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Help Needed for a Theme Park tour of USA!

I'm going over to the US from England this summer and I need some help!

From Stewart Leach
Posted April 25, 2010 at 9:26 PM
Right, I'm going over to the US from England this summer and I need some help! I'm travelling with a few others from LA across to Orlando by car and we have decided to visit as many theme parks as we can along the way!

I wanted some ideas on where to visit and what is good and not so good! We have about 6 weeks to get across so there is plenty of leeway on where we go and what we do!

If anyone could make any suggestions it would be very appriciated! :)


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

From Anthony Murphy
Posted April 26, 2010 at 7:55 AM
CA

Disneyland Resort
Universal Hollywood

TX

Six Flags Over Texas

GA

Six Flags Over Georga

FL

Walt Disney World Resort
Universal Orlando
Seaworld
Busch Gardens

From Bob Miller
Posted April 27, 2010 at 8:29 AM
Stewart, I did a trip like you want to do about 10 years ago. My daughter and I went from central Pennsylvania to the west coast and back.

We started with Six Flags Great Adventure and got a season pass because you could use it at all Six Flags Parks. From there, we went to SF Over Georgia and then to Disney World, Universal and Sea World.

Then we hit that long trip out to the west coast, by passing the Texas parks. On the way, we stopped at the Grand Canyon. Once out in California, we went to Disneyland,Knotts Berry Farm,and SF Magic Mountain, plus the different tours Gray Line Tours have.

On the way back, we stopped at Las Vegas(for the shows, because my daughter was only 10 years old). We then went to Branson, Missouri(for the shows) and then onto SF St.Louis.

From there, we hit SF Great America. Cedar Point. Kings Island, Kennywood and finally Hersheypark, Dorney and Knoebels. It took us 33 days and I spent nearly $25,000 dollars for the whole trip (ouch).

Expensive yes, but memories are priceless. So, depending on where you and your friends want to start, you can loop around the country like we did. I'm planning a trip like this with my grandson Zachary when he graduates form high school in 7 years. It'll take that long to save up the money and make it a priceless memory for him like it did for his mother. Hope this helps and have a safe and happy trip.

From Joe Brown
Posted April 27, 2010 at 11:07 AM
If you can go north definitely check out Wisconsin Dells. Mt Olympus and Noah's Ark are a blast.

From brian lochridge
Posted April 27, 2010 at 11:44 AM
Yeah..... if your coming from all the way across the pond you want to avoid the Dells, trust me. Unless you're into cheap tourist trap locals with a lot of overweight, air brush t-shirt wearing, cheese eating rednecks then go for it. Watch the SNL skit Super Fans if you need a reference point. Yes that’s Chicago but that will give you a taste of what you will get at the Dells.

Spend your money on the best of the best, WDW, Universal, Busch, Cedar point.


From Joe Brown
Posted April 27, 2010 at 2:03 PM
We go to the Dells every other year and have a blast. No it's not Disney, Universal, etc. But it's a good week of fun at a low cost.

From David L.
Posted April 27, 2010 at 3:54 PM
IF you like water parks, Schlitterbahn in Texas is pretty mush the best and biggest water park in the world with tons of slides and water coasters(some of them are even themed). Wild adventures is a unique park in south GA with animals, rides and a small water park. Get a sixflags season pass and hit as many parks as you can while hitting the headliners. Holiday world and Dollywood are a bit out of the way but their fun.
Hope you have a great trip

From James Rao
Posted April 28, 2010 at 1:57 AM
Keeping with Anthony's original route and considering you have six weeks, I've added a few stops along the tour:

California
Disneyland Resort
Universal Hollywood
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Knotts Berry Farm
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Texas
Six Flags Over Texas
Six Flags Fiesta Texas
Schlitterbahn - New Braunfels
SeaWorld San Antonio

Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia
Wild Adventures

Tennessee
Dollywood

North Carolina
Carowinds

Florida
Walt Disney World Resort
Universal Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando
Busch Gardens Tampa

From Bob Miller
Posted April 28, 2010 at 7:14 AM
Boy James, you and Anthony must think alike, not a mention of one northern park. You guys do know that we have great parks up this way! lol

And Stewart, I forgot to mention Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens in Virginia, also Sea World and Geagua Lake in Ohio and it was 36 days not 33, my bad.

From Anthony Murphy
Posted April 28, 2010 at 7:14 AM
I stayed away from the Northern parks because they are going across the USA from CA to FL. How I would love for them to come to SFGA and Chicago, I doubt if that would make much sense. James's list is great and realistic.

I like the Dells too!

From Bob Miller
Posted April 28, 2010 at 7:19 AM
Anthony, I just went back and reread Stewart's post and you are correct, they just want to go from LA to Orlando, my bad. ;)

From Tony Duda
Posted April 28, 2010 at 5:32 PM
I was looking at the TPI map of parks and there are no parks listed in Arizona or New Mexico. Is that true? Aren't there any theme parks in AZ and NM? I think that no parks between Southern California and east Texas is mind boggling.

From AJ Hummel
Posted April 29, 2010 at 8:39 PM
Looking at your starting and ending destinations, it appears that you will be passing through three main amusement park areas: West Coast (California), Texas, and Florida. Each of these areas has a number of parks, but there are few parks in between, and they aren't really worth the time to stop at. If you want to visit as many parks as possible, I would suggest you spend a week and a half visiting all the California parks, then spend a week in Texas, then a week and a half in Florida. You can also add on the Deep South area (Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee) fairly easily and all the parks in that region can be completed in a week as well, giving you plenty of extra time on a six week trip.

I have not been to any of the parks listed below outside of California (although I will be visiting a couple Deep South parks this summer), but if I was doing a similar trip these are the ones I would visit. The parks without an asterisk are major parks and should not be skipped, a single asterisk (*) means it is a minor park (will only require half a day) but worth stopping at, and two asterisks (**) means it is worth visiting but it won't ruin your trip if you skip it (and is a minor park as well).

California:
Belmont Park**
Disneyland (Skip Disney's California Adventure)
Gilroy Gardens**
Knott's Berry Farm
Legoland California
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk*
SeaWorld San Diego
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Six Flags Magic Mountain

Texas:
Kemah Boardwalk**
SeaWorld San Antonio
Six Flags Fiesta Texas
Six Flags Over Texas

Deep South:
Alabama Adventure**
Dollywood
Six Flags Over Georgia

Florida:
Boomers**
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
All four parks at Walt Disney World
SeaWorld Orlando
Both parks of the Universal Orlando Resort

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