- With roller coasters and water slides, amusement parks are an essential part of summer in America.
- A cross-country tour of the US will take you to the world's tallest steel coaster, the steepest wooden coaster, and the tallest steel-on-wood hybrid.
- MONEY tells us the best amusement parts in the country and the best rides to go on if you visit.
Nothing screams summertime quite as much as amusement parks.
They are the one place you can walk for miles, listening to screaming thrill seekers and munching on sugary funnel cakes. If you're an adrenaline addict, you can tour the US to find the world's tallest steel coaster, the steepest wooden coaster, and tallest steel-on-wood hybrid ride.
To find out which parks offer the biggest thrills, MONEY partnered with Yelp to identify the country's best amusement parks, as well as the best rides at each attraction. Whether these parks are driving distance or require planning, we guarantee they are worth a trip.
Here are the 10 best amusement parks in the country:
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1. Disneyland Park
Anaheim, California
Hottest ride: Hyperspace Mountain
The happiest place on Earth doesn't disappoint visitors, earning the top spot among all other amusement parks. Walt Disney came up with the idea for the park himself, helping with the original design and layout. The park is now home to classic rides like the Pirates of the Caribbean boat cruise and the dizzying Matterhorn Bobsleds. The most popular ride is the indoor, space-themed roller-coaster Hyperspace Mountain, which features Star Wars-themed clips and simulators.
If you've still got an appetite, you can grab Mickey Mouse beignets at the park's New Orleans Square, or seafood at Ariel's Grotto, named after the character in The Little Mermaid. Those who want the full Disney experience night and day can stay at its resort hotels, the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and the Disneyland Hotel.
Ticket prices vary depending on the day. Regular prices rose earlier this year to $117; peak prices are een higher. According to the Disneyland's website, two-day passes start at $105 per day for ages 10 and older.
2. Magic Kingdom Park at Disney World
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Hottest ride: Space Mountain
Disneyland's sister park in Lake Buena Vista takes the No. 2 spot, ensuring Mickey Mouse's dominance. Magic Kingdom Park is one of four themed parks inside Disney World, and is recognizable by its majestic Cinderella castle. You'll find characters from Disney classic movies like Aladdin, Mickey Mouse and Peter Pan roaming the streets, and kid-friendly rides, like the giant spinning tea cups at Mad Tea Party.
Be sure to check out Space Mountain, the park's most popular ride. You'll zip through the "galaxy" on an indoor roller-coaster, inside a dark room illuminated by "stars." Another popular ride to try is Splash Mountain, which delivers a slow cruise up a mountain before taking a 50-foot drop into a pool of water.
Tickets to Disney World don't come cheap. Two-day tickets, which also give you a day in one other Disney World park, cost $209 per person ages 10 and up. If you want to max out your visit, Travel + Leisure suggests visiting on a Friday when Magic Kingdom is open extra hours.
3. Cedar Point
Sandusky, Ohio
Hottest ride: Millennium Force
Sometimes dubbed "America's Roller Coast," Cedar Point is the second-oldest operating amusement park in the US The Midwestern park features 71 rides over 364 acres of space. This year, the park opened the Steel Vengeance, the tallest and fastest hybrid (wood-plus-steel) roller-coaster in the world; it's 205 feet tall, runs at 74 mph, and goes upside down four times, in and out of loops.
The park's most popular ride, however, is the Millennium Force, a steel coaster that opened in 2000 and was briefly the tallest and fastest coaster in the world. The 310-foot-tall, two-minute ride reaches speeds of 93 mph. Riders must be at least 48 inches tall.
Daily admission to the park varies depending on the time, but prices typically start at around $50.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider