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

[Disneyfan_76]

Wow, yikes. Yeah I've been to Kennywood, I can picture the experience you had because I know the layout. But still, they should do something in order to make sure there isn't that sort of flooding in the park. It sounds like a big rain storm away from disaster for guests.

This was probably not your typical event. Though with all the hills around it does not take much for the water to collect and get out of hand. I feel like this was the main problem since it was flooding before it even started raining. The hills/mountains above just turned into a big waterfall. Flooding isn't even the proper term I guess, it was more like a big river showed up.

 

[Disneyfan_76]

Was that the staircase that sort of shifts really hard? I know they are trying to make it seem like you are on rough waters and give you that illusion, but I can remember thinking of falling down those stairs rather than thinking it was fun.

I went back and watched a video, I remembered it wrong, its a stair case you go down. Thin, narrow, yellow, and it rocks back and forth with the structure. When it hits the ground you have to jump off it and move forward. I just thought if someone slipped and feel back it would be bad.

 

[JIMINYCR]

The best is any one of them that I can get to when I cant get to WDW. We are currently looking at Dollywood IF Dis continues to make us rethink our next trip back.

 

[Beacon Joe]

Six Flags over Texas!

Oh I know, the horror! But let me explain....

• 45 Minutes Away
• World class coasters
• Season passes make attendance super affordable
• Season dining plans make lunch, dinner, and snacks super affordable.
• Nice mid-tier Halloween and Christmas shows and events
• A working train
• Upper-tier haunted houses (but not my cup-o-tea)
• Upper-tier Santa meet-greet
• Crowd levels manageable so long as you avoid Saturday

All things considered, SFOT is a great deal and I have spent more time and eaten more food in those parks than all others combined. Sure, it has it's cons, but it's still a good alternative.

Now, Sea World is close, but not literally. The closest is a days drive.

Let me add Six Flags over Texas has the whole Banana Splits association which at least triples its coolness factor. At least in my odd worldview.

 

[Deadphish]

Just got back from Dollywood. It’s a great park, rides are top notch and the grounds are beautiful. Park bathrooms could use a little more cleaning though. Stayed at Dolly’s dreammore resort and it was better then anything Disney has to offer. Free parking and transportation back and forth from the parks also full daily room service. Dolly was staying there this weekend filming for a Christmas special on nbc later this year, Jimmy Fallon was also there. My family had a much better less stressful trip to Dollywood then any Disney trip we’ve done

 

[CynBeth]

Prepare to be shocked. I've been to 6 of the 9.

Me too.

 

[Dr. Nigel Channing]

I'm a little surprised Busch Gardens Tampa hasn't gotten more votes considering how many Fla locals are on this board. While it's not as scenic/themed as the Williamsburg counterpart, it certainly is no Six Flags.

Dollywood is fantastic, and all the praise it's receiving here is deserving.

Never been to Silver Dollar City or Knott's Berry Farm, but have heard good things about them.

The rabid Cedar Point fans treating it like a religion to love that place (or else!) have put a bad taste in my mouth. Still would like to give it a visit some day. Hopefully I won't receive death threats like others have on the interwebs if I don't love 100% of the place and treat it as the Messiah of amusement parks.

King's Island needs to be included in this poll, as others have mentioned. Went there back in 2007. Had an absolute blast. The Beast still ranks to this day as one of my all-time favorite coasters.

Been to both Sea World's in Fla and CA. Enjoyed them equally, though this was before the coaster/ride explosion of recent years.

I went with Dollywood. It's great, and the closest park to me.

Oh, and one honorable mention for one particular category... best classic dark ride outside of Disney and Universal. This goes to, believe it or not, a Six Flags park. Monster Mansion at Six Flags in Atlanta. The park as a whole is nowhere near deserving of this list, but that one ride would fit Disney nicely with theming.

 

[Coaster Lover]

I've been to every one on the list but SDC (granted some I've been to more recently than others). To put one as "the best" really depends on what you are looking for in a park (theming, dark rides, coasters, landscaping, layout, etc).

Dollywood is a REALLY well rounded park... fantastic on site resort, fantastic waterpark, REALLY good food and shows, nice themeing, great ride operations, and some of the nicest park employees you will ever meet. If you want that Disney "feeling", Dollywood comes really close (though not quite as well themed).

BGW is easily the most beautiful park in the US. The rides themselves aren't as well themed as I would like (though they used to have a few really good dark rides that they have since lost [R.I.P. DarKastle]), but they have a VERY solid collection of coasters. Not sure how I feel about the current direction of the park (Pantheon is great for a coaster, but the lack of themeing [and even lack of landscaping] concerns me for how future additions may impact look/feel of the park), but as the park currently stands, it is overall a great park,

Cedar Point is (and likely always will be) a coaster Mecca. And if you love rollercoasters, there is no other park in the world that you should be going to. The collection of coasters here is just superb (and it's not that they just have one or two good coasters and the rest are filler... Steel Vengence, Millennium Force, Maverick, Valraven, Raptor... all fantastic rides. Further, the on site resorts are all really nice. But if you are looking for themeing, or looking for family friendly rides, there are much better options.

Silver Dollar City is way up there in my "must visit" list... it's just so in the middle of no-where that it makes it hard for me to schedule a trip there.... hopefully soon... but from what I've seen, I could easily see why people love this park so much (especially given how many similarities it has to Dollywood, which I personally hold so dearly...)

Other nominations (though none that I would put as "the best" but some that could rank way up there) could include Hersheypark, Kings Island, Six Flags Great America, and/or any of the many smaller parks in the PA/NY area.

 

[Coaster Lover]

Monster Mansion at Six Flags in Atlanta. The park as a whole is nowhere near deserving of this list, but that one ride would fit Disney nicely with theming.

Monster Mansion is really great! Very much has the feel of an old school Disney ride... which shouldn't be a huge surprise considering Goddard and Gengenbach's involvement in both the initial design of the ride and the retheme in 2008/2009.

I'm a sucker for a good dark ride...

A separate pool which could be interesting would be "best dark ride in North America outside of Disney/Universal". Monster Mansion would make that short list for sure. Cupfusion at Hershey is a solid dark ride as well (though the capacity is atrocious). If you include former attractions, DarKastle (BGW), Phantom Theater (Kings Island), and Tomb Raider (Kings Island) would all be way up there for me... (Europe is really blessed to have so many solid dark rides)

 

[Walt Disney1955]

The rabid Cedar Point fans treating it like a religion to love that place (or else!) have put a bad taste in my mouth. Still would like to give it a visit some day. Hopefully I won't receive death threats like others have on the interwebs if I don't love 100% of the place and treat it as the Messiah of amusement parks.

I say go anyway. It is truly the cathedral of roller coaster parks. Magic Mountain might say otherwise, and Canada's Wonderland is pretty close too, but it is still Cedar Point as far as I am concerned.

King's Island needs to be included in this poll, as others have mentioned. Went there back in 2007. Had an absolute blast. The Beast still ranks to this day as one of my all-time favorite coasters.

When I rode The Beast I wondered why a coaster with just a 134 drop was considered such a classic. Well, I get it. They have it tucked away back there in the woods and it sort of sets the mood. Those tunnels.................my goodness. I know you are never going to get your head cut off on those things, but come on, if there was ever a time I thought it was at least close, it was this time. Also, my brother in law and I both had the same feeling while riding it (we were on it together) that it felt as if it would derail. I know that is what an old wooden one is supposed to feel like but somehow they made it very realistic on The Beast. Might be the best coaster ever. Honestly.

 

[Disneyfan_76]

Want to also give out a mention to Waldameer park in Erie Pa. Not even close to the best park, but it is worth checking out if you ever get a chance. The Radio Flyer II is a fantastic wooden rollercoaster. It's not the biggest or the fastest, but it never lets up and it built into a canyon and even goes over a highway. They have an old walkthrough fun house (kind of like noah's ark at Kennywood, except pirate themed), and an old haunted dark ride as well. They also have a very nice railroad that goes in a strange figure eight around the park.

 

[BWW]

So, obviously not counting anything at WDW. Or Universal Orlando. Or Disneyland Resort, or Universal Hollywood.

What would be after those parks? And is it even close to the same sort of experience?

Is it Cedar Point for the thrill junkies, Dollywood for the warmth/theming or even one of the Sea Worlds or Busch Gardens?

Not Six Flags in Dallas, for sure.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

Want to also give out a mention to Waldameer park in Erie Pa. Not even close to the best park, but it is worth checking out if you ever get a chance. The Radio Flyer II is a fantastic wooden rollercoaster. It's not the biggest or the fastest, but it never lets up and it built into a canyon and even goes over a highway. They have an old walkthrough fun house (kind of like noah's ark at Kennywood, except pirate themed), and an old haunted dark ride as well. They also have a very nice railroad that goes in a strange figure eight around the park.

Erie is rather close to us, I would like to check that out someday. I looked at it looks fun. Not sure why I never knew about it before.

So I think Dollywood is the clear winner here. And I agree. It was my pick. I've been there and to be honest while I am not much of a shopper I actually wish I had more time to go in and look around the shops. I think you can literally spend a day at Dollywood doing that and seeing the shows, and a day just going on the rides. It is so well themed. Definitely has some love and time put into it.

 

[Afterthought]

My top five in order.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Silver Dollar City
Cedar Point
Dollywood
Kings Island

For political reasons, I do appreciate Dollywood and the Christian conservative values found within its grounds. Many churches were running the campaign to vote it up on Trip Advisor and other sites last year, and supposedly will do the same again this year to keep conservative businesses riding high. It is a beautiful park with great staff. I like the theme more at Silver Dollar and Busch Williamsburg. The family that owns Dollywood is a good conservative family. They also own Silver Dollar City and Stone Mountain Park in GA. Also a smaller park in south GA called Wild Adventures.

 

[ohioguy]

King's Island in Ohio is wonderful