Top 10 Thrilling Fun Facts About Amusement Parks You Never Knew!

1. America's First Water Park

Once upon a whale of a time, where swimming feats and aquatic tricks reigned supreme: Captain Paul Boyton pioneered America's first modern amusement park, "Paul Boyton's Water Chutes," in Chicago in 1894, after an unsuccessful attempt at Cheltenham Beach. This waterlogged wonder set the stage for Brooklyn's iconic Luna Park and inspired many more amusement parks to splash onto the scene across the country!
Source => drloihjournal.blogspot.com

2. Smallest Disney Park in North America

As Alice would say, things are getting "curiouser and curiouser" in the world of Disney theme parks: Disney's California Adventure, the Disneyland neighbor, is actually the smallest Disney park in North America, occupying a mere 72 acres compared to Disneyland's expansive 85 acres.
Source => adventurestudenttravel.com

Did you know Dumbledore's spell "Evanesco Gibson Amphitheater" led to the magical creation of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2016? Discover this enchanting tale and more!

=> Fun Facts about Universal-Studios

3. Mickey Mouse Park: Disneyland's Origin

Before Mickey went on a real estate power trip to build his own Magic Kingdom, ol' Walt had a "little" idea on the back burner: Disneyland, in its embryonic form, was actually planned to be a pint-sized park known as "Mickey Mouse Park" right across from the Disney Studios in Burbank. This cozy carnival-turned-FOMO-factory would have featured adorable attractions like riverboats, lighthouses, wild bird sanctuaries, carnivals, picnics, and donkeys to keep you company: However, Walt's ideas grew beyond the realm of a petite "Mouse House," eventually morphing into the 160-acre, magic-infused wonderland we know today as Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
Source => mouseplanet.com

4. Apes Invade New Orleans

When apes took over the Big Easy – or so it seemed: The filming of "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" transformed a corner of New Orleans into a post-apocalyptic human village, complete with a green-screened towering arch and "Zone 2" checkpoint placards, which were said to be displayed by FEMA following the simian flu disaster.
Source => nola.com

5. Disneyland's Bumpy Opening Day

Even with Mr. Toad's Wild Ride taking an unplanned detour and a socially-distanced crowd of rides awaiting guests on opening day, Disney's fairytale wonderland was far from a Cinderella story in 1955: Colossal park attractions like Disneyland Railroad, Main Street Cinema, Main Street Vehicles, Autopia, Monsanto Hall of Chemistry, and Jungle Cruise managed to keep the magic alive amidst the technical and logistical hiccups, proving once and upon a time that all's well that ends well.
Source => duchessofdisneyland.com

6. Disneyland's Famous Corn Dogs

Who let the dogs out on a corny adventure? Disneyland did, and they're no Mickey Mouse operation: Known for their hand-dipped batter and a cult following, Disneyland's famous corn dogs are available at three spots in the park and have received praise from Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jonathan Gold, who claims he's never tasted a better corn dog.
Source => disneyparks.disney.go.com

7. Marceline: Walt Disney's Train-Loving Hometown

All aboard the chuckle express as we chug along the tracks of Walt Disney's childhood: Marceline, Missouri was not only the birthplace of Disney's love for trains and railroads, but also served as a crucial division point on the Kansas City-Chicago route of the Santa Fe Railway in 1888. Today, visitors can immerse themselves in this locomotive legacy at the Walt Disney Hometown Museum, housed in Marceline's historic Santa Fe depot.
Source => waltdisneymuseum.org

8. World's Fastest Roller Coaster

Ready, set, speedster: Vroom through a lightning-fast landscape straight outta Fast and Ferrari-ous! Formula Rossa at Ferrari World is the world's fastest roller coaster, clocking in at a breezy 240 km/h in just 4.9 seconds with a bracing 4.8Gs of force. Psst, you can even take driving lessons from a Ferrari-trained instructor and live out your F1 fantasies right there.
Source => ferrariworldabudhabi.com

9. The Terrifying Flip Flap Railway

Before roller coasters had a PhD in thrill-ology, they dabbled with some hair-raising experiments that left riders flip-flapping for mercy: The "Flip Flap Railway," one of the first looping wooden roller coasters in North America, opened in 1895 at Paul Boyton's Sea Lion Park on Coney Island and featured a 25-foot diameter circular loop that subjected riders to 12 G's of force, causing discomfort and neck injuries from whiplash, eventually paving the way for the more forgiving teardrop-shaped loops found in modern coasters.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. Cinderella Castle's Aviation Dodge

When the clock struck "I object!": Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World was deliberately designed to be shorter than 190 feet to avoid being crowned with a red, flashing aircraft beacon that would have turned the fairy tale romance into an aviation-themed tragicomedy. This creative decision by the Imagineers was accompanied by forced perspective techniques that make the magically humble castle appear more regal and grandiose than its true stature.
Source => allears.net