BarryH Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 Source: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=ind_focus.story&STORY=/www/story/08-03-2007/0004638788&EDATE=FRI+Aug+03+2007,+06:00+AM TripAdvisor Travelers Hail Hershey NEEDHAM, Mass., Aug. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel community, today announced the top 10 amusement parks in the U.S., according to traveler popularity and TripAdvisor editors. What sets these tremendous parks apart is that they offer something for every kind of visitor, from wonderful family rides and shows, to great food and games, to thrilling rides and coasters. 1. Chocolate Champion: Hershey Park, Hershey, Pennsylvania Celebrating its 100th anniversary, Hershey Park is about as sweet as it gets for amusement park connoisseurs. This gigantic park features more than 60 rides and attractions, live shows, games, a museum chronicling Hershey history and of course, gobs of chocolate. For roller-coaster fans, the "Storm Runner" (0-72 mph in 2 seconds flat), "Superdooperlooper" and "The Comet" are must rides. As one TripAdvisor member said, "What is so great about Hershey? There is something for everyone." 2. Busch League of its Own: Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida With an African continent themed park, Busch Gardens takes visitors into the jungle and on quite a ride. No garden variety amusement park, Busch offers a little bit of everything: rides, restaurants, live shows, games and an amazing 2,700-animal zoo. Thrill seekers will want to take a ride on "Gwazi," a gigantic wooden double roller coaster, the epic coaster "Kumba," or "SheiKra," the nation's first dive coaster. One TripAdvisor member said, "I have been going to Busch Gardens for 20 years. It is always a great time, a clean and exciting park." 3. Cedar Point Rules: Cedar Point Amusement Park, Sandusky, Ohio The self-proclaimed "roller coaster capital of the world," Cedar Point boasts a remarkable 17 roller coasters, including the brand new "Maverick" and the exhilarating "Millennium Force." The fun doesn't end at the coasters, Cedar Point also features a number of other thrill rides, carousels, games, water rides and even tranquil rides. According to a TripAdvisor traveler, "Cedar Point is by far one of the country's best amusement parks for people who love roller coasters." 4. Pick Six: Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio, Texas With great shows, including musical acts, concerts and street performers, Six Flags Fiesta is fun-filled even before you get to the rides. But the rides are nothing to sneeze at either -- between the blood chilling "Scream" ride and the "Poltergeist" coaster, the Lone Star state's version of Six Flags is an amazing entertainment trip. One TripAdvisor traveler said, "The park was clean, the staff was friendly and courteous, and the rides were awesome." 5. My Kingdom for a Horse (Ride): Family Kingdom Amusement Park, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina With an incredible oceanfront water park combined with its amusement park, Family Kingdom is well worth the trip. Visitors will want to take a ride on the "Swamp Fox" coaster or the thrilling "Slingshot Drop Zone" before cooling off on the lazy river, wild water flumes or speed slides. A TripAdvisor member commented, "What a blast this place is! We went up and down the water slides like we were 10-years-old!" 6. Action in Jackson: Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey With dozens of thrill rides, Six Flags Great Adventure is the Mecca for fans of pulse-pounding rides, including the outstanding superhero rides and the "Great American Scream Machine." Be sure to try out some of the parks excellent water rides, and Great Adventure also offers fun live entertainment with concerts, animal shows, parades and street performers. As One TripAdvisor traveler said, "We only rode roller coasters and we had a great time." 7. King's Ransom: Paramount's Kings Island, Kings Island, Ohio One of the best in the Midwest, King's Island features excellent shows for families, but also top-notch rides, such as the "Firehawk," the face-to-face inverted roller-coaster "Face/Off," and "The Beast," the world's longest wooden roller coaster. One TripAdvisor traveler said, "One of the nicest parks I have ever visited. The landscaping was great and it was very clean." 8. Smokey Mountain Magic: Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort and Amusement Park, Gatlinburg, Tennessee An amazing scenic aerial tramway up to Ober Gatlinburg gets visitors started in style, Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort and Amusement Park gives patrons everything but the kitchen sink: skiing, indoor skating, restaurants, an alpine slide, a pirate ship and fun house, go-karts, mini golf, a shooting range, water raft rides and a black bear habitat. One TripAdvisor traveler said, "I loved riding the new tram to Ober Gatlinburg. The view is fantastic." 9. Brooklyn's Best: Coney Island Park, Brooklyn, New York This legendary amusement park still has plenty of thrills to go around. Featuring more than 20 classic rides, thrill-seekers will want to try "The Cyclone" coaster and "The Scream Machine" freefall ride. Visitors can also enjoy a walk on the beach, catch a Cyclones minor league baseball game or cool off at the Sunlite Pool, the world's largest re- circulating swimming pool. One TripAdvisor traveler said, "The Wonder Wheel is a must and just a one-minute walk from the Cyclone. These are two classic rides, and I am comfortable in knowing they will be there for years to come." 10. Wind It Up: Paramount's Carowinds, Charlotte, North Carolina Highlighted by the outstanding water rides of Boomerang Bay, such as "The Great Barrier Reef" (25,000-square-foot wave pool), "Down Under Thunder" raft ride, and "Jackaroo Landing," a three-story water jungle gym, Carowinds also offers fantastic thrill rides, live shows and dining. As one TripAdvisor traveler said, "They have some first-rate coasters and every one of the standard theme park and carnival rides." "These amusement parks feature much more than cotton candy and carousels," said Michele Perry, director of communications for TripAdvisor. "Travelers like thrills but not spills -- TripAdvisor reviews were littered with comments about the importance of amusement park cleanliness." About TripAdvisor Media Network TripAdvisor® Media Network, operated by TripAdvisor, LLC, attracts more than 24 million monthly visitors (source: comScore Media Metrix, Digital Calculator Report, March 2007) across eight popular travel brands, TripAdvisor® sites, bookingbuddy.com , cruisecritic.com, independenttraveler.com, seatguru.com®, smartertravel.com, travel- library.com and travelpod.com. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 20 million monthly visitors, six million registered members and 10 million reviews and opinions. Featuring real advice from real travelers, TripAdvisor-branded sites cover 260,000+ hotels and attractions and operate in the U.S. (http://www.tripadvisor.com), the U.K. (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk), France (http://www.tripadvisor.fr) and Germany (http://www.tripadvisor.de). TripAdvisor® Media Network provides travel suppliers with graphical advertising opportunities and a cost-per-click marketing platform. Collectively, the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Network have won hundreds of awards and accolades from press and industry, worldwide. TripAdvisor and the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Network are operating companies of Expedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPE). TripAdvisor, TripAdvisor.com, bookingbuddy.com, cruisecritic.com, independenttraveler.com, seatguru.com, smartertravel.com, travel-library.com and travelpod.com are either trademarks or registered trademarks of TripAdvisor, LLC, in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Bah humbug to this list! How did Family Kingdom end up on it? That park was bordering on ghetto. Where is Dollywood and Silver Dollar City? Boo to the list! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygator Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 ^Boo to you Barry for posting such dreck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 Singling out Great Adventure's Great American Scream Machine but not El Toro? Trip Advisor's gonna get sued for encouraging people to ride that concussion-causing pile of crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteornotes Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 Any list that includes Family Kingdom and PKI cannot be taken seriously. dt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 Even funnier than Family Kingdom is Ober Gatlinburg, a tourist trap (although a rather fun one) that is also about 10 minutes from Dollywood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HHIslandGirl Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 I was more amused by the inclusion of "Paramount" anything... We drove past Family Kingdom while in Myrtle Beach last summer for the last days of the Pavilion and thought "what the...?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gisco Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 No Universal or BGE either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 I think an infinite number of drunken, crack-addicted chimps writing with chisels on stone tablets could come up with a better list than this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterFanatic Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 Family Kingdom? It's a little too late for April Fools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voyage_luvr Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 Where is Holiday World in this list? I think crackheads wrote this list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shavethewhales Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 Obviously the writer doesn't know of very many theme parks. So Family Kingdom ranks above SDC, CC, and DW? Wow, at that rate, Bell's was better than Disneyland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastrfreak2000 Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 I find it funny that parks like Six Flags Great Adventure made the list, despite the fact that it has incredibly craptacular reviews on TripAdvisor. Trip Advisor's SFGAdv Reviews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterFanatic Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 ^ I have never taken the time to read those before. Those reviews are downright hysterical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParkTrips Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 Where is Holiday World in this list? I think crackheads wrote this list. Sorry, Holiday World finished 93rd on the list. Turns out crack heads don't buy into the free Pepsi crap either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginzo Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 ^ I have never taken the time to read those before. Those reviews are downright hysterical. To be honest, nearly all travel review sites are like that. Read the hotel reviews on that same site. My favorite negative review was when someone bashed a hotel because it happened to be in a town with not much to do. The people that post reviews tend to be the mentally deranged types that refuse to be pleased, no matter what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hemmy Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 ^ I have never taken the time to read those before. Those reviews are downright hysterical. To be honest, nearly all travel review sites are like that. Read the hotel reviews on that same site. My favorite negative review was when someone bashed a hotel because it happened to be in a town with not much to do. The people that post reviews tend to be the mentally deranged types that refuse to be pleased, no matter what. LOL, that it is the same thing with sites that sell computer parts like newegg the people who post the reviews expect everything for them to be perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterdude5 Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 Six Flags anything? Where's Dollywood? Ah, it was too good for that list anyway, haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywood!007 Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 Go Hershey woo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECZenith Posted August 9, 2007 Share Posted August 9, 2007 W ow, where's Disneyland? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Coaster Girl Posted August 9, 2007 Share Posted August 9, 2007 That is a very stupid list. There some good ones on it, but some really bad ones too. What is it with GASM ? That is a horrible piece of crap, they should be mentioning El Toro. And sooperdooperlooper ? I am sorry, i agree with having hershey there, but there are alot better coasters there than that one. What a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRapidsNerd Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 (Pointing at screen and laughing like loon) Oooh! My sides! Well, as a crackhead, I find that offensive...the park list that is. What? No Alabama Adventure? I'm crushed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpengeist04 Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 Well, if I ever run out of toilet paper, I know what I can print out and use. While I think the first few should be on the list, it really goes down hill at #5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewlcoasterdude Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 I actually agree with that list. I think for the most part all the best parks were on the list. I know there was one that I thought was weird to be on that list. One guy was mad that Holiday World was not on there! If that park was should be on the list, then there are about 30 others that have the same chance! Anyway, I think at least nine of the parks on the list deserve to be there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 This list has about as much credibility as Barry Bonds or Mark McGuire telling kids not to use steroids. Granted, I do not dislike Family Kingdom as much as some who have posted in this thread do--in fact I rather like it, and liked it much better than Pavilion when both were open (Pavilion was too "polished" and "modern" whereas FK has character and a much better woodie). That said, I would never put FK in a top ten parks list. Ober Gatlinburg is barely even a proper amusement park from what I've heard (I've not been, mainly for this reason). If it is what I imagine it to be, it's laughable that this place made such a list while Dollywood (one of few theme parks that I like almost as much as traditional parks) is left off. Last, there's no Coney Island Park. It doesn't exist. Astroland's a park (at least until the end of this season) and Deno's Wonder Wheel Park is a park. Coney Island is a district or neighborhood. Most people probably don't know this or care, but Brooklynites and enthusiasts should recognize and cringe at the error immediately...and should soon after take the list for what it is (a marketing piece of fluff for the travel website that produced it) as a result. -Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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