Lance from ScreamScape.com joins us as we discuss what makes a theme park aesthetically pleasing. Some of the picks and rankings may surprise you. The lists include regional and national parks. Amusement parks and theme parks from large chains, but also some smaller independent parks. There’s even a currently defunct park.

Download Episode 3 – Most Beautiful Theme Parks in MP3 or on iTunes. You can also listen to the show with the player below.

Read more about The Seasoned Pros The Seasoned Pros List Show is presented and produced by The Season Pass Podcast.

Join the discussion!
Which of our picks surprised you the most? What do you think are the prettiest parks? Whose top ten most closely matched yours? Leave a comment below. Image via CC – Flickr User Steebow

“Six Flags is known world-wide as the industry leader in next generation thrills. And, bar none, Six Flags Magic Mountain leads the pack, offering the biggest and the best … always,” said Bonnie Rabjohn, Six Flags Magic Mountain park president. “As we mark our 42nd anniversary of operation, we’re ready to take Southern California by storm, yet again, with the most comprehensive collection of thrilling roller coasters anywhere in the world.”

To begin their journey through the park’s distinct mountainous terrain, riders are loaded onto sleek black and silver trains, sitting two abreast, and are suddenly accelerated from zero to 70 miles-per-hour in the first of three launches, experiencing their first inversion and thrill of navigating a world-record 160-foot tall loop. Riders then enter into a high-banked curve to the right and then to the left as they approach the second inversion — a Dive Loop that drops them rapidly into a special-effects tunnel. While in the tunnel, the train is dramatically decelerated and stopped, only to be suddenly launched backward up to the high point of the Dive Loop.

After a momentary pause, the train drops and is magnetically launched a third time, racing out of the tunnel and through a high G-turn to the left. Riders then race up and over a “Top Hat” that traces the outside of the World Record loop, where riders will experience significant air time and a breath-taking view of the park before dropping back down, rapidly decelerating and taking the final 180-degree turn to the left and returning to the station where riders can catch their breath.

FULL THROTTLE is the perfect addition to the park’s coaster collection, joining other adrenaline-pumping
coasters, including Tatsu — the tallest, fastest and longest flying coaster in the world, X2 — the world’s first and only 5th dimensional coaster, Apocalypse — the next generation of wooden coasters and Goliath — the “giant among giants” mega coaster. For more information on FULL THROTTLE, including a video, visit www.sixflags.com/magicmountain.

Here’s a video of Full Throttle at Six Flags Magic Mountain

Coleman began riding the tallest and fastest roller coaster at Kings Island when Diamondback debuted in 2009 “just for fun” but the exhilaration turned into a legitimate passion, having spent more than 350 hours on the ride over a four-year period.

He has used his Cedar Fair Platinum season pass to visit Kings Island 30 times this season, accumulating more than 1,100 rides on Diamondback for an average of more than 37 rides per day, including a personal single-day high of 111 rides June 17. Kings Island is open daily through August 26.

Watch a video of Diamondback and learn more about it at the Coaster Portal: Diamondback at Kings Island

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Entertainment, today launched SUPERMAN Ultimate Flight, featuring the tallest inversion west of the Mississippi. At 15-stories tall, this one-of-a-kind roller coaster takes riders on a maximum speed of 62 mph over two vertical rolls and two upside-down twists.

“SUPERMAN Ultimate Flight definitely pushes the envelope in the thrill category,” said Dale Kaetzel, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom park president. “Since last summer’s announcement, there has been tremendous buzz about this ride and our guests have been anticipating the debut. This ride will, no doubt, be the ‘must-experience’ attraction in Northern California.”

SUPERMAN Ultimate Flight was custom-built by ride manufacturer Premier Rides. The new ride represents the newest technologies developed by Premier, including a highly-sophisticated multi-directional magnetic launch system. As a launch coaster, 12 passengers are seated two by two in two separate coaches before propelling forward through a tunnel, taking a heartline roll inversion at the height of 150-feet, then twisting at a 180-degree dive. Midway, the ride brakes twice at unexpected intervals for cliffhanger and dramatic effects — all in under 60 seconds.

Themed to one of DC Comic’s greatest super heroes, Superman, the SUPERMAN Ultimate Flight steel coaster is vibrantly colored in Superman’s red, blue and yellow. The queue line features a series of panels showcasing Superman’s powers and attributes that include: “Strength: More powerful than a locomotive™,” and “Faster than a speeding bullet™.” The iconic Superman “S” Shield dominates the ride landscape.

As Discovery Kingdom’s first DC Comics-themed ride, the new addition is the perfect complement to the park’s unique collection of marine life, wildlife and wild rides. Thrill rides include the popular coasters, Medusa, Kong, Roar, V2 and Boomerang, and now — SUPERMAN Ultimate Flight’s addition solidifies Discovery Kingdom’s standing as Northern California’s best place to experience thrills of all kinds.

SUPERMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics.
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About Six Flags Entertainment Corporation

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is the world’s largest regional theme park company with $1.0 billion in revenue and 19 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada. For more than 50 years, Six Flags has entertained millions of families with world-class coasters, themed rides, thrilling water parks and unique attractions including up-close animal encounters, Fright Fest and Holiday in the Park. For more information, visit sixflags.com.

Here’s a preview video of RiverRush at Dollywood:

Read about the themes for the show’s episodes and some of the roller coasters that will be featured here: Insane Coaster Wars Coming to The Travel Channel

Also visit the official page: Insane Coaster Wars

DESPICABLE ME MINION MAYHEM, TO OFFICIALLY OPEN ON JULY 2

All-New 3-D Ride Will Take Guests on a Hilarious and Heartwarming Adventure with their Favorite Characters from the Worldwide Hit Film – Gru, Margo, Edith, Agnes and an Army of Mischievous Minions

Orlando, Fla. (June 13, 2012) – Minion recruits: mark your calendars!  Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, one of the most anticipated theme park attractions of 2012, will officially open at Universal Orlando Resort on July 2.

This brand-new ride combines the outrageous humor and memorable characters of Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s blockbuster film Despicable Me, with an all-new storyline, incredible new animation and the latest 3-D technology to create a wildly hysterical theme park experience.

Families will watch in amazement as they are transformed into minions, laugh together as they train to join Gru’s minion army and boogie down during the world’s-first minion-inspired dance party.  Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is hilarious and heartwarming fun for the entire family.

The ride begins when guests enter Gru, Margo, Edith and Agnes’ home and learn they are being recruited to become minions.  After picking up 3-D “minion goggles” in the living room and being scanned for “human germs” in the Minionization Prep Room, guests board Minion Transformation Pods to begin their training.  Things don’t go as planned and guests find themselves on an unforgettable adventure through Gru’s lab that’s filled with laughter, chaos and tons of minions.

The ride experience is capped off with an exciting dance party where guests can show off their best moves with the minions.  With a sparkling disco ball hanging overhead, the interactive celebration features large projection screens so that guests can see themselves partying with the minions to the legendary disco tune “Boogie Fever.”

Although Despicable Me Minion Mayhem officially opens on July 2, the attraction is now in technical rehearsal, meaning park guests may have the opportunity to experience the ride as a work in progress while Universal puts the finishing touches on the experience.  Leading up to the grand opening, the attraction will run select days and times.

Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is located in Universal Studios Florida.  For more information about Universal Orlando Resort, visit www.universalorlando.com.

About Universal Orlando Resort

There are many ways to enjoy your Orlando vacation, but there is only one place where vacation becomes adventure:  Universal Orlando Resort.  It is a unique destination featuring two theme parks, three magnificently themed on-site hotels and a nighttime entertainment complex.  It’s the only Orlando destination where you are not just entertained – you become part of the most exhilarating entertainment ever created.  You can soar above Hogwarts with Harry Potter, swing above the streets with Spider-Man, battle aliens alongside Agent J, and help Shrek save Princess Fiona in Shrek 4-D. Coming July 2: Despicable Me Minion Mayhem.

WHEN:                  Monday, June 11 – Wednesday, June 13, 2012

WHERE:               Six Flags Great America / 1 Six Flags Parkway / Gurnee, IL 60031

GURNEE, Ill. — June 6, 2012 — Six Flags Great America is joining forces with Page It Forward, Lake County’s largest summer-long book drive, spearheaded by United Way of Lake County (UWLC) to collect a record-breaking 200,000 books for local students.

Guests who donate books Monday, June 11 through Wednesday, June 13 will receive a Buy One Get One Free coupon for a one day general admission ticket. On Monday, June 11, Six Flags Great America will also offer exclusive ride time on the all-new revolutionary X Flight wing coaster for any guest that donates two books before 9 a.m.

In addition if guests who bring more books will receive:

5 or more books: ERT + X Flight Luggage Tag

10 or more books: ERT + X Flight Luggage Tag + X Flight Water Bottle

15 or more books: ERT + X Flight Luggage Tag + X Flight Water Bottle + X Flight Goody Bag

June 11 also marks the kick off of Read to Succeed, where K-6 students who completed six hours of non-school related reading during the 2011-2012 school year earned a complimentary Six Flags ticket. Six Flags Great America has donated nearly 400,000 tickets this year alone as part of the Read to Succeed program. For more information, visit discoveryeducation.com/readtosucceed.