Man making a 3 month trip to ride every coaster in the U.S.

I think the longest "pure theme park" (most of my trips mix in other things) is a 2 week Florida trip (1 day at BGT, 1 Day at SWO, 3 days at Universal, 8 days at WDW and 4 days for driving.) Those are much more laid back parks (especially with Universal Resort Express) and not 4 weeks of Six Flags/Cedar Fair parks. I dont think I would enjoy a trip like that either.

In terms of most driving and parks/days, we did KI, GL and CP in 3 days. Slept in our car in Walmart parking lots or highway rest stops. But, it's not like you can be too picky about such things when in college

A whole day for Clementon and a whole day for Morey's seems excessive if he is just going for the coasters especially when it looks like the rest of the NJ seaside parks like both parks in Ocean City are skipped over.

For me, the most parks in a driving trip would be:

Coney Island
Rye Playland
Lake Compounce
Riverside Park
Whalom Park
Quassy
Funtown USA
Great Escape

My craziest trip would be driving from Ohio to Denver over a weekend. Arrived at Elitch Gardens (old location) Saturday evening and riding the 2 wooden coasters before they were lost. Once park closed, I started to head back, stopping in Iowa at Adventureland. I made it back to hometown Monday afternoon in time to go to work. Never again!

I can't remember how many he covered. But a friend once did a tour of US in one summer riding coasters. So this guy is not the first to try it. I do admire him for trying it, even though he is leaving out quite a few coasters. Would be a lot of fun!

YoshiFan said:
A whole day for Clementon and a whole day for Morey's seems excessive if he is just going for the coasters especially when it looks like the rest of the NJ seaside parks like both parks in Ocean City are skipped over.

From Morey's he shoud just head up the parkway to OCNJ get the 3 or 4 credits, whatever it is, then head up the parkway to Seaside heights, get the credits there, then head West to GA.

Anyone else notice a shift in things with age? Used to make trips around coasters and visiting various parks. Now I generally plan trips around other things like beaches or relaxation but will make it a point to include a coaster if it's in the area. My partner likes coasters and will ride anything but doesn't love them and can't handle doing a bunch of them back to back. So that could also have something to do with it.

But honestly the idea of spending a week stomping around different parks just isn't as appealing to me as it used to be.

Raven-Phile said:
When I saw the title of this topic, I really expected to open it and see "Dave W. and his family...." :)

Nope, not us.

Our most ambitious trip was 14 parks in 10 days. Everything worked out very well and all but one of the drives were under 3 hours. We could have added even more parks to the list, but didn't want to burn out :)

Day 1 Kennywood/Waldameer
Day 2 Canada's Wonderland
Day 3 La Ronde
Day 4 Great Escape/SFNE
Day 5 SFNE
Day 6 Lake Compounce/Luna Park/Coney Island Cyclone
Day 7 SFGAdv
Day 8 Morey's Piers
Day 9 Morey's Piers/Dorney
Day 10 Knoebel's/Del Grossos.

We would have added Lakemont to the list, but that day was Monday and they were closed.

Would I do this trip again. Hell yea, but there are other places to see and coasters to ride. Texas will be our big trip this year.

I only really did the super-coaster trip thing during that one year, in 2001. It just seemed like more work than fun. In early 2009, before I knew I'd be a daddy, we did three parks in three days, and the third park was mostly by accident.

Given ride breakdowns, weather, drive times, etc., I think it would be impossible to ride every US coaster in one season. It would take a second season to "clean up" missing credits...

And thats just including the Intamins!

lol Tek, I was going to say, "and that's just including the Six Flags parks". :)

Counting ^those^^ and Python Pit-type situations and travelling fairground rides *and* the oddball rides/parks like Stricker's and shore credits and such....I want to re-state my previous claim. There's just NO way anyone could make it happen in one season.

I'm throwing down the gauntlet on this one... ;)

I think one could. What exactly defines "one season" in this challenge?

According to RCDB there are currently 641 coasters operating in the US. (obviously excludes traveling coasters)

I've done 100+ coasters in one season just in the process of normal trip-doing.

I think doing all 641 is entirely reachable assuming a 'season' spans from the normal April/May to October. Even more reachable if we allow visiting the year-round parks outside of that 'seasonal' window, but within the same calendar year.

I've had three semi-large (for me) park trips. In 2000, I drove from VA to FL to visit a friend I grew up with, and we went to Islands of Adventure and Busch Gardens Tampa on two consecutive days. A couple days later I stopped by Six Flags over Georgia for a few hours on the way back home. Later that same year I made a trip with the girl I was with at the time to Hershey, Cedar Point for two days, and Kings Island. She was exhausted and annoyed after day two at CP, and opted to spend the day relaxing while I visited KI solo.

Then in 2004, not too long after our honeymoon, my wife and I took a weekend trip to PA. On Saturday we hit Williams Grove, Lakemont, and DelGrosso's, and Sunday we hit Knoebels.

I think I could probably do a week long trip by myself, or at least partially by myself, if they were primarily to parks I hadn't been to and if I really took my time. Trying to cram in as much as possible is just too exhausting, and most people I know wouldn't want to spend that much time park hopping, regardless. In the last five years, since we've had kids, it's been one, maybe two parks a year, and that's plenty for us.

As hard as this feat seemingly would be, imagine how much harder it would've been to pull off ninety years ago, when there were literally thousands of coasters around the country at many hundreds of parks. And no interstates.

Over 80 of those 641 are kiddie coasters so its definitely possible if you exclude them

There were no internets then either Ensign. :) Without RCDB, I don't know how anyone could do it.

Lord Gonchar said:
I think doing all 641 is entirely reachable assuming a 'season' spans from the normal April/May to October. Even more reachable if we allow visiting the year-round parks outside of that 'seasonal' window, but within the same calendar year.

I think travel times between parks, and having to "re-visit" parks with ride breakdowns, and the summertime inclement weather, plus ALL those "really out of the way" places (Silverwood, Camden, Cliff's, etc.), and then factoring in all the mall coasters, and the places where "operating seasons" (like Stricker's and Puyallup) are short/disjuncted mean you'd have to get everything perfect in order for it to even be remotely possible - ride breakdowns sometimes last longer than "the day" of your visit. Adding in fairgrounds and having to get "special permission" to ride some of the kiddie coasters makes it undoable...IMO.

Took me almost five years just to get *a* lap on the Rye kiddie coaster. Like I said, I'm throwing down the gauntlet...anyone wanting to pick it up...fine by me! :)

My longest trips (don't recall the actual number of days)

2007..Cedar Point, Kings Island, Strickers Grove, Coney Island(OH,) Beech Bend, Kentucky Kingdom, Geauga Lake, SFGAm. There might have been one more on that trip that I'm not remembering.

2008..Dollywood, Busch Tampa, Wild Adventures, Hard Rock Park, SF Georgia, Kings Dominion.

Gotta scale it down this year..my wallet and body can't take those marathon trips anymore.

Got my vacation days approved last week for a late June trip that will include "only" three parks..all new-to-me: Canobie Lake, Great Escape, and Seabreeze. I'm also planning to visit the National Toy Hall Of Fame while I'm in Rochester.