Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Longest. Fastest. Tallest. Steepest. As theme parks across the United States throw open the gates for the 2011 summer of fun, these thrill-makers dare us to climb aboard and test our mettle (and the strength of our stomachs). Budget Travel scoured American theme parks big and small to find the wildest adventures. The question is: Are you ready for the challenges they offer?
Text by Sally Walker Davies, Budget Travel.
The World's First Robotic "Coaster": Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.
Text by Sally Walker Davies, Budget Travel.
The World's First Robotic "Coaster": Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.
Perilous Plunge
The World's Steepest and Tallest Water Ride: Perilous Plunge, Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, Calif.
At 115 feet, Perilous Plunge ranks as the country's tallest water ride. But that's not the scariest part of this flume ride. The drop measures an unbelievable 75-degree angle (only 15 more degrees, and this would be a straight vertical drop). Thanks to an eddy magnetic braking system, the splashdown isn't as ferocious as one might expect, but there's still no escaping a total drenching.
The Park: Knott's Berry Farm started out as an actual working berry farm in 1920—one of the country's first agritourism efforts. The Knotts sold berries, jams, and jellies at a roadside stand, eventually offering biscuits and chicken in the 1930s. Today, chicken dinners are still served up daily, but you might not want to grab a bite until after you've gotten off the park's many thrill rides.
At 115 feet, Perilous Plunge ranks as the country's tallest water ride. But that's not the scariest part of this flume ride. The drop measures an unbelievable 75-degree angle (only 15 more degrees, and this would be a straight vertical drop). Thanks to an eddy magnetic braking system, the splashdown isn't as ferocious as one might expect, but there's still no escaping a total drenching.
The Park: Knott's Berry Farm started out as an actual working berry farm in 1920—one of the country's first agritourism efforts. The Knotts sold berries, jams, and jellies at a roadside stand, eventually offering biscuits and chicken in the 1930s. Today, chicken dinners are still served up daily, but you might not want to grab a bite until after you've gotten off the park's many thrill rides.
Kingda Ka
The World's Tallest Roller Coaster: Kingda Ka, Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, N.J.
A double-whammy entry in the record books, Kingda Ka is not only the tallest roller coaster in the world; it's also the fastest in North America. At 45 stories, or 456 feet at its highest point, the ride is taller than London's famed Big Ben and only a few feet shorter than the Great Pyramid at Giza! Riders zoom from zero to 128 mph in just over three seconds on launch and then fly over camel humps (briefly experiencing weightlessness), dip, turn, and finally come to a rest in what can only be described as a breathless 59 seconds. Yes, that was your life flashing before your eyes.
The Park: Six Flags Great Adventure is comprised of three parks (though each charges separate entrance fees): the main park, a 350-acre animal park called Wild Safari, and the Hurricane Harbor Water Park. Bugs Bunny and other Looney Toons
A double-whammy entry in the record books, Kingda Ka is not only the tallest roller coaster in the world; it's also the fastest in North America. At 45 stories, or 456 feet at its highest point, the ride is taller than London's famed Big Ben and only a few feet shorter than the Great Pyramid at Giza! Riders zoom from zero to 128 mph in just over three seconds on launch and then fly over camel humps (briefly experiencing weightlessness), dip, turn, and finally come to a rest in what can only be described as a breathless 59 seconds. Yes, that was your life flashing before your eyes.
The Park: Six Flags Great Adventure is comprised of three parks (though each charges separate entrance fees): the main park, a 350-acre animal park called Wild Safari, and the Hurricane Harbor Water Park. Bugs Bunny and other Looney Toons
Summit Plummet
America's Tallest Free-Fall Waterslide: Summit Plummet, Blizzard Beach, Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
The ski-lift-themed Summit Plummet, complete with mounds of fake snow, makes you wonder if it's really a smart idea to slide down the slopes in just your bathing suit. But don't worry: The waters here are heated year-round to a bath-like 80 degrees. Free-fall waterslides, like this one, are designed to make the rider feel like they're dropping without any restraint (essentially falling at an extremely steep angle at top speeds). The tallest in the country—and second tallest in the world, after Brazil's Insano—plunges the brave down a 120-foot slide. That's 12 stories, or twice the size of the presidential heads on Mount Rushmore. Travel through a dark tunnel and a 360-foot flume at speeds of up to 60 mph, and make sure to check the digital readout at the end—which shows your exact speed—for bragging rights.
The ski-lift-themed Summit Plummet, complete with mounds of fake snow, makes you wonder if it's really a smart idea to slide down the slopes in just your bathing suit. But don't worry: The waters here are heated year-round to a bath-like 80 degrees. Free-fall waterslides, like this one, are designed to make the rider feel like they're dropping without any restraint (essentially falling at an extremely steep angle at top speeds). The tallest in the country—and second tallest in the world, after Brazil's Insano—plunges the brave down a 120-foot slide. That's 12 stories, or twice the size of the presidential heads on Mount Rushmore. Travel through a dark tunnel and a 360-foot flume at speeds of up to 60 mph, and make sure to check the digital readout at the end—which shows your exact speed—for bragging rights.
Record-Breaking Thrills: Leap-the-Dips
The World's Oldest Operating Roller Coaster: Leap-the-Dips, in Lakemont Park, Altoona, Pa.
Leap-the-Dips is not just a ride; it's a piece of history. In fact, this wooden coaster was named a National Historic Landmark in 1996. Built in 1902, the coaster—with a top operating speed of just 10 mph and a peak of 41 feet—stood idle during the late 1980s and into the late 1990s, reopening to its original glory on Memorial Day, 1999.
The Park: Situated on Lake Altoona, Lakemont Park opened in 1894 as a trolley park and ranks as the eighth oldest amusement park in the country. (For the record, Lake Compounce, in Bristol, Conn., opened in 1846 and stands as North America's oldest continually operating amusement park.) The charming, old-fashioned family park features a few dozen rides and attractions, including a miniature golf course, paddleboats, go-karts, arcade games, and a water park.
Leap-the-Dips is not just a ride; it's a piece of history. In fact, this wooden coaster was named a National Historic Landmark in 1996. Built in 1902, the coaster—with a top operating speed of just 10 mph and a peak of 41 feet—stood idle during the late 1980s and into the late 1990s, reopening to its original glory on Memorial Day, 1999.
The Park: Situated on Lake Altoona, Lakemont Park opened in 1894 as a trolley park and ranks as the eighth oldest amusement park in the country. (For the record, Lake Compounce, in Bristol, Conn., opened in 1846 and stands as North America's oldest continually operating amusement park.) The charming, old-fashioned family park features a few dozen rides and attractions, including a miniature golf course, paddleboats, go-karts, arcade games, and a water park.
When to Go: The park can get crowded on weekends, but with its small selection of rides, guests tend to stay at the park for less time, meaning a much greater turnover than the bigger theme parks. Every Thursday night from July to August, the park hosts Wing Offs, as local restaurants compete for the title of best wings (wings $4.00 per dozen, beer $3.50). tickets $5 for adults and children on weekdays, $9.95 for adults and children on weekends, additional tickets required for some r ride
Cedar Point Amusement Park and Resort
America's Largest Collection of Coasters (for now!): Cedar Point amusement park and resort, Sandusky, OhioFor now, iconic Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, holds the record for the largest collection of roller coasters in the country, with 17—two wooden and 15 steel. From the fastest double-twisting impulse coaster (the Wicked Twister, with a top speed of 72 mph) to the first coaster in the world to top 200 feet (the Magnum XL-200, which opened in 1989), there's always an off-kilter view of the park and Lake Erie available from the high.
Record-Breaking Thrills: The Beast
America's Longest Duration Roller Coaster: The Beast, King's Island, Mason, OhioThe Beast is a huge, well, beast of a coaster, covering a 35-acre, densely wooded area in the park, which lends a dark and eerie feel to the ride. The record-breaking running time—4 minutes, 10 seconds—is about a minute and a half longer than most of its counterparts, steel or wood. And, with a track length of about 1.4 miles (7,359 feet), the Beast also ranks as the longest wooden roller coaster in the world. Two huge vertical drops of 135 and 141 feet, dark tunnels, and speeds of up to 65 mph make this wooden coaster just about as scary as they come.
Record-Breaking Thrills: Wildebeest
The World's Longest Water Coaster: Wildebeest, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.At a third of a mile long, the Wildebeest ranks as the world's longest water coaster. It all starts with a huge four-story drop, before plunging into six more drops and two tunnels, at top speeds of 25 mph. Seated with three of your closest friends in a toboggan-style boat, wearing just your swimsuit, that's pretty darn fast. The best part of all might be the uphill conveyor belt ride, meaning there's no leg-crushing climb to the top, like most other water rides in the country.
