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Choosing your Coaster Vacation with Justin Lose! - Theme Week


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This week is all about player vacations and oh boy do I have a doozy for you. Most of you will probably not know that I am a roller coaster enthusiast. I would love to go on every roller coaster I can. With the season I could get to some incredible parks for a mini vacation or day-cation as most people call them. I will be splitting the vacations from each conference since there are a lot of North American parks I would love to go to and in Europe too. I will go team by team and showcase parks that would be great vacation destinations. By the end of this I believe you would have a copious amount of vacation destinations to plan out an epic vacation.

 

North America:

 

I’m going to cheat and bunch together the Canadian teams into one post since there aren't as many parks in Canada versus the United States. I’m also going to include Seattle here too. There are three main parks that I would love to go to, but to not bore you I will only go over one and that is Canada’s Wonderland.

 

Canada’s Wonderland

Coaster Count: 17

Main Attractions:

Leviathan

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Yukon Striker

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Canada’s Wonderland is a part of the Cedar Fair chain and has been heavily invested in the past few years with mega additions of Leviathan (the first B&M Giga coaster) and Yukon Striker (B&M Dive Machine). This would be a great vacation spot since it is in Vaughan, Ontario which is near the Toronto area. This would be a must visit park for me and a great vacation spot in the north of the border.



 

Chicago is an interesting vacation destination. Chicago is already an incredible city where you could just explore the city, but there is a theme park that I’m itching to get to and that is Six Flags Great America.

 

Six Flags Great America

Coaster Count: 15

Main Attractions:

Maxx Force

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Goliath

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X-Flight

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Six Flags Great America is a very unique park since it has a lot of coaster models not present at other parks in the Six Flags chain. Six Flags saw a lot of potential for the Chicago area so they invested in top tier attractions to bring guests in, including me. This has top of the line attractions with new coasters coming every few years. The past few years brought in X-Flight (the chains only B&M Wing Coaster), Goliath (a ground up RMC coaster) and Maxx Force (a S&S air launch coaster). Maxx Force is one of my bucket list coasters actually. Maybe after a practice before or after a Chicago game I can go and sneak a few rides.



 

The nation’s capital is a perfect vacation spot with some great museums, parks and restaurants. Two parks are nearby DC and these include Six Flags America and Kings Dominion. Six Flags America is the chain's neglected park so I won’t go too in depth compared to Kings Dominion.

 

Six Flags America

Coaster Count: 9

Main Attractions:

Joker’s Jinx

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Superman: Ride of Steel

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You know a park is bad when a Premier Spaghetti bowl, Joker’s Jinx, is one of your main attractions. The park is not well received but still has some great coasters to warrant a vacation in DC. Superman: Ride of Steel (Intamin Hyper Coaster) is a unique ride in the park. This would be a great quick trip before heading to the main event of DC, Kings Dominion.

 

 

 

Kings Dominion

Coaster Count: 12

Main Attractions:

Intimidator 305

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Twisted Timbers

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Oh man this is the ideal vacation destination for a roller coaster enthusiast like myself. Kings Dominion has an insane lineup of coasters. This includes one of the most intense coasters in the world Intimidator 305 (Intamin Giga Coaster) and the newly converted Twisted Timbers (RMC Conversion). I’ve heard that because I305 is so intense that it almost never has a line. This is 1000% one of my bucket list coasters and parks to get to. (RIP Volcano)



 

I could write a whole page on LA amusement parks since there are so many… and I will. LA is the ideal vacation spot for more than a week. Of course it would be very expensive, but the amount of incredible amusement parks is insane. You have Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Knott’s Berry Farm. Buckle up because this is going to be a long one.

 

Disneyland / Disney California Adventure

Coaster Count: 4 (DL) / 2 (DCA)

Main Attractions:

Incredicoaster

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Matterhorn Bobsleds

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What can I say about Disney. What they lack in coasters they make up for in immersive theming. There is no park that does it better than a Disney park. This is a great place to go with a family since there are so many rides and activities for kids. I meshed DL and DCA together since they are still Disney but under two different gates. Incredicoaster (Intamin Launch) was recently renovated to include the Incredibles to the theme and is the main staple of the park. Matterhorn Bobsleds (Arrow Sit Down) is actually the first steel tube coasters to be made. This is a famous coaster and a bucket list ride just for history alone.

 

Universal Studios Hollywood

Coaster Count: 2

Main Attraction:

Studio Tour

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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

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Universal Studios Hollywood is not as coaster heavy on the list of vacation spots, but they do have some amazing rides to make up for it. The centerpiece of the park would have to be the studio tour and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal paid a pretty penny to WB to get the rights to Harry Potter and ran with it. They made an immersive experience to put you in the Harry Potter world. This is a great vacation spot for all the movie lovers and Harry Potter fans.



 

Six Flags Magic Mountain

Coaster Count: 19

Main Attractions:

X2

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Twisted Colossus

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Tatsu

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Here is the enthusiast dream park. MM has the most coasters in the world and is the star park in the Six Flags chain. It has a very unique X2 (Arrow 4D) which is only one of 3 built in the world. Twisted Colossus (RMC Conversion) was rebuilt after the old Colossus was closed down which you might recognize from the show Step by Step intro. Twisted Colossus is also a dueling coaster but on one track. When you finish your ride on one side you actually switch sides without getting off and complete the other side of the course. Tatsu (B&M Flying) is the longest and most intense flying experience in North America. There are still so many unique and amazing coasters that I didn’t even include in the main attractions! This is a multi day park experience for a vacation, but it is worth it. This is a must visit park for thrill seekers.



 

Knott’s Berry Farm

Coaster Count: 10

Main Attractions:

GhostRider

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HangTime

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Xcelerator

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Knott’s is another park in the Cedar Fair chain and is one of the more loved parks in the chain. With main additions of Xcelerator (First Intamin Hydraulic Accelerator) and GhostRider (CCI Wooden). GhostRider was built in 1998 but was re-tracked and made smoother to make it a more pleasant experience making it one of the top coasters in the park. The newest coaster to the park, HangTime (Getstlauer Infinity), takes up the spot where the now removed Boomerang once stood. It’s a compact but thrilling ride. This is a great park where you can spend a day and get some great rides and some awesome food too!



 

Since I’m from New York I know all of the good vacation spots. The only thing is that they aren’t in New York. I’m going to cheat once again and include some parks that are near NY but not in NY. I’m only going to cover Six Flags Great Adventure and Hersheypark.

 

Six Flags Great Adventure

Coaster Count: 12

Main Attractions:

El Toro & Kingda Ka (The Money Shot)

 

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Nitro

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Great Adventure is my home park. I’ve been going here since I was a kid and I love it. Because it is so close to the NYC / NJ metro area, Six Flags wanted to build up the park to attract guests. It has the best wooden coaster in the world in my opinion with El Toro (Intamin Pre-Fab) and an airtime machine with Nitro (B&M Hyper). Kingda Ka (Intamin Hydraulic Accelerator) is always intimidating when you ride by being the world's tallest coaster and 2nd fastest coaster in the world. While it doesn’t have the biggest lineup of coasters, it does have a few surprise hits that make it a must visit park. It also is a great park to visit with family since they have a few kids areas and family attractions. This is the perfect day trip park since it is only maybe 2 hours away from where I used to live on Long Island. Cross a few bridges, get on the NJ turnpike and get some WaWa (yes that’s a real thing). Leave early in the morning and come back late at night. Try to sneak a trip when you are in NY when you get a chance.



 

Hersheypark

Coaster Count: 14

Main Attractions:

Skyrush

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Storm Runner

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Fahrenheit

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Candymonium

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Yeah that’s right, 4 main attractions. If I could I would add the whole park. It is a very different vibe when you go to Hershey. It’s a beautiful park with an exquisite coaster lineup. They have two different hyper coasters with an intense, one of the top coasters in the world Skyrush (Intamin Winged Hyper) and a more airtime based hyper with Candymonium (B&M Hyper). They just expanded their front entrance and they included Candymonium as the cherry on top. They have one of the only inverting accelerator coasters with Storm Runner (Intamin Hydraulic Accelerator). They also have a one of a kind vertical lift coaster in Fahrenheit (Intamin Vertical Lift). That’s not even scratching the surface of this diverse lineup. This is a must do vacation spot, hell even do two days to get the full experience since it has a water park mixed in too (free with admission!).


 

Europe

 

Europe is very difficult to plan out as a coaster enthusiast. Europe is already beautiful and has so much culture already that going to an amusement park should be an afterthought. Unfortunately I didn’t find parks in all of the places where there is a VHL team. Here are some European parks that you could visit though.

 

Energylandia - (4 hrs from Warsaw)

Coaster Count: 15

Main Attractions:

Zadra

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Hyperion

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This one is a stretch but I couldn’t leave it out. Energylandia is the fastest growing amusement park in the world. They are getting multiple new coasters in a few years. They have gotten a new coaster every year since they opened. This is a destination park that needs multiple days just to get to everything. Zadria (RMC Groundup) is one of the top coasters in the world and was actually built a year early. They finished construction and testing so fast that they actually pushed up the opening from 2020 to 2019. Also at the park is the Hyperion (Intamin Winged Hyper) which was voted by the guests at the park. The vote was between Intamin and Vekoma. There is no stopping for expansion it seems as they are building new coasters for the 2021 season and the 2022 season. This is a bucket list park for anyone who wants a good mix of thrills and family coasters.



 

Linnanmäki

Coaster Count: 8

Main Attractions:

Kirnu

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Taiga

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I’ll be honest, I have no idea what Linnanmäki is, but they have some top tier attractions over there. Located in Helsinki, Linnanmäki has a great mix of thrills and family attractions. They have recently added Taiga (Intamin LSM Accelerator) which has 4 inversions with a 170ft top hat which is crazy for a small park! They also have a unique ride with Kirnu (Intamin Zacspin). Zacspins are not well known for their comfort, but it seems it fits perfectly with Linnanmäki. This seems like a great place to spend a day for a vacation or even after a practice before or after a game against the Helsinki Titans.


 

Alton Towers (3 hrs from London)

Coaster Count: 10

Main Attractions:

Smiler

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Nemesis

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Wicker Man

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The first of the two major parks near London is Alton Towers. This park is known for naming their new coaster projects secret weapons. Alton Towers also has a high restriction in that they can’t build over tree height. That didn’t stop them from building world class coasters and world first rides to make a diverse and iconic lineup. Smiler (Gerstlauer Infinity) is a record breaker for the most inversions on a roller coaster with 14! This is all compact into a small footprint that weaves in itself to give a crazy experience. Nemesis (B&M Invert) is also known for its terrain hugging layout. Wicker Man (GCI Wooden) is their newest coaster. They have something for everyone. This is a perfect place to spend all day and get a hotel nearby to get a full day's worth.



 

Thorpe Park (44 mins from London)

Coaster Count: 7

Main Attractions:

Saw - The Ride

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Swarm

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Nemesis Inferno

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We finally come to Thorpe Park which is an hour away from London. This makes it easy to spend all day and still get back to London before the night is over. They have a bunch of horror themed attractions which is a breath of fresh air. Some of their more notable rides include Saw - The Ride (Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter) and The Swarm (B&M Wing). Nemesis Inferno (B&M Invert), not to be confused with Alton Towers Nemesis, is one of their main attractions in the park too. Since most of the rides are themed to horror franchises I wouldn’t suggest a full family trip. This is still a great day-cation destination if you are staying in London.


 

Conclusion

Holy moly I finally finished this beast of a media spot. Overall, the VHL is a grind so far. I wanted to give people the options of some of my favorite vacation spots as a coaster enthusiast so they can relax. You don’t even have to be a coaster enthusiast to enjoy some of these parks as they are all special in their own way. I would love to go to every park on this list, but if I had to choose 3 to go to at the end of the season and when all parks are open I would choose: Six Flags Magic Mountain, Energylandia and Alton Towers. It’s always best when you can go to a park with friends or family, but sometimes you have to go by yourself. I’ve done that many times and it doesn’t feel weird at all. I hope you consider some of these vacation spots when you are planning your vacation at the end of the season. Let me know what parks you are considering!

 

 

image.png.4e7b2a2aff8d8006772712b259f3e6a2.png Claiming 4 weeks

Edited by youloser1337
On 2/9/2021 at 3:05 AM, youloser1337 said:

This week is all about player vacations and oh boy do I have a doozy for you. Most of you will probably not know that I am a roller coaster enthusiast. I would love to go on every roller coaster I can. With the season I could get to some incredible parks for a mini vacation or day-cation as most people call them. I will be splitting the vacations from each conference since there are a lot of North American parks I would love to go to and in Europe too. I will go team by team and showcase parks that would be great vacation destinations. By the end of this I believe you would have a copious amount of vacation destinations to plan out an epic vacation.

 

North America:

 

I’m going to cheat and bunch together the Canadian teams into one post since there aren't as many parks in Canada versus the United States. I’m also going to include Seattle here too. There are three main parks that I would love to go to, but to not bore you I will only go over one and that is Canada’s Wonderland.

 

Canada’s Wonderland

Coaster Count: 17

Main Attractions:

Leviathan

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Yukon Striker

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Canada’s Wonderland is a part of the Cedar Fair chain and has been heavily invested in the past few years with mega additions of Leviathan (the first B&M Giga coaster) and Yukon Striker (B&M Dive Machine). This would be a great vacation spot since it is in Vaughan, Ontario which is near the Toronto area. This would be a must visit park for me and a great vacation spot in the north of the border.



 

Chicago is an interesting vacation destination. Chicago is already an incredible city where you could just explore the city, but there is a theme park that I’m itching to get to and that is Six Flags Great America.

 

Six Flags Great America

Coaster Count: 15

Main Attractions:

Maxx Force

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Goliath

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X-Flight

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Six Flags Great America is a very unique park since it has a lot of coaster models not present at other parks in the Six Flags chain. Six Flags saw a lot of potential for the Chicago area so they invested in top tier attractions to bring guests in, including me. This has top of the line attractions with new coasters coming every few years. The past few years brought in X-Flight (the chains only B&M Wing Coaster), Goliath (a ground up RMC coaster) and Maxx Force (a S&S air launch coaster). Maxx Force is one of my bucket list coasters actually. Maybe after a practice before or after a Chicago game I can go and sneak a few rides.



 

The nation’s capital is a perfect vacation spot with some great museums, parks and restaurants. Two parks are nearby DC and these include Six Flags America and Kings Dominion. Six Flags America is the chain's neglected park so I won’t go too in depth compared to Kings Dominion.

 

Six Flags America

Coaster Count: 9

Main Attractions:

Joker’s Jinx

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Superman: Ride of Steel

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You know a park is bad when a Premier Spaghetti bowl, Joker’s Jinx, is one of your main attractions. The park is not well received but still has some great coasters to warrant a vacation in DC. Superman: Ride of Steel (Intamin Hyper Coaster) is a unique ride in the park. This would be a great quick trip before heading to the main event of DC, Kings Dominion.

 

 

 

Kings Dominion

Coaster Count: 12

Main Attractions:

Intimidator 305

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Twisted Timbers

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Oh man this is the ideal vacation destination for a roller coaster enthusiast like myself. Kings Dominion has an insane lineup of coasters. This includes one of the most intense coasters in the world Intimidator 305 (Intamin Giga Coaster) and the newly converted Twisted Timbers (RMC Conversion). I’ve heard that because I305 is so intense that it almost never has a line. This is 1000% one of my bucket list coasters and parks to get to. (RIP Volcano)



 

I could write a whole page on LA amusement parks since there are so many… and I will. LA is the ideal vacation spot for more than a week. Of course it would be very expensive, but the amount of incredible amusement parks is insane. You have Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Knott’s Berry Farm. Buckle up because this is going to be a long one.

 

Disneyland / Disney California Adventure

Coaster Count: 4 (DL) / 2 (DCA)

Main Attractions:

Incredicoaster

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Matterhorn Bobsleds

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What can I say about Disney. What they lack in coasters they make up for in immersive theming. There is no park that does it better than a Disney park. This is a great place to go with a family since there are so many rides and activities for kids. I meshed DL and DCA together since they are still Disney but under two different gates. Incredicoaster (Intamin Launch) was recently renovated to include the Incredibles to the theme and is the main staple of the park. Matterhorn Bobsleds (Arrow Sit Down) is actually the first steel tube coasters to be made. This is a famous coaster and a bucket list ride just for history alone.

 

Universal Studios Hollywood

Coaster Count: 2

Main Attraction:

Studio Tour

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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

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Universal Studios Hollywood is not as coaster heavy on the list of vacation spots, but they do have some amazing rides to make up for it. The centerpiece of the park would have to be the studio tour and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal paid a pretty penny to WB to get the rights to Harry Potter and ran with it. They made an immersive experience to put you in the Harry Potter world. This is a great vacation spot for all the movie lovers and Harry Potter fans.



 

Six Flags Magic Mountain

Coaster Count: 19

Main Attractions:

X2

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Twisted Colossus

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Tatsu

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Here is the enthusiast dream park. MM has the most coasters in the world and is the star park in the Six Flags chain. It has a very unique X2 (Arrow 4D) which is only one of 3 built in the world. Twisted Colossus (RMC Conversion) was rebuilt after the old Colossus was closed down which you might recognize from the show Step by Step intro. Twisted Colossus is also a dueling coaster but on one track. When you finish your ride on one side you actually switch sides without getting off and complete the other side of the course. Tatsu (B&M Flying) is the longest and most intense flying experience in North America. There are still so many unique and amazing coasters that I didn’t even include in the main attractions! This is a multi day park experience for a vacation, but it is worth it. This is a must visit park for thrill seekers.



 

Knott’s Berry Farm

Coaster Count: 10

Main Attractions:

GhostRider

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HangTime

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Xcelerator

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Knott’s is another park in the Cedar Fair chain and is one of the more loved parks in the chain. With main additions of Xcelerator (First Intamin Hydraulic Accelerator) and GhostRider (CCI Wooden). GhostRider was built in 1998 but was re-tracked and made smoother to make it a more pleasant experience making it one of the top coasters in the park. The newest coaster to the park, HangTime (Getstlauer Infinity), takes up the spot where the now removed Boomerang once stood. It’s a compact but thrilling ride. This is a great park where you can spend a day and get some great rides and some awesome food too!



 

Since I’m from New York I know all of the good vacation spots. The only thing is that they aren’t in New York. I’m going to cheat once again and include some parks that are near NY but not in NY. I’m only going to cover Six Flags Great Adventure and Hersheypark.

 

Six Flags Great Adventure

Coaster Count: 12

Main Attractions:

El Toro & Kingda Ka (The Money Shot)

 

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Nitro

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Great Adventure is my home park. I’ve been going here since I was a kid and I love it. Because it is so close to the NYC / NJ metro area, Six Flags wanted to build up the park to attract guests. It has the best wooden coaster in the world in my opinion with El Toro (Intamin Pre-Fab) and an airtime machine with Nitro (B&M Hyper). Kingda Ka (Intamin Hydraulic Accelerator) is always intimidating when you ride by being the world's tallest coaster and 2nd fastest coaster in the world. While it doesn’t have the biggest lineup of coasters, it does have a few surprise hits that make it a must visit park. It also is a great park to visit with family since they have a few kids areas and family attractions. This is the perfect day trip park since it is only maybe 2 hours away from where I used to live on Long Island. Cross a few bridges, get on the NJ turnpike and get some WaWa (yes that’s a real thing). Leave early in the morning and come back late at night. Try to sneak a trip when you are in NY when you get a chance.



 

Hersheypark

Coaster Count: 14

Main Attractions:

Skyrush

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Storm Runner

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Fahrenheit

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Candymonium

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Yeah that’s right, 4 main attractions. If I could I would add the whole park. It is a very different vibe when you go to Hershey. It’s a beautiful park with an exquisite coaster lineup. They have two different hyper coasters with an intense, one of the top coasters in the world Skyrush (Intamin Winged Hyper) and a more airtime based hyper with Candymonium (B&M Hyper). They just expanded their front entrance and they included Candymonium as the cherry on top. They have one of the only inverting accelerator coasters with Storm Runner (Intamin Hydraulic Accelerator). They also have a one of a kind vertical lift coaster in Fahrenheit (Intamin Vertical Lift). That’s not even scratching the surface of this diverse lineup. This is a must do vacation spot, hell even do two days to get the full experience since it has a water park mixed in too (free with admission!).


 

Europe

 

Europe is very difficult to plan out as a coaster enthusiast. Europe is already beautiful and has so much culture already that going to an amusement park should be an afterthought. Unfortunately I didn’t find parks in all of the places where there is a VHL team. Here are some European parks that you could visit though.

 

Energylandia - (4 hrs from Warsaw)

Coaster Count: 15

Main Attractions:

Zadra

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Hyperion

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This one is a stretch but I couldn’t leave it out. Energylandia is the fastest growing amusement park in the world. They are getting multiple new coasters in a few years. They have gotten a new coaster every year since they opened. This is a destination park that needs multiple days just to get to everything. Zadria (RMC Groundup) is one of the top coasters in the world and was actually built a year early. They finished construction and testing so fast that they actually pushed up the opening from 2020 to 2019. Also at the park is the Hyperion (Intamin Winged Hyper) which was voted by the guests at the park. The vote was between Intamin and Vekoma. There is no stopping for expansion it seems as they are building new coasters for the 2021 season and the 2022 season. This is a bucket list park for anyone who wants a good mix of thrills and family coasters.



 

Linnanmäki

Coaster Count: 8

Main Attractions:

Kirnu

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Taiga

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I’ll be honest, I have no idea what Linnanmäki is, but they have some top tier attractions over there. Located in Helsinki, Linnanmäki has a great mix of thrills and family attractions. They have recently added Taiga (Intamin LSM Accelerator) which has 4 inversions with a 170ft top hat which is crazy for a small park! They also have a unique ride with Kirnu (Intamin Zacspin). Zacspins are not well known for their comfort, but it seems it fits perfectly with Linnanmäki. This seems like a great place to spend a day for a vacation or even after a practice before or after a game against the Helsinki Titans.


 

Alton Towers (3 hrs from London)

Coaster Count: 10

Main Attractions:

Smiler

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Nemesis

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Wicker Man

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The first of the two major parks near London is Alton Towers. This park is known for naming their new coaster projects secret weapons. Alton Towers also has a high restriction in that they can’t build over tree height. That didn’t stop them from building world class coasters and world first rides to make a diverse and iconic lineup. Smiler (Gerstlauer Infinity) is a record breaker for the most inversions on a roller coaster with 14! This is all compact into a small footprint that weaves in itself to give a crazy experience. Nemesis (B&M Invert) is also known for its terrain hugging layout. Wicker Man (GCI Wooden) is their newest coaster. They have something for everyone. This is a perfect place to spend all day and get a hotel nearby to get a full day's worth.



 

Thorpe Park (44 mins from London)

Coaster Count: 7

Main Attractions:

Saw - The Ride

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Swarm

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Nemesis Inferno

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We finally come to Thorpe Park which is an hour away from London. This makes it easy to spend all day and still get back to London before the night is over. They have a bunch of horror themed attractions which is a breath of fresh air. Some of their more notable rides include Saw - The Ride (Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter) and The Swarm (B&M Wing). Nemesis Inferno (B&M Invert), not to be confused with Alton Towers Nemesis, is one of their main attractions in the park too. Since most of the rides are themed to horror franchises I wouldn’t suggest a full family trip. This is still a great day-cation destination if you are staying in London.


 

Conclusion

Holy moly I finally finished this beast of a media spot. Overall, the VHL is a grind so far. I wanted to give people the options of some of my favorite vacation spots as a coaster enthusiast so they can relax. You don’t even have to be a coaster enthusiast to enjoy some of these parks as they are all special in their own way. I would love to go to every park on this list, but if I had to choose 3 to go to at the end of the season and when all parks are open I would choose: Six Flags Magic Mountain, Energylandia and Alton Towers. It’s always best when you can go to a park with friends or family, but sometimes you have to go by yourself. I’ve done that many times and it doesn’t feel weird at all. I hope you consider some of these vacation spots when you are planning your vacation at the end of the season. Let me know what parks you are considering!

 

 

image.png.4e7b2a2aff8d8006772712b259f3e6a2.png Claiming 4 weeks

Not even a question that you are a rollercoaster enthusiast.  very detailed with a lot of depth, easily a 10/10 without questions

Review 

great details and reasoning as to why each park/ coaster is here, and the pictures really help show how incredible the coasters are, nothing that needs to be added

 

rating 

10/10

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