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LET'S GO PARKING: The best area amusement parks
Summer is the season for amusement parks. To get you geared up, we offer this breakdown of the best parks in the area. Throw your hands up and scream!
LET'S GO PARKING: The best area amusement parks
Summer is the season for amusement parks. To get you geared up, we offer this breakdown of the best parks in the area. Throw your hands up and scream!
Best for the Kiddies: Dutch Wonderland Nothing reminds you of childhood like a trip to Dutch Wonderland, a family-oriented park in Dutch Country that features train rides, performances, and kid-friendly roller coasters. The Double Splash Flume (a two-drop flume complete with mid-drop snapshot) and the Kingdom Coaster (formerly the Sky Princess, a sturdy wooden coaster with retro personality) are personal highlights. And a ride on the Pipeline Plunge — an extensive set of slide tunnels (one of which is pitch-black) — is a great way to cool off during the scorching summer heat. Younger visitors will enjoy tamer rides (such as the Flying Trapeze) and tired moms and dads will love the extensive train system worming its way through the park. Through August 28, 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m., $34, 2249 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, Pa., 717-291-1888, dutchwonderland.com.
Best Two-in-One Park: Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom This badboy boasts some incredible and legendary coasters: Steel Force (a huge metal coaster that plummets 205 feet at 75 mph) and Hydra (an exhilarating ride for those who enjoy making loops 100 feet in the air) are among the most iconic rides on the East Coast. But the park — especially the Wildwater Kingdom side — also has amusements for less-adventurous visitors. The Aqua Racer (a water slide racecourse) and the Jumpin’ Jack Splash (an extensive luge-style slide) are just a few among the many rides everyone in the family can enjoy. Through August, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. $40, 3830 Dorney Park Road, Allentown, Pa, 610-395-3724, dorneypark.com.
Best All-Around: Six Flags Great Adventure This nationally acclaimed park, most appealing to older visitors, is not for the weak-of-heart. Located in nearby Jackson, N.J., the largest Six Flags in the nation boasts a set of heart-stopping rides including Kingda Ka (the world’s tallest and second fastest coaster), Nitro (a ripping coaster reaching 80 mph), and Six Flags’ iconic set of Marvel superhero coasters (including Batman, Green Lantern, and Superman). Although the park does have tamer rides, and the park’s smaller sister component, Wild Safari, is designed for a younger audience, the adventurous and taller-than-four-and-a-half-feet will benefit the most from a trip here. Through August, 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m., $37, 1 Six Flags Blvd, Jackson, N.J., 732-928-2000, sixflags.com/greatadventure.
(dylan.williams@citypaper.net)
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