Parks you would rate 5 star?

[nadroJ]

I was having a little wonder to myself this morning about what parks I would actually call 5 star. As in what parks really tick ALL of the boxes. And it occurred to me that even my favourite parks wouldn't fall into that category as they are all missing something to give them the complete package. But I have made a short list.

Alton Towers
For me Alton has everything. It's got everything nailed in my opinion: A great range of attractions for all ages (yes spread out, but they're there), at least 2 excellent coasters, lovely immersive theming, awesome music and a sense of magic about the place.

Silver Dollar City
Everything at this park just has this perfect narrative flow to it. I love how even the staff and shops and food compliments the olden day America style theme and carries it through. Put this next to an excellent ride line up and you've got a winner.

Europa Park
Europa doesn't have that whimsy that I tend to look for in a park, but its ride line up is spot on and its theming is top notch. There's just SO much to do at this park and I felt that every area was brimming with attractions.

So you'll notice I've left out a couple of excellent parks, namely Efteling and Phantasialand. These will always feature in my top 5 and I usually switch between the two when decided which park is my ultimate fav. But they are both similarly lacking in one key area: coasters. Yes both parks have things under construction that might finally tick the box that nudges these parks over into the 5 star category but I would argue that both Efteling and Phantasia are both lacking in an excellent coaster.

 

[ThomVD]

To me there is only one of the parks that I've visited that is top notch in nearly every category, and that is Phantasialand.

I think Phantasialand has a perfect balance and variety of fantastic rides. In the coaster category they have Black Mamba, which in my opinion is a near flawless coaster. Colorado Adventure and Winjas are great surprise rides that I don't get sick of. In the flat ride category they have two standouts with Mystery Castle and Talocan. Both look like some of the best of its kind. When it comes to water rides they have a perfect example of quality over quantity with Chiapas and River Quest. Both brilliant in their own way. The dark ride selection is probably the weakest of all the categories, but they still have Maus au Chocolat which I think is fantastic. I also have a soft spot for Hollywood Tour, but admittedly it's very dated. Combine all that with over the top fantastic theming, and most of the rides are creative and unique as well, and you have Phantasialand. None of the other parks I've visited has as much variety when it comes to quality.

Efteling has the best atmosphere of any park I've visited and amazing dark rides, but is lacking in the flat and water ride category (though Vliegende Hollander and Joris can be some of the wettest rides I've done on summer days). While Joris en de Draak is still my favourite wooden coaster, they don't have any other world class coasters. Vliegende Hollander deserves a mention for being something else though. I still think Efteling has the best coaster selection in the Netherlands, even before Baron. Walibi just has Goliath and Toverland just has Troy.

Europa Park to me, is an example of quantity over quality. They have three coasters that I love (Silver Star, Blue Fire and Wodan), but aside from those there aren't any standout rides in my opinion. I liked Colorado and Winjas more than the remaining coasters in EP, which range from pretty good to meh. The dark ride selection is weak, the flat ride selection is as weak as Efteling's. I also found the water ride selection quite underwhelming. The rapids and log flume have some decent theming, but are nothing special. Poseidon and Atlantica aren't all that good either, aside from the theming. Didn't do the splash battle so can't say anything about that. The atmosphere is lovely but can't quite beat Efteling or Phantasia's to me.

Liseberg has great coasters, good flats and good water rides, plus the atmosphere is great. It is lacking in the dark ride and theming category though.

When looking at the full package, I would give Phantasialand 5 stars, Efteling 4,5 stars and Europa Park and Liseberg 4 stars.

I'm with you that Efteling and Phantasialand are really the two parks where I can't decide which one is my fave. I have a closer emotional connection with Efteling because it's such a massive part of my childhood, and it's so dear to me. But Phantasialand is just a superior park to me, and it excites me more.

 

[Hyde]

Silver Dollar City and Dollywood both have some of the most authentic atmosphere you can find at any park. Good salt of the Earth folks, many retired with trade skill, who are both great at running parks and managing guest needs. Throw in a few world-class roller coasters, and you get a great one-two park chain punch.

Cedar Point and Six Flags Magic Mountain are two of the most iconic American amusement/theme parks. Roller coaster enthusiasts can debate till kingdom come on everything these parks are not ("Not enough flat rides", "Not enough A-class rides", etc.), but one thing these parks are is undeniably known world round for being two altars of roller coaster nirvana... Even if you think MF could use two more airtime hills, and SFMM needs to stop building roller coaster on top of parking lots.

Walt Disney World and Disneyland are the happiest places on Earth for a reason.

All of these are parks that do merit a 5 star rating, as they have shown a track record for success in servicing park visitors, fulfilling thrill ride seekers, and general park growth over time.

 

[ATTACKHAMMER]

Walt Disney World: a magical place with a plethora of attraction for all ages. The themeing is the best out of anywhere.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: a very wide variety of coasters and some amazing animals. For me it is the best park, that I've been to.

IOA: amazing themed islands with amazing rides. Spider-Man is incredible, as is Forbbiden Journey. The coaster line up is decent and the water ride line up is the best I've experienced.

 

[Chris Coasters]

Dollywood - Food is amazing, Beautiful scenery, Amazing coasters, and a amazing location.

Busch Williamsburg - Pretty much same as Dollywood. Beautiful scenery and amazing food at the Fest Haus. Also all the coasters are great some of my favorites by far are at these two places. Overall no other parks I have been to can touch them when it comes to overall quality parks with a all around great atmosphere

 

[GuyWithAStick]

Silver Dollar City/Dollywood: Both are almost identical, so the reasons apply to both. Everything about these parks are amazing. The food is amazing, the staff are trained very well, the theming is immersive and very detailed, and they have some great coasters. A must for all theme park enthusiasts and families alike.

WDW/Disneyland: While it may not be a thrill seeker's paradise, it's still Disney World/Land. Everyone pretty much knows how this one goes. Theming, staff, etc.

Hersheypark: I don't even know where to begin! The food here is pretty good, especially the desserts(You're in Hershey, Pennsylvania! Where else is good dessert?). The rides are really good for what they have. They perfectly balanced out the ratio of rides for kids, rides for families, and rides for thrill seekers. Really fantastic park.

IOA: Pretty much ditto to what ATTACKHAMMER said.

SFGAm: Ok, I might be a little biased here due to the fact that it's my home park, but for a Six Flags park, it's pretty good. They have an amazing coaster collection, the theming is pretty good, especially for Six Flags, and the Waterpark is pretty good too. It's not a solid 5 stars, but it's still pretty high up there. Probably 3.5 or 4 stars.

 

[bmac]

Knoebels: Even for being the ass backwards place that it is, there's no better of an investment for a day at any other park in the United States. Sure they don't have that many coasters and they're not an earmark destination park like Cedar Point or Walt Disney World, but they are the essence of what a small family amusement park should strive to be. The employees are some of the nicest people you could meet, as long as you're not breaking the rules (with their addition of air gates this year they shouldn't have any reason to yell at you anymore), the food is excellent for how cheap it is, and it is truly one of the most natural parks you will ever visit.