KINGS DOMINION

In Doswell, Virginia, 20 miles north of Richmond and 75 miles south of Washington, D.C., Kings Dominion is one of the many spectacular theme parks owned by Cedar Fair.  It’s easily accessible by I-95.   Featuring a superabundance of attractions, including fourteen roller coasters, this park has something for everyone.   Among the most noteworthy coasters is the redoubtable Intimidator 305, themed for the late race car driver Dale Earnhardt, with its awesome 300-foot drop and staggering twists in the track.   Volcano The Blast Coaster, an inverted launch coaster, until recently held the record for the longest inversion on any coaster, with a rollout at 155 feet.  Flight of Fear, another launch coaster, takes the riders through four inversions in the dark.  The park has a number of family rides and for kids, there are multiple options in the Planet Snoopy section.  It also has the WaterWorks water park.

Kings Dominion offers live entertainment in the form of a musical extravaganza, light show and karaoke, to name just a few attractions.  Not all of these attractions are open throughout the operating season; some are available only through September 1.

Due to the popularity of this park, ride queues often tend to be long, so the best option for getting in as many rides as possible is Fast Lane.  In order to have access to Intimidator 305, it is necessary to upgrade to Fast Lane Plus, $70 as of 2013.   Fast Lane Plus customers do not have access to the front row on I-305.

The staff is congenial and the park provides storage for loose articles which cannot be taken on rides.  On Volcano, a staff member actually wheels a cart through the loading station in order to collect any items that cannot not go along for the ride.

With shopping, multiple dining options (including an array of choices for vegetarians or others with special dietary needs) and some of the best rides to be had anywhere, Kings Dominion is a theme park in which park guests will not be disappointed.  For more information about Kings Dominion, visit https://www.kingsdominion.com/‎  Photo courtesy of www.coasterimage.com, a great website for coaster pix.

CEDAR POINT

The “Roller Coaster Capital of the World,” with sixteen coasters, Cedar Point is located in Sanduksy, Ohio, an hour drive from Cleveland.    Encompassing 364 acres and incorporating the Soak City water park, Cedar Point is the second oldest continuously operating theme park in the country.  It opened in 1870 and grew to be a mecca for coaster enthusiasts.

On a Lake Erie peninsula, the park is beautifully scenic.  With the addition of Gatekeeper in 2013, it has taken on a new appearance, as part of this coaster overhangs the entrance.   Cedar Point features some extreme thrill rides, most notably Millennium Force, one of only two Intamin giga coasters in existence as of 2013.   (Although worldwide there are four full circuit coasters with a drop of at least 300 feet, the other manufacturers do not use this terminology.) Millennium Force offers a breathtaking view of Lake Erie on the left from the 310-foot cable lift hill and an even more breathtaking initial drop of 300 feet at an 80-degree angle.   Other notable coasters are the wild and crazy Maverick, the 420-foot tall launch coaster Top Thrill Dragster which accelerates to 120mph in 4 seconds,  the delightful inverted coaster Raptor and Magnum X-L 200, the first coaster to break the 200-foot barrier.  For park guests who prefer something less extreme, there are a number of rides suitable for families and children.

This theme park also features live entertainment and a wide selection of restaurants and food concessions, including those that cater to special dietary needs.   It also offers Fast Lane access to rides for an upcharge and V.I.P tours with a personal guide and immediate access to rides, for a pretty hefty upcharge ($395 as of 2013).

Those planning to visit Cedar Point should be aware that this park is heavily patronised and therefore almost invariably crowded.   A wait time of anywhere from an hour to two hours to get on the most popular rides is not uncommon, especially toward the end of the operating season when Halloween festivities take place.  Nevertheless, a visit to Cedar Point is an experience worth having.  From the point of view of theme park aficionados, if you haven’t been to Cedar Point, you haven’t been anywhere.  For more information about the park, visit https://www.cedarpoint.com/‎  Photo courtesy of www.coasterimage.com

SIX FLAGS NEW ENGLAND

Located in Agawam, Massachusetts, 17.2 miles from Hartford’s Bradley International Airport, Six Flags New England opened as Riverside Amusement Park in 1870 and continued to operate under that name until the end of the 1999 season, when it officially became a Six Flags park.    This park features a variety of attractions, including a water park which shares the name Hurricane Harbor with Six Flags Great Adventure.   There are eleven roller coasters, the most noteworthy of which are the awesome Bizarro (winner of the 2011 and 2012 Golden Ticket award for #2 steel coaster in the world) and Goliath, a giant inverted boomerang that’s frightening just to look at.   On the whole, the other coasters are not of the same calibre as those at Six Flags Great Adventure but they’re fun rides and there are approximately twenty rides designed specifically for kids, so families have a number of options.

Like all Six Flags parks, this theme park offers the Flash Pass, an electronic device that enables park guests to reserve a ride without having to wait in line, for an upcharge.   The Flash Pass is available at three levels – regular, gold and platinum, with platinum significantly cutting the wait time and permitting consecutive riding.

There are multiple dining options, and like other Six Flags parks, this park offers a season dining pass.  As of 2013, the pass cost $74.99 and included two meals on each visit to the park.   For season pass holders who visit frequently, the dining pass is an option which represents a significant savings over buying individual meals.

For entertainment, the park has a repertoire of shows and also hosts local entertainers who perform live.  It’s easily accessible to residents of both Massachusetts and Connecticut.  For more information about Six Flags New England, visit www.sixflags.com/NEWENGLAND/  Photo courtesy of www.coasterimage.com

SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE

Opened in 1974 and located in Jackson, New Jersey, between New York and Philadelphia (about an hour drive from either city), Six Flags Great Adventure is the world’s largest theme park with 510 acres.    It boasts numerous rides and attractions, including thirteen roller coasters, the Hurricane Harbor water park and a newly opened (as of May, 2013) Safari Off Road Adventure.    The fact that one of these coasters won the 2012 Golden Ticket award for #1 wooden coaster and another won the 2012 Golden Ticket award for #3 steel coaster is something for the park to boast about.   There aren’t many theme parks that have both a wooden and steel coaster good enough to be in the top ten; with El Toro and Nitro, Six Flags Great Adventure offers two of  the best thrill rides to be had anywhere.  Those seeking an extra rush of adrenaline can be launched 456 feet in the air at 128mph on Kingda Ka.  The Sky Screamer, a flying swing ride, affords a spectacular view of the park 243 feet above the ground and the Dare Devil Dive, an upcharge attraction, allows park guests to experience a 15-storey freefall at 60mph.  The park also has plenty of rides suitable for families and children.

Historically, the park featured a drive-through safari.  With the institution of the Safari Off Road Adventure, park guests can travel through the animal preserve in a safari style vehicle with a knowledgeable tour guide.

Throughout the operating season, Six Flags Great Adventure features concerts and animal shows.  It also features a variety of restaurants and food concessions which cater to almost every taste.   Costumed characters are in abundance.  One of the add-ons available at this park is the Flash Pass, an electronic device that enables park guests to reserve rides without having to wait in line.  At the lowest level, the Flash Pass  involves a wait equal to the actual wait time of a ride, the only advantage being that this makes it possible to be off doing something else while waiting for the device to go off and flash “You can ride now” on the screen.  At the highest level, platinum (rather pricey at $115 as of 2013), the wait time is cut by 90% and consecutive riding is permitted.  Season pass holders get a $10 discount on the Flash Pass. Although more and more parks now offer Fast Lane access to rides for an upcharge, the Flash Pass system is unique to Six Flags parks.

One thing this park, unlike most, does not offer is discounted admission for seniors.  Another thing it doesn’t offer is storage bins for loose articles in the loading stations.  However, it does periodically run promotions that enable visitors to obtain tickets inexpensively.   A recent promotion offered one-day admission tickets for $39.99 with three-day advance purchase online.

With nice landscaping, easy accessibility from I-195 and a stellar ride lineup, Six Flags Great Adventure is a theme park worth visiting.   For more information about the park, visit www.sixflags.com/greatadventure

HOLIDAY WORLD

Located in Santa Claus, Indiana, about a 45-minute drive from Evansville Regional Airport, Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari is a family-owned and operated theme and water park.   It is very much family-oriented, with a down home feel that you don’t get at most theme parks.   It is also the home of The Voyage, arguably one of the best wooden coasters ever built and recipient of the Golden Ticket Award for #1 wooden coaster for five consecutive years.    The second longest woodie in the world, The Voyage is legendary for its first drop, succession of overbanked turns, tunnels, ride duration and scenery.

Unlike most theme parks, Holiday World does not have any steel hypercoasters.  What it does have is three outstanding wooden coasters, a steel family coaster and the two longest water coasters in the world.   The park features numerous family and kid rides along with a wide array of  food options catering to most dietary needs (veggie burgers are available); the Holiday World website even includes nutritional information for all food items sold at the park.  It also features live shows.

Another amenity offered by this park is free soft drinks at drink stations scattered throughout the park.   As most theme parks charge close to $4.00 for a soda, access to free refreshments is a great perk and a real blessing on a hot day.

Ticket prices are structured in such a way as to afford discounted admission for a two-day  visit.  As of 2013, general admission is $44.95 at the gate ($39.95 online), with a next day admission ticket priced at $27.00.  It’s not clear, however, whether the lower price for a second day is available with an online ticket purchase.  Either way, purchasing a two-day ticket will result in a saving of at least $8.00.

Park guests should be prepared to walk up and down a number of hills.

The staff at Holiday World is among the friendliest to be found at any theme park.   They will go out of their way to be helpful, assisting park guests with anything from navigating the park to getting driving directions to and from the park.   For more information about Holiday World, visit www.holidayworld.com/  Photo of The Voyage courtesy of www.coasterimage.com

HERSHEY PARK

“The sweetest place on earth,” Hersheypark is located in – where else? – Hershey, PA,  about two hours northwest of Philadelphia by automobile.   This theme park is beautifully laid out, to the point of being picturesque.  It features an outstanding lineup of roller coasters, most notable of which are the tall launch coaster Storm Runner, the somewhat daunting Fahrenheit with its vertical lift hill, the double-tracked dueling coaster Lightning Racer and the breathtaking Skyrush (the park’s newest coaster, opened in May of 2012).  There are more than 65 rides and attractions, including eleven coasters, a cable car sky ride and a monorail.   The park has an abundance of family and kiddie rides along with a boardwalk water park.

Hersheypark offers live entertainment, including concerts on Sundays from May to the end of September.    It also offers multiple dining options, from full service dining to food concessions tempting park guests with anything from pizza to falafel to pierogies.  As of 2013, park guests could buy a meal ticket which includes a 32-ounce souvenir cup with 99-cent refills for $13.75.  Kosher, gluten-free, dairy free and vegetarian meals are among the many choices.  On the subject of comestibles, it’s worth mentioning that the legendary Chocolate World is located just outside the theme park.  Many of Hershey’s chocolate products and other confections are available for purchase within the park itself.    Hershey’s fudge is especially delectable.

Fast Track access to rides is available for an upcharge.   This includes 9 coasters and Skyrush is not one of them.   The downside of the program is that on a number of rides, certain rows are reserved for Fast Track and these rows often end up empty, so that other park guests end up waiting longer to get on.

This is a popular park and wait times for some rides is significantly longer than for others.  Those who want to ride Fahrenheit are in for a longer wait because the trains accommodate only 12 riders whereas the trains on Skyrush accommodate 32.

The staff at Hersheypark is extremely courteous and helpful, one more reason why a visit to the park will usually prove to be a fun and rewarding experience.  For more information about rides at Hersheypark, visit www.hersheypark.com/