Over the next 15 days, accompanied by some of my favourite fellow nerds, I'll be visiting 13 different theme parks (as well as the 10th tallest pyramid in the world, we all know what I'm most excited for really). So I thought it would be fun to have a think about which rides and parks have got me practically hyperventilating, and see if they live up to expectations.
The schedule looks a little bit like this:
Day One: Nickelodeon Universe - American Dream Mall
Day Two: Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Day Three: Kings Dominion
Day Four: Carowinds
Day Five: Dollywood
Day Six: Travel Day (Bass Pro Pyramid)
Day Seven: Silver Dollar City
Day Eight: Six Flags St. Louis
Day Nine: Holiday World
Day Ten: Kings Island
Day Eleven: Cedar Point
Day Twelve: Cedar Point
Day Thirteen: Hersheypark
Day Fourteen: Six Flags Great Adventure
Day Fifteen: Luna Park Coney Island
Just writing that list out makes me practically effervescent with excitement (and more than a little bit exhausted), in no small part due to these beauties below:
1. Steel Vengeance - Cedar Point
Photo: CedarPoint.com
Yes, I know this is an entirely uninspired choice, but of course, the ride that continues to be voted the best rollercoaster in the world each year without fail is my most anticipated ride/most anticipated anything. I was entirely certain that there was absolutely no way on earth such praise could be justified, but that was before I rode Zadra over at Energylandia last year. Riding my first Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) coaster taught me that coasters could feel so much more wild and joyous than I'd ever imagined - and this is supposedly the best of them. SteVe, expectations are high. Don't let me down.
2. Silver Dollar City
photo: attractionsmagazine.com
I vividly remember watching my first youtube video about Silver Dollar City. As the vlog played out and the vloggers wandered deeper and deeper into the park, two questions crystallized in my mind: how had I never heard about this insane place before, and how on earth would I ever get there? There are many parks, many rides, out there that I have come to terms with never experiencing. Until very recently, Silver Dollar City was firmly in this category. Located in Branson, Missouri far from any major transatlantic route this is not a park you can just pop to. But hey, all that's in the past because now I have my tickets, I have my transport and I'm on my way! For those who may not be familiar, Silver Dollar City is richly themed to life in the 1880s Ozarks and though the park may have multiple lands within this theme, the thematic integrity throughout the park is jaw-dropping. Throw in some top-tier rollercoasters and a natural wonder in the Marvel Cave and you have a theme park that's earned its place as my most anticipated park.
3. Dollywood
photo:tripsavvy.com
After the major players such as Disney and Universal, I reckon that Dollywood is probably the USA theme park that most non-theme-park people know about/show an interest in. I know for sure that some people I know have next to zero interest in visiting any theme park, except Dollywood. This is a park that - thanks to the absolute Queen that is Dolly - lives in the imagination of people all around the world. Discovering that not only was it home to some fascinating pieces of Dolly history but also an outstanding collection of attractions and beautiful landscaping moved Dollywood from being a daydream to a must-do. I simply cannot wait.
4. Lightning Rod - Dollywood
Photo: Wikipedia.org
Sticking with Dollywood for a moment, the second individual attraction to feature in this list is also an RMC. But for anyone who doesn't religiously follow coasters like I'm sure many of the people reading this do, this one is launched. On top of that, the remaining layout is essentially a mystery until you crest that hill. The notable exception being the quad-down visible from the park, an element that is universally praised as being one of the best of any coaster. This is a ride that is almost as crazy as its downtime, one I'm trying not to let myself get super excited for as despite repeated work, it's still less reliable than most of the other coasters on here. But, if I do get to ride it? Dear lord, launch me over that hill with everything you've got Dolly.
5. Fury 325 - Carowinds
That Fury 325 sits this high on my list is a testament to how far I've come with rollercoasters over the previous year. When conversations about this trip were first being had, this was a ride that I was seriously considering skipping. Whilst I adored rollercoasters, the idea of a ride that tall still scared the life out of me. Fast forward a year and a bit and having ridden Hyperion and quite a few other sizeable coasters, I've come to learn that, you know what? I bloody love a massive drop. Whilst I still think ascending the world's tallest lift hill is going to give me a bit of a wobble, I just know it will be worth every second.
6. Cedar Point
photo: crainsdetroit.com
With its isolated location on an Ohioan peninsula, this was another park that prior to making friends within the theme park community, I never dreamed of being able to visit. America's roller-coast is an absolute must-do for anyone who loves rollercoasters. Whilst I'm disappointed that one of its headline attractions Top Thrill Dragster, is closed for the season, Maverick, Gatekeeper, Valravn, Millenium Force and of course the one and only Steel Vengeance are more than enough to keep me hyped.
7. The Voyage - Holiday World
Photo: HolidayWorld.com
Out of all of the rides I'm super excited to ride, I have the least idea of what to expect from The Voyage. All I know is that it is consistently hailed as one of the greatest wooden coasters on Earth, as well as holding the record for the most airtime generated by a wooden coaster. I'm just praying it's not too rough because that is a loooooong ride to endure if it is! One non-wheel seat, please.
8. Time Traveller - Silver Dollar City
Photo: Silverdollarcity.com
Until very recently, Time Traveller was a coaster that only sparked moderate interest in me. Spinning coasters have never been my favourite after all. Then I experienced The Ride to Happiness over at Plopsaland de Panne and all of that changed. I have never experienced anything even close to that ride. It had forces I didn't even know were possible. So now I'm very eager to see how Time Traveller compares. As a Brit, I'm fortunate to have one of the great prototype testing grounds of the rollercoaster world nearby. I am of course talking about Alton Towers, home of the first dive, flying and drop-track coasters. Having experienced these rides and seeing how the original prototypes have been improved upon by parks around the world, I'm very interested to ride the first Mack Extreme Spinner and see how the concept developed between that and The Ride to Happiness! Plus that first drop looks wild.
9. Kingda Ka - Six Flags Great Adventure
photo: sixflags.com
Admittedly, I'm not sure 'anticipation' is the word when it comes to Kingda Ka. Between the height (the world's tallest coaster at 456 ft/119 m) and everything I've heard about its significant rattle, this is undoubtedly the ride I am most nervous about experiencing. Thankfully, our visit to Six Flags Great Adventure takes place on our last full day in the states so I should be relatively battle-hardened by this point! Again I'm just heartbroken that Top Thrill Dragster is closed for the season, I was counting on that to prepare me for this madness! Of course, despite the fear, Kingda is a coaster that has been on my to-do list for years. Even back when I wouldn't ride anything over 50ft I knew that one day I wanted to ride this beast. I cannot believe it is (hopefully) finally happening.
10. Cinnamon Bread - Dollywood
A theme park snack I'm so hyped for that I made a vibing cat ready to be deployed every time it's mentioned. Outside of Disney Parks, I don't think there's a more iconic theme park food item out there than the Dollywood cinnamon bread. In fact, it may be more iconic than some of those Mickey-shaped snacks. Even if I didn't know so much about this stuff in advance, I'd almost definitely be getting some. Cinnamon is probably my favourite taste/smell/anything so a loaf of bread soaked in butter and cinnamon sounds just about as good as it gets. I cannot wait to smell the sweet, spicy Grist Mill air.
Honorable Mentions
Marvel Cave - Silver Dollar City
One of the main - exhausting - arguments I see against big theme park trips like this is that you should get out and see 'real culture' instead. I'm not going to get into that fight here, I simply do not have the energy. But I raise the point because not only do I believe theme parks are in themselves part of modern culture, but some even have astonishing, historic attractions such as this, Silver Dollar City's Marvel Cave. The cave after all is the entire reason SDC exists, originally an attraction built around this beautiful natural wonder, its popularity allowed the park to become the incredible place it is to this day. I can't think of a better way to break up a busy theme park day than heading below ground on one of the included-in-admission tours. Quite simply a must-do.
Gobbler Getaway - Holiday World
Another entry to this list that shows the power of a good YouTube video. I saw Gobbler Getaway in a Holiday World vlog a few years back and it's just stuck in my head ever since. I love a good dark ride. In fact, I love most dark rides of all shapes and sizes. But, make your ride a little whimsical and oh boy, that's a top-tier attraction in my books! Gobbler Getaway manages this by being a shooter that instead of making a 'pew-pew' noise upon firing, the sound effect is a turkey gobble! Combine that with some classic 2D painted scenery and you've got, what looks to me, like an absolutely hilarious attraction!
Justice League: Battle for Metropolis - Six Flags St. Louis/Great Adventure
Sticking with dark rides for a moment, Justice League: Battle for Metropolis is an interactive shooting ride cloned across many Six Flags parks. What interests me here is seeing how hard Six Flags have gone with this. From what I've heard, this is a ride that far surpasses the quality of attraction the chain are known for producing, and honestly, I absolutely love to see it.
Cyclone - Coney Island
Oh Coney Island. Of everything on this list, Coney is the only place I have visited before. Back in 2019 we made the >1hr metro trip from Manhattan down to southern Brooklyn in order to ride this most historic of coasters. Alas! All that greeted us was an absolute downpour and a ticket office attendant who informed us that it was pretty much guaranteed that nothing would open that day. At the time, the park was only open at weekends and given that this was a Sunday, that was our one chance gone. Heartbreaking stuff. Let's hope we can put it right this time!
See ya on the other side!
Claire
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