The end....

I have finally reached the end of the semester, which means I am now almost done with this class. It is been an interesting run. While working on this project I have learned more about different types of parks than what I had ever imagined was possible. I hope you too have been able learn something or found some of what I had to say helpful! Doing this project has taught me a lot about websites and what exactly has to go into them to make them run smoothly. This project took up a lot of time and effort and gave me a better appreciation for the people that are continuously doing things like this. After this class is fully over I do not know how much I will keep up with this as I am not a big fan of writing that much. It will also be summer and I am sure I will be busy with job hunting and maybe even visiting some of the parks that I wrote about here in my blog. Hopefully they will turn out to be as exciting as some of their websites make them out to be. If not, I will probably be a little bummed. If you haven’t seen my products already, please take a look at them on

Cafe Press and see if there is something that you like on there. I would really appreciate it if you decided to buy something. Anyways…I hope you all take care and maybe someday I will decide to come back to this and add on to my current parks.

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom is an animal theme park located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida at the Walt Disney World Resort.  This park themed around animal conservation opened on April 22, 1998 and was the fourth park built at this resort and is more than just a zoo. This park is also the largest Disney theme park in the world! It covers more than a whopping 500 acres. One of the major attractions at this park is the tree of life. This is a sculpted 14-story, 50-foot-wide tree. Within the tree you can find 325 animals carved in the bark.

Within this park you can find seven different themed areas. When you first enter the park you enter in the Oasis. This area is filled with a large number of animal habitats. A rainforest is also located in this section with a restaurant that makes you feel like you are part of the atmosphere. In the center of the park one can find Discovery Island, which will connect you to almost every other area.  Also located in this section is The Tree of Life along with kangaroos, cranes, lemurs and so on. Africa is another section you can visit. Here you can take a safari vehicle to see African animals such as giraffes, hippos, elephants and lions roam freely.  At Camp Minnie-Mickey you can meet all of the Disney characters in a summer camp setting. If that’s not for you, you can head over to Rafiki’s Planet Watch where you can see and learn about endangered species.  Next, there’s Asia. Here one can venture through the jungle and see animals native to the continent. Finally, there is DinoLand U.S.A.  In this area you can learn more about dinosaurs and see live animals that can be linked back to dinosaurs. 

Knowbels

Knoebels Amusement Resort is located in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. The park was opened in 1926 and is one of the few amusement parks that is actually family-owned and operated. Just out side of the park you can find a picnic grove and campground that you may wish to use for an additional price.

Currently the park has more than 57 rides, free admission; yes I said FREE admission, a couple wooden roller coasters, a haunted house, and a carousel that was made before the time that the park first opened making it almost 100 years old.

Admission into the park is free along with parking, and entertainment. You do have to pay to go on the rides though if you wish to. To go on the rides you either pay-one price, or during week days you can get an all-day/unlimited-access wristband, a limited access hand stamp, or a books of tickets. For the hand stamps, there are several options; you can get them for just the night or during the morning. These options make it kind of nice especially for those that do not going on that many rides in the first place. You can bring Grandma and Grandpa along to help you keep the kids in check.

Within the park you can find two different countries: Northumberland and Columbia. In these areas you can find different shops, shows and attractions including kiddie rides, water rides, thrill rides, and roller coasters. There are also many different food options, and games that one can play if they choose to.

Knotts Berry Farm

Knotts Berry Farm is a theme park located in Buena Park California. The park first opened in 1940 and is open year round. This park is owned the same people that own Cedar Point and Worlds of Fun This company was not the company that originally built this park thought. When they took over, they made many changes to the park and started taking out some of the older rides to add thrill rides. Thrill rides include rides such as large roller coasters, their Shoot-the Chutes ride and Perilous Plunge. This park also has acquired a hotel for its guest to stay at if they choose to. Currently this hotel is called Knott’s Berry Farm Resort Hotel.

Within this park you can find six different themed areas: Ghost Town, Fiesta Village, The Boardwalk, Camp Snoopy, Wild Water Wilderness, and Indian Trials. The ghost town section of the park is based on the real ghost towns such as the ones of Calico, California and Prescott, Arizona. Here you can find old buildings that are full of shops and great learning exhibits. There is also numerous attractions.  In Fiesta Village, you can enjoy a Mexican theme and find all of the carnival rides that the park has to offer. The Boardwalk is the place to go to enjoy a majority of the parks thrill rides. Camp Snoopy is full of attractions for the young ones or those young at heart. Here kids are able to ride all of the rides and interact with the Peanuts cast if they choose to.  Wild Water Wilderness offers two different water rides just as the name suggests. Finally, in Indian trails you can find Native American art, crafts, and dance.

Islands of Adventure

Islands of Adventure is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida that is part of the Universal Orlando Resort. This park opened its doors in May of 1999. What is unique about this island is that the overall theme is journey of exploration and you get to explore 7 different islands, each having their own distinct themes.

Port of Entry is the first island you are in when you enter the parks entrance. Here you can shop at one of the island six different stores or enjoy some food at one of the four restaurants. Unlike the other islands, this one contains zero rides.

Marvel Super Hero Island is an Island that is totally inspired by the Marvel comic books. Here you will find the characters Wolverine, Captian America, Spider-Man, and the Incredible Hulk. Even some of the bad guys can be found here such as Doctor Doom, M.O.D.O.K, Hobgoblin, and Kingpin. The rides here are all focused around these characters and their stories.  

Toon Lagoon is more focused on kids but adults will be able to enjoy this park too. Most of the rides and attractions here contain water. This is a great area to visit on a really hot summer day and you are looking to cool off!

Jurassic Park is based off of the Jurassic Park movie. Here you can encounter dinosaurs, enjoy discovery-based exhibits, and feel like you are a part of the real Jurassic Park.  There are also multiple rides that you here for everyone to enjoy.

The Lost Continent is all about ancient myths and legends. Some of the parks areas features are an ancient Arabian marketplace called Sinbad’s Bazzaar and the mythological Grecian-Atlantis-style Lost City. While here you can enjoy two different live action shows.

Seuss Landing is much like the Dr. Seuss books, far from ordinary. If you have small children they are bound to find something to enjoy here. Some of the same features from the book include a Green Eggs and Ham Café and Circus McGurkus restaurant.

The Wizzarding World of Harry Potter is a section of the park that I have already wrote about. Refer back to my earlier post to find out more about this section by clicking here.

Typhoon Lagoon

This is a water park located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida at the Walt Disney World Resort.  This park opened up on June 1, 1989. Its theme is “Disney Legend” of a typhoon that wreaked havoc upon a formerly pristine tropical paradise.

The park is separated into five different sections known as: Mount Mayday,  Hideaway Bay, Typhoon Lagoon, Shark Reef, and Castaway Creek.  In Mount Mayday you can find “Miss Tilly,” a shrimp boat that is stuck on the mountain along with several different slides. In Hideaway Bay, you can find and thrilling water coaster and a sandy white beach area where you can relax in one of the many lounge chairs. The largest area of the park, Typhoon Lagoon is where you can find that widest variety of attractions.  One can learn to serf by taking a lesson before the park opens. If that’s not for you one could enjoy a slide or the world’s largest outdoor wave pool! For an ocean like experience you can head on over to Shark Reef where you can find saltwater tanks that you can snorkel in  or look at an underwater viewing of the reefs. Those that are not up for much adventure can enjoy Castaway Creek where there is a lazy river that circles the entire park with a little excitement along the way.  Finally, for the little one there is Ketchakiddee Creek which features small slides and fountains with different water features everywhere! People of all ages are bound to find something here that they will enjoy!

Legoland

Legoland Califonia is a theme park located in Carlsbad, California. This park opened up on March 20, 1999. This entire park is based around Legos, the toy that almost every kid is able to enjoy at least once in their life. But don’t let this let this fool you, people of all ages can enjoy this place. The park is separated into nine different sections including: The Beginning, Dino Island, Duplo, Village Green, Fun Town,  Castle Hill, Miniland USA, Pirate Shores, Imagination Zone, and Land of Adventure. On top of all this the park also features a water park that just opened in 2010.

Dino Island features all sorts of things about Dinosaurs. Here one can enjoy dino rides or dig for imitation dinosaur bones in the “Dig Those Dions” attractions.  Duplo is the smaller water area of the park. Here you can find numerous little water attractions and even enjoy a boat ride down a river lined with Fairy Tale Lego models. In Fun Town, the little ones can learn to drive electric cars made up of Legos. There is a more complex course for the older ones to enjoy. Castle Hill is a medieval-castle themed area. You can get a better look at the castle by taking  a ride on the Dragon roller coaster. In Miniland USA you can see miniature replicas made entirely of legos of popular cities across the United States. Imagination Zone allow its guest to play LEGO PC games and program robots.  Next you can go to Pirate Shores and enjoy one of the six pirate themed rides. Land of Adventure was made to look how Egypt did in the 1920’s.  

Waterpark Article Review

After submitting my articles to Ezine, I thought it would be fun to check out what other people were writing about on the same topic. Right now I am in a rut and just ready to graduate. Since summer is approaching I chose to focus more on articles about water parks and this one titled “Water Parks for Summer Fun” by Marisol Dayton struck my eye.

In this article Dayton talks about how summer is approaching and how beaches are pools can get old for kids, so when this happens, you should plan a trip to a water park for something new. She then goes on to tell us how much new modern water parks have to offer. Water parks are not like they use to be. Now they are much like amusement parks with all of the high tech slides that they have to offer. The slides now have such innovative designs and can reach high speeds. Some even drop form as high as 120 feet up in the air.

Many water parks now a days often cover multiple acres. Currently the largest water park in the United States is 70 acres. This means that the parks have lots to offer and that kids can go all day without getting the least bit bored. These parks don’t just offer ordinary slides and pools. They also offer lazy rivers that sometimes wrap around the entire park or wave pools that make you feel like you are at the beach. Some of the newer ones even have surf machines that allow you to make an attempt at surfing or kiddie play areas that resemble a huge water fort.

Morey's Piers

Morey’s Piers is located in Wildwood, New Jersey, along the ocean. This park first opened back in 1969 after the Morey Brothers Will and Bill brought two boardwalk lots. These brothers started out with a single attraction, and over the years they were able to expand the Pier a little at a time. They continued to purchase more and more land or additional piers.  Today several different attractions are located on these Piers that they now own.
If you are looking for thrill you can find it at one of the parks three piers. Mariner’s Landing, Surfside, and Adventure Pier are packed with lots of games and rides for those of all ages. One is bound to find some sort of ride that they like here. In Mariner’s landing you can some of the best food and rides that that the park has to offer. The biggest Arcade is also in this part of the park. Surf side Pier is the pier that started it all. Here you can fine roller coasters, rides for the little ones and attractions that the whole family can enjoy. In Adventure Pier you can find lots of adventure just like the name states. Here you can challenge those that you are with to a race on the Grand Prix Raceway or you can take it easy by getting on the Sky Ride that allows you to over look the entire park!
This park also contains two amazing water parks. These parks are called Ocean Oasis Waterpark and Beach Club, and Raging Waters Waterpark.

What One Should Wear to an Amusement/Theme Park

If you are planning on going on a trip to a Theme/Amusement park, you want to make sure you dressed properly. You want to be able to have a nice and enjoyable trip that everyone you are with can enjoy. You also do not want to spend extra money if you do not have to. In order to be best prepared you need to pay attention to what people you are with are wearing. To avoid simple mistakes I have provided to steps you need to follow and why it is that you should follow them:

Comfortable Clothing

Though out the day you will be doing different types of movement, so you want avoid wearing stiff clothing. You may even end up getting wet from one of the rides, so you want to avoid wearing dark undergarments under light clothing and anything that you do not want to get wet.

 Comfortable Shoe

Most trips to an amusement park or theme park contain lots and lots of walking. This makes wearing comfortable shoes very important. You want to avoid any type of shoe that may lead to blister and any shoe that you do not want to get dirty. Your best bet is to pick either a comfortable tennis shoe or sandal that you know you can stand wearing for the entire day.

If you follow these two simple rules, you should be able to enjoy your day to the fullest. You will be lucky enough not to have to listen to anyone complain about whatever it is that they are wearing.

Six Flags St. Louis

Six Flags St. Louis is located in Eureka, Missouri and as the name states it is near St. Louis. This park first opened in 1971 and covers roughly One hundred thirty-two acres of land. A fun fact about this particular Six Flags is that it was the 3^rd theme park of the Six Flags chain and was the last park that was built under the Six Flags name.

Surprisingly, I have actually been to this Park.  I went there a few years back with my church youth group.  When I first arrived at this park I was expecting it to be quite similar to Six Flags Great America, but boy was I wrong. All of the roller coasters had different names and the parks were set up completely different. The most similar things were the characters that you saw at various sections throughout the park and the games that they had to off. I kind of liked how different it was though because I was able to enjoy a new experience.

Currently this park contains many rides and attractions divided up into 8 different themed areas. These areas include: Illinois, Studio Backlot, Britannia, DC Comics Plaza, Choteau’s Market, 1904 World’s Fair, Gateway To The West, and Bugs Bunny National Park. Within these areas you can find 8 roller coasters made of both steel and wood, 3 water rides that are sure to get you wet, multiple adult rides, numerous kiddie rides in addition to a whole area dedicated to them, and rides that the whole family can enjoy.

What Adults Should Bring to a Waterpark

Below is a list of what adults should make sure they have when heading out to a waterpark.

Appropriate swimwear

It is VERY important that adults bring actual swimwear to wear in the water park. Nobody wants to see someone walking around in a bra and underwear or boxers. There is a reason they is a separate line of swimwear so utilize it! Also make sure it fits appropriately.  Most people don’t want to be able to see anything hanging/popping out! This is a family park and one has to remember that there are kids walking around.

Sandals

Make sure that you bring either sandals or water shoes to wear in and out of the park. Tennis shoes can be a pain because most areas you go to contain water, so there is a good chance that your feet are going to get wet! You don’t want wet feet that are stuck in tennis shoes. This is both uncomfortable and smelly!

Clothes to change into

It is nice to have a dry set of clothes to change into when you leave the park. That way if you decide to stop anywhere before reaching your final destination for the night you don’t have to worry about what you are wearing.

Towels

Make sure you have towels for everyone in the family. At some point everyone will want to dry off. They are also nice for lying down in the beach chairs to reserve your spots. This way, your family will have a place to come back to throughout the day if they want to take a break.  This also makes it easier to find people though out the day.

What Children Should Have with Them at a Waterpark

What to wear to the water park. Below I have compiled a list of different items you should make sure to bring with you for a child if you plan on going to a water park.

Swim Diaper - You can purchase swim diapers here
Swim Diapers are better than a reagular diaper while at the pool. All children that are still in diapers should be in swim diapers.  I know there are chemicals in the pool, but that should not make a difference.  Putting the appropriate diaper on your child is just the right thing to do.  No one wants to have to worry about floaters while they are in the water.

Life Jacket - You can Purchase a life jacket here If the child or children you are with either can’t swim or are at a low swim level you should make sure that you take the proper safety precautions. This includes a life jacket or any other floating device.

Sandals / Water Shoes
Kids tend to not pay attention to where they are walking. To keep them from getting into anything that you might find gross, it is a good idea to bring along either sandals or water shoes for them.  You don’t want to bring regular shoes that you have to wear socks with, these may get uncomfortable if they get wet and start to smell.  In the water park, the concrete is also hot if it is not blocked by the sun or wet. Some kids might have a lower pain tolerance; therefore they will not be able to handle it. If you don’t want to have to worry about carrying your kid or kids around with you when they are not in the water it is a good idea to make sure that they have something on their feet. 

Swimwear
Kids need to wear the appropriate swimwear when at the park. Many parks will not let children even enter the park if they are in regular clothes.  It is ok if you let them were a clean t-shirt if you fear that they may get burnt, but other than that you should stick to clothes that were meant to be worn in water.

Dry set of clothes to change into
It is nice to bring a dry set of clothes to change into after you are done for the day, especially if you are going to be spending a longer amount of time in your car. After a long day outside, kids will most likely wear themselves out and be tired when they get to the car. You want to make sure they are as comfortable as possible to keep the crankiness to a minimum.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

The Wizardling World of Harry Potter can be found in Orlando, Florida at Universal Parks and Resorts. This park was recently opened on June 18, 2010. If you love Harry Potter or are even somewhat interested, I am sure you are just as eager to go to this park if you have not been there already.  

Within the park you can find an amazing replica of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  For a moment, you can feel like one of the students of the school or part of the movie. This area features Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which allows you to tour the castle and its surrounding grounds.  Guests can also interact with characters and different props from the Harry Potter series. Once one boards the magic bench they are taken around the castle where they are able to see a Quidditch Match, encounter the Whomping Willow, and a horde of dementors.  Another replica to the actual story that the park made was the creation of Hogsmeade. This area includes some of the same restaurants and shops that you see in the movie including: Dervish and Ganges, Honeydukes, Ollivanders, Zonko’s Joke Shop, The Three Broomsticks and The Hog’s Head.  You can also enjoy one of the many attractions. The Dragon Challenge is a pair of dueling roller coasters that is full of excitement. It reaches high speeds and makes all sorts of twists and turns. The Flight of the Hippogriff is a friendly roller coaster that the whole family can enjoy. Here you can enjoy a smoother ride. Over all this park seems very exciting and I can wait for the day that I am able to visit it!

Hersheypark

Hersheypark in an amusement park located in Hershey Pennsylvania. It was originally opened in 1907 as a leisure park for the employees of the Hershey Chocolate Company. Later on, the park opened up to the public. Today, the park contains over 60 rides and attractions spread out over 110 acres of land.

This park contains nine themed areas these include: Tudor Square, Rhineland, Founder’s Circle, Commet Hollow, Music Box Way, Minetown, Pioneer Frontier, The Boardwalk as Hersheypark, and Midway America

Tudor Square was the first themed area of the park and is made up mostly of shops. This area is located outside the entrance gates and is free for all to enter. Rhineland is the first area that was located inside the park. It too is made up of shops and places to eat. Founder’s circle is centered around the parks Carrousel. Surrounding this is other small carnival like rides. Comet Hollow is home to the parks oldest operating roller coaster.  In this area you can also find a games area fun for the whole family. Music Box Way is where you can find an array of musical entertainment.  In Minetown you can see an area that was made to resemble a mining town. This area contains multiple rides. Pioneer Frontier is the largest park out of the nine. Here you can enjoy four different rollercoaster or head on over to the food court and choose from an array of food. The Boardwalk at Hersheypark is the parks newest themed area. It is home to eight waterpark attractions, a wave pool, lazy river, and cabanas for those who want to seek shade. Midway America is themed towards that Midway Fair. Here you can find three roller coasters and food stands that are similar to those that you would find at a carnival.

Blizzard Beach

Blizzard Beach is a water park located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. This park is located on the Walt Disney World Resort. It opened on April 1, 1985 and was the third of Disney’s three water parks to open. When you walk in, you feel as if you are at a ski resort.  They made it so it looked like a freak snowstorm hit the area.  In the park, you will not find any snow but you will find chair lifts!

While at the park, you do not have to worry about cold water! Here almost all of the water is heated to approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit while it is open.  The water parks main attraction is Mount Gushmore. This mountain stands 90 feet tall and is split into three colored slopes (green, purple, and red) to help the guests understand where they are. This park is also ranked one of the greatest parks in the United States!
On the green slope, one can find you can find several single rider water slides. One of these is slides is Summit Plummet. It stands a whopping 120 feet tall and can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour! This makes it the fastest free fall slide in the world! Slush Gusher a body slide that you can actually get some air in. Lastly, there is Teamboat Springs. This 4 to 6 person attraction is known as the world’s longest family white-water raft ride.
On the purple slope, you can find the Downhill Double Dipper, a side by side racing slide, Snow Stromers, a mat slide and the Toboggan Races an 8 lane racing slide.
On the red slope you can find the Runoff Rapids. This has two open and one enclosed tube slide.

Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios is located in Buena Vista, Florida at the Walt Disney World Resort. When this park first opened in 1989, it was the 3^rd park to open on the resort and they called it MGM Studios. The name later changed to what it is today and is themed around Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s. The most well known piece of work in this park is The Sorcer’s Hat which is a version of the magical hat in the movie Fantasia. Everyday hundreds of people pose in front of this hat for pictures.

Located within the park are 6 themed areas that were designed to look like a real motion picture studio would. When you first walk into the park, you enter Hollywood Boulevard. Here you can find numerous shops and live entertainment though out the entire day. Next, comes Echo Lake. This area is located in a lagoon and has very interesting architecture similar to that of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Here you can also take part in the American Idol Experience or view a 3D audio presentation staring none other than Drew Carey! Streets of America offers the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure that both kids and their families can enjoy. At Animation Courtyard, you can find The Magic of Disney Animation where characters are developed and brought to life! This area also hosts the live show, Playhouse Disney Live on Stage! In the newest section of the park Pixar place which was built to look like Pixar Animation Studios you can find Toy Story Midway Mania an interactive 3D attraction. Finally, there is Sunset Boulevard where you can experience the ever to popular Tower of Terror or Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. If rides aren’t for you one can enjoy the live entertainment that this section has to offer.

Epcot

Epcot is an amusement park that is part of Walt Disney world Resort. This park first opened on October 1, 1982. This park is a little more different than the other parks located within the resort, meaning it attracts an older generation.  The park is laid out to look like an hour glass and contains two sections; Future World and World Showcase. This park is huge and almost twice the size of Magic Kingdom. It is also the most visited park at the Walt Disney World Resort and is home to the giant globe at its entrance.

In Future World, you will notice that that area allows you to explore innovative aspects and applications of technology. A unique aspect  about this section is that each area was at one point sponsored by a corporation who helped fund its construction and maintenance in return for their logos to appear throughout the area. In this area you can find: Spaceship Earth, Innovations, Universe of Energy, Mission: SPACE, Test Track, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, The Land, and Imagination!

In the section of the park known as World Showcase, you can find pavilions set up representing eleven different countries around the world from all different continents.  These countries include: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, America, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom, and Canada. Within these different areas you can learn about these countries and enjoy their food, shops, music and sometimes even rides.  This section of the park opens two hours after the park opening and remains open later than Future World.

Holiday World and Splashin' Safari

One really neat thing about this Park is that is has its own blog on its website. You can go here and check out the latest things that are happening at the park or take a look at what they are doing in the off seasons Blog---> http://www.holidayworld.com/blog/4 

Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari is a theme park and water park combo. It is located in Santa Claus Indiana. The park first opened in 1946, making it the first themed amusement park in the world!  It originally started out as strictly a theme park called Santa Claus Land, then as it expanded more sections were added with different holiday themes, so they changed the name to Holiday World.  Then, in 1993, Splashin’ Safari was added.  Some of the perks you get when you come here include free unlimited Pepsi products and free sunscreen.

The theme park section is separated in to four different parts including: Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the Fourth of July. In these different sections you can find rides, live entertainment, games, and attractions. The names of rides, restaurants, and attractions all go along with the theme of the area of the park that they are located in. Out of all of the rides, this park is known for its three wooden roller coasters. The newest roller coaster, The Voyage, has been given the Golden Ticket Award for best new ride and Best Wooden Coaster. Seven different shows are also available in the theme park section. These shows range from live performances of different type of music to story time with Santa.

Splashin’ Safari is connected to Holiday World and it is free to go to with a purchase of a park ticket. This water park includes the world’s largest water coaster, wave pools, lazy rivers, numerous water slides, and a kids area.

Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari have a lot to offer for the whole family. Ticket rates for the upcoming season are $38.95 for regular and $30.95 for those under 54” or over the age of 60. For more information, vistit the parks website.
http://www.holidayworld.com/

Magic Kingdom

This amusement park was opened on October 1, 1971 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It is one of the amusement parks that make up Walt Disney World. It was also the first park built at the resort and is home to the well known castle that you see in many pictures. The original park had a total of 23 attractions. Only 3 of these attractions were original to the other park. The other 20 were replicas to the attractions at Disneyland in California. These attractions were then divided into six themed lands, only one being unique to the Florida park. 

Disney world is known for being one of the happiest places on earth. This park is open year round every single day of the year.  The attractions are divided into five themed lands, only one being unique to the Florida park.  These lands include: Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland.  Adventure land is themed to make you feel like you are part of the jungles in Africa, Asia, the Middel East, South American and the South Pacific. Some of the main rides in this land are the Pirates of the Caribbean and the Jungle Cruise. In Frontierland you can pretend you are in the Wild West! Here you can find the Big Thunder Mountain railroad, Splash Mountain which is sure to get everyone wet J and the Country Bear Jamboree.  The well known attraction the Haunted Mansion can be found in the revolutionary themed Liberty Square.  If you have younger ones or if you yourself is young at heart Fantasyland will be great for you. Here you can find rides geared towards the little ones such as Dumbo the Flying Elephant and the Mad Tea Party.  Finally in Tomorrowland you can see a land of the future! Thrilling rides here including Space Mountain and Astro Orbiter.

What You Should Bring to a Water/Theme Park

To help you figure out what you should bring along with you to the different parks I have compiled a list that will help you out. Depending on what type of park you are going to what you need and should wear will sometimes vary.

·         Camera

You want to be able to capture all the fun you are having. By taking pictures you will be able to remember your trip for years to come.

·         Sun Screen

For most of the day you will be outside. Even if it doesn’t seem that sunny out it is important to bring sunscreen and make sure everyone puts it on. This is especially important for the children.

·         Something to entertain children on the car ride there.

If it takes a while to get to where you are going you want to be sure to bring something to help entertain the kids in the car. This will make the trip go more smoothly and you will then be in better moods once you reach your destination.

·         A stroller for the young ones.

When there is a lot of walking to do a stroller is nice so do not have to worry about carrying around the children all day.

·         Cash

Now days, most places take both debit and credit cards, but it is important to have a back up. You might run into little vendors that do not or the machines may even go down, but if you have backup cash you will not have to worry about this.

·         Mini First Aid Kit

There should be at least one person in a group that has some sort of mini first-aid kit on them. This should at least include band-aids, Tylenol, and Neosporin.  A headache is that last thing you want to have, when you have a lot of rides that you want to go on.

·         A mesh bad/Swim Bag

A mesh bag that you can put on your back is handier than a purse when you are at a park. You can put more stuff in it, both guys and girls can wear them, and you don’t have to worry about one of shoulders starting to hurt from all the weight being on one side.

Dollywood

Dollywood can be found in the foothills of the Smokey Mountains in a town called Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. This theme park is quite unique and the top attraction in the Smoky Mountain area. Unlike most theme parks, the atmosphere of Dollywood takes you back in time. The way its buildings look and what goes on there reminds you more of an old mountain town. Dollywood has a lot to offer including, rides, traditions crafts, and music.

The only thing tradition about this theme park is the rides. The offer family rides, kid rides and thrill rides. They even have an award winning wooden roller coaster called Thunderhead.

At Dollywood you will not find your everyday modern crafts. Here, you will find master craftsmen hand-make centuries-old crafts including blacksmithing, glassblowing, and woodcarving. You can also watch demonstrations throughout the day. These shops are located throughout the park.  One could easily take a nice break at any of one of them sometime during the day.

Dollywood really values its music, just like Dolly Parton one of the parks owners and to whom the park is named after.  The park offers more than a dozen stage shows where you can here live music performances in country, bluegrass, mountain and gospel. Dollywood is even the site of the Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame.

During its operating months, Dollywood is home to five of the south’s largest festivals. These festivals usually last about a week and offer many cultural events by performers from around the world.

These five festivals include:

·                         1. Festival of Nations

·                         2. Kids Fest

·                         3. Barbeque and Bluegrass

·                         4. Southern Gospel and Harvest Celebration

·                         5. Smoky Mountain Christmas

This park opens up in early spring and stays open until around Christmas time. Ticket prices are $57 for ages 12-59, $45.80 for children ages 4-11 and $53.65 for seniors ages 60+. For more information take a look at Dollywood's website. http://www.dollywood.com/

Great America

Six Flags Great America is located outside of Chicago in Gurnee, Illinois. This park first opened in 1976. The park currently has eight different themed sections and a waterpark attached. This year, the park will be closed the entire season due to budget cuts. I believe this is the only operation park in the state. I can remember visiting the parks while still in school. This is where we took our 8^th grade and senior class trip.  As a kid, we looked forward to these trips all year. The best park about going on the trips was all the different roller coasters that this had to offer. My class mates and I would compete against one another to see who could ride the most roller coasters in one day. We also enjoyed getting characterchers drawn and then comparing to see whose the best was.

Currently, the park has a whopping thirteen roller coasters. These roller coasters range from wooden to steel and they go upside down and spin around and around. Some also tilt you forward so you can feel like you are flying or allow you to stand up. Around the park you can also find numerous other rides for people of all ages and all different types of games. You can find both mind games and physical games. There is also an array of food that you can find though out the park. Then, in October the park offers Fright Fest all month long for those that like Halloween to enjoy.

Water Country

Water Country USA is located in Williamsburg, Virginia. This park first opened in 1984. It is currently the Mid-Atlantics largest water park. There is much more to this park besides just the water rides, Here at this park,  you can take yourself back in time a bit since all of the water rides, restaurants, shops, and entertainment has either or 1950’s or 1960’s beach theme.

Currently the park has 17 different water rides, 2 lazy rivers, and 3 different areas for the kids to play. The new water ride to open up this year is called Vanish Point. This new attraction was inspired by the point on a wave where water and gravity form a perfect partnership. Once you reach the top of this 75-foot tower you have two different options of getting down. At the top there are 4 different slides, 2 of each kind.  You can either step into a sky box where the floor drops out on you, or you can lay down on your back and drop almost straight down a 300’ speed slide.  Either one is likely to get your nerves going. Another unique thing that the feature for entertainment is a dive show called AQUABATICS. This is an exciting show that you don’t want to miss. The show features a combination of high-dive, trapeze acts, trampoline stunts and athletic acrobats.

Throughout the summer you can come to this park and enjoy a day of fun in the sun! Ticket prices this year are $46.00 for those 10 and over, $39.99 for ages 3-9, and those that are 2 and under are free. For more information about this park you can visit their website.

http://www.watercountryusa.com/

Noahs Ark

Noah’s Ark is located in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, the town known as the “Water Park Capital of the World.” This water park is currently America’s largest water park and is constantly rated among one of the best water parks to visit in the United States!  The park opened in 1979 and has been growing ever since.

As far as water attractions go, this park has 49 waterslides, two huge wave pools, two lazy rivers, and 4 different kid’s play areas. The slides vary from 1-4 for the amount of people that can go down at a time, so you don’t have to do everything alone!  Some of the top water rides that this park features includes The Black Anaconda,  America’s longest water coaster, Time Warp, the world’s largest bowl ride, Scorpion’sTail, America’s first near-vertical looping waterslide and The Point of No Return, a water slide that is 10 stories high and you drop almost vertically down in just 5 short seconds.

A nice thing about Noah’s ark is that even though it is a water park, it does have some activities that you can enjoy without getting wet.  These activities include bumper boats, mini-golf, an arcade, remote control boats, a haunted crypt, a 4-D movie theatre and arcades. It’s nice to be able to go to a water park where rain won’t ruin your entire day.

This park is open every year from Memorial Day to Labor Day. You can purchase an all day unlimited pass for $35.99 for those 48” and above, and a 20% discount for those under that. Children two and under are always free. For more information, visit the parks website.

http://www.noahsarkwaterpark.com

Fun Facts I Didn't Know about Parks

I would like to take some time to talk about how I feel my blogs have been going.  They are not as hard as what I originally thought they were going to be, but they are still time consuming. I have discovered many parks that I didn’t even know existed.  From doing this project I have learned a lot more about parks that I did not know in the past. For instance, I didn’t know any of the following:

·         Many of the small parks that I have been researching are actually owned by bigger companies that had other parks across the United States.  Dollywood and Silver Dollar City are connected. Cedar Fair Entertainment Company owns all 10 of the following parks: Worlds of Fun, Cedar Point, Valley fair, Knott’s Berry Farm, Michigan’s Adventure, Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, Kings Island, Kings Dominion, Carowinds, and California’s Great America. They are getting up there with Six Flags!

·         A lot more amusement parks are adding on water parks. They are then advertising the 2 for the price of 1 deal and attracting a bigger customer base.

·         Many of the parks offer very similar attractions to one another. They just have different names and colors.

·         Parks sometimes buy rides from other amusement parks when they are done with them.

·         If you order your tickets online you can save yourself money.

·         Every year Golden Ticket Awards are awarded to the best parks, cleanest parks, best wooden coaster and best coaster across the United States and even in other countries.

Splish Splash

Splish splash is located in Riverhead, New York. This was park opened up in 1991. At this time it only had 3 body slides, 2 speed slides, 2 tube slides, 2 children’s play areas and a lazy river.  In just twenty short years Splish Splash Water Park has built itself up to be one of the top water parks in the United States according to the Travel Channel. During the summer of 2008 the park announced that it would be adding 7 new rides over the next few years. Their latest ride that they added was Dr. Von Dark’s Tunnel of Terror, in 2009. This ride is a longer winding slide that you go through in total darkness.  People get on this slide with either a one or two person tube.  They will then wind back and for a experience a drop of 40ft.  Quite a bit has happened to the water park in just a short amount of time.

This park is spread out over 96 acres and has tons to offer. It features over 30 slides and attractions for people of all different ages and swim skill levels.  In addition to what was mentioned earlier the park has also added a wave pool and 2 more children’s play areas.

If you need a break for the water you can always enjoy one of the dining areas or the spectacular Bird Show. During this show you will watch 4 parrots compete for the title of Pirate Weldon’s Parrot. This show is fun for the whole family and is bound to have everybody laughing.

Tickets are available for this park at a price of $37.99 for regular admission, $28.99 for those under 48” or over 62, and children 2 years of age and under are free.  For more information about this park you can visit its website.

http://www.splishsplashlongisland.com

Kennywood

Kennywood is located in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. The park first opened in 1898 as a “trolley park.” A trolley park was a picnic and recreation area that could be found along or at the ends of streetcar lines. These came along before amusement parks. In 1906 it was bought and has been an amusement park ever since. Surprisingly, this park still has some rides and structures that are still there from when the park first opened. This makes the park one of only two listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This park currently has three themed areas called Kiddieland, Lost Kennywood, and Volcano Valley. Kiddieland is known for being one of the first areas for just children’s rides in the world and has 14 different rides for the young ones to enjoy! Within the other two areas you can find 6 roller coasters, 3 water rides, 9 thrill rides, 10 classic rides, and 3 dark rides. In the Kennywood area you can take a step back and review the history of the park.  Volcano Valley is the newest section of the park and it continues to grow each year with the addition of at least one new ride.

With all the rides, shows and more than 30 different refreshment areas this park has stuff for the whole family to enjoy. Ticket prices for this year are $36.99 for those over 46”, $23.99 for these under 46”, and $17.99 for those aged 55 and up. Kids that are two and under are free! For more information about this park you can visit its website. http://kennywood.com/

Silver Dollar City

Silver Dollar City is located in Branson, Missouri. This park has been in business since 1960.  If you want to take a step back in time to the 1880’s, this is the perfect amusement park for you to visit. It is located in a wooded area, so the atmosphere is perfect.

The park offers over 30 rides and attractions. They have rides for people of all ages who are looking for different types of adventure.  This is a little less than most major theme parks but this park seems to focus more on their shops and entertainment.

While at Silver Dollar City you can check out one of their 60 unique and inspirational shops. These shops include: jewelry, old fashioned candy, blacksmith shops, glass shop, a leather shop, numerous different types of art shops and more. Here you would be able to find a great one of a kind gift for anyone. In some of the shops they even show you live demonstrations to how they made the products that they have to offer the old fashioned way.

If you are really into shows, Silver Dollar City offers over 40 live shows daily. In 2009, they were rated best in the entire theme park industry by Golden Ticket Awards. These shows offer a variety of music performances, some more traditional and others that take you way back. There are even some short performances that are both funny and fun for the whole family.

This year’s current ticket prices are $55 for adults, $45 for children 4-11, and $53 for 65 and up. For more information regarding this park visit their website.

http://www.bransonsilverdollarcity.com/

Cedar Point

Cedar Point is located in Sandusky, Ohio. The park itself is located on a peninsula in Lake Erie. It’s history dates back to the 1870’s making it the 2^nd oldest amusement park in North America.  Since it is on a peninsula, it has a mile-long white sand beach next to the amusement park. As of last year, Cedar Point was said to have more rides than any other amusement park.  This park has also been deemed “Best Amusement Park in the World” by Amusement Today for the past 13 years. Besides the parks unique location, I am guessing that this could have something to do with the fact that this park has a total of 17 different roller coasters! Most of the parks that I have been to, don’t even have half that many roller coasters.

Aside from all of the roller coasters, Cedar Point also features, numerous thrill rides for those seeking adventure, kids’ rides for the little ones, family rides for those who prefer a calmer experience, and water rides for those that just want to cool off. Throughout the park there is not just one but four different areas just for the kids who I still too small to enjoy the bigger rides. These areas are called Camp Snoopy, the Gemini Children’s Area, Planet Snoopy, and Kiddy Kingdom.

If rides are not your thing you can always enjoy one of the many shows, games, or restaurants.

The current admission prices for this season are $46.99 for those over 48” and $21.99 for those under 48” or over the age of 60. For more information you can visit the parks website.

http://www.cedarpoint.com/

Adventure Land

Adventureland is located in Altoona, Iowa. This is just outside of Des Moines. Adventureland opened in 1975, and currently offers more than 100 rides, shows, and attractions.

There are three different rides that are offered here they include, thrill rides, family rides, and kiddie rides. For thrill rides they have a few different roller coasters and faster,  and taller more high tech carnival rides.  The family rides are slower paced and often more than two people can all go together at once within the same cart. The kiddie rides are much like the ones that you would see at a fair, many of them resemble animals or forms of transportation. Most of these rides are slow pace and just go around in circles.

A new addition to the park that they have recently added is a water park called Kokomo Kove. You do not have to pay extra to get into the water area. It is already included in the normal ticket price. In the water park area you can find 7 water slides, over 100 other water features that are fun for kids, a lazy river and a giant play area for kids. If people do not enjoy getting into the water they can sit and enjoy themselves in one of over 200 lounge chairs. At Kokomo Kove, they made sure people of all ages would be able to enjoy it.

The current ticket prices for Adventureland are $35 for those over 10 and $30 for those younger or over the age of 60. For more information you can visit the parks website.

http://www.adventureland-usa.com/

Worlds of Fun

Worlds of Fun

Worlds of Fun is located in Kansas City, Missouri. It was built in 1973, before there was even much in the area. Now, it is one of the city’s main attractions. This traditional amusement park is themed around the adventure book, Around the World in 80 Days, by Jules Verne. To go along with the book the park is separated into 5 different areas. These areas are called Scandinavia, Africa, Europa, the Orient, and Americana.  Within these different sections of the park rides, attractions, shops, shows, and restaurants are named to go along with the area they are located in.

This theme park currently offers its guest more than 100 different rides and attractions.  The types of rides that are offered range from kid’s rides, thrill rides, and family rides.  All but the kid’s rides can be found spread out through the different themed areas of the park. The kids have their own special section, with over 20 different rides and attractions just for them. They can be found in an area known as Planet Snoopy, located in the Americano section of the park. All of the Peanuts characters can also be found wandering around this area. They are there to interact with the kids and to take pictures or even sign autographs. There are seven different roller coasters throughout this park. All of them are quite different than one another.  They have a super fast coaster that reaches speeds up to 65mph, some that go upside down, and even one that goes backwards.  In 2009, the Prowler won the prize of being the best new ride in the world! Besides these rides there are also slower paced rides that the whole family can enjoy. If rides aren’t for you, Worlds of fun also features some award winning shows, that have performers from all across the country. Over all, this park is big enough to have at least something that the whole family can enjoy.

For 2011 the ticket prices are $43.99 for guests 48” or taller and $21.99 for juniors and seniors over the age of 62. For more information you can visit the parks web page. http://www.worldsoffun.com/.

Raging Waters

There is a group of three different water parks, in California, that are under the name of Raging Waters and are owned by the same group. These water parks are located in Sacramento, San Dimas, and San Jose.  The parks are currently the largest parks in the whole state.  You can find two other water parks in the states that go by this name but they are not owned by the same group.

Raging Waters Sacramento

The park in Sacramento features over 25 slides and attractions. These attractions include different types of slides, a wave pool, and lazy river, and different kiddie areas. One of the kid’s areas features a 5-story tall water playground that the whole family can enjoy.

Raging Waters San Dimas

The water park in San Dimas is the largest of the three and is ranked as one of the top Water Parks in the United States by the Travel Channel. Covering 50 acres, this park contains over 36 slides and attractions.  There are kiddie areas, a wave pool, lazy rivers, and even a sand beach. Some of the bigger attractions include a slide where you are in total darkness the whole time,  the new Flowrider that makes it seem as if you are catching a wave and raft rides that the whole family can enjoy.

Raging Waters San Jose

This park is the second largest of the three parks and known as the largest park in Northern California. It was formally a water park belonging to Six Flags but they let it go after filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy. It includes all kinds of slides, a lazy river, a wave pool, and some areas for the little one.

All three of these parks have tons to offer. For more information, you can check out their website.

http://www.ragingwaters.com 

The Lost Island

The Lost Island is located in Waterloo, Iowa. This water park has only been open for 10 going on 11 years.  The park is located in an area where there is not much going on, but has so far been doing alright. Every year to improve the park they try to add on one new big project from the previous year.

 As of right now this park features major water slides, kiddie play areas, water attractions, and activities that take place outside the water park area. This past season the park introduced its best slide yet, the Wailua Kapua.  This is a new ProSlide Hydro Magnetic Rocket water coaster. Up to four people can take a ride up in a tube on a conveyor belt.  They will then get to experience the 900-foot-long ride though twists, turns  and drops at speeds up to 35 feet per second.  If this slide isn’t for them they can pick from one of the 8 other ones that the park has to offer. If slides aren’t for you but you still like water you can spend some time in the either the wave pool, lazy river, or one of the parks lagoons that are kid friendly. Outside of the park you can find an 18-hole mini golf course, an arcade, and go-karts! There are so many choices for this being a smaller water park.

Day passes for this park are $23.36 and 3 and under are free. For more information, you can check out the parks website.

http://www.thelostisland.com/

Splashtown

Splashtown is located in Houston, Texas. This park sits on the land that was once known as Hanna-Barbera Land, which was an amusement park.  When this park first opened up in 1984 it was converted into a waterpark and they named it Splashtown USA. The USA was then dropped after the first season of being open. Randomly, Splashtown San Antonio opened up around the same time as this park and surprisingly the two were not exactly owned by the same people.

The Stingray Racer is the newest slide that has been added to the park. This attraction contains 6 of the same slides lined up side by side were you go down head first on a mat.  Here you can challenge your friends or family to a friendly completion to see who can race down the slide the fastest.  Apart for this slide the park offers its guests 10 other slides a lazy river, a wave pool, and kid friendly areas that the whole family can enjoy.  Some slides are milder than others, so you are bound to find something you like with one these slides that contain twists and turns or sudden drops. One can even experience some blackouts as you are going down, so hopefully you aren’t afraid of the dark! If you don’t like to go on slides alone, one should have no worries since a great number of the slides allow you to at least double up on a tube or a raft with others! There is enough to do at this park to allow you do have a full day filled with fun. For more information, you can visit the parks website. http://www.splashtownpark.com/

Water World

Water World is a water park located in Federal Heights, Colorado.  This park first opened in 1979 and is known as one the top water parks in the United States. This surprised me. I picture Colorado as more of a mountain town and a place to snow or ski.

This park has over 45 attractions covering a whopping 67 acres. In this area the park is split up into 7 different sections. You can find all sorts of slides at this park ranging from single rider slides, to tube slides, raft slides, and speed slides. The park currently has two different wave pools, a lazy river, and some kid friendly areas.  These sections include: West Coast, South Beach, North Shore, River Country, Calypso Cove, Wild Isle and Big Top. West Coast and Big Top are the two biggest sections of the park. The West Coast and the Big Top feature mostly family attractions. Here you can find small pools and multi-rider slides.

This park is usually open every year from Memorial Day to Labor Day. This park has two different ticket rates for depending on what time of the day that you go. If you go in the morning when it opens prices go as follows:

People 48” and above    $35.99

Children 40”-47”               $30.99

Children under 40”          FREE

Seniors                                 $6.99

Prices if you go after 1:45PM

People 48” and above    $20.99

Children 40”-47”               $17.99

Children under 40”          FREE

Seniors                                 $6.99

For more information about Water World, you can visit their website.  http://www.waterworldcolorado.com/