striker7 Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 I am going to call on all the experts out there to give me a little advise on what park to visit this summer? I am looking for something within an 8 hour drive. I have only visited a few other parks. Cedar Point in 1994, Kentucky Kingdom and Opryland. I would like to start going to another park like once a year. I love roller coasters and rides like Delirium but will not ride Drop Tower! LOL Anyway if you all could let me know where you recommend and why. Oh yeah, it would be just myself and my wife. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 8 hours? From Cinci? 1. Holiday World-- Highly recommended. Great waterpark, above average but oddly unbalanced dry park. Free parking, free soda, free suntan lotion, etc. 2. Kennywood. Awesome traditional park with fantastic rides, coasters and inside park scenery. Many historic rides. Plus Phantom's Revenge. Those would be my first two venturing out recommendations. I'd add that today's Cedar Point is very, very different than the park you visited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Canada's Wonderland is supposedly the crown jewel of the Cedar Fair / Paramount Parks, though I've never been. That should be well within your area even if it doesn't sound like it. Their new Leviathan roller coaster is supposed to be quite impressive, essentially adding 100 feet to Diamondback. In Virginia, Cedar Fair's Kings Dominion is a really spectacular park - many, many similarities to Kings Island, but some spectacular differences. Intimidator 305 is their newest coaster, and the first sister ride to Cedar Point's famous Millennium Force. Busch Gardens Williamsburg about ninety minutes southeast of Kings Dominion is absolutely incredible - quality over quantity. It has five adult coasters, but I'd ride any one of them over all of Cedar Point's sixteen. Busch Gardens also has the astounding Curse of DarKastle dark ride, which uses the technology popularized by Universal's Spider-Man and Transformers rides. Really impressive, especially for a regional park. Cedar Point would be a real treat if you haven't been in nearly a decade, and might be a good place to start since it's closer and you can branch out from there. But plan wisely! It's a destination, and a Saturday in June or July would almost certainly need Fast Lane front-of-the-line passes if you plan to really experience it all in one day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Then there's Dollywood if you are into country, gospel, great shows, the Smokeys, Gatlinburg (tourist trap extraordinaire) and traffic (not as bad as Atlanta, but close). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongliveKingsCobra Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Gatlinburg may be a tourist trap, but it's a nice tourist trap. Blains?! Yummmmmy! Cobra, who wants to make a drive down to the Smokeys this summer.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
striker7 Posted May 27, 2012 Author Share Posted May 27, 2012 I think I am leaning towards Cedar Point or Kennywood. However I never thought about Canada's wonderland. Only slightly over 8 hours. I don't want to sound ignorant, but I have never crossed the border into Canada. Is there much to it? Do I need a passport? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Yes, you need a passport. Getting IN to Canada is painless and quick, usually. Getting back into the USA can sometimes not be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 A U.S. Passport Card is the new alternative. It's half the price of a passport but only allows entry back from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. http://travel.state...._card_3926.html I think the technicality behind the situation the Interpreter described is that for a long time, the U.S. and Canada did not require citizens traveling between them to display a passport - only a government ID. That is no longer mutual. You still don't technically need one to get into Canada, but you must have a passport to return home. As such, they won't let you into Canada unless you prove you have the proper documentation to get back into the U.S., so the de facto policy requires one to enter Canada. A Passport Card is the cheap alternative to a full passport meant to simplify that annoyance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 ...and then only when entering by land. It CANNOT be used for air travel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Very true. I imagine that's stressed by international airlines on affected flights. It should be in flashing red letters before you submit any information. Passport cards also use RFID, the grain-of-rice-sized radio transmitter that's perpetually tested at Walt Disney World, where visitors information can be stored on their card, paying for food and entering the parks with a wave of the wrist. In the government card case, the radio frequency connects to a "secure" government file of you. In Disney's case, it may allow the new talking Mickey Mouse to greet you by name next time you hug him with a ticket in your pocket... What a world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Also, it takes many weeks to get either, unless you pay for expedited service. And I literally meant getting into Canada is usually a snap, and you are treated very nicely and professionally. Re-entering, the Customs agents have nearly the charm and efficiency of the TSA. Almost. Not all of them, but far too many of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Canada: A world away, across the bay! Er, lake... Windsor & Detroit, for example. Same climate, same media, same architecture, same commutes, different attitude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccarthysnerd Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Being mccarthysnerd, My answer would have to be Kings Island and always will be. Unless I change my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB1 Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 That depends...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thekidd33 Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Here's my two cents... Personally if I had to choose I would pick Holiday World for the fact that there are few parks that can match the level of service that you receive there. The staff is friendly, welcoming, and truly seems to care about your experience. If you enjoy wooden coasters then you would be hard pressed to find three better ones existing in the same park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooo_Z_wynX Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 I'm sorry, but Kennywood is the most overrated park of all time, in my opinion. I think suicide sounds more fun than EVER stepping foot inside that sorry excuse for an amusement park again. Lets put it this way.....my friend could easy win a season pass for the 2 of us for under $100, but we have discussed what a waste of money and time it would be to win that "prize". I know we are the "minority" in this respect, but considering one of us is black and the other is gay, we're use to being in the minority and we wouldn't have it any other way. Canada's Wonderland has a lot of credits to get, but pre-Leviathan there is only 2, maybe 3, coasters there worth the trip. I have never been a huge fan of SFGAm, but with the addition of X-Flight I would definitely say it's worth consideration. I also enjoy SFOG, Goliath is one of the top 2 B&M hypers in North America (been on all of them). Holiday World is an experience that is unparalleled, but is very small compared to the other choices within 8 hours. Six Flags St. Louis is lacking because it doesn't have a full circuit hyper. Dollywood with Wild Eagle has definitely stepped up their game and is way more of a "must do" park than it was in 2011. I personally would suggest driving 2 more hours in the car and doing SFGAd in Jackson, NJ. I think it is on par with Cedar Point if not better. You have El Toro, Nitro, Batman:TR, S:UF, Cha.....errrrr Green Lantern, Kingda Ka, the very underrated Bizarro, and many more good, but not great coasters. Hersey Park is fun and has many one of a kind coasters, but my only ride on Lightin' Racer was on a cold track, Fahrenheit was hardly worth the wait and Storm Runner, while very good is also very short. If I was forced pick one within 8 hours, I would go with Six Flags Great America. That park reminds me a lot of KI in that it has only a couple of top notch coasters, yet has enough to keep you busy all day. I'm getting up at 4:00 a.m. tomorrow to do a 16 hour (give or take a hour) trip tomorrow, so my opinion could change...lol. My second choice would be Holiday World. What they lack in rides (not a huge water park fan) they more than make up for in customer service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderbeast1968 Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Holiday World sounds good to me too. I will be there next Sunday, and Kings Island on Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTD-120-420 Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a fantastic park. It is rightfully named the most beautiful park year after year. As said above, DarKastle is a great ride. Griffon looks like a piece of art. Busch is probably my second favorite park, after Island's of Adventure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luff Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 And I literally meant getting into Canada is usually a snap, and you are treated very nicely and professionally. Re-entering, the Customs agents have nearly the charm and efficiency of the TSA. Almost. Not all of them, but far too many of them. Try entering canada for work! The ease and niceness is gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kblanken Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 It'll be on the edge of eight hours drive, but Hersheypark is one to keep in mind. They have a large selection of mostly good coasters and rides, a free zoo, and a free chocolate museum on site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTD-120-420 Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 And Skyrush! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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