Adrenaline junkies and theme park fanatics are a dime a dozen, but for the select few who are also giant geeks, finding theme park rides to match isn’t a search for the faint of heart. So we’ve put together a list of the top theme parks to get your geek on around the world. Yes, unfortunately, you may have to travel high and far for this adventure.
1. China’s Joyland
We put this one at number one because most people have never even heard of it, and, well, it’s in freaking China, how cool is that? We’ve also put this at the top because we know WOWsers, Warcraft DOTA-trolls and StarCraft Kerrigan fetishers alike will wet themselves at the sight of this theme park. It’s an entire playground dedicated to a video game company. The best part? Blizzard has yet to comment .
2. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Universal Studios, Orlando
Universal Studios is well known for its geek-friendly rides including the likes of The Hulk and Spiderman rollercoasters. But most recently comes a well-known wizard from the UK. Harry Potter has stolen money from parents and the childhood from so many geeky children and young actors the last decade, it would be a shame if we didn’t include this anti-puritan, black magic fantasy theme park on this list.
Grab your wand, cape, broomstick and taped-up spectacles as you tour Hogsmeade, Hogwarts, and fly on Hagrid’s Flight of the Hippogriff, the roller coaster. Also, would you tell J.K. Rowling to cut out this magnificent alliteration? P.S. If you’re lucky, you might run into Michael Douglas and his kids.
3. Universal Studios’ Islands of Adventure – Orlando
I’ve personally always had a place in my heart for this park, and it’s not just for the immense coasters and stomach-spinning drop rides. Okay, I lied; It is. And these include the likes of the comicbook-originating The Incredible Hulk, Dr. Doom, and The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman. While it can be difficult for the Marvel Comics-afflicted to get out of their comic-hoarding basement, many would make an exception for such a geek-inspired thrill ride as the Hulk.
With roaring twists and turns of green track to run through, barrel rolls and loops, this is a coaster no one can go on just once. Dr. Doom is, of course, of the large drop variation, which brings your lunch to its impending doom as you free fall 150 feet. Spiderman’s another virtual ride, which may not live up to much hype after the previous two, but it is definitely a good change of pace for the coaster-phobic.
4. Star Wars and Indiana Jones at Disneyland
What would this post be without founders of Geek-dom like George Lucas? Disneyland makes this list for the soul fact it hosts both Star Wars and Indiana Jones rides. Indiana Jones Adventure and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye (real moving coaster) and Star Tours 2 (virtual ride and sequel of the Star Tours original) can both be found in sunny California.
5. Jurassic Park at Universal Studios, Hollywood
To finish this list, we had to dig deep. Look, Back to the Future and E.T. are hard to beat, but who didn’t love Jurassic Park in all its glory at Universal? There’s freaking animatronic dinasuars after you! And you get wet! If you haven’t been on this ride at Universal in either Florida or California, you better get over there as soon as possible, or say, next February to escape those colder months. Nothing beats listening to Velociraptors devour tour guides and getting chomped at by a T-Rex before dropping down a flume and getting soaked to the bone. While the geek-factor is debatable, I know a lot of kids who played with reptile toys a few too many years past 12.
For more theme park fun, check out Hollywood’s Hottest Rides and Star Wars Weekends.
