When you’re looking for thrills, this park is undoubtedly the best choice: it’s the one with the largest number of rollercoasters in the world.
If amusement parks are so popular, it’s not a coincidence, it’s because there is something for everyone. Today, all possible and imaginable themes have been explored by these large leisure complexes: there are of course the famous Disney franchise parks all over the world, a park which reproduces the atmosphere and culture of different European countries, parks which ride on the success of Universal studio films, a park on the theme of fairy tales and legends, parks with a historical focus, and even soon a park entirely designed around the universe of Dracula! Enough to satisfy both families and disparate groups of friends, where not everyone necessarily appreciates loops and other thrills.
On the other hand, when it is precisely this adrenaline that we are looking for, not all amusement parks are equal. Some offer more rides than others, attracting millions of visitors who come to test their limits on roller coasters, each taller, longer and faster than the last. One park in particular rises above the rest at this level. With no fewer than 18 rollercoasters currently in service, it holds the record. Which has earned it the nickname “roller coaster capital of the world”! For comparison, giants like Europa-Park and Walt Disney World Resort have 13 and 9 respectively. A madness of grandeur that we owe, unsurprisingly, to the United States: this is Cedar Point Park, located in Sandusky, Ohio, on the shores of Lake Erie.
But Cedar Point is not only the capital of roller coasters, it is above all the park of all superlatives. He was thus elected “Best amusement park in the world” for 16 years in a row, from 1997 to 2013. A historic record. Cedar Point is also a veritable open-air laboratory, which revolutionized the world of thrills. It is there that the most extreme attractions were born, paving the way for the speed or height records that we know today.
On several occasions in history, the park has broken world records: in 1989, Magnum XL-200 was the first coaster to exceed 61 meters in height. Then, in 2000, Millennium Force was the first to exceed 91 meters, thus creating the category of “giga coasters”. Three years later, Top Thrill Dragster was the first to exceed 128 meters, with an acceleration from 0 to 193 km/h in just 4 seconds, giving it the title of fastest in the world for years. Today, the Steel Vengeance still holds the record for the longest hybrid coaster (steel + wood), but also that for the greatest number of inversions for this type (4), and is regularly ranked the best coaster in the world.
Cedar Point is therefore not designed as a “family” park, but above all as a playground for true adrenaline lovers. Despite this, there are 67 attractions suitable for all ages, and the site even offers a search filter based on the “level of thrill” you want. Part of the resort is also dedicated to a water park. Price-wise, one might expect astronomical amounts given the reputation of the park, and yet: entry tickets start at just 52 dollars, or a little less than 45 euros. But of course, for us French, it is especially the trip to the United States that increases the cost.
