In the Loop: What’s the best water ride in the U.S.?
Welcome to another edition of In the Loop, the L.A. Times' theme park newsletter. I'm Funland theme park blogger Brady MacDonald, and this week we check in on the progress of the latest Great Wolf Lodge, run down the best water rides in the U.S., take one final look at Disneyland's 60th anniversary and peek at a jaw-dropping new coaster coming to Kentucky Kingdom.
Beyond Disneyland
Hugo Martin, who covers tourism for The Times Business section, writes about Anaheim’s efforts to get tourists to realize there’s more to do in the city besides Disneyland -- including a microbrewery and a hipster food hall. Because there really isn’t that much to do in Anaheim besides Disneyland, Hugo also includes the latest on construction at the Great Wolf Lodge hotel and water park -- in nearby Garden Grove.
A construction worker installs sealant in one of the giant water slides at the Great Wolf Lodge in Garden Grove in June.
(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Get wet
With summer in full swing, I rank the 25 best water rides at U.S. theme parks. As you might expect, my list is dominated by Disney attractions, with Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, SeaWorld and Six Flags also well represented. But I manage to find room for a handful of rides from a few regional and smaller parks as well.
We rank the Top 25 log flumes, river rapids rafts, shoot the chutes and boat rides at theme parks across the United States.
(Busch Gardens)
Diamond jubilee
As Disneyland turns 60, Scottish novelist Andrew O'Hagan writes for the New York Times T magazine about how Walt Disney built more than a theme park back in 1955: "He created a world we believe in, and a journey to the land of the better self."
The Associated Press republishes its 1955 Disneyland preview story by Bob Thomas, a longtime Hollywood reporter for AP and author of a Walt Disney biography. Thomas noted that a day trip of Disneyland was doable, but "you'd no doubt end up with a headache."
The Orange County Register did one better, republishing its entire 16-page Disneyland section from 1955 complete with advertisements for the Wizard of Bras, Aunt Jemima pancakes and other vendors operating at the Anaheim theme park on opening day. Souvenir editions are still available (for a price, naturally).
Walt Disney reviews a model for the Matterhorn Bobsleds, which opened in 1959.
(Disneyland)
Boy wizard
While blockbusters such as "Jurassic World" and "Furious 7" propelled cable giant Comcast’s second-quarter earnings, the company's Universal Studios theme park unit is doing "as good or even better" than the Universal Pictures film division, according to NBCUniversal Chief Executive Steve Burke. Theme park revenue is up more than 25% during the quarter thanks to the Harry Potter attractions in Florida.
Disembodied spirits
I talk with the three voice-over artists on the Scare L.A. Disembodied Spirits panel who have brought to life Disney rides such as the Haunted Mansion and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. I will host the panel on Aug. 9 at the Pasadena Convention Center. Hope you can make it.
The Haunted Mansion dark ride is one of Disney’s most popular supernatural-themed attractions.
(Disneyland)
Storm warning
Behind the Thrills takes a detailed look at the new Storm Chaser coaster coming to Kentucky Kingdom in 2016. The wood-steel hybrid by Rocky Mountain Construction includes a barrel-roll first drop that looks simply stunning.
Dueling studies
The debate over the treatment of killer whales now also features a battle over scientific studies -- one by a team of SeaWorld scientists and the other backed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Orcas perform in the “One Ocean” killer whale show at SeaWorld San Diego.
(SeaWorld San Diego)
Crime report
The Orlando Sentinel reports that a naked woman found behind a Downtown Disney nightclub at the Walt Disney World resort is the victim of a suspected rape, according to the local sheriff's department. Officials released surveillance photos of a potential suspect.
And finally
Six Flags joins Disney in banning selfie sticks from all its parks.
Still need more theme park news? Check out the Los Angeles Times Funland theme park blog on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Instagram. Also feel free to email me with any feedback on the newsletter.
Sign up for The Wild
We’ll help you find the best places to hike, bike and run, as well as the perfect silent spots for meditation and yoga.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
