Worlds of Fun theme park, located in Kansas City, MO, originally opened in 1973, themed to the book, "Around the World in Eighty Days." The unique park features themed areas not commonly found in North America, such as Scandinavia and East Asia. Worlds of Fun is home to Patriot, which opened as the tallest, fastest and longest inverted coaster in the region. In 2009, the park opened the Prowler wooden roller coaster, which was awarded "Best New Ride of 2009" by Amusement Today. In 2023, Zambezi Zinger opened as the world's first ground-up GCI Titan Track wooden coaster.

Adventureland Resort, located in Altoona, IA, opened in 1974, marking this year as its 50th anniversary celebration. The theme park's design has several nods to Disneyland, such as the entrance area train station with two tunnels and a full Main Street thoroughfare. Adventureland is home to seven roller coasters and a total of fifty attractions, water park included. Over the last decade, the park has seen a high level of investment in new attractions, including The Monster, Dragon Slayer, Flying Viking and a major refurbishment of The Underground roller coaster.

Lost Island Theme Park, one of North America's newest parks, opened in 2022 in Waterloo, Iowa. The park is themed to an enchanted tropical island with incredibly immersive areas and rides to match. To date, Lost Island is home to three roller coasters, including Nopuko Air Coaster and Matugani and an award-winning dark ride, Volkanu: Quest for the Golden Idol. During our visit, the park announced their 2025 addition, a RMC Raptor roller coaster named Fire Runner.

Valleyfair theme park, located in Shakopee, Minnesota, first opened in 1976 with one roller coaster being its star attraction. In 1978, Cedar Point purchased Valleyfair and would go on to create the Cedar Fair theme park chain. Today, Valleyfair is home to eight roller coasters, including Wild Thing and Renegade, several flat rides and the Soak City water park.

This summer there is “So Much More to Sea” at SeaWorld San Antonio, now open daily, with all-new rides and attractions, all-new animal presentations and habitats, all-new shows, parades and interactive celebrations, plus the return of Shamu and Crew. Guests are invited to come explore and engage in the excitement of new summer experiences and the exhilarating entertainment of the Summer Spectacular.

Aquatica San Antonio, located at SeaWorld San Antonio, is a large theme park that features several high-thrill slides and plenty of children's activities. Guests can enjoy attractions, such as Ihu's Breakaway Falls, Tonga Twister and Riptide Race. New for 2023 is Kata's Kookaburra Cove, a 3,000-square-foot children's area with interactive water elements. Join us for an in-depth tour of this water park, checking out all the rides and attractions, food and shopping locations and animal experiences.