too screen ride-ish for me. But the new HP coaster seems like its making up for past mistake and will be like Disney-like.

 

[DisneyGigi]

I would love to hit Dollywood and I say it every year. Maybe 2019 though and for sure if we can't go to WDW this year. I live near Toronto, so even Pigeon Forge is about 11-12 hours away but I would love to see it, I hear nothing but good things about it. Definitely a bucket list, multiple times over.

But hey, hit up Universal when you are in Orlando next. I know that to have a good time you never have to leave WDW's property and that is true, there is something for everyone and I did a lot of exploring my last trip and still didn't get everywhere. But Orlando still has a lot more to offer. Both Universal parks are worth the price of admission. Sea World is worth seeing as well and if you venture to Tampa then Busch Gardens is worth it. I don't get the Disney fans who don't like Universal, because they do things well there. It doesn't have the nostalgia to the same extent and there isn't that aura of magic, but there is still an aura there that you'll like.

It really is a nice park. We take it for granted sometimes because it is so close but definitely worth a visit. Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg are a fun place to visit as a whole. I just miss the old traffic! It really does get crazy there in the summer now.

I do need to visit Universal. I always planned on it but when it came down to it didn’t want to “waste” a Disney day lol. We will probably give it whirl while the craziness of Star Wars Land is happening at the World.

 

[NemoRocks78]

My list:

1. Epcot
2. Universal Studios Florida
3. Disneyland Park
4. Universal's Islands of Adventure
5. Disney California Adventure
6. Magic Kingdom
7. Dollywood
8. Universal Studios Hollywood
9. SeaWorld Orlando
10. Carowinds

Going to BGW for the first time in June, so I'm sure it may find its way onto my list!

 

[GoofZ]

Okay, just so the whole lists aren't littered with WDW and Disneyland individual parks I am going to just lump them together as resorts. Same with Universal Orlando. If you like Islands of Adventure better than Universal Studios (and I do) that's fine but just lump them together and decide where it fits overall. Obviously it will be places I have been.

1 - WDW
2 - Disneyland Resort
3 - Universal Orlando
4 - Universal Hollywood
5 - Busch Gardens Tampa
6 - Cedar Point
7 - Sea World (Orlando)
8 - Canada's Wonderland
9 - King's Island
10 - Kennywood

That's it, that's my list. Still a lot more parks I would like to visit though. It looks a lot smaller when you lump all the WDW ones together. It almost looks like I haven't visited a lot of theme parks overall that way, but we have. Cedar Point I would definitely suggest that for the roller coaster junkies. No doubt. It is the Cathedral of thrill rides.

So what is your list?

Edit: Make the WDW and Disneyland parks separate if you would like

Love the Kennywood shoutout here

 

[gobstoper27]

My top list at Cedar Point:

1. Steel Vengeance
2. Maverick

A lot of distance....

3. Millennium Force
4. Top Thrill Dragster

A lot of distance....

5. Gatekeeper
6. Valraven
7. Gemini
8. Blue Streak
9. Raptor
10. Iron Dragon
11. Wicked Twister
Everything else.

Everything else is alright, they're either coasters that need to be moved on from, or family coasters. I find Magnum too rough at this point, but if it wasn't for the thigh crushing, it would have an awesome layout. Steel Vengeance is my #1 overall, and Maverick is my #3 overall. MF and TTD are in the backend of my top 25. But I think that a quality B&M invert being #9 at a park shows that the park has some incredible depth. Wicked Twister isn't a bad ride, but its out of place in a park like CP. It would do better in a smaller park.

Really?!? A lot of distance for MF and Dragster from the top 2? WHY???? lol. When you say "Steel Vengeance is my #1 overall, and Maverick is my #3 overall" is this referring to amusement parks in general?

 

[The_Jobu]

I'd vote but I live 5 minutes from Canada's Wonderland so I'm pretty biased.

 

[TARDIS]

1. Animal kingdom
2. Magic kingdom
3. Epcot
4. Islands of adventure
5. Hollywood studios
6. Universal studios
7. Silver dollar city
8. Dollywood
9. Great America
10. Sea World

 

[Deadphish]

I would love to hit Dollywood and I say it every year. Maybe 2019 though and for sure if we can't go to WDW this year. I live near Toronto, so even Pigeon Forge is about 11-12 hours away but I would love to see it, I hear nothing but good things about it. Definitely a bucket list, multiple times over.

But hey, hit up Universal when you are in Orlando next. I know that to have a good time you never have to leave WDW's property and that is true, there is something for everyone and I did a lot of exploring my last trip and still didn't get everywhere. But Orlando still has a lot more to offer. Both Universal parks are worth the price of admission. Sea World is worth seeing as well and if you venture to Tampa then Busch Gardens is worth it. I don't get the Disney fans who don't like Universal, because they do things well there. It doesn't have the nostalgia to the same extent and there isn't that aura of magic, but there is still an aura there that you'll like.

Make sure you get the hot cinnamon bread at the grist mill at Dollywood we loved it with the dipping icing cup, also lightning rod is our new favorite coaster

 

[StarWarsGirl]

1. Disneyland
2. Magic Kingdom
3. DCA
4. DHS
5. AK
6. Hershey Park
7. Epcot
8. Blizzard Beach
9. Typhoon Lagoon

Those are the ones I've been to. I'm hoping to do Busch Gardens VA and Kings Dominion at some point.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

I consider Spiderman to be a screen ride and not really a hybrid, as the core action takes place on the screen, and the props are just light theming to the side. In contrast, most Disney has the core action happening with the animatronics and their other tricks, with screens acting as support.

I think that Universal has had its golden eras, and most of the rides that you mentioned were made in eras where Universal was doing better stuff. The park has just had a lot of stinkers lately where they've pretty much all been screen rides. Even the beloved Harry Potter rides are too screen ride-ish for me. But the new HP coaster seems like its making up for past mistake and will be like Disney-like.

Disney itself is relying a bit too much on the screens too. I for one like the dark rides a lot better with the animatronics. Too much screen cheapens things.

Love the Kennywood shoutout here

Definitely the definition of an "old school" amusement park. It calls itself America's Oldest theme park. I guess that's true? I thought maybe Knott's Berry Farm was older. The problem with the day we went was the line ups were horrendous and there isn't a lot of ways to avoid it. We went on a Saturday in August. That was probably a mistake as it should have been a weekday. But definitely a classic feel to it although if more people on here had been to it I am sure the complaints about it would be through the roof.

 

[whiterhino42]

1. Animal Kingdom
2. Disneyland
3. Epcot
4. Magic Kingdom
5. Hollywood Studios
6. Knotts Berry Farm
7. Hershey Park
8. Busch Gardens Williamsburg
9. Universal Studios Hollywood
10. Magic Mountain

I do not like roller coasters so theming and variety is preferred. I've never been to California Adventure or universal orlando.

 

[Beacon Joe]

1. EPCOT
2. Magic Kingdom
3. Disneyland
4. Animal Kingdom
5. Busch Gardens Williamsburg
6. Dollywood
7. Islands of Adventure
8. Muumimaailma
9. Sea Life Park
10. King's Dominion (just because of sentimental attachment to the Rebel Yell and Woodstock AKA the former Scooby Doo)