Interesting Facts about Amusement Parks

During summer vacations and holidays, many people – children, teenagers, and adults alike – find enjoyment and entertainment in amusement parks.  The simple, unadulterated fun you are sure to get from visiting these parks can make you forget about the stress of life once in a while. Before you hop on to your next ride, here are some interesting facts about amusement facts to further amuse you.

Bakken Is The Oldest Operating America Park

The world’s oldest operating amusement park is Bakken in Copenhagen, Denmark. The site has been an attraction since 1583 when a natural spring was discovered there and started to draw crowds, which then attracted entertainers and hawkers. It may have started as a place to get cleaner spring water, but it continued to expand, gaining animals and cabarets in 1866. Amusement rides and other modern attractions began to arrive in the 20th century. Nowadays, Bakken is the second most popular attraction in Denmark, after the more widely known Tivoli Gardens amusement park.

Tomorrowland Was Designed To Look in Distant Future

When Disneyland opened in 1955, “Tomorrowland” was designed to look like a year in the distant future: 1986. It drew inspiration from NASA’s past and future, with initial attractions including Astro-Jets, Rocket to the Moon and Autopia.

During the inauguration, Walt Disney dedicated Tomorrowland with these words: “Tomorrow can be a wonderful age. Our scientists today are opening the doors of the Space Age to achievements that will benefit our children and generations to come. . .The Tomorrowland attractions have been designed to give you an opportunity to participate in adventures that are a living blueprint of our future.”

Stray Cats Are Allowed in Disneyland To Keep The Mice Away

Another thing that happened during Disneyland’s opening: hundreds of stray cats showed up. Up to this day, employees allow them to fill up the park while it’s closed at night because they keep the mice away. You may have thought that Disney would be friendly to mice, but apparently, they’re not.

Street Car Companies Created Trolley Parks

The earliest amusement parks in the US were called “trolley parks.” During the 19th century, many people used trolleys or street cars to travel from place to place. The trolley parks were created by street car companies to give people a reason to use their services on weekends, so they placed picnic groves and pavilions, and held events on them. Eventually, many trolley park owners added features like swimming pools, carousels, roller coasters, Ferris wheels, restaurants, and resort facilities. By 1919, the United States is home to around 1,500 to 2,000 amusement parks.

Ferris Wheels Originated in the 17th Century

The Ferris wheel is most often the centerpiece in amusement parks. The original Ferris wheel was designed and created by George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. in 1893 for the World’s Columbian Expositions in Chicago.

The ancestor of the Ferris wheel may have originated in 17th century Bulgaria. These were called pleasure wheels in which passengers rode in chairs suspended from large wooden rings that are turned by strong men.

Action Park Claimed The Lives of Six People

The Action Park in New Jersey, which was closed in 1996, has become infamous for being disastrous. The park earned an unfortunate reputation for its unsafe rides that claimed the lives of six people.

One of its attractions was a looping water slide. Yes, a loop like that of a roller coaster. Obviously, it was extremely dangerous. A former employee from Action Park claimed that he was offered $100 cash to test the loop slide. He said the money was not enough to buy enough booze to drown that memory.

Kingda Ka Has The World Tallest Roller Coaster

The world’s tallest roller coaster is the Kingda Ka, which can be found at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. The coaster reaches 456 feet and can speed up to 128 miles per hour. It also holds two more world records, being the second fastest roller coaster, and the second strata coaster ever built.

The World Record For Most Naked Riders Was Set In 2010

A Guinness World Record for the “most naked riders on a roller coaster” has been set in 2010 by 102 nudists. They all rode the Green Scream roller coaster at Adventure Island in Essex, England. They raised more than £10,000 for a foundation by the Southend Hospital.

Sex Theme Park Teaches About Sexual Health and Relationships

London’s Amora is referred to as a “sex theme park,” but it’s more of a museum – an exhibition like no other museums you toured in grade school. Amora is a sex-themed attraction self-described as the “Academy of Sex & Relationships” that teaches visitors about sexual health and relationships. It gives an interactive element where patrons are allowed to touch screens and interactive sculptures. Visitors can also talk with a sex therapist, enhance their flirtation skills or learn how to play erotic food games. Amora ran for 15 months since April 2007.

It Took $110 Million To Build Jurassic Park Ride

One of the most popular directors and producers in film history, Steven Spielberg, helped create the Jurassic Park Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood. He started designing the ride a couple of years even before he began directing the movie. The Jurassic Park Ride cost $110 million to build, which was almost double the film’s budget.

The World Largest Water Park Has a 12.5 Million Liter Capacity 

World Waterpark is located in Edmonton, Alberta. In 1986, it was opened to the public and is considered the second large indoor water park after DreamWorks Water Park in America which was opened in October 2020.

World Waterpark has the capacity to hold around 5,000 visitors with an average air temperature of 88 °F (31 °C). It contains the largest indoor wave pool of the world in 12.5 million liter capacity. 

A Park in China Lets You  Experience Cremation 

Do you wish to experience something exciting at an amusement park but don’t want to take a roller coaster ride? The Window of the World Park will definitely excite you. Situated in Shenzhen, China, this amusement park lets you experience the process of cremation (excluding the heat, of course). This 4D death Experience is called Samadhi and it is designed to give the experience of death, cremation, and rebirth. 

The Highest-speed Roller Coaster Reaches Almost 150 Miles Per Hour

The highest speed of the coaster present at the Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, UAE reaches upto 149 mph, which is 240 kilometers/hour in less than 5 seconds. Passengers are required to wear goggles for eye protection because the ride is so fast that flying insects or sand particles can enter your eyes. 

Silver Dollar City Sits On A Cave

Popular for its thrilling rides, Silver Dollar City is situated in Branson, Missouri. However, not everyone knows that this world famous theme park sits above a cave – Marvel Cave.

While visiting Silver Dollar City, visitors can also learn about the historical significance of Marvel Cave and how it gave birth to the park that we love today.

Doritos Were Invented At An Amusement Park

Doritos, the famous triangle corn snack, has turned into a sensation throughout the world with several flavors available in numerous countries. But, do you know the snack was created inside a theme park initially? 

Doritos were invented as a result of preventing waste of food by a restaurant at Disneyland. Originally, Doritos were plain, but they became different and more unique over the years due to added flavors. Now, they are known as one of the best crisp-esque munching snacks of recent times.