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How far will you travel to get on a ride?

How far will you travel to get on the ultimate ride? How many countries have you been to to chase the buzz?

From Nathan Baldock
Posted March 10, 2010 at 10:54 AM
I'm from the UK, approximately 1 hours drive from Alton Towers. Lucky me. I think so...I do consider myself really lucky to be so close to the UK's best theme park as well as only a 2 1/2 hour drive from Thorpe Park.

Thats when the good times end though as all my favourite parks are in the US. I have been to all the Disney, Universal & Seaworld parks in Orlando as well as Busch Gardens Africa.I have also been to Port Adventura in Spain. Of them parks my favourite rides are Rip, Ride. Sheikra and The Mummy. It just really upsets me that these thrill's are so far away!

How far will you travel to go on the rides you love and how many countries have you been to?


Comments in chronological order. Most recent at the bottom. Scroll down to respond.

From Anthony Murphy
Posted March 10, 2010 at 12:11 PM
Well, the furthest I have ever gone to go on a ride I guess would be Disneyland (I live in Chicago). I am pretty lucky to live about 45 minutes away from SFGA so my coaster fix is always satisfied.

I have been to Disneyland Paris, but it was a couple of days in a European Trip.

From Don Neal
Posted March 10, 2010 at 12:59 PM
I am usually satisfied with a trip to King's Island (2 hrs away) or Holiday World (3 hrs away) so I don't venture very far unless we are headed to Orlando for vacation. I know there are a ton of other great parks in the midwest like SFGA and Cedar Point but being able to drive to a local park and back in one day is just too convenient.

From Manny Barron
Posted March 10, 2010 at 1:49 PM
I live in the middle of the desert far from theme parks so Sea World San Diego is the closest theme park that I've been to(about a 11-12) hour drive. As for the farthest I will swim or ride a banana boat across the Pacific Ocean to Osaka, Japan and ride Back to the Future again.

From James Rao
Posted March 10, 2010 at 5:23 PM
I'd leave the country... if Canada's Wonderland counts (I think SOCal is actually farther from my house). But that's about it.

I would love to go to Tokyo DisneySea, but that's never gonna happen, unless I win the lottery... which means I would first have to start playing the lottery, I guess.

On a side note, Nathan, make sure to post a review of THIRTEEN as soon as you ride it!

From Mike Gallagher
Posted March 10, 2010 at 5:27 PM
I live about 80-90 minutes from SFGAdv, so my favorite ride, El Toro, is easily reachable.I'm also about the same distance from Dorney, where I love Talon and like Steel Force a lot. In 2007, I finished a 9-park trip at SFGA near Chicago. That's the furthest I've gone since becoming a serious coaster rider. I have been to Disneyland as a 14 year-old back in 1979.

If I could visit one amusement park I've never been to, it would be Alton Towers, followed by Blackpool and SFMM in California.

Mike

From Adrienne McDonald
Posted March 10, 2010 at 9:00 PM
These are all separate trips of course but we flew from Little Rock to Richmond for PKD then drove nxt day for BGE. I flew from Houston to Hartford & drove to Springfield MA for SFNE & from there flew to Buffalo for Darien Lakes then drove to Rochester for Seabreeze same trip. I COMPLETELY forgot abt Lake Compounce in Connecticut. I would've stopped there too & would've drove to Albany & north to Lake George but thought I didn't have enough time but turns out I did. Yikes, now I hafta go back. I also flew to Burbank & drove to SFMM. I've driven from Little Rock to Atlanta & also drove from Houston to Atlanta for SFOG; I couldn't find the exit for Lake Winnie on the way so I missed on that one. Hmmmm Let's seeee...Flew from Little Rock to Houston when Astroworld (RIP) was closing then drove nxt day to SFFTx. Drove from Houston to Dallas for SFOT. The list grows...

From Nick Markham
Posted March 11, 2010 at 6:37 AM
Well Nathan, I live in Utah, and if I am correct, the United Kingdom where you live may be just as far away from Florida as I am, just with water sperating you instead of land for me.

Though I feel I'm in a worse case once I lay out the facts:

1 hour away from Lagoon (small but thrilling park in Utah)

2 hour flight from Disneyland/Knott's/UniversalHolly./SFMM

4 hour flight from
WDW/Universal Orlando/Sea World/BGT

3-4 hours away from basically everything else in the US!!!

From Nick Markham
Posted March 11, 2010 at 6:40 AM
Sorry, double-post

From Nathan Baldock
Posted March 11, 2010 at 6:56 AM
Wow, thanks for the replies guys. I have never posted a discussion thread on TPI before so am really pleased people have taken interest in my post. Its good to see a lot of people do get to many parks. Has anyone on here managed to get to Alton Towers then?

James-No problem, I should be riding Th13teen sometime in May/June so I will come back with a review on my 1st impressions.

Nick-You are still a lot closer to Orlando than me I'm afraid. A flight from Manchester airport to Orlando International direct is 9-10 hours depending on airline.

On a plus note I am hoping to get out there in October for my annual vacation, just in time for Halloween horror Nights. I love it!!

From Rob P
Posted March 11, 2010 at 7:37 AM
I live in London and have never considered visiting a theme park in the UK or Europe
So I suppose that , technically, I travel nearly 4500 miles each time I go on a favourite ride.

From Bob Miller
Posted March 11, 2010 at 8:14 AM
Nathan, I've been on a 10,000 mile trip with my daughter, driving to the west coast and back here to central Pennsylvania. I don't remember the number of parks we stopped at, but we started at Kings Dominion.

We ended at Kennywood in western PA, 33 days later. I drove the whole way, because I love to drive. I've driven to California and back twice, once with my wife and then with my daughter. I'd love to take my grandson Zachary out and back before I get to old, but the cost will stop me for at least 5 years.

So, to answer your question. I'd go 3000 miles and I've been to 2 countries, my own and Canada, with a side trip to Mexico. Also, my favorite east coast trip is 1050 miles from here to Florida, I've done that adout 30 times, driving each trip of course.

From Eugene Koh
Posted March 11, 2010 at 1:59 PM
The furthest I had ever travelled so far is from Atlanta to Kansas City. So its like 1 and a half hours away flight from my hometown. I've also travelled from Atlanta to Toms River. It's about the same length. Cincinatti was far as well.

From Pyra Dong
Posted March 11, 2010 at 2:50 PM
I will travel... oh.. hmm... let's see... this is a hard one... hmmm 1 HOUR!!!!!! BWahahahha Orlando is only ONE HOUR from me and I love love love it! (I'm sorry, I hope I'm not making those who live far away from rides feel bad) oh yea... and Busch Gardens is only 5 minutes away!!!!!

Honestly, I've already said that wherever I plan to move in the future, I want a place with several theme parks closeby so I never have to travel far to get my theme park fix.

Out of America places I've been to: Canada... Mexico... Japan.. Philippines... China... Pyra World... Miami (haha)

From Mike Gallagher
Posted March 11, 2010 at 6:21 PM
Eugene...is that Toms River, NJ you're referring to? If so, what the HECK were you going THERE to ride? I know Toms River semi-well. There's a junior coaster in Beachwood 5 minutes south, and the Seaside ride piers 10 minutes east over the bridge. Great Adventure's about 45 minutes away.

Then again, maybe you're not even talkin' 'bout Jersey....

Mike

From Eugene Koh
Posted March 11, 2010 at 11:59 PM
TO GO TO SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE!

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