The 20 most popular amusement parks in North America
Warner Bros./National Lampoon's Vacation"
Despite the Griswold family’s troubled trips to Walley World, amusement parks continue to be a popular vacation choice.
In fact, theme-park attendance has risen steadily in the past few years.
More than 146 million people visited the top 20 amusement parks in North America last year, up 5.9% from the previous year, according to the annual-attendance report from Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM.
Disney continues to dominate the list, with its parks taking the top five spots. Magic Kingdom draws the most visitors by a large margin, consistently ranking as not only the most popular in North America but the rest of the world as well.
In total, seven of the top 10 amusement parks are located in Florida. While ticket prices tend to increase in the peak summer season, they are usually lower if purchased ahead of time and online.
For those wanting to take the ultimate summer vacation without breaking the budget and traveling too far from home, here are the top 20 theme parks in North America.
20. Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Busch Gardens WilliamsburgLocation: Williamsburg, Virginia
Attendance 2015: 2.78 million
Cost of Day Pass: Ages 10+ $77, Ages 3-9 $67
Busch Gardens Williamsburg is modeled after nine different European cities, each with its own unique attractions, style, and food. The Parisian streets of France, the hamlets of Scotland, and the Oktoberfest celebrations of Germany are among the top inspirations. The park is known for its roller coasters, themed holiday celebrations, and wild-animal attractions.
19. Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure/FacebookLocation: Jackson, New Jersey
Attendance 2015: 3.05 million
Cost of Day Pass: $72
Six Flags Great Adventure features 11 themed sections, including Fantasy Forest, Adventure Alley, and Frontier Adventures. The park is known for its many family-friendly rides and attractions, and its most popular annual event is Fright Fest during October, which offers walkthrough haunted attractions and free-roaming zombies.
18. Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic MountainLocation: Valencia, California
Attendance 2015: 3.1 million
Cost of Day Pass: $80
With 19 roller coasters, Six Flags Magic Mountain maintains the world record for most roller coasters in an amusement park. The park teamed up with Samsung Gear VR to enhance the experience of riders using virtual-reality headsets on its The New Revolution roller coaster in 2016.
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