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Fun & Fantastical: 16 Top Theme Parks (That Aren’t Disneyland)
introAll over the world, families visit theme parks for a worry-free, fun-filled day together. We root out the best on offer, skipping the most famous parks (including the ones based around a cartoon mouse) in search of something smaller and more unique. Sometimes quirky, always fun – these theme parks are destinations onto themselves.
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Fun & Fantastical: 16 Top Theme Parks (That Aren’t Disneyland).
AdlabsAdlabs Imagica, India – Until recently, India didn’t have any big-name theme parks; that’s where a keen businessman stepped in. With Adlabs Imagica near Mumbai, Manmohan Shetty created a park where past meets present, and Hindu gods meet Bollywood stars. In special effects show ‘Wrath of the Gods’, elemental deities unleash their fury on humans, while motion-simulated car ride ‘Mr India’ replicates scenes from the 1987 classic film, and ‘I For India’ shows bird’s-eye footage of the country’s most stunning landscapes on a screen 27 metres wide. The park is also populated with kid-friendly characters, such as the Lost Astronaut, the Gingerbread Man and Tubby the Elephant.
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Fun & Fantastical: 16 Top Theme Parks (That Aren’t Disneyland).
Canada's WonderlandCanada’s Wonderland, Canada – 40 kilometres north of Toronto is Canada’s largest seasonal theme park, with more than 3.7 million visitors per year. Fitting right into the Canadian theme are the new ‘Lumberjack’ ride, with daring guests strapped onto swinging axe pendulums, and the gentle ‘Flying Canoes’ ride, which also recently opened. Small children will enjoy Planet Snoopy, where they can meet and mingle with the famous characters from Peanuts. After everyone’s worked up an appetite, dig into typical Canadian delicacies such as Beavertails, Ontario BBQ chicken and, of course, a heaping portion of poutine.
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Fun & Fantastical: 16 Top Theme Parks (That Aren’t Disneyland).
Cedar PointCedar Point, US – If high drops and tight loops are your jam, a visit to the ‘Roller Coaster Capital of the World’ is a must. Opened in 1870, this Ohio park features 72 rides, including 17 coasters. The newest, ‘Steel Vengeance’, opened in May 2018 as the world’s first steel-on-wood hybrid roller coaster with almost 30 seconds of airtime. Yikes. If you prefer chilling over thrilling, relax on the mile-long stretch of white-sand beach on scenic Lake Erie, the first attraction Cedar Point had on offer more than 140 years ago. [Photo courtesy of Cedar Point]
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Fun & Fantastical: 16 Top Theme Parks (That Aren’t Disneyland).
DiggerlandDiggerland, UK And US – “Buckets of fun for everyone!” The tagline of this syndicated theme park, with 4 UK branches and 1 in the US, says it all. Diggerland operates from a simple concept: Children and adults can ride, drive and operate full-sized diggers, dumpers and other construction equipment – even on the merry-go-round and thrill rides, you’re actually sitting in the digger’s ‘bucket’. There’s no way your vehicle- and dirt-obsessed child won’t dig this.
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Fun & Fantastical: 16 Top Theme Parks (That Aren’t Disneyland).
EftelingEfteling, Netherlands – Many Dutch grown-ups revisit this theme park to see it through a nostalgic lens, but even with fresh eyes, the Efteling experience is a wonderful one. Based on ancient fables, myths, fairy tales and folklore, the 1952 park features the original Fairytale Forest – which the smallest munchkins and their parents will enjoy best – as well as thrilling roller coasters and water rides for the older kids (and kids-at-heart). When the belly starts growling after all that action, try a hefty Dutch pancake. They’re legendary.
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Fun & Fantastical: 16 Top Theme Parks (That Aren’t Disneyland).
Gold Reef CityGold Reef City, South Africa – Sitting on an old mine that closed in 1971, Gold Reef City hits pure gold with its mining theme, including late 19th-century buildings and period costumes. Descend into a mineshaft with a guided tour to learn how mining was done in the past, or hop aboard thrilling rides with names like ‘Miner’s Revenge’ and the ‘Tower of Terror’ (featuring a vertical drop into an old mineshaft) to complete the rush.
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Fun & Fantastical: 16 Top Theme Parks (That Aren’t Disneyland).
KnoebelsKnoebels Amusement Park, USA – Located in central Pennsylvania, Knoebels made the list because (A) it’s America’s largest free admission park, and (B) it’s good for old-fashioned theme park fun that’s hard to come by these days. Opened in 1926, it still boasts a beautiful 1913 carousel, a classic haunted house, a Tilt-A-Whirl, a ferris wheel and classic bumper cars. For even more summer nostalgia, there’s swimming, camping and golfing available nearby in the densely forested area.
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Fun & Fantastical: 16 Top Theme Parks (That Aren’t Disneyland).
Luna ParkLuna Park, Australia – Named for the original park on New York’s Coney Island, Australia once had five Luna Parks; the ones in Melbourne and Sydney are still open today. Melbourne boasts the oldest – dating back to 1912 and designed by Frederick Ingersoll – with its iconic ‘Mr Moon’ face at the entrance, as well as the Scenic Railway, the world’s oldest continuously operating roller coaster. A beloved city icon, Luna Park Sydney reopened near Sydney Harbour in 2004 after a $100 million renovation, and is once more the multi-generational favourite it was intended to be in 1935. Enjoy the day with plenty of retro rides that you’ll never tire of, including a moon ranger, a tumble bug and a hair-raiser. [Photo: Lenny K Photography/Flickr]
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Fun & Fantastical: 16 Top Theme Parks (That Aren’t Disneyland).
SanrioSanrio Puroland, Japan – It’s not just five-year-old girls who swoon over Hello Kitty – the Japanese feline can count retired police officers and superstars among her biggest fans. Kawaii (cute) culture reaches its pinnacle at Sanrio Puroland near Tokyo, where you can meet and greet not only Hello Kitty, but also other favourite characters including Cinnamoroll, Jewelpet and My Melody. They appear in boat rides, musicals, merchandise, food and probably in your dreams (or nightmares?) after your visit. [Photo: Tomohiro Ohtake/Flickr]
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Fun & Fantastical: 16 Top Theme Parks (That Aren’t Disneyland).
Suoi TienSuối Tiên Cultural Theme Park, Vietnam – Yes, there are rides and slides at this huge theme park near Ho Chi Minh City, but that’s not its main attraction. Celebrating Vietnamese culture and Buddhism, Suối Tiên Cultural Theme Park is chock-full of colourful, larger-than-life statues, from big-bellied Buddha’s to dragons, turtles and phoenixes. But it’s not all nirvanic: you won’t guess by its name, but the Unicorn Palace houses a dungeon with a gory display of the nine levels of hell (maybe skip this one with the kids). [Photo: Ingmar Zahorsky/Flickr]
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