Amusement Park Activities
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Tokyo Disney Resort
Pop quiz: what's the most visited sight in Japan? Kyoto's temples? Nope. Harajuku? Not quite. Ten points go to the person who guessed Tokyo Disney. As tragic (or as telling) as it may be, Tokyo Disney is a smashing success, offering visitors two theme parks – Tokyo Disney, modelled after the California original, and Tokyo DisneySea, a clever add-on that caters more to adults. Invest in a Fast Pass to cut down on time lost waiting in lines; it's also worth packing a bentō, as on-site restaurants are almost always overrun with diners.
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Toyota Mega Web
Car fiends and kids can get behind the wheel of hybrid and electric cars at Toyota Mega Web, one of Toyota's company showrooms. Consult the website before cruising by, as opening hours can vary.
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Disneyland Park
Spotless, wholesome Disneyland is still laid out according to Walt's original plans: Main Street USA, a pretty thoroughfare lined with old-fashioned ice-cream parlors and shops, is the gateway into the park. Though kids will make a beeline for the rides, adults will enjoy the antique photos and history exhibit just inside the main park entrance at the Disneyland Story: presenting Great Moments with Mr Lincoln.
At the far end of the street is Sleeping Beauty Castle, an obligatory photo op and a central landmark worth noting – its towering blue turrets are visible from many areas of the park. The sections of Disneyland radiate from here like spokes on a wheel. Fantasyland…
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Peak 8 Fun Park
Just because the snow melts, it doesn't mean the mountain closes. In summer the Peak 8 Fun Park opens with a laundry list of made-for-thrills activities, including a big-air trampoline, climbing wall, mountain-bike park and the resort's most celebrated warm weather attraction, the SuperSlide. Here you slide down a luge-like course on a sled at exhilarating speeds.
Experienced riders should try the giant slalom track. It has multiple dips built into it, allowing your sled to catch some serious big air and your stomach to seriously drop. The adrenaline rush is well worth the $12 ticket. There's also a mini-golf course and the Mineshift Maze, which is part split-level…
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Ontario Place
A 40-hectare fun park, Ontario Place is built on three artificial islands. A 'Play All Day' pass gets you into most of the thrill rides and attractions, including Soak City water park, and walk-up seating at the Cinesphere, a spiky, space-age gooseberry screening IMAX films. Kids go berserk at soft-play areas like the H2O Generation Station and the Atom Blaster.
Additional attractions like the human-sized MegaMaze and House of Blues concerts at the Molson Amphitheatre cost extra. Discounted passes may be available after 5pm and for grounds-only admission. On rainy days, many of the rides, activities and restaurants close.
You can catch a streetcar to Exhibition Place then…
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Parc d’Atraccions
Barcelonins converge here for stomach-churning and scream-inducing rides. El Pndol is a giant arm holding four passengers, which drops them at a speed that reaches 100km/h in less than three seconds (a force of 4g) before swinging outward. La Muntanya Russa is a massive new big dipper and Hurakan tosses its passengers about with sudden drops and 360-degree turns. A curious sideline is the Museu d’Autòmats, with around 50 automated puppets that go back as far as 1880 and are part of the original amusement park; you can still see some of these gizmos go.
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Bakken
Dyrehaven is also home to the 1538-founded Bakken, which is said to be the world’s oldest amusement park. The cynical might say it looks it, but if you approach it in the right frame of mind (admittedly, a couple of beers and some candy floss helps), Bakken can be a lot of fun. This is very much an old-school funfair experience, with creaking 1970s rides, tame rollercoasters, appalling fast food and cheesy cabarets. There are about 33 rides in all, as well as roughly 40 cafes and restaurants.See website for specific opening times.
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Sega Republic
Dubai Mall’s indoor amusement park is packed with thrills. Must-rides include Spin Gear, a rotating roller coaster that shoots you through complete darkness; the Wild Wing and Wild Jungle motion-simulators that take you on an Indiana Jones–style adventure; and Storm G, a high-speed bobsled ride that twists and turns 360°. Some rides have height restrictions. Pay either per ride (Dh15 to Dh30) or get a Power Pass (Dh140) for unlimited trips. The Platinum Power Pass (Dh220) includes unlimited rides plus Dh200 credit for arcade games.
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Winter Island Maritime Park
Just south of Salem Willows Amusement Park (less than 2 miles northeast of Salem center) is Winter Island Maritime Park, the site of Fort Pickering and its lighthouse. It is now a public park with a campground and the tiny Waikiki Beach (don’t get too excited by the name: it’s really just wishful thinking). Two miles south of the town center, Forest River Park has two beaches, picnic areas and a saltwater swimming pool.
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Old Town
At this complex of rides, shopping, dining and live music, 'county fair' meets 'boardwalk,' plopped among the exhaust, chain motels and the treeless landscape of Hwy 192. There's live rock 'n' roll and car cruises Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (8:30pm), and line-dancing lessons at the Little Darlin' Street Party (7:30pm Wednesday).
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Gröna Lund Tivoli
This landmark amusement park boasts Europe’s tallest ‘Free Fall’, dropping thrillseekers 80m in two seconds. Children (and the sane) have plenty of options and all rides except the Haunted House (Skr40) are covered by Gröna Lund Tivoli’s ride coupon scheme (Skr20 per coupon); individual rides range from one to four coupons each. For unlimited access, buy a Skr260 day pass.
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SeaWorld
A peculiarly Floridian blend of marine animal shows and thrill rides, SeaWorld is home to both Shamu the killer whale and Kraken the floorless roller coaster. While the rides provide jolts of adrenaline, the real draws are the up-close sea life encounters (with manta rays, sharks, penguins, beluga whales) and the excellent dolphin, sea lion and killer whale shows. Make sure to check show and feeding times online before visiting, and plan your day accordingly.
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Landmark Forest Adventure Park
The Landmark Forest Adventure Park, set in a forest of Scots pines, is a theme park with a difference; the theme is timber. The main attractions are the Ropeworx highwire adventure course, the Treetops Trail (a raised walkway through the forest canopy that allows you to view red squirrels, crossbills and crested tits), and the steam-powered sawmill.
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Wild Play Element Parks
This former bungee-jumping site has reinvented itself with five obstacle courses strung between the trees. Once you're harnessed, you can hit zip lines, rope bridges, tunnels and Tarzan swings, each aimed at different ability levels.
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Speed & Cyber Speedway
The Speedway’s Indy car simulators are so lifelike that they excite real Formula One drivers. The artificial racers are bolted to hydraulic platforms fronting wraparound screens that are adrenaline-pumping in their realism. Speed, an electromagnetic roller coaster, slingshots to a top speed of 70mph as it zooms through the Sahara’s signature marquee.
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Codona’s Amusement Park
The Esplanade sports several traditional seaside attractions, including Codona’s Amusement Park, complete with stomach-churning waltzers, dodgems, a roller coaster, log flume and haunted house. The adjacent Sunset Boulevard is the indoor alternative, with tenpin bowling, dodgems, arcade games and pool tables.
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Centreville Amusement Park
From Centre Island ferry terminal, wander past the information booth to quaint Centreville Amusement Park. Squeezed together are an antique carousel, goofy golf course, miniature train rides and a sky gondola. Far Enough Farm zoo presents kids with plenty of opportunities to cuddle something furry and step in something sticky.
South over the Centreville bridge is a well-over head-high hedge maze and ticket booths for Toronto Islands tram tours. Further south are changing rooms, snack bars, bicycle rentals and a pier striking out into the lake. Just to the east is a boathouse where you can rent canoes, kayaks or paddleboats and explore the Islands' lagoons.
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Golfland Sunsplash
In Mesa, about 13 miles southeast of downtown, Golfland Sunsplash has year-round miniature golf, a huge video game arcade, a laser tag arena (like paintball, only with lasers), a bumper boat lagoon and a go-cart racetrack. The Sunsplash water park is open from June to August.
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Gatorland
This Old Florida throwback is small, silly and kitschy. It's all about alligators, with gator wrestling, gators jumping, feeding gators hot dogs and other great squeal-worthy moments.
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Edenlandia
Fabulously kitsch and loads of fun, Naples' major amusement park boasts a plethora of attractions, including dodgem cars, a fairy-tale castle, a 3D cinema and a flight simulator. The €3 admission covers the 3D cinema, variety show and children's theatre.
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Enchanted Island
Take your pint-sized thrill-seekers to the Enchanted Island, a low-key amusement park with plenty of cute rides that’ll keep the single-digit set entertained for a couple of hours. It’s surrounded by Encanto Park, a fine spot for picnics.
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Ultimate Rush Park
Next to the Grand Sierra Resort, Ultimate Rush Park has a 180ft-tall ‘skycoaster’ that’s like bungee-jumping, sky-diving and hang-gliding all at once ($25, re-ride $10), along with bumper cars and miniature golf.
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Pickie Family Fun Park
Apart from strolling along the seafront, Bangor's main attraction is this old-fashioned seaside entertainment complex that's famous for its swan-shaped pedal boats, complete with kids adventure playground, karts and miniature steam train.
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Parque Secreto
At the mammoth indoor playground Parque Secreto, you'll find 800 sq metres of indoor playgrounds (labyrinths, floating castles, pits filled with plastic balls, toboggans etc) for kids aged up to 11.
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Beach Boardwalk
A short walk from the municipal wharf, this slice of Americana boasts the West Coast's oldest beachfront amusement park, with the 1924 Giant Dipper roller coaster and 1911 Looff carousel. Free Friday-night summer concerts.
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