Thrill-Seekers Watch Out!
by Shelley Poulton



It's summer, and for thrill-seekers around the world that means only one thing: amusement parks. And with thousands of us paying big bucks every year to be entertained for a day inside one of these parks, the competition to keep things new and exciting is fierce. Here's a look at some of the latest rides, attractions and parks to vie for your summertime entertainment dollars.

The newest kid on the theme park "block" couldn't be more deserving of that designation. Legoland opened up this year in Southern California. It's the first Legoland park in the United States. Its attractions are designed for kids ages 2-12, and the park is based on the building blocks that they love. You'll be greeted at the park's entrance (it's aptly called, "The Beginning"), by a nine-foot-tall dinosaur built from red Lego bricks.

And it just gets better from there. You'll see creatures from far off Africa, replicas of world-famous sites, including the Eiffel Tower and the Sydney Opera House, all constructed from Lego bricks. There are lots of fun things to do and explore - kids can drive their own cars, go on rides that simulate everything from a helicopter trip to a voyage through an enchanted castle, scream on roller coasters, clamber over ropes and slides, see live entertainment, and much more.

Your kids will have fun picking out familiar U.S. landmarks in Miniland. There, the Lego folks have 1:20 scale created versions of great American places out of 20 million Lego bricks. There are versions of Washington D.C., New Orleans, New York, New England and California. And don't think that the Lego theme is just carried out in the attractions. Restaurants too showcase the toy, including Ristorante Brickolini's, where Chef Brickolini (made of bricks, of course), presides over the feast. Legoland is located in Carlsbad, California - aboutan hour south of Anaheim.

Which brings us to Anaheim, which is of course the home of another very famous theme park. Disneyland has added lots of new rides and attractions and clearly doesn't show its age. Especially timely is the "Star Tours" ride. Based on the Star Wars film saga, this attraction is a motion simulator ride that takes visitors on an intergalactic voyage and gives them an up-close and personal view of C3PO and R2D2. The biggest lineups are reserved for the cool "Rocket Rods," futuristic cars that look like dune buggies accelerating wildly on narrow tracks above Tomorrowland. Billed as the mode of transportation of the future, it's a fun way to see the park's sights with the wind in your hair and your stomach lurching up and down.

Another newer ride is the Indiana Jones Adventure. Visitors climb into four-wheel-drive style vehicles and lurch over rugged terrain, past both treasures and threats from the popular movie series.

Walt Disney World in Florida has also updated its attractions. While you'll still find Dumbo, Snow White and all your other traditional Disney characters, some of the more recent additions to the Disney family have their own attractions too. There's an animated performance by the characters of The Lion King. And Buzz Lightyear of "Toy Story" hosts his Space Ranger Spin - where visitors take to the helm of their own XP-38 Space Cruisers and fly through a toy-sized world. For people who'd rather drive a real car than a spaceship, Walt Disney World's Epcot Center has another new ride. At the General Motors Test Track, visitors become live crash-test dummies. They are buckled into a GM test vehicle and go along for the ride as the car accelerates, drives over rough and steep roads, brakes suddenly and hurtles through simulated extreme weather situations.

Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio is one of the U.S.'s largest and most well known parks. New at the park this year is Camp Snoopy, an area for a Peanuts playground for youngsters. There's the Red Baron, a simulated plane ride in the air, and the Woodstock Express, a roller coaster that's built for kids to enjoy with.

For those who think that those rides are, well, peanuts - Cedar Point has something that will be sure to impress. The park features some of the world's fastest, tallest and most thrilling roller coasters. There's the Magnum XL-200, the first coaster in the world to top 200 feet. Or, there's the Mantis - a coaster with all of the traditional twists and turns but with the bonus that riders are actually standing up throughout the ride!! Those who prefer to ride BENEATH the roller coaster track can check out the The Raptor, with its inverted cars. Roller Coaster connoisseurs who want to get a feel for exactly what they'll face at Cedar Point can check out the park's impressive website at http://www.cedarpoint.com. You'll get a rundown of all rollercoasters, their specifications, speeds, building costs and more.

Universal Studios Islands of Adventure theme park is new in Orlando this year. You'll sail to several island worlds, each with their own theme. On the Marvel Super Hero Island, visitors can ride along on "The Amazing Adventure of Spider Man." This attraction is a 3-D thrill ride through the world of evil villains out to zap your spidery sense. The ride takes its passengers through a miniature-sized New York City on an adventure with Spider Man, who jumps on your car and talks to you as you trek along.

Things are a little more tame over at Toon Lagoon, a world of animated favorites such as Beetle Bailey, Popeye and Hagar the Horrible. At Toon Lagoon, you'll find yourself on a comic-strip-lined street filled with restaurants, shows and actual characters.

Once you cross over into the Jurassic Park area of Islands of Adventure, you'll feel like you stepped right into the movie. The island replicates the movie's theme, taking visitors through a park filled with dinosaurs. On the Jurassic Park River Adventure, visitors come face to face with terrifying T-Rexes and other creatures, and are taken on a thrilling ride away from the menacing dinosaurs - a ride that includes lots of scares and an 85-foot plunge in the dark!

But wait, there's still more. Seuss Landing is also featured in this park. The land of the popular children's books features attractions like "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish," where kids guide their own fish through a tricky water maze and likely end up getting wet themselves! And don't miss the Cat in the Hat ride, which seemingly takes you through the world of a Seuss book. Hey, you can also get your hands on some green eggs and ham at the nearby Green Eggs and Ham food stand.