After that TDL's version was a revised and improved version of WDW.
It's nothing drastic between any of them, it just seemed if the WDW was a slightly revised (and in some ways improved) over DL's original. It also had the same boats as the WDW version (I strongly prefer over the DL version) It really had to be "shoehorned" in there due to space restraints. TDL's structure seemed to be on a smaller scale, where the actual ride seemed to be more expansive. The animatronics and scenes do appear more elaborate in the TDL (in particular) and somewhat in the WDW one due to it all being made new, where the DL was a lot of recycled material (America Sings) The park`s Cinema 180 Theater also debuts this year.Īdmission: $15.95 $7.Moosh.without getting into detail, I felt the DL and TDL versions had more cohesive storylines, there are a few minor scenes that are present in one and not the other, though. It also has the Rip Roarin` Rapids white water raft ride, as well as the twin-racing wooden Thunder Road coaster, a shuttle-looping White Lightnin` coaster, the quadruple-looping Carolina Cyclone, and the 360- degree pendulum ride Frenzoid. Park information: 80.Ĭarowinds adds another splasher, WhiteWater Falls, to its thrill ride line-up this season. Season of operation: Weekends April 2 to May 13 (also Easter Monday) daily May 14-Sept. The Loch Ness Monster, a legendary double-looping coaster (one 360-degree loop races through the other one), celebrates its 10th anniversary this year thrill-seekers also flock to the Big Bad Wolf, a suspended roller coaster, and DaVinci`s Cradle, a giant swinging boat.Īdmission: $17.95 children 2 and under admitted free. The themed areas here have a distinctly European flavor the new white water raft ride, Roman Rapids, makes its debut this season in the Festa Italia section amid Roman columns and aqueducts. Two historic steamships ferry patrons from a dock in Detroit boat service to the island is also available from Gibraltar, Mich., and BOBLO ISLAND, DETROIT/AMHERSTBURG, ONTARIOĮven getting to Boblo Island, in the middle of the lower Detroit River, is fun. 31 (closed Mondays except Memorial Day and July 4) weekends Sept.
Season of operation: Weekends March 19-May 22 (also week of March 28-April 1) daily May 28-Aug. Multivisit tickets (one day each to AstroWorld and WaterWorld, or two days at either park): $18.95. WaterWorld admission: $11.50 adults, $9.50 children. Thrill rides at Astroworld include the Texas Cyclone, a taller-faster mirror image of the original Coney Island Cyclone the Greezed Lightnin forward-and-backward loop coaster Skyscreamer, a 10-story free-fall drop and the XLR-8 suspended roller coaster.Īdmission to AstroWorld: $16.95 $12.95 children under 48 inches tall Other ways to get wet include Thunder River, billed as the world`s first man-made river rapids ride and the adjacent WaterWorld park, featuring a wave pool and various body and speed slides. It`s expected to be making a quadruple splash by Memorial Day weekend. For those who chicken out, there`s also a flight of stairs. It also debuted in March, complete with a 45- foot waterfall and 20-foot wall of water.Īt Hersheypark, Hershey, Pa., the Frontier Chute-Out boat ride will offer four ways to hit its waterfall-two open slides and two enclosed chutes. Tidal Wave passengers will ride a boat through twisting turns, down a waterfall and ''through'' a 20-foot wall of water.Ī similar boat ride, Whitewater Falls, will be drenching patrons at Carowinds, near Charlotte, N.C. The water-slide complex will offer two speed slides, three body slides, two innertube slides and three ''runaway'' raft slides to park patrons 48 inches and taller.ĪstroWorld in Houston, which has a companion water-slide complex, WaterWorld, opened a splash ride for its amusement-park patrons in March. It`ll feature a distinctly Italian setting of aqueducts and Roman columns.Ĭedar Point, on Lake Erie near Sandusky, Ohio, is adding a water-theme area, Soak City. On Memorial Day weekend, Knott`s Berry Farm, in Buena Park near Los Angeles, will unveil a theme area, Wild Water Wilderness, to showcase its Bigfoot Rapids white water raft ride.īusch Gardens the Old Country, near Williamsburg, Va., is also opening a white water raft ride, Roman Rapids, this spring. Splash rides are challenging screamers for popularity, with many new water-related attractions premiering across the country this year.