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Life’s usual hustle and bustle makes having quality and fun family moments difficult. If you would like to spend a day or several having fun with your family, a theme park would be a great place to do it. Theme parks are more than just having fun; they make a perfect place to create memories and temporarily forget about work and day-to-day activities.
From Europa Park to Dollywood, you can choose from these options, depending on where you live or where you want to travel. Each park offers a unique blend of entertainment, thrills, and family-friendly experiences you can’t find anywhere else.
Europa-Park, Rust, Germany
With a coverage of 230 acres, Europa Park is the largest theme park in Germany and one of the most popular in Europe. While the park has numerous attractions, the star of the show is the 16 themed areas based on different European countries.
Swing by the theme areas of Greek, English, French, Irish, German, Icelandic, Italian, Croatian, Austrian, Luxembourg, Spanish, Swiss, Portuguese and Liechtenstein. It is a great way to peek into the charm of these countries without actually flying into them.
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Themed areas aside, the park has over 100 rides, including merry-go-rounds, roller coasters, and boat rides. Other family attractions include the Atlantis Adventure, Arthur, Arena of Football, Carnival Barn, Crazy Taxi, Danube Steamer, Cassandra’s Curse, and Elf Ride.
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PortAventura World, Salou, Spain
PortAventura, the first theme park in Spain, is home to three parks and six hotels, offering a unique and unforgettable experience to visitors of all ages. Start by visiting PortAventura Park and taking rides through Uncharted, Templo del Fuego, Estacio del Nord, Furius Baco, Tutuki Splash, or Port De La Drassana.
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For a tropical adventure, stop by PortAventura Caribe Aquatic Park, an island with more than 50000m² and exciting attractions and slides. If you are into speed and ready for some adrenaline rush, visit the Ferrari Land theme park.
End your holiday in style by visiting this park’s six theme areas, including the Mediterranean, Mexico, Polynesia, Far West, China, and Sesamo Aventura, each with unique shows, attractions, shops, and restaurants.
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Efteling Park, Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands
Founded in 1952 and covering 180 acres, Efteling Park is the largest Park in the Netherlands and one of the oldest theme parks in the world. Whether looking for enchanting attractions or exciting roller coasters, Efteling has everything for you and your family. Start by taking an exciting ride on Baron 1989 or strolling through the Fairytale Forest and discovering some of the park’s coolest attractions.
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You can watch popular shows such as The Fairytale Collector, Jokie en Jet, the Sprookjesboom show, Efteling Inhabitants, Aquanura, Raveleijn, and Anton Pieckplein puppet theater. The park also features 16 eateries, offering everything from medieval dinners to fast food.
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Thorpe Park, Thorpe, England
Formerly known as Thorpe Park Resort, Thorpe Park is a haven for adventure seekers who like thrilling rides, live events, and themed hotels. As a thrill seeker, soar to new heights with Stealth, the fastest roller coaster in the U.K., launching to a jaw-dropping 205 feet at 80mph within 2.5 seconds!
If you are not into this kind of adrenaline rush, there are still many other rides you and your kids can enjoy, such as the Flying Fish or Derren Brown’s Ghost Train.
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Away from rides, visit this park’s themed areas, such as Port & Basecamp, Amity Cove, Angry Birds Land, The Dock Yard, Old Town, The Jungle, Lost City, and Swarm Island, which offer great attractions and experiences. The Rumba Rapids is the best summer spot in the park, where visitors can enjoy whitewater rafting with cooling splashes.
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Tokyo Disney Resort, Japan
Ranked as the best Disney Park in Asia, Tokyo Disney Resort contains two world-class theme parks, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Opening doors in 1983, Tokyo Disneyland was the first Disney theme park outside the United States.
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While in this park, enjoy unique and classic Disney rides such as Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast and Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go. Also, visit Cinderella’s Fairytale Hall and enjoy scenic views of the castle’s stunning paintings, artworks, and dioramas. To keep your kids engaged, visit the Stitch Monitoring Station and let them enjoy animated shows.
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Dream World, Bangkok, Thailand
If you are in Thailand and looking for a fun-filled theme park, Dream World is the best option. The park has over 40 rides you and your kids can enjoy, but the most sought-after include the Sky Coaster, Grand Canyon, and Speed Mouse Coaster. If you are a daring explorer, the most adrenaline-pumping rides in the park are the Super Splash, Space Mountain, and the Hanging Coaster.
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The park also features ample children’s playgrounds, with themed areas like the African Adventure Zone and Jurassic Adventure. Other unique themed areas you and your children would love include the Fantasy World, Family World, X-Zone, and Small World.
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Resorts World, Singapore
Situated on the Island of Sentosa, Resorts World is the best theme park to take your family to Singapore, thanks to the experience it offers to its visitors. Start at Universal Studios Singapore, where your fantasy will be transformed into reality. Here, you will encounter different characters from your favorite movies and enjoy spectacular views of movie-themed attractions and adrenaline-pumping rides.
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For nature lovers, visit the S.E.A Aquarium, home to over 100,000 aquatic animals, and observe marine life up close. If you want a coastal escape, visit The Adventure Cove Waterpark and snorkel at the Rainbow Reef while your kids have fun splashing water at Seahorse Hideaway.
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Knotts Berry Farm, California
Knotts Berry Farm is one of the oldest theme parks in California as it started as a roadside berry stand and Chicken Dinner Restaurant in 1920.104 years later, a lot has changed as it is one of the most visited theme parks in North America, attracting more than 5 million tourists annually.
The beauty of this park is that it combines traditional family favorite shows and attractions with world-class thrill rides.
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If you are a history buff, stop by Old West Ghost Town and enjoy striking displays of stagecoaches, cowboys, can-can dancers, and gunfights that date back to the 1880s.
The theme park has a particular area for kids known as Knott’s Camp Snoopy. With more than 15 kid-friendly attractions, your child will not miss something exciting to indulge in. As a thrill-seeker, visit the Boardwalk and ride on the HangTime or Xcelerater, which will take you to daredevil heights within seconds.
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Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, USA
With over 25,000 acres of coverage, this is the world’s largest and most popular Disney World. The park features four main parks: Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Disney Animal Kingdom, and Disney Hollywood Studios, all offering unique experiences.
There are also two waterparks, Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, over twenty hotels, and five golf courses. It is an entertainment park that caters to all ages and tastes.
While the entire park is full of noteworthy highlights, some of the most loved include taking the Avatar Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom, experiencing the Star Wars ride at Hollywood Studios, riding on the Guardian of the Galaxy at Epcot, Tron Lightcycle Race at Magic Kingdom and testing their adrenaline levels at Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios.
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Make sure that you download the My Disney Experience App; it will help you navigate easily and save time.
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Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, USA
If you or your kids are into roller coaster rides, this would be the ideal park for your family to visit. Cedar Point has some unique rides, including some of the highest and tallest in the world. No wonder it has been nicknamed the ‘roller coaster capital of the word’.
Some of the unmissable rides in the park include Millenium Force, Blue Streak, Top Thrill 2, Magnum XL-200, Maverick, Gemini, and GateKeeper.
The park also hosts live shows, where talented artists perform nearly any musical genre. It has several shops where you can purchase apparel, toys, candy, or souvenirs.
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Don’t wind up your trip without riding on the replica of a 1910 Cardiac car and on the Giant Wheel, a Ferris wheel that offers sweeping views of Lake Erie’s shoreline and the entire park from above.
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Hersheypark, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
This park used to be a leisure ground for Hershey’s Chocolate Factory employees. Today, it is a family-themed park with a larger-than-life waterpark and 15 roller coasters, making it a perfect destination for families who want to have fun.
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Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro, there is a coaster that suits your thrill needs. Consider Comet, Hershey Triple Tower, Kissing Tower, Front Flyers, or Reese’s Cupfusion for fun-filled family rides. After a day of fun, stop by the many shops in the park and get yourself and your loved one’s souvenirs.
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Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, USA
Jointly owned by Dolly Parton and Herschend Family Entertainment, Dollywood covers 160 acres and is known to offer world-class rides, a friendly park atmosphere, award-winning dining services, and high-energy entertainment.
Start your summer retreat by visiting Dollywood’s Splash Country, racing with your loved ones on TailSpin Racer, and enjoying getting turned and twisted on Raging River Rapids.
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If you don’t fear heights, try riding on the Barnstormer, Bear Mountain, or Dragonflier. Since it is difficult to enjoy all these activities within a day, Dollywood has stylish and spacious lodgings that suit your needs.
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Georgia Konidari
Georgia Konidari is a nationally syndicated writer and the creator of World Wild Schooling, a digital platform dedicated to travel. She is on a mission to explore the globe and share her experiences with fellow travelers. She has been featured on MSN, the Associated Press Wire and more. You can follow Georgia on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.
