Amusement Park Trip Plans 2025

 The 2025 season for amusement parks is looking to be another exciting one for me as I plan on visiting 10 different amusement parks! Some of these amusement parks I have been to before, while a few of them are completely new for me, with two of them in states I have never been to before! With the merger of Cedar Fair and Six Flags in July 2024, it makes visiting all the parks under the new Six Flags banner that much easier (and cheaper!) with just one pass with the All Park Access add-on!

Neb's Funworld:

The first park of the year for me was Neb's Funworld, an indoor Family Entertainment Centre (FEC) located in Oshawa, Ontario on the evening of February 3rd, 2025. It was a great evening of fun, as my brother Scott, our friend Amadeo, and I took in a few rides on the Sparetime Express roller coaster, ChronoZ, and Skylight Skyscreamer (just to name a few), a round of mini golf, bowling, and some arcade games all away from the wintry weather! It was a great time and definitely a place I would highly recommend for anyone to visit when in the area!

The Sparetime Express at Neb's Funworld.

Kennywood:

If you followed along on my amusement park road trips last year, you probably saw I went to Kennywood in June! Well I plan on going again this year for their opening weekend in April, as I fell in love with the charm of the park, nestled in the hilly suburbs of Pittsburg! This time I am taking my brother Scott along for the ride. Kennywood is home to many historical rides and attractions, with the oldest dating back to 1901, that being the Old Mill! There is something I love about Pennsylvania parks and their older collection of rides that you cannot find anywhere else. I hope this time around I am able to experience the Turtle, a Traver Tumble Bug ride dating back to the 1920s as it was being refurbished during my first-ever visit to the park last June. Other awesome historical rides at to experience at Kennywood include the Kangaroo, Noah's Ark, and the Carousel!

Unfortunately it looks like I'll be missing out on Steel Curtain again as it won't be quite ready for opening day, but with other roller coasters like the Jack Rabbit, Thunderbolt, Racer, and Phantom's Revenge, who could complain? I greatly enjoyed them all and look forward to riding them again this April!

Kennywood as seen from the parking lot on June 13th, 2024.

Canada's Wonderland:

It is of no surprise that I'll be visiting my home park many times throughout the 2025 season, especially with the addition of AlpenFury, a Premier Rides launch coaster featuring nine inversions, starting with a launch out of the iconic Wonder Mountain! No opening date has been announced for AlpenFury as of yet, but my guess is it will be ready by mid to late May. Be sure to stay tuned for upcoming blog posts on my first ride on AlpenFury when it does open!

In addition to AlpenFury, another exciting thing to look forward to at Canada's Wonderland this year is the re-tracking of Mighty Canadian Minebuster by the Gravity Group! The iconic wooden roller coaster has rode a little rough over the past few years, so this refurbishment is greatly welcomed! In other news, Time Warp will be removed from the park's roller coaster line-up before opening day. I believe other exciting updates will occur around the park before opening day arrives!

AlpenFury construction site on January 4th, 2025, during the final evening of Winterfest for the season.

Cedar Point:

After many years of hearing about how amazing Cedar Point is, I am finally making my first-ever trip to the park this May during the week of the Canadian Victoria Day long weekend! Cedar Point opened in 1870 and is located on a peninsula on Lake Erie near Sandusky, Ohio. It is home to a wide collection of rides and roller coasters, including the all-new Siren's Curse set to debut this year!

While it looks like Siren's Curse won't be ready for my visit in May, I am looking forward to hopefully riding Top Thrill 2, a reimagined version of the original Top Thrill Dragster that premiered for a brief time last year, with the original roller coaster dating back to 2004. The new rendition of Top Thrill 2 looks to combine the thrills of a swing launch like that on Pantheon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and the nearly same height of the now former Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure. Top Thrill 2 definitely looks to be a roller coaster I don't want to miss as I enjoyed the other two roller coasters mentioned!

Other rides and roller coasters I am looking forward to experiencing at Cedar Point are the Cedar Downs Racing Derby Carousel, the Calypso, Monster (as I'm a sucker for these rides!), the classic Blue Streak, Gemini, Magnum XL-200, the insane Steel Vengeance, and of course the well-regarded Millennium Force, just to name a few!

I am hoping to experience as many rides and roller coasters as possible during my first visit to Cedar Point as I'll be spending two days at the park during the middle of the week, which shouldn't be too busy.

Kings Island:

While in Ohio, I will also visit Kings Island, a park which I have previously visited three times over the past 11 years! Kings Island holds a special place in my amusement park-filled heart as it was the first amusement park I visited in the US in July 2014. Since then, I have made visits to Kings Island in June 2016 and April 2023.

During my recent visit to Kings Island in April 2023, I really enjoyed the newer additions to the park such as Mystic Timbers and Orion. During this upcoming visit, I look forward to re-riding them again, as well as other classic roller coasters that I enjoyed on previous visits such as The Beast, Adventure Express, The Bat, The Racer, Invertigo, and more modern thrills such as Banshee and Diamondback! I am also looking forward to checking out the new Adventure Port section that was still under construction the last time I was there. I also look forward to hopefully experience the new-for-2024 Vekoma Family Boomerang, Snoopy's Soap Box Racers!

A view of The Beast form the Eiffel Tower at Kings Island on April 15th, 2023.

Dollywood:

In June I'll be heading down to Tennessee to visit Dollywood, Dolly Parton's amusement park located in Pigeon Forge. While the park dates back to 1961, Dolly Parton became half owner of the park in 1986, renaming the park Dollywood, a name which it has proudly held for 40 seasons as of 2025! I have heard a lot about this park over the years from the rides, theming, shows, food, and especially the world-famous cinnamon bread served at the park.

The rides and roller coasters I am most looking forward to when visiting Dollywood include Daredevil Falls, Drop Line, Dollywood Express Train, the Tennessee Tornado, Blazing Fury, Lightning Rod, Mystery Mine, Thunderhead, Wild Eagle, and their newest roller coaster, Big Bear Mountain.

This is also my first time ever in the state of Tennessee, so I am looking forward to driving through some beautiful wooded and mountainous landscapes of the south!

Six Flags Over Georgia:

Also on the June road trip, I'll be stopping by Six Flags Over Georgia, Six Flags' second amusement park. Six Flags Over Georgia opened its gates in 1967 and is currently home to 12 roller coasters and many other rides and attractions! Some of the roller coasters I am looking forward to riding for various reasons include the Riddler Mindbender, Goliath, Dahlonega Mine Train, Great American Scream Machine, Georgia Scorcher, Twisted Cyclone, and the new for 2025 Georgia Gold Rusher!

Other rides I am looking forward to experiencing are Monster Mansion dark ride, Six Flags Railroad, Riverview Carousel, and Acrophobia, as well as some other rides seen at other Six Flags parks. I am really looking forward to visiting Six Flags Over Georgia and the state of Georgia for the first time!

Six Flags Darien Lake:

In July I plan on making my annual trip to Six Flags Darien Lake. While there is nothing new at the park for 2025, the Mind Eraser had received a refurbishment during the off-season which involved a fresh coat of paint and most importantly, two new trains! The new trains, manufactured by Vekoma will feature vest restraints like those I experienced on the Riddler Revenge at Six Flags New England! They make Vekoma SLCs very enjoyable, so I am looking forward to this upgrade! Two train operation will also help keep the lines moving as Six Flags Darien Lake has operated with only one train on all their roller coasters for many years. 

Maybe we will continue to see investments of new trains for the park's other roller coasters in the near future as they are desperately needed!

Signage stating the refurbishment for the Mind Eraser at Six Flags Darien Lake as seen on May 25th 2024.

Michigan's Adventure:

Another new to me park for this year is Michigan's Adventure! Located in Muskegon, Michigan, Michigan's Adventure is home to seven roller coasters, three of which are wooden, including the over 5,000 foot long thrilling out-and-back Shivering Timbers, the double out-and-back Wolverine Wildcat, and the family friendly Zach's Zoomer. Other roller coasters at the park include the classic Arrow built Corkscrew, a rare Arrow Wild Mouse known as Mad Mouse, a Vekoma SLC known as Thunderhawk, and the Woodstock Express family coaster. Out of the roller coasters, I am most looking forward to riding Shivering Timbers, Mad Mouse, Corkscrew, and Thunderhawk.

Michigan's Adventure is also home to some rare and classic rides such as the Trabant, Flying Trapeze, Logger's Run log flume, Timbertown Railway miniature train, Tilt-A-Whirl, mini-golf, and swan paddle boats too! From photos I have seen online, Michigan's Adventure also has a lake situated in the middle of the park, allowing for some picturesque views! 

I am looking forward to making a visit to Michigan's Adventure this August!

Six Flags Great America:

After a visit to Michigan's Adventure, I plan to head over to Six Flags Great America, a park I first visited and greatly enjoyed in July 2023. One of the reasons for wanting to go back to Six Flags Great America is to ride the classic Demon and Whizzer roller coasters as both were closed during my visit to the park. The other reason is to ride the new-for-2025 Wrath of Rakshasa, a B&M Dive Coaster featuring five inversions within its 3,239 feet of track! While not extremely tall at 180 feet, the combination of inversions and layout of the track look to be a winning combination and a great addition to the park's line-up of roller coasters!

So here's hoping I get to experience the classic Demon and Whizzer coasters, re-ride many of the fun rides and attractions, and ride the new Wrath of Rakshasa during my second-ever visit to Six Flags Great America!

The iconic Sky Trek Tower at Six Flags Great America on July 9th, 2023.

Well, that wraps up my amusement park trip plans for this year! I am really looking forward to visiting all of these great parks, especially the ones that are new to me! Be sure to follow along here on my blog, Amusement Views, as well as on social media via Instagram, X, and Bluesky!

As always, if you see me at one of the amusement parks mentioned above, please feel free to say 'hi' as I enjoy meeting fellow enthusiasts! Here's to a thrilling 2025! 🙂🎢

Neb's Funworld - February 3rd, 2025

 On Monday, February 3rd, Scott, our friend Amadeo, and I had an evening of fun at Neb's Funworld in Oshawa!

It was Scott and I's first time visiting Neb's Funworld. It is a really cool entertainment centre with rides (including the Sparetime Express roller coaster), mini golf, arcades, and bowling, all under one roof!

Be sure to check out my photos of our evening of fun at Neb's Funworld! 🙂

It was a cold and snowy evening when we visited Neb's Funworld. It was nice to escape that weather by having some fun on the rides and at the bowling alley.

Here's looking towards the midway at Neb's Funworld.

Here is a look at the Sparetime Express Neb's Funworld's roller coaster.

Sparetime Express is a roller coaster manufactured by E&F Miler. It is located up on a mezzanine, making it feel taller than it actually is!

All rides and most attractions at Neb's Funworld are accessible through the card system that they have, so you use "credits" to enjoy each attraction at Neb's. You get three laps per ride on the Sparetime Express.

Here is Scott, Amadeo, and myself after riding the Sparetime Express!

After the Sparetime Express, we rode the Skylight Screamer, a Moser's Rides drop tower ride that stands 30 feet tall. For its height, it is really fun as it drops you up and down many times!

Here's Amadeo enjoying some pint-sized fun! 🤣😜

Up next was a ride on ChronoZ, a Zamperla ChronoZ ride, which was added to Neb's FunWorld in 2024. This ride is a smaller version of the Zamperla Nebulaz ride added to a handful of amusement parks over the past several years. It is a perfect ride for all ages at it goes up and down while rotating 306 degrees, moving backwards and forwards!

Here's another view of the midway with some of the theming.

We then took at spin on the Speedway, another ride manufactured by Zamperla. Speedway is a version of the modern day whip, really causing you to slide in your seat when you go around every turn!

After the Speedway, we did one of the mini golf courses.

It had a medieval theme. Here is Scott taking his turn.

Surprisingly, the par was 2 for each round. Some of them ere a little tricky!

There was a cool archway partway through the course.

After a round of mini golf, we played some games in the arcade.

Scott takes arcade games seriously. 😉

The arcade at Neb's Funworld even has classic games such a Skeeball!

After some fun in the arcade, we had a meal in the lounge. I had the burger meal deal which included a burger, fries, and a drink (and an added side of gravy for $1.50) all for $15.50. That was a great deal in my opinion!

There was nice steam punk/industrial theming in the lounge.

After our meal, we took another spin on the Sparetime Express and a ride on the Bumper Cars before bowling for the final hour of our visit.

An hour of 10-pin Bowling with shoe rental was only $42.00 for three people! That's a great deal compared to what other facilities charge!

Here's Amadeo bowling. We all had fun, cheering each other on, even when we did some gutter balls! 🤣

After a great evening of rides, arcade games, and bowling, it was time to head home!

If you're looking for a day or evening of fun not too far away, I would definitely recommend visiting Neb's Funworld in Oshawa, as it has something for everyone at a decent price! 🙂

Winterfest at Canada's Wonderland - January 4th, 2025

 What a way to end the season at Canada's Wonderland!

On January 4th, 2025, I made my 11th and final visit of the season to Canada's Wonderland during the final night of Winterfest.  It was quite cold with the wind chill, but quite beautiful with the light dusting of snow that had fallen on the park, making the lights shine very bright!

During my six hours at the park, I took in some rides, enjoyed two very good meals, saw some shows, and ran into a couple of people I know! Be sure to check out my photos of my first visit of the year and last visit of the season at Canada's Wonderland! I look forward to returning in the Spring!🙂

I pulled into the rather empty parking lot around 2:20pm for the final night of Winterfest at Canada's Wonderland. It was very windy and quite cold!

There wasn't very much snow at the park like there was at home. But the little skiff of snow there was made the lights throughout the park shine very bright.

Just after 2:30pm, they opened the security check point, allowing guests to line up at the front gate for the final night of Winterfest. I bundled up as warmly as I could!

Once the gates opened for the day, the Winterfest characters were there to greet guests one final time for the season.

Since my previous visit to the park on November 17th, the recently installed digital boards around the park have been turned on. They advertised Winterfest and displayed the time during my visit.

To start my day, I walked through the North Pole (Grande World Exposition of 1890) to take my first ride of the day on Sledge Hammer.

Here is one of the digital display boards near Flight Deck.

On my way to Sledge Hammer, I captured this photo of the snowmen near Antique Carousel.

These toy trucks were parked in front of Time Warp.

As it was quite 3pm yet, the rides were still testing. Here is Swing of the Century testing for the day.

Shortly afterwards, I boarded Sledge Hammer. It was a very chilling ride!

After a ride on Sledge Hammer, I redeemed my first meal of the dining plan of the day at Grande World Eatery. The Turkey ball was absolutely delicious as it was a turkey dinner in a deep fried battered ball served with a base of mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce! I highly recommend it!

While eating at Grande World Eatery, I ran into a regular customer from my workplace. For over an hour, we chatted about many different things. It allowed me to warm up. Afterwards, I headed to Swing of the Century. The sun began to set on my way over.

Here is Psylcone in full swing! I didn't ride it this time around as it was very cold!

I opted for a ride on the Antique Carousel.

The lights make the rides very photogenic.

Antique Carousel is very beautiful during Winterfest.

The Lazy Bear Lodge was still looking very festive!

Construction for Alpenfury is still progressing.

Not too much has changed since my previous visit to the park when looking over the construction fence at International Showplace.

International Street is illuminated with thousands of lights during Winterfest.

I decided to take in the Tree Lighting Ceremony one final time for the season. While watching it, I ran into Tyler of Wonderland Weekly fame. Him and I both agreed that the 2019 Tree Lighting Ceremony show was the best as this year's show was rather weak. Maybe we'll see an improvement next year.

The moon made an appearance in the sky after the sun had set.

While the Tree Lighting Ceremony Show isn't as great as it once was, the lighted trees are still very beautiful.

Wonder Mountain is also very beautiful with it twinkling lights.

I became quite cold while watching the Tree Lighting Ceremony, so I headed over to the Christmas Market building to warm up my hands and feet. On my way over, I captured this photo of the dazzling light tunnel.

After warming up my hands and feet, I ventured through Medieval Faire.

Both Viking's Rage and Wilde Knight Mares were operating in the frigid temperatures!

The path that takes you past The Fly in International Festival was closed for the construction of Alpenfury.

Thunder Run was sadly closed on the final night of Winterfest.

When I peeked over the construction fence behind Wonder Mountain, I saw these small domed structures. They must be used to cover footings or electrical work.

The animatronic moose and reindeer were still active on the final night of Winterfest.

The lights in Planet Snoopy were very beautiful as they reflected off the ice on the pond.

Shockwave was resting for the off-season.

The Bat is also taking a winter nap.

For the construction of Alpenfury, Shockwave's queue was cut in half.

In the Spring, Alpenfury will be in place. It will sure change this area of the park!

Around 7:30pm, I redeemed my second meal of the day at Lazy Bear Lodge. Pictured is the Turkey Dinner with stuffing and mashed potatoes.

After eating, I checked out the second last showing of the Polar Party dance show.

This area of the park is very beautiful.

Christmas lights and carousels belong together.

The giant Christmas tree in Grande World Exposition of 1890 for the Cool Yule show was stunning.

Later in the evening, I took a spin on Boo Blasters. To my surprise, the building was quite warm, which was a relief!

I then took a spin on Flying Eagles.

I then caught the last show for The Mistletones of the season.

My hands became cold again, so I warmed them up at one of the firepits near Lazy Bear Lodge.

I then captured the final showing of Polar Party dance show. It was very well done!

With the strike of 9pm, I took my final ride of the season on Antique Carousel. It was a great way to end the night!

As I was heading out, the Winterfest characters were saying their goodbyes to guests until next year!

Here's one final look at the front gate until Springtime!

On my way out of the parking lot, I captured some photos of Alpenfury's track, staged to be installed very soon!

The light icy-blue colour is a perfect choice for this roller coaster!

I look forward to riding Alpenfury in the Spring! 🙂