Vote of the week: What theme parks did you visit this year?

October 3, 2008 at 12:03 PM · 2 memorable moments were the surprise on a Sunday afternoon to see the Jazz singer coming down the stairs from the Disney Dream suite in New Orleans Square. She was a wonderful singer and did several songs before retiring. The 2nd was when we had our pictures taken with Captain Jack, he asked for "a token of our admiration" and my husband pulled out his 1942 Walking Liberty Silver half dollar. Jack examined it, bit it, said that would do and placed it in his pile of booty. When my husband retrieved it Jack chased after him, yelling "Oyi you don't steal from Captain Jack". The people waiting in line for their picture taking thought the whole thing was a show and part of the experience. They were cheering my husband on as he ran away; it was quite funny.

October 3, 2008 at 3:02 PM · In addition to the parks I checked in the survey for visits since last October (which were: Busch Gardens Europe, Canada's Wonderland, Cedar Point, Darien Lake, King's Dominion, Six Flags America, and Six Flags St. Louis) I also made it to (not on the list) Michigan's Adventure (in Muskegon, MI) and Worlds of Fun (in Kansas City, MO.) And later this month, I'll be hitting Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Orlando, Busch Gardens Africa and Seaworld Orlando.

It was my first ever visits to Busch Gardens Europe, Canada's Wonderland, Darien Lake, King's Dominion, Six Flags America and Michigan's Adventure. I certainly got to see the difference between BGE and BGA and was wowed, as most are, by how beautiful BGE is. As for rides, my favorite new encounter this year as Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland. For airtime junkies, it was a thrill. (But the park was so crowded on my Thursday/Friday visit, that I didn't get many re-rides.) I was also blown away by Curse of DarKastle at BGE. It has certainly been a great year. (I seem to be cyclic: one year many visits, the next very few, repeat. Guess 2009 will be a quiet one for me.)

October 3, 2008 at 4:15 PM · Here are the parks I went to this year, in order of my favorites:

1. Disney's Hollywood Studios
2. Epcot
3. Disneyland
4. Disney's California Adventure
5. Disney's Animal Kingdom
6. Islands of Adventure
7. Universal Studios Florida
8. Magic Kingdom
9. Canada's Wonderland
10. Sea World Orlando

October 3, 2008 at 4:42 PM · As usual no love for Worlds of Fun, even though I am pretty sure they have higher attendance than Dorney Park.

Anyway, here is my list (in no particular order):

1)Six Flags St. Louis
2)Worlds of Fun
3)Universal Studios Orlando
4)Islands of Adventure
5)Busch Gardens Tampa
6)Epcot
7)Disney-MGM Studios
8)Disney's Animal Kingdom
9)Magic Kingdom
10)Six Flags Fiesta Texas
11)SeaWorld Texas
12)Silver Dollar City
13)Celebration City
14)Adventureland (Altoona, IL)
15)Elitch Gardens

October 3, 2008 at 4:54 PM · Just listed the parks with listings on the site (the poll software limits me to 64 answers, and I have 62 here). But, please, do note in the comments other parks that you've visited.

October 3, 2008 at 5:33 PM · I should have noted that Walt Disney Studios Park is in Paris. I doubt that more people visited the little sister park than visited Disneyland Paris. Perhaps some of those voters meant Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida?

October 3, 2008 at 7:26 PM · We had a MONUMENTAL summer!

My wife is a cast member giving us license to whip out the main gate pass. We hit all four of Disney's Florida parks with the kids. My folks took the grandkids to Cypress Gardens and we took advantage of comp tix to Universal Studios (Simpsons was a gas. MIB is holding up really well). We hopped a plane and flew to San Diego for two days at Comic Con (HUGE FUN!!!! AMAZING!!! FABULOUS!!!) and then ventured to Anahiem to drop in at Disneyland and California Adventure.

The summer of a lifetime!

October 4, 2008 at 12:04 AM · Started the year with a visit to my local park, Worlds of Fun, in May. Not a great park, but better than Six Flags Saint Louis, for sure.

Took a long vacation to Williamsburg, VA, and visited Busch Gardens Europe and Water Country USA. Both were beautiful parks, with excellent theming, great rides, and fantastic attention to detail.

On the way back from Virginia, we stopped in for a day of family fun at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana, the home of the best wooden coaster I have ever ridden (The Voyage).

Finally, we had a mini family reunion in August and hit Adventureland in Altoona, IA, a pretty subpar iron ride park, but it was better than mowing the lawn...I guess.

I will be hitting Six Flags Saint Louis next weekend so I can ride the new Evil Knievel GCI coaster. I also want to see if SFSTL is still the pit it was when I went last time in 2006, or if some of the recent changes by SF upper mgmt have made the park more presentable. I do not have high hopes. Look for a trip report in a few weeks.

I will close the season by hitting Worlds of Fun one last time for this year's Halloween Haunt.

All in all, a pretty good year.

October 4, 2008 at 12:58 AM · Yay for British Parks!!!

October 5, 2008 at 8:27 PM · I should've gone to KD, and I might again with a different friend... also, I might go to BGE on the 10th or 11th...

October 5, 2008 at 8:58 PM · Mainly I went to the same local parks this year, but neverteless fun as usual. Visited (in order):

1. Disneyland
2. Six Flags Magic Mountain
3. Knotts Berry Farm
4. Six Flags Magic Mountain
5. California Adventure

Of all of these visits, my favorite was probably the last one at California Adventure. I just went a few days ago with my best friends for Mickey's Halloween event. We go every year and we always seem to have a blast. We were even able to snatch the first ride of the night at the Toy Story Mania Attraction, which I must say was suprisingly fun. Also, it was insanely funny that we managed to make half of the riders of the Sun Wheel deaf when we were screaming on the swinging cart. It was a fun night!

October 6, 2008 at 7:51 AM · Additionally not on the list, I rode the Vegas coasters/rides at Buffalo Bill's, New York, New York, the Sahara, Circus,Circus,the Stratosphere. I also went to Adventureland and Arnold's Park in Iowa, Nickolodeon Universe and Valleyfair in Minnesota, Celebration City, Silver Dollar City, and Worlds of Fun in Missouri, Waldameer in Pennsylvania, Frontier City in Oklahoma, and went to Hanayashiki amusement park in Japan.

October 6, 2008 at 6:30 PM · ive been to disney world, my favorite parks. and of course my native theme park darien lake.

October 7, 2008 at 12:41 PM · In 2008 the parks I've attended are:
May - Epcot, Magic Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios (all in one day with my 2yo daughter!)
Jul - Adventure Island (Busch Gardens Africa's Water Park)
Aug - Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot (again, all in one day, but this time with teenagers)
Sep - Busch Gardens Africa
Oct - (will be going to) Magic Kingdom (for MNSSHP), Epcot (for F&WF), Hollywood Studios, and probably Animal Kingdom :)
Nov or Dec (hopefully will be going to) Magic Kingdom (for MVMCP) and Hollywood Studios (for Osbourne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights)

October 7, 2008 at 7:15 PM · This has certainly been a busy year for us, and we've still got one more trip planned before the end of October. By the end of this month, we will have visited the following in the past year...

Magic Kingdom
EPCOT
Animal Kingdom
Park Formerly Known as MGM
Islands of Adventure
Universal Orlando
Busch Gardens Africa
Sea World Orlando
Aquatica
Busch Gardens Europe
Kings Dominion
Hard Rock Park
Six Flags America
Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags New England
Hersheypark
Kennywood
Disneyland
Disney's California Adventure
Six Flags Magic Mountain