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IntenseMagic

IntenseMagic

Some grannies cuss a lot. I'm some grannies.
Pollywog
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Feb 28, 2012
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I know we have lots of Disney fans here, so obviously some amusement park lovers! I haven't been to Disney in 20+ years, but I do LOVE amusement parks! The closest one to us is Carowinds in Charlotte, NC. It's about 3 hours, so not a bad day trip and we are season pass holders most years. They have an awesome water park in addition to the regular rides, so sometimes it's fun just to go for that. I've also made a few trips to King's Island, King's Dominion, Six Flags Over Georgia, and Busch Gardens.

The 13 year old and I went to Carowinds on Friday night for their season pass holder preview before opening to the public yesterday. Roller coasters are my very favorite and Carowinds is home to the world's tallest and fastest giga coaster, Fury 325. They also have a new one that we didn't get to ride because of the 2 1/2 hour wait. I was thrilled when all of my kids were finally tall enough to ride all the things. My older two are big time coaster lovers, the youngest tolerates them for me :giggle.

Are you an amusement park lover? Do you go for the thrill rides or prefer the tamer ones? Or maybe, like my DH, you just go for the people watching? :giggle
*Side note...I am feeling my age today...all that banging around makes me realize I'm not a teen anymore haha.
 
Have always been a lover of amusement parks. Have to say I grew up in a time period when there were lots of small parks that eventually died because of the growth of the major parks we know today. I lived just 20 miles from one such park and that is where I began my love of roller coasters.

I also happen to live several hours from Cedar Point and would go there at least once a summer when I was in junior high/high school. Several times it was a family trip that included several of my father's brothers and their families. One such trip, we parked on the other side of the fence from the awesome "Blue Streak" and had our picnic lunch there... listening to all the screaming riders. Alas, the days of parking there are long gone. CP has been built up so much and I had a return to my childhood a few years back. I met up with a scrapping friend from Cleveland for a day. She and her son came to meet me and both are major roller coaster enthusiasts. In fact, the son wants to work in the amusement park industry!

I also live just 2 hours from King's Island so if not going to Cedar Point, KI was always an option. I haven't been to KI since the 80's so I'm sure it has changed a whole lot.

I'm sure this is what led to my love of Disney as well. Cedar Point now has a lot of Disney influences to the park. Back in 2012 a former Disney executive became the CEO of the parent company for Cedar Point. He is no longer the CEO but instead is the Executive Chairman of the board of directors so is still influential as to what happens within the company.

Like you I have found that I am no longer as young as I once was. I still love roller coasters but my body fells them a whole lot more than I used to!
 
I've never liked the thrill rides. Not even as a kid. We used to go to Cedar Point quite a lot when the kids were younger - it was pretty close to us. We went to King's Island in Cincinnati, too. DH always rode the thrill rides with the kids and I just watched.
 
I find amusement parks stressful, but the family love them. I've never been to Disney. We've visited Alton Towers and Drayton Manor Park a number of times. Particularly Drayton Manor, as they themed the children's area around Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends - a firm favourite of my children when they were younger.
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Our children LOVE amusement parks, as I have gotten older so I love them less. I still really enjoy the rush of the roller coasters and being spun around, but not the possibility of being upside down. And I truly hate the ones that soak you. I really need to invest in those cheap raincoats to enjoy the rides.
 
Eyeore said:
And I truly hate the ones that soak you. I really need to invest in those cheap raincoats to enjoy the rides.
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I really don't see the point of rides that soak you. The odd bit of spray is fine, but to soak you - really?
 
Angela Toucan said:
I really don't see the point of rides that soak you. The odd bit of spray is fine, but to soak you - really?
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The only advantage to the water rides are when it is extremely hot out and you've been standing in line to ride and sweating just waiting. That soaking feels so good. In my experience, unfortunately, I dried off too quickly! I won't ride the water rides if it is what I consider chilly.
 
HavaDrPepper said:
The only advantage to the water rides are when it is extremely hot out and you've been standing in line to ride and sweating just waiting. That soaking feels so good. In my experience, unfortunately, I dried off too quickly! I won't ride the water rides if it is what I consider chilly.
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that will be why I think they are silly then - it's nearly always damp and chilly in this Country.
 
Bianca LOVES amusement parks, every year we get the Six Flags season pass. I don't go into any of the rides were my legs at any point of time are above my head. LOL!!!!! I usually bring a friend for Bianca to go along. LOL!!!
 
We love amusement parks and have been to Kings Island (we live about 1 hour south of there); Cedar Point, Six Flags GA, Six Flags IL, Busch Gardens VA, Hershey Park, and then the smaller park Coney Island in Cincinnati OH. It's funny that is where we discovered my little 6 year granddaughter was a dare devil. It is funny that she loves the big rides and adore roller coasters. Oh we have also been to Dollywood TN.
 
HavaDrPepper said:
Have always been a lover of amusement parks. Have to say I grew up in a time period when there were lots of small parks that eventually died because of the growth of the major parks we know today. I lived just 20 miles from one such park and that is where I began my love of roller coasters.

I also happen to live several hours from Cedar Point and would go there at least once a summer when I was in junior high/high school. Several times it was a family trip that included several of my father's brothers and their families. One such trip, we parked on the other side of the fence from the awesome "Blue Streak" and had our picnic lunch there... listening to all the screaming riders. Alas, the days of parking there are long gone. CP has been built up so much and I had a return to my childhood a few years back. I met up with a scrapping friend from Cleveland for a day. She and her son came to meet me and both are major roller coaster enthusiasts. In fact, the son wants to work in the amusement park industry!

I also live just 2 hours from King's Island so if not going to Cedar Point, KI was always an option. I haven't been to KI since the 80's so I'm sure it has changed a whole lot.

I'm sure this is what led to my love of Disney as well. Cedar Point now has a lot of Disney influences to the park. Back in 2012 a former Disney executive became the CEO of the parent company for Cedar Point. He is no longer the CEO but instead is the Executive Chairman of the board of directors so is still influential as to what happens within the company.

Like you I have found that I am no longer as young as I once was. I still love roller coasters but my body fells them a whole lot more than I used to!
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My oldest goes to Cedar Point occasionally. It's quite a bit farther, but he loves the rides there. I've never been but would love to go. I haven't been to KI since my daughter was in about 3rd grade, so it's been probably 15 years or so for me.
 
Cherylndesigns said:
I've never liked the thrill rides. Not even as a kid. We used to go to Cedar Point quite a lot when the kids were younger - it was pretty close to us. We went to King's Island in Cincinnati, too. DH always rode the thrill rides with the kids and I just watched.
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I'm not sure where my love of riding came from because neither one of my parents ever rode much. When my ex-inlaws lived in IN and we were here in WV, we would sometimes meet at King's Island for visits and fun. My ex-MIL would swear it was half way, but it was actually like 2 hours for them and like 5 for us LOL.
 
Angela Toucan said:
I find amusement parks stressful, but the family love them. I've never been to Disney. We've visited Alton Towers and Drayton Manor Park a number of times. Particularly Drayton Manor, as they themed the children's area around Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends - a firm favourite of my children when they were younger.
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I find them more stressful on the more crowded days. I prefer to go on weekdays, or even rainy ones, when it's less people-y :)
 
Eyeore said:
Our children LOVE amusement parks, as I have gotten older so I love them less. I still really enjoy the rush of the roller coasters and being spun around, but not the possibility of being upside down. And I truly hate the ones that soak you. I really need to invest in those cheap raincoats to enjoy the rides.
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The only rides I really don't do are ferris wheel type rides and the super tall swings. I'm not a fan of heights, but when I'm on a coaster I don't really realize how high I am because it's so fast. I only ride the soaking ones when it is super hot in the middle of summer.
 
rdjrneace said:
We love amusement parks and have been to Kings Island (we live about 1 hour south of there); Cedar Point, Six Flags GA, Six Flags IL, Busch Gardens VA, Hershey Park, and then the smaller park Coney Island in Cincinnati OH. It's funny that is where we discovered my little 6 year granddaughter was a dare devil. It is funny that she loves the big rides and adore roller coasters. Oh we have also been to Dollywood TN.
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Ohhh I left Dollywood off my list. It's not that far from us and we've been a few times.
 
IntenseMagic said:
My oldest goes to Cedar Point occasionally. It's quite a bit farther, but he loves the rides there. I've never been but would love to go. I haven't been to KI since my daughter was in about 3rd grade, so it's been probably 15 years or so for me.
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Cedar Point has changed so much over the years and it just keeps getting better... especially if you love roller coasters! It is called the Roller Coaster Capital of the World for a reason ~ there are 17 of them.

My all time favorite roller coaster happens to be the oldest one in the park. The good old wooden coaster called the Blue Streak. I grew up with that coaster. It was opened in 1964... about the same time we started going there. Guess you could say it is sentimental for me.

Like you I'm not fond of ferris wheel type rides, swinging rides or spinning with the floor dropping out from under you. I think at CP it was called the "Rotor". I've seen that one at county fairs as well. I can handle rides like "Scrambler" but not something like Disney's "Tea Cups".
 
I love roller coasters but have developed motion sickness as I aged. I will never ride a wooden coaster again - it is instant headache and a nauseous feeling. I like the smooth ones. My favorite is The Hulk at Universal Studios in Orlando. I also love the Griffin at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA, but my favorite at that park is Apollo's Chariot. Universal Studios and Busch Gardens (VA and Tampa, FL) are probably our favorite parks. I also love Sea World Orlando but I will never ride the Manta Ray again - I got nauseous - love the Kracken though.

I really can't do the simulator rides where they put you in a small space and jerk you around while you watch a video.

It is funny - we are only 2 hours from Carowinds, but I have never gone. My kids have gone but they like Busch Gardens better.
 
HavaDrPepper said:
Cedar Point has changed so much over the years and it just keeps getting better... especially if you love roller coasters! It is called the Roller Coaster Capital of the World for a reason ~ there are 17 of them.

My all time favorite roller coaster happens to be the oldest one in the park. The good old wooden coaster called the Blue Streak. I grew up with that coaster. It was opened in 1964... about the same time we started going there. Guess you could say it is sentimental for me.

Like you I'm not fond of ferris wheel type rides, swinging rides or spinning with the floor dropping out from under you. I think at CP it was called the "Rotor". I've seen that one at county fairs as well. I can handle rides like "Scrambler" but not something like Disney's "Tea Cups".
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Carowinds had a great old wooden coaster called Thunder Road that was an all time favorite. They tore it down in 2015, but I have photos riding it on the day it closed for good.
That reminds me of another one that I'm not fond of...the pirate ship type thing that swings back and forth, higher each time. I'm not a fan lol I do like Scrambler, but like you, I'm not fond of the tea cup rides...they just make me dizzy and nauseous.
 
BevG said:
I love roller coasters but have developed motion sickness as I aged. I will never ride a wooden coaster again - it is instant headache and a nauseous feeling. I like the smooth ones. My favorite is The Hulk at Universal Studios in Orlando. I also love the Griffin at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA, but my favorite at that park is Apollo's Chariot. Universal Studios and Busch Gardens (VA and Tampa, FL) are probably our favorite parks. I also love Sea World Orlando but I will never ride the Manta Ray again - I got nauseous - love the Kracken though.

I really can't do the simulator rides where they put you in a small space and jerk you around while you watch a video.

It is funny - we are only 2 hours from Carowinds, but I have never gone. My kids have gone but they like Busch Gardens better.
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I really need to make a trip back to Busch Gardens again. It's been a long time since I was there. That was where my love of roller coasters started. My first coaster was the Loch Ness Monster :)
 
I'm not a rollercoaster fan so I'm not an amusement park fan, either. I can't remember the last time I went to one -- maybe in high school 20 years ago?!

I'm a fair fan & I'm as excited as you were, @IntenseMagic, when my daughter was finally tall enough (last year) to ride the rides with me. Part of her bday present this year is going to be buying all-day wristbands for me & her and spending all day riding the (spinny not up-and-downy) rides.
 
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