About This Quiz
Amuse yourself with fun facts from amusement parks across the land. Do you know which ferris wheel is the tallest, which park has the most rides and how many pounds of laundry are done each day at Walt Disney World? This quiz is your ticket to a wild ride of thrilling amusement park trivia. Let’s go!Lake Compounce in Bristol, Conn. is the oldest continuously operating park in the U.S. This park has been around since 1846, and is home to Boulder Dash, which was voted the No. 1 wooden roller coaster in the world.
Klampenborg, Denmark is home to Bakken -- the oldest amusement park on Earth. It opened in 1583 and still operates today.
According to a 2005 survey from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, 46 percent of park patrons say that roller coasters are their favorite rides. In fact, rides are the No. 1 reason people go to amusement parks in the first place. And all this time, we thought it was for the corn dogs.
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Richard rode the Pepsi Max Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in England for 104 hours to earn the title of longest roller coaster marathon. Boy, those kids in line behind him must have been happy to finally get their turn.
Cedar Point wins with 74 rides! This park in Sandusky, Ohio, was built in 1870 and is the second oldest operating amusement park in the United States. The 74 rides include 16 roller coasters. Wheee!
Knoebels is known as “America’s Largest Free Admission Park.” This super-fun resort in Elysburg, Pa., offers free admission and free parking. Then, you pay for your rides a la carte. This is a bonus for parents who would prefer to watch their kids have fun on the rides and save their money for lunch. Knoebels is also known for having great food!
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Carousels came about in the 1600s, and were designed to help French noblemen practice for equestrian competition.
Carowinds sits on the line between North Carolina and South Carolina. When it opened in 1973, a family of white squirrels were released into the park for good luck. It must be a Southern thing.
At full capacity, the Tilt-A-Whirl can spin 500 people in an hour. Interestingly enough, it can also make 500 people puke in an hour.
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Mukluk Land in Alaska is located at milepost 1317 on Alaska Highway, and boasts large Alaska cabbages, skee ball, mini golf and unusual collections. But no mukluks.
Next time you are passing through Brainerd, stop by Paul Bunyan Land to see the World’s Largest Talking Animated Man. Paul is 26 feet tall and remembers everyone’s name. Creepy, but fun.
Sanrio Puroland in Tokyo, Japan, was created by novelty toy manufacturer Sanrio and features popular characters like Hello Kitty, My Melody, Cinnamoroll and Jewelpet. It also features thousands of squealing Japanese teen girls.
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Hold on to your hat, because this wild ride has 14 inversions. That would explain why the coaster’s name means “ain’t it great?” in Japanese.
Walt Disney World closed once in anticipation of a hurricane in 1999, and twice for the same reason in 2004. Apparently, mice are afraid of storms.
Inside Cinderella’s Castle is an apartment that was intended for Mr. Walt Disney, but wasn’t finished before he died. The park finally completed the luxury suite and randomly gives away one night’s stay to a family in the park each day.
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On average, the park does 285,000 pounds (129,274 kilograms) of laundry every day, and dry cleans nearly 30,000 outfits. That’s a lot of princess costumes.
According to the IIAPA, “adventure” is the most common word used in park names.
Cotton candy was introduced to the public at the 1900 Paris Exposition. It was first created in Europe in the 1400s, but the tasty treat wasn’t able to be commercially produced until 1897. Wow, that’s a long wait for the best confection in the world.
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There are six types of corn, but only one type can be used to make popcorn. Charles Cretors invented the first popcorn machine in Chicago and introduced it at the Columbian Exposition in 1893.
All three have held the record at some point, but currently, the Singapore Flyer is the world’s tallest ferris wheel. It stands 541 feet tall and opened to the public on March 1, 2008. It has 28 air-conditioned capsules that can hold 28 passengers. During the first three opening days, tickets sold out and cost just over $6,000 each. Some people will do anything for a thrill!