What is the best park in North America outside of Disney and Universal?

[Jrb1979]

I don't know how many parks in North America still have trains and gondolas in their parks, but the presence of both in the Busch Gardens parks elevates them significantly.

Cedar Point has both as well

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Denali

I’d argue - including Disney and Universal.

 

[Disneyfan_76]

Holy cow..they left Number one of the list....Who made this poll? Its like leaving Ferrari off of the list of the worlds best sports cars...lol. Well, not just my opinion..but that of the industry..and its NOT on the list.
KINGS ISLAND in Cincinnati. Year after year it is ranked 1st in attendance and by popularity..over its rival Cedar Point not just here in Ohio in but nationwide. King Island wins this question...and a little fun fact....Roy Disney helped design it. It is a spotless park like the Disney Parks..and It now has 3 record breaking coasters.. 4 actually...If you've never been there...wow you are missing out.
I will say out of the above mentioned....Knots Berry farm is the best...and thats not debatable....but without K.i. its not a real poll.

Kings Island is good, but its not in the same league as some of the other parks on here. The Beast is awesome, but its mostly just long and has a great final turn. Its a very clean park with a good balance of rides, but its still more of a local park. I find it hard to believe it ranked higher than Cedar Point. Will agree that Knots is an amazing park too.

 

[danlb_2000]

Knoebels

 

[Disneyfan_76]

This is not on your list but we love Hersheypark. Of those included we have either not visited or did once but has been a long time. We have taken a day for Sea World Orlando every Disney trip so put that as the favorite.

Hersheypark is amazing. Would agree that it's better than some on the list, but not the best. The layout of the park is very haphazard, and they are not always great about upkeep on some of their rides. Beautiful park though, and having the zoo, water events and chocolate tour really round out the park.

Side note, Carrowinds is also a fun little park, though it gives its six flags vibes sometimes.

 

[Disneyfan_76]

We're waiting to find out the fate of Top Thrill before attempting another visit. 2020 was a disaster for a first visit.

Why bother with Top Thrill when you could be riding Steel Vengeance. lol. Top Thrill is kinda boring anyway, just up and down and done in less than a minute. If you want induction launches, just go ride Maverick.

 

[Patcheslee]

Why bother with Top Thrill when you could be riding Steel Vengeance. lol. Top Thrill is kinda boring anyway, just up and down and done in less than a minute. If you want induction launches, just go ride Maverick.

TDD is a bucketlist thing, along with Rougaru, Corkscrew, Blue Streak, Gemini, Iron Dragon and RIP Wicked Twister. All were closed the entire week we visited due to staffing in 2020. Maverick think we rode at least 10 times and Valravan I lost count.

 

[Disneyfan_76]

TDD is a bucketlist thing, along with Rougaru, Corkscrew, Blue Streak, Gemini, Iron Dragon and RIP Wicked Twister. All were closed the entire week we visited due to staffing in 2020. Maverick think we rode at least 10 times and Valravan I lost count.

Cool. Yeah, it's a coin flip as to if it comes back. They seem to be moving the waiting area back away from the ride, but they also may just be preparing it for a different coaster in its place. Time will tell.
If you are ever at Busch Gardens Tampa, I would recommend Cheetah Hunt if you like those type of induction coasters.

 

[disneyfireman]

Kings Island is good, but its not in the same league as some of the other parks on here. The Beast is awesome, but its mostly just long and has a great final turn. Its a very clean park with a good balance of rides, but its still more of a local park. I find it hard to believe it ranked higher than Cedar Point. Will agree that Knots is an amazing park too.

Yes..theme park insider and other entity close to that had KI ranked number one park in the USA. Not including Disney Or Universal. I have been to most off the above mentioned parks and love. KI. With Orion and diamondback along with mystic timbers all being record holding coasters...They moved ahead of Cedar Point. Here in the last 7-8 years KI has been building some great coasters..And they still have all the other attractions...folks love. If you look at attendance numbers...The only parks ahead of them in the USA is the Florida parks...Disney and Universal and SW. And course DLR in Cali.

 

[Kirby86]

I enjoy Hersheypark good coaster selection and affordable.

 

[BlakeW39]

I voted Busch Virginia, but for the record, Silver Dollar City is a better park than Dollywood and came close to outranking Busch for me.

 

[hismattjesty]

I love both King's Island and King's Dominion. For true "classic" and a throwback to a different age, nothing currently beats Kennywood for me. (Honorable mention to the former Gaslight Village in Lake George, NY).

 

[larryz]

You haven't experienced theming until you've been on Alpengeist (a) solo, (b) at 9:00 am and (c) in 48 degrees.

 

[DLR92]

Out of the list, I picked Seaworld San Diego.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

I don't know how many parks in North America still have trains and gondolas in their parks, but the presence of both in the Busch Gardens parks elevates them significantly.

Yes, both Busches. Cedar Point, King's Island as well. Island's of Adventure has the Dr. Seuss Train ride, which doesn't really count, and the train ride for park hopping to Universal. To a lesser extent, Kennywood has one. Although I find it an eyesore with the sightlines that you see outside of the park and across the way in Pittsburgh. Even Cedar Point sort of gives you that escape from everything else for a while.

This is not on your list but we love Hersheypark. Of those included we have either not visited or did once but has been a long time. We have taken a day for Sea World Orlando every Disney trip so put that as the favorite.

Never done Hersheypark. Would love to. Looks like a lot of coasters there, extreme ones too. Great for the thrill junkie. I always wondered about the chocolate plant tour, it looks neat.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

Kings Island is good, but its not in the same league as some of the other parks on here. The Beast is awesome, but its mostly just long and has a great final turn. Its a very clean park with a good balance of rides, but its still more of a local park. I find it hard to believe it ranked higher than Cedar Point. Will agree that Knots is an amazing park too.

I think King's is behind something like Cedar Point, because chances are you are deep into the thrill aspect if you are at Cedar Point. Which is fine of course, I love Cedar Point too. That being said, King's Island has a bit of charm to it, and like other's have said Roy Disney helped design it, or at least advised on some things. I know there was a former Disney designer involved in it as well. With King's you walk in and see "International Street" and then see a replica of the Eiffel Tower at the end of it. You could say it is a lot like Main Street and seeing the castle at the end of it. Not really, but still as close as you are going to get. And the replica of Eiffel Tower is still pretty tall. I had the fortune of seeing the July 4th fireworks at the top of it the one year. Very nice. Just other things about is as well. The Beast is very much a terrifying wooden roller coaster that is sort of tucked away on its own in the bush. It's a nice park, very much worth seeing, I think.

 

[larryz]

With King's you walk in and see "International Street" and then see a replica of the Eiffel Tower at the end of it. You could say it is a lot like Main Street and seeing the castle at the end of it. Not really, but still as close as you are going to get. And the replica of Eiffel Tower is still pretty tall. I had the fortune of seeing the July 4th fireworks at the top of it the one year. Very nice. Just other things about is as well. The Beast is very much a terrifying wooden roller coaster that is sort of tucked away on its own in the bush. It's a nice park, very much worth seeing, I think.

Don't forget Kings Dominion. Their Eiffel Tower, like Kings Island's, is 1/3 scale.

 

[danlb_2000]

Yes, both Busches. Cedar Point, King's Island as well. Island's of Adventure has the Dr. Seuss Train ride, which doesn't really count, and the train ride for park hopping to Universal. To a lesser extent, Kennywood has one. Although I find it an eyesore with the sightlines that you see outside of the park and across the way in Pittsburgh. Even Cedar Point sort of gives you that escape from everything else for a while.



Never done Hersheypark. Would love to. Looks like a lot of coasters there, extreme ones too. Great for the thrill junkie. I always wondered about the chocolate plant tour, it looks neat.

You don't get to tour an actual chocolate plant, it's a omni-mover style ride that shows you the chocolate making process. It's fun and is outside the park so free to ride.

 

[Disneyfan_76]

I love both King's Island and King's Dominion. For true "classic" and a throwback to a different age, nothing currently beats Kennywood for me. (Honorable mention to the former Gaslight Village in Lake George, NY).

Kennywood is kind of junkie, so as a park, not so great. (Full discloser, we almost died in a flash flood there, so not my favorite park). However, it has some of the best classic wooden rollercoasters you will find anywhere. Ghostwood Estate is a must ride for anyone who loves old dark rides. They have a lot of old throwbacks there as well that you just won't find in most parks.

 

[Disneyfan_76]

You haven't experienced theming until you've been on Alpengeist (a) solo, (b) at 9:00 am and (c) in 48 degrees.

It wasn't solo, but does Alpengeist first thing in the morning in 50ish freezing rain count? lol (My wife still teases me about getting her on that ride because it was a bucket list for me. Started raining/hailing at the top of the lift hill.)