Summer is finally here and it’s time to be out! Every summer I have all these plans of doing all these things and then, nothing. However, lately, I’ve been thinking about taking that obligatory adult Disney trip. You know the one where you spend $1,000.98 on an admission ticket to Magic Kingdom just to take a picture in front the world famous Cinderella Castle wearing Mikey ears to post on social media for all the world to see. But then I had to ask myself, “Who got Walt money?” Not me, not right now. Because, debt.
However, I gotta be honest with myself, not doing anything at all isn’t an option. Not for me anyway. And that’s probably true for you too.
In this post, I will be sharing 5 Amusement Parks to check out if you are in the Mid-Atlantic area. As a point of reference, I will provide the driving distance to these parks from Washington DC.
Kings Dominion
Drive Time: 1 hr 25 mins
First up we have Kings Dominion. KD is an amusement park located in Doswell, VA, 75 miles south of DC. So you know what that means…DAY TRIP! Due to the close proximity to DC, you could easily drive down in the morning, enjoy the park for the day, and drive back to retire in your own bed that night!
The following are some details about KD:
- Kings Dominion is the only Virginia amusement park that offers two parks for the price of one. Soak City, a water park associated with Kings Dominion is free with your KD admission ticket.
- The Intimidator 360, located at KD, is one of the tallest and fastest coasters on the east coast
- Lockers are available to rent on a first come, first serve basis.
- KD has a total of 62 rides. Twelve of them are rollercoasters and 14 of them are rides at their water park, Soak City.
More information about King’s Dominion can be found here.
Bush Gardens Williamsburg Va
Drive Time: 2 hrs 27 mins
Busch Gardens Williamsburg is an amusement park themed around European countries located 155 miles south of Washington, DC. The park is separated by 10 different hamlets or villages all themed to European villages. The rides in the villages also follow the hamlet’s theme.
If your an animal lover, you’re going to love this park. Jack Hanna has a Wild Life Reserve at the park, giving you the opportunity to get up close with some very rare animals.
The following are a few details about BG:
- Busch Gardens has an annual Food and Wine Festival that allows guests the opportunity to explore food and beverages from around the globe! Guests can participate in the festival every weekend, now until June 30th.
- At 71 mph, Busch Gardens is the home of the second fastest dive coaster ever built, the Griffon.
- Busch Gardens has consistently been named the “Most Beautiful Park” since 1990.
- Busch Gardens has a total of 54 rides. Eight of them are rollercoaster and three water rides.
More information about BG Williamsburg can be found here.
Six Flags America
Drive Time: 30 mins
Keeping in line with geographically themed parks, Six Flags America is one of the 10 Six Flags parks themed after the geographic areas of the United States. SFA is located in Upper Marlboro, MD, 18 miles east of DC. With this park’s close proximity to the nation’s capital, spending a day here during your Washington DC trip is a must.
The following are a few details about SFA:
- Six Flags America’s, Hurricane Bay, is the largest wave pool in the region. The one-million-gallon wave pool is one of the largest in the country and the biggest in the DMV region.
- Six Flags American is the only theme park that has a ride that will grant you the opportunity to see the Washington Monument from the ride. While riding the Superman: Ride of Steel, on a clear day, catch a glimpse of the iconic Washington Monument from the ride.
- Six Flags America just recently debuted it’s first floorless coaster, Firebird.
- Six Flags America has a total of 67 rides. Ten of them are rollercoaster and fifteen of them are water park attractions at Hurricane Harbor.
More information about SFA can be found here.
Six Flags Great Adventure
Drive Time: 3 hrs
Here’s another Six Flags Amusement Park for your enjoyment. Six Flags Great Adventure is an Amusement Park and Wild Safari located in Jackson, NJ, 184 miles northeast of Washington DC. The 475-acre park is the second-largest amusement park in the world behind Disney’s Animal Kingdom. SF Great Adventure is the home of the most thrilling rides in the country to include Kingda Ka, Nitro, and their newest ride Wonder Woman
The following are a few details about Six Flags Great Adventure:
- Six Flags Great Adventure’s newest ride, Wonder Woman, stands 17 stories high, making it the world’s tallest pendulum ride.
- Coming in at over 450 ft, Six Flags Great Adventure is home to the tallest roller coaster in the world, Kingda Ka.
- Six Flags Great Adventure is one of the worlds first solar-powered amusement park. The park boast of 11 MW solar carports over three sprawling parking lots and 12.5 MW on 40 acres of ground-mounted solar panels.
More information about Six Flags Great Adventure can be found here.
Hershey Park
Drive Time: 2 hrs
Hershey Park is a private-owned amusement park located in Hershey, PA just 130 miles north of Washington DC. It’s not a coincidence that the part has the same name as the Hershey candy because the park is run by the Hershey Company.
The following are a few details about HP:
- When you purchase a ticket to Hershey Park, you are free to visit the park 2 1/2 hours before the park is scheduled to close the day before your scheduled visit. That same ticket also gives you access to ZooAmerica and a Hershey’s Chocolate Tour.
- Need a place to stay while you are visiting the park? Hershey has accommodations, Hershey Lodge, which is the official resort of Hershey Park.
More information about HP can be found here.
And there you have it! Now all you have to do is decide which one is going to be your next visit. Have you visited any of these parks? Which one is your favorite? Leave your comments below.
Thanks for reading. And as always, pray fervently and travel often!
