From quaint ferris wheels to monstrous, adrenalin-pumping rides, amusement parks have certainly come a long way and continue to push the boundaries of engineering and experience. Let’s take a trip to their fantastical world.
Disney Themeparks, Various Locations
Known as the happiest place in the world; Disney is the first place that perhaps comes to mind when you say the word ‘themepark’. What can we possibly say about Disney that hasn’t been said before? Nobody does it better. Across all locations around the world, millions of children, parents, couples and singles come to be part of a fantasy. From rides, games, restaurants, animals and water parks to learning centres and spas, Disney’s got it all covered.
Cedar Point, USA
If you love heights, high speed and that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, then this is the place for you. Cedar Point has more roller coasters and rides than any other park in the world. Opened in 1870, the amusement park is spread across 365 acres and is located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio. The park is home to the Wicked Twister, the tallest and fastest, inverted roller coaster in the world. There is also an 18-acre water park area, called Soak City.
Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, Japan
This is a beautiful, new-generation leisure land, surrounded by nature. Located on the top of the Yokohama Bay, it houses the country’s first surf coaster that swings out over the ocean and has an exhilarating vertical fall. The amusement park also has an aquarium with 500 varieties of fish.
Hersheypark, USA
Welcome to this Willy Wonka-type playland for children and adults, with golf courses, theme parks, zoos, streetlamps shaped like Hershey Kisses and a chocolate spa where you can get covered in cocoa. Chocolate magnate Milton Hershey founded the town of Hershey, in Pennsylvania, in 1903 and he soon found nearby land where he developed an amusement park for his employees. The park has grown over the past century and is today “the sweetest place on earth”.
Everland Themepark, South Korea
This park opened in 1976 and was South Korea’s first theme park, called Yongin Farmland till it was bought by a division of Samsung and transformed into Everland. Sprawling across 3,700 acres, it actually includes three theme parks: Festival World, boasting 40 themed attractions and a zoo; Caribbean Bay, with indoor and outdoor water facilities; and Speedway, the race course. Parents can tee-off at its golf course and the site offers a mix of Korean, Chinese and American cuisine.
