What parks or coasters are on your bucket list?

For me I hope to go to Canada's Wonderland one day. Since I get a CF platinum pass every year, it's probably only a matter of time before I do get there. I'd also like to go to Europa Park which is the park that dethroned Cedar Point, Carowinds, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and Six Flags Great America, and Six Flags Texas.

Chapultepec, Liseberg, Tivoli, Europa.

After that, I'd be OK with dropping out....or off.

There was a time when I had such a list, but after covering some portion of the US in my late 20's, I kind of lost interest. I know there are many beautiful parks with great rides all over the world, but truth be told, I'm not convinced that the experiences would be different enough to bother. I'm not saying I wouldn't go to a park in an exotic location if I happened to be there, but I wouldn't be there expressly for the purpose of visiting the park. I guess priorities change.

^Of course priorities change. You *have* a kid, and I *am* a kid.... ;~P

I'm dying to go to Michigan's Adventure to ride their new dive coaster this year.

^^I hear they're making a nod to their core demographic* and naming it Tighty Whitey Twister The Ride.

*I'm not going to name names but the initials are T-R :)

I am a coaster enthusiast, but more so a park enthusiast. When I think of amusement parks I *need* to get to I think more about the park itself, rather than a particular ride.

I have one Cedar Fair park left to visit and that would be California's Great America. While I hear its not the best in the chain I would still like to go.
There are some smaller, historic, older parks out there that I've never visited. Like Lagoon, Compounce, Canobie, places like that. While super theme parks are always fun, I think the parks that got us here deserve a look. Sadly, a lot of the ones I was used to visiting are closed, so it's time to look for others.

I'm with Mr. Gator on his list of parks abroad but, unlike him, I still have the U.K. parks (particularly Blackpool and Alton Towers) as must-dos before I die. In '14 I had intended to make a 3 week or so swing through Europe to coincide with Munich Oktoberfest but other things got in my way. I still have it on my bucket list. I've never seen Europe and I'd love to include as many of those parks as I can as part of my visit.

New rides make revisiting parks necessary for some of us. I'll be back in Charlotte the minute that ride opens. That would be a short-term bucket list goal I'd say.

Cedar Point, Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Sea, Six Flags Over Georgia (for Mindbender mostly).

I have gotten to some of the other parks that were on my list in the past 4 years such as Lake Compounce, Kennywood, Islands of Adventure and Busch Gardens Tampa.

SFMM, King's island, Lagoon and Alton Towers. But I think only one of those could be scratched off my bucket list. #myparentsdon'treallylikerollercoasters.

RCMAC - Alton and esp. Blackpool were on "the list." Still would like to get back to Blackpool.

I've heard nothing but exceptional reviews on TokyoDisneySea at well.

RCMAC: Oh, yes, go to Canobie. It was one of the host parks of ACE's 2013 convention and stole my heart. It's a beautiful, fun park with a great wood coaster -- and a statue of Michael Jackson, even.

Rollergator: Tokyo Disneyland is a great park and my ASD brain was tickled to get to identify the differences between TDL and Magic Kingdom in Florida (I've never been to Disneyland).

But DisneySea -- wow. That park is amazing to see and amazing to experience. The thematic detail, the way they made a small park feel not small... wonderful. Just wonderful.

My bucket list would be more park-oriented and based on geography: California, Japan, England top the list.

Jeff said:

There was a time when I had such a list, but after covering some portion of the US in my late 20's, I kind of lost interest. I know there are many beautiful parks with great rides all over the world, but truth be told, I'm not convinced that the experiences would be different enough to bother. I'm not saying I wouldn't go to a park in an exotic location if I happened to be there, but I wouldn't be there expressly for the purpose of visiting the park. I guess priorities change.

I find that a little odd coming from someone who runs an amusement park fan website dedicated to coasters and parks all over the world. I would've thought you would be trying to hit up as many as possible, but I can see how work and family might prohibit that.

What I take away is that Jeff enjoys what he enjoys, other things not so much. Going somewhere just to go to parks is not something he enjoys so much these days.

How I enjoy my coaster hobby has changed over the years. Many of my trips are based on coaster enthusiast events, and I'm sure that's due in part to having a lot of scheduled activities plays well with my ASD -- I do so love structure in all things.

But how I work with that schedule has changed. Years ago, I followed the schedule faithfully. If it was on the schedule, I was there. These days, I can deviate from the event schedule and ... well ... schedule other things, like exploring a local museum, or eat at a place I saw on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

I'm a fairly new enthusiast. I only started going to Cedar Point regularly 2 years ago, before that I only went once every few years and that was it for amusement parks for me. I'm hoping to at least make it to Kings Island this year, which is looking very likely. I don't really travel much since I'm short on funds and self-employed, mostly because I'm ASD just like you and I don't work well with other people.

I used to have a park bucket list, but I just want to go every-damn-where, so now I base my "wish list" on geographic location or "firsts" or different categories like that. For instance, I'd really like to knock out all the PA parks this year, I'd like to ride Twisted Cyclone because it would be my first RMC, and maybe hit Busch Gardens Williamsburg for my first coaster with drop track (not to mention only my second B&M hyper). I can rarely get away from my craptacular job, and funds are severely limited--non-existent might be a better word for it--so travel to some of my dream parks and parks that require an overnight stay usually aren't doable anymore.

Magic Mountain, Knott's Berry Farm, and Disneyland have always been on my bucket list. I have the trip pretty much planned out except for how I am going to be able to both afford it and how I will have the time to go. Each year it seems closer and closer to being a reality though. :)

koolcat1101 said:

SFMM, King's island, Lagoon and Alton Towers. But I think only one of those could be scratched off my bucket list. #myparentsdon'treallylikerollercoasters.

You do realize most people don't live with their parents for the majority of their lives, right?

Um, Vater, you do realize we're talking about coaster enthusiasts, right?

We are? I said "people."

*Chortle*

Thabto said:
I find that a little odd coming from someone who runs an amusement park fan website dedicated to coasters and parks all over the world. I would've thought you would be trying to hit up as many as possible, but I can see how work and family might prohibit that.

Work and family has nothing to do with it. I'm certainly a lot more financially capable than I was in my late 20's to travel to any park I want, but it's not a priority. As I said, it just started to feel kind of the same when I went to new places. Now I travel to see people, which is why I'm content to go to Kings Island or Holiday World for the millionth time if it means seeing my very distributed social circle.