Paramount Parks - Ordered from Best to Worst

[Screamomatic]

Well, I bet a lot of people in the GTA know about Cedar Point, Shows about Roller Coasters featuring Cedar Point are on T.V. all the time. When I went there during the May long-weekend, there were tons of Canadians there.

 

The more expensive rides do bring in the crowds... One of my imaginative B&M Mega Coasters are for some of it to be Sandwiched between the 'pond' and the entrance road... How cool would that be to drive in and see that?

 

It's cheaper for Americans to come to Canada... if Wonderland turned into a bit of a Destination Park, I'm sure they would travel here... I guess.

 

Anyway, this isn't a Wonderland sucks topic so...

[307]

PKD's coaster selection is okay but lacking a good woodie,

 

Uhh Grizzly?.. its not like Thunderhead or even Cornball Express good, but its probably best in the chain. And at night its everything the Beast SHOULD be, but of course isn't since the Beast sucks.

I didn't like the Grizzly. Maybe it was where I was sitting, but I got nothing out of it.

 

Well, I bet a lot of people in the GTA know about Cedar Point, Shows about Roller Coasters featuring Cedar Point are on T.V. all the time. When I went there during the May long-weekend, there were tons of Canadians there.

It's not common knowledge. Most people I've encountered think Wonderland is the be all end all of parks.

 

And yes, lots of Canadians do go to Cedar Point. I want to go back. I miss Cedar Point.

[JamminJ]

^That really sucks, sorry to hear that. Grizzly had some extensive trackwork done last year and has been running amazing ever since. Might be worth another visit..

 

Hurler had the same treatment this year, and is also running well. Not quite as good as the one at Carowinds, but a lot better than it has in the past.

 

Rebel Yell just flat out sucks, taer it down plz.

[Carnage]

Well, I bet a lot of people in the GTA know about Cedar Point, Shows about Roller Coasters featuring Cedar Point are on T.V. all the time. When I went there during the May long-weekend, there were tons of Canadians there.

 

Probably not nearly as many as you'd think. And even though I'm sure alot of people know of Cedar Point, even fewer would actually go.

 

I know every time I make my yearly trips my freinds are shocked by how affordable it is.

[stormrider]

I went to Great America once when I was eight, before Stealth, and I was never tall enough to ride anything except the kiddie rides and Grizzly (which was fun at least for me). Then I moved to Sacramento, Stealth gets removed (I never got to ride it but saw the commercials for it) , and I feel like I have no real reason to go to the park again, even with all the Nick stuff that should have made a kid like me LOVE the park. It may be just me, but I rode the kiddy coasters because I couldn't ride the bigger rides.

 

I'm surprised that PGA gets treated like this, but they probably suffer the Canada's Wonderland syndrome since Marine World is their only competition in Northern California. But on the plus (or minus) side, they were featured in Beverly Hills Cop

[eddie200330]

I myself have only been to 3, Carowinds being the most recent for my wife and my first anniversary. I really enjoyed it as it was a new experience. Kings Dominion has usually been a 2 - 3 time a year visit due to the 2 1/2 hour drive. Kings Island is a lot further and only been there twice. (prior to SOB) Kings Island was good and my first backwards coaster way back when. KD is really lacking since the days before Paramount, they really screwed up a good thing!!! It used to be full of rides and could be an all day trip.(Remember the Firestone show at the end of the day with the hot air balloons and parachuters!!) The Lost World mountain, King Kobra, Galaxy, Hanna Barbera Land, Grizzly completely hidden in the trees(dumb Hurler), Racing rivers, Apple Turnover, and the list goes on and on..... The only good thing is backwards lleY lebeR. They seem to lack in the operations department like Six Flags, (slow dispatch times and useless trains sitting on maintence tracks). Carowinds was nicely laid out with good coasters and nice themeing and scenery. Top Gun kicked ass, Hurler hurt like hell, Thunder road only ran forward side(sux) and it is close to NASCAR country lol!!! Would like to go to CW and check out their rides, it has always intrigued me for some reason, GA just looks kinda dismal to me, don't know why?

[Erik Johnson]

I liked both PKD and Carowinds a lot. So I guess I have been to the best two parks in the chain already.

[Manic Monte]

For me anyway, PGA is just an airtime coaster away from being a very good park. It's still beautiful, and it's got a family core that the so-cal thrill parks fail at imo.

 

Throw in a dark ride, 2 or 3 more flats, and more waterpark expansions, and to me it could easily be a great park.

[Gnome]

^ PGA would be such an awsome place if they got an intamin mega coaster on the level of Goliath WW or better. Maybe in the future.

[stormrider]

I agree with that. They need something that will compell thrill seekers in northern California (or maybe others in America) to come over. They need an attraction that stands out. It's odd that the closest thing they've made to do that was Stealth (but I was only one when Top Gun and Vortex opened, so maybe they where considered world class in their time). The park Marine World, with its 150 height limit, built the maximum ride height it could. Great America still hasn't reached it's full potential. It's called Great America, not Carrowinds (whatever that means). Maybe they should change their name from Great America if they can't live up to it.

[Sparebear75]

I have only been to two of the Paramount parks, Kings Island and my home park Canada's Wonderland. Visually I think Wonderland wins hands down, I think a lot of planning lessons were learned from the earlier built Taft parks. The paving stones alone make for a much nicer environment. Wonderland is laid out very nicely and has some great sight lines.

 

I have been to King's Island twice, back in 1991 and again this year. I must say I like the mature sections of this park, although I don't like walking on asphalt. I don't like the way the Action Zone is laid out one bit, there is way too much concrete, and the rides seemingly plopped down with no regard to how they look on the ground. Son of Beast seems to have it's back turned away from the park. Top Gun is placed at the end of a long weird concrete path.

 

Although I have never heard this as being fact. I always figured Wonderland always suffered in the coaster department due to the lower value of the Canadian Dollar. At some points in the past decade our dollar was worth $0.65 US, that exchange can really add up when talking about a multi-million dollar B&M or Intamin coaster.

[xX-Linde-Xx]

the canadian doller and the american one, now are close to being equal. in a few years they will be the same i bet

[Carnage]

I'm sure the Canadian dollar affected not getting a major roller coaster.

 

But I doubt it was the main reason. Afterall it's not like the park has been ignored like Six Flags Darien Lake,etc. There was a few years in a row that multi-million dollar flat rides were built, and splash works has seen alot of money put into it.

 

Lots of money has been put into that park, just in areas other then roller coasters.

[JamminJ]

..l potential. It's called Great America, not Carrowinds (whatever that means). Maybe they should change their name from Great America if they can't live up to it.

 

Yeah hi.

 

The name Carowinds was formed from the Winds that flow across the Carolinas, as the park straddles both North and South Carolina. I think its a rather inventive name as it doesn't have the words "King", "Great", "World", "Land", "America", "Adventure", "Island", or "Fun" which of at least one you will find in probably about 50% of all amusement names in America.

 

-J (The more you know...)

[jamesdillaman]

I've only been to 3 of them, but of those:

 

Kings Dominion

Carowinds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kings Island

 

Well put.. I agree but I still think you rated PKI too high.

-James Dillaman

[jamesdillaman]

\

 

The name Carowinds was formed from the Winds that flow across the Carolinas, as the park straddles both North and South Carolina. I think its a rather inventive name as it doesn't have the words "King", "Great", "World", "Land", "America", "Adventure", "Island", or "Fun" which of at least one you will find in probably about 50% of all amusement names in America.

 

-J (The more you know...)

 

Incidentally, King's Island was the name given to the new park to replace Cincinnati's Coney ISLAND. The new park is located in KING'S mills. and combining the two, you get King's Island.

[stormrider]

Yeah hi.

 

The name Carowinds was formed from the Winds that flow across the Carolinas, as the park straddles both North and South Carolina. I think its a rather inventive name as it doesn't have the words "King", "Great", "World", "Land", "America", "Adventure", "Island", or "Fun" which of at least one you will find in probably about 50% of all amusement names in America.

 

-J (The more you know...)

 

I pretty much figured that. The whole Great America name adds to the reason I don't like it: it's just a plain old misnomer. It isn't great, and you probably know that. I just wish there where more parks to be proud of over here in California I really like Knotts Berry Farm, and if it was Cedar Fair who made the park good, then I hope they can do the same for Great America.

[redfoot12]

Wow. I really never realized all the negative feelings towards Kings Island. I've only been to KD and for some reason I was always jealous of KI. The main reason I want to go to KI is to ride the Beast. I've had a love affair with that ride since I first heard about it when I was about 5 or 6. My uncle lived in Cincinnati and I visited him twice in the 80's and I was always upset that I never went to the park, remembering he'd always say to me,"You need to come visit us and we can go to Kings Island to ride the Beast." Those words chilled, yet excited me.

[Gnome]

I really like Knotts Berry Farm, and if it was Cedar Fair who made the park good, then I hope they can do the same for Great America.

They made it good the first couple of years, but I think they've started doing the opposite. I still like it, just not as much as I used to.

[pkd804]

[PCW already has splashworks. So they already have a large water park.]

 

Well... All the Paramount Parks has a water park and 3 out of the 5 parks got thier waterpark updated to Boomerang Bay... Thats what I ment when I said PCW and PKD are the only 2 parks left that has not got Boomerang Bay-ed yet. PKD's waterpark is also large... 19acres and I think PCW's is around 20something acres?

[mforce79]

Wow. I really never realized all the negative feelings towards Kings Island.

 

I really don't understand this either. I'd definitely put PKI on the top of my list, it's always been an enjoyable park when I'm there with a good variety of rides. Son of Beast puts a damper on their coaster collection, but it's also kinda easy to forget about when you're in the park, and I don't care about riding it again, so I usually end up forgetting it's there.

 

1. Kings Island

2. Carowinds

3. Kings Dominion

4. Canada's Wonderland

5. Great America

[jamesdillaman]

PKI just has some of the worst operations I've ever experienced at any paramount park. Employees gettting into fights (happened a couple times last year), food service people not washing their hands and even picking up dropped food off the floor to give to people (seen that one myself), also ride breakdowns with all their new rides are paramount, shall we say. The last time I went (Pre SOB accident) the following rides were down: Face/Off, Delirium, SOB, SlingShot, and the show portion of IJ wasn't working at all, no helicopter or anything, just a quick stop before moving on. Add to that the employees working there wouldn't let us wait 1 train to ride in front, even though there was only like a 10 minute wait tops. And on Beast we waited 35 minutes for the front seat because they put 4 different groups of handicapped people on, all in the front seat, while our line didn't move. I used to love PKI, it's my home park and I worked there happily. In the past couple years it has taken a downturn in management and operations, though. That's why many people who visit this park list it so far down on their list.

-James Dillaman

[Darien Laker]

I wasn't an "enthusiast" yet when I went to PCW, and I had a blast at that park. I remember recognizing how Top Gun and Bat were the same as Mind Eraser and Boomerang, but still riding them. I can see why this park would be rated so low by people on this site, but it really isn't horrible. They really do seem to lack a signiture coaster though.

[Jon Sabo]

\

 

The name Carowinds was formed from the Winds that flow across the Carolinas, as the park straddles both North and South Carolina. I think its a rather inventive name as it doesn't have the words "King", "Great", "World", "Land", "America", "Adventure", "Island", or "Fun" which of at least one you will find in probably about 50% of all amusement names in America.

 

-J (The more you know...)

 

Incidentally, King's Island was the name given to the new park to replace Cincinnati's Coney ISLAND. The new park is located in KING'S mills. and combining the two, you get King's Island.

^

I believe Mr. Dennis Speigel (ITPS) was originally employed there as a kid and that was what lead him into becoming a themepark consulting firm. International Themepark Services.