I used to hate rollercoasters. Getting me on one was a challenge that my parents would rather not face, so they always had to have one person wait with me while everyone else had fun. Sometimes, to get me on a ride, my mom would promise me a souvenir from the theme park’s gift shop for being so brave. It would almost always be a stuffed animal, in case you were wondering.
I’m not exactly sure when the switch flipped, but sometime in my early teens, I decided to give amusement parks a second chance, or, more accurately, a 50th chance. It worked out, though, because now I love them!
To my entire family’s surprise, I became a coaster enthusiast, so much so that for my senior year grad trip, when ideas like France and Spain were being tossed out, I decided that we were going to pack ourselves up in a plethora of rental cars and drive all around America, going to the most well-known theme parks to experience that adrenaline nationwide.
All of this to say, I feel particularly qualified to give my opinions on the best theme park experiences in the United States.
Best rides: Cedar Point
If you want the most bang for your buck, Cedar Point is where you need to be. It not only has one of the biggest selections of rides I’ve ever seen, but also a boardwalk, waterpark, and adjoining hotel. It took my family and me two full days to get through the entire park, and we didn’t even ride the water rides.
Steel Vengeance (my personal favorite roller coaster ever) is the longest hybrid coaster in the world as of 2026. Located in the Wild West-themed section of the park, I’d fly to Ohio for this ride even if I couldn’t do anything else while I was there.
Millennium Force created the “Giga-coaster” category, being the first one in the world to ever top 300 feet. It was the first ride we got on when we rope-dropped the park. What an introduction!
With 66 rides in total and almost 20 different coasters to choose from, there’s a ride for everyone at Cedar Point, four of which were ranked in the top 25 steel rollercoasters in the world in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards.
Best food: Epcot and Dollywood
Giving Disney’s Epcot “best food” feels almost like a cop out because it’s just so obvious. With four annual food festivals and 11 World Showcase pavilions, each with various dining options, this wasn’t a hard decision.
I’ll say that if you go to Epcot solely for the rides and other non-edible attractions, you may find yourself struggling to fill an entire day with activities, so be prepared to open your wallet and shell out a small life-saving amount of cash for some top-notch cuisine.
I also had to include Dollywood in this category purely because of the world-famous cinnamon bread. And guys, let me tell you, as someone who doesn’t usually reach for sweets, I could eat about 10 loaves of this stuff all by myself.
Other menu items at Dollywood include BBQ and homestyle southern dishes, as well as their own Flower and Food Festival in the spring.
Best atmosphere: Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Magic Kingdom
Being from Tampa, Florida, I’d always assumed that we housed the only Busch Gardens in America, but I was shocked to find out that Virginia has one as well. Not to mention it’s European-themed, as opposed to the African theming of the park in Florida.
Both have their own charm, but unfortunately, I have to admit that the Williamsburg location takes the cake, with its beautiful locations and unique ride setups. How could I not include it on this list? It’s also the home of Pantheon, my second-favorite coaster ever.
Of course, as a Floridian, I have to mention Disney more than once. I apologize, but seriously, if you can ignore the screaming kids and hot weather, walking down Main Street has got to be a spiritual experience. Stick me in Mickey ears and call me a Disney adult all you want to; it doesn’t make it any less true.
To be transparent, the Magic Kingdom in California might be better than Orlando’s. They don’t have the PeopleMover, though, so we can agree to call it even.
Most fun: Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure
I have to be honest with you: I still haven’t been to Epic Universe. I think if I had, it’d go in this spot, but I still love the other Universal parks here in Florida. I can confidently say that at least these parks beat whatever California’s Universal Studios has going on. Seriously, I didn’t expect it to be so tiny.
I know you guys were waiting to see which coaster would round out my top three, and, of course, it’s Velocicoaster. I mean, the airtime is unmatched. Universal also has some seriously immersive lands, ranging in themes from the Harry Potter series to Marvel Studios.
I’d consider the Universal parks to be the edgy teenage versions of their cheery rivals from the land of the mouse. It’s where you go when Thunder Mountain just isn’t cutting it anymore.
Honorable mention: HersheyPark
I couldn’t go through this whole list without bringing up one of the strangest parks I’ve been to. Hersheypark, located in Pennsylvania, is essentially like if someone watched the tunnel scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and said, “Yeah, I want to be able to spend a whole day there.”
If you want to experience being simultaneously impressed and confused, ride Laff Trakk or Reese’s Cupfusion and thank me later.
Honestly, go to any of these parks and thank me later because you can’t go wrong with a single one of them. You don’t even have to like big, scary rollercoasters. Just go for the food and the fun!
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