AMUSEMENT PARK PREVIEW Rides slides

May 30, 2013 at 12:00a.m.

Summertime may be near, but let’s not forget it’s gone in the blink of an eye.

Before you know it, the kids are back in school and the weather is turning cold. So, with that in mind, when it comes to summertime events, families these days must plan ahead schedule-wise, as well as budget-wise. Namely, we’re talking about hitting an amusement park, or two. Also, there are plenty of options for every budget with day trips and over-night excursions. Here’s a look at what regional amusement parks have in store for the summer of 2013.

Cedar Point

One Cedar Point Drive, Sandusky; call 419-627-2350, or go to cedarpoint.com

Online admission is $44.99 (age 3 to 61, 48 inches and taller), and $29.99 for juniors (under 48 inches tall) and seniors (age 62 and older). Note: TicketsSFlbare more expensive at the gate. Children age 2 and younger are admitted free.

In case there is any doubt among thrill-ride seekers whether Cedar Point is indeed the Roller Coaster Capital of the World, the popular park located on the shores of Lake Erie in Sandusky is making a definitive statement with its latest addition, Gatekeeper.

The $10 million winged coaster puts riders on the outside of the track for a wild ride — 4,164 feet in length with six inversions and a 164-foot drop — that literally goes over the entrance to the park.

“It’s a defining moment for us, and a certainly very unique coaster,” said Annie Zelm, Cedar Point marketing representative. “There’s nothing like it in the world.”

In many ways, Gatekeeper represents the future of Cedar Point. The coaster’s construction meant the demise of the Space Spiral, as well as Disaster Transport. Zelm said being located on a peninsula makes space a premium. Furthermore, the front of the park was identified as a location in need of upgrade.

“We also wanted to create this amazing main entrance so that when people walk through, they know they’re at the Roller Coaster Capital of the World,” Zelm said. “One of our architects said he always wanted to fly a roller coaster over a main gate. That’s how they came up with this concept of flying through the keyholes, which are the two massive towers that now make up the new main gate.”

Cedar Point, which for 15 years running has been named by industry publication Amusement Today as the Best Amusement Park in the World, boasts 364 acres with 75 rides, including 16 roller coasters.

Conneaut Lake Park

12382 Center St., Conneaut Lake, Pa.; call 814-382-5115, or go to conneautlakepark.com

Admission is free with an all-day ride wristband costing $15 (not including Blue Streak and The Train) and $20 wristband (including Blue Streak and The Train) Individual rides vary in cost.

When an amusement park is more than 120 years old, milestone anniversaries become routine. Such is the case this year at Conneaut Lake Park, which originally opened in 1892 as Exposition Park.

“We are celebrating the Blue Streak’s 75th anniversary this year,” said park spokeswoman Lisa Rawson. “That’s a really cool thing. There are only two coasters left designed by Edward Vettel. It’s ours and another one in Denver. Vettel was from Pittsburgh, and his family were very prominent wooden coaster designers.”

The Blue Streak is cherished among the roller-coaster enthusiast community looking to experience this treasure of yesteryear. In fact, it’s that same sentiment that brings people out to Conneaut Lake Park, which boasts historical rides such as The Tilt-A-Whirl, Merry-Go-Round, Devil’s Den and more.

“Something big this year is we will be opening the Hook and Ladder ride from [Youngstown’s] Idora Park in our Kiddieland,” Rawson said. “The ride has been onsite in storage for many years, but this year we’re putting it into operation.”

Rawson said Conneaut Lake Park is the anomaly when it comes to many other parks that gained notoriety in the first half of the 20th century. “We’ve outlived most of our neighbors,” Rawson said. “Chippewa Lake Park is closed, and Euclid Beach Park is closed. I can go on and on. So we’re kind of like a living museum. People from all over come out. It’s a pride thing. This is the park they grew up with, and they know it’s a treasure.”

Kennywood Park

4800 Kennywood Blvd., West Mifflin, Pa.; call 412-461-0500, or go to kennywood.com

Online Admission: $32.99/Funday Pass, $26.99/Junior Funday Pass (under 46 inches) and $19.99/Senior Funday Pass. Children age 2 and under admitted free.

Due to the fact Kennywood’s latest ride, The Black Widow, opened late into the season last summer, the Pittsburgh-area park is highlighting its addition this year. At its highest peak, the spinning ride hits 146 feet into the air and goes 68 miles per hour.

“The Black Widow was the perfect addition, not only because of where it was physically placed in the back corner of Kennywood, but it’s an awesome ride,” said park spokesman Jeff Filicko. “It’s spectacular from start to finish. It has the height which people like and the adrenaline of the spinning and the weightless airtime you have on either end.”

The 80-acre property has more than 30 big rides and more than a dozen Kiddieland attractions.

“This year we don’t have a new ride, but we do a lot of other work around the park,” Filicko said. “Some things people will notice right away are we’re putting a tremendous amount of money back into the park in infrastructure and aesthetics.”

One area where visitors are bound to notice a difference is Kiddieland. Filicko said for years parents have asked for better access allowing them to put their kids on the rides. Well, Kennywood listened, and this year is introducing brand-new fencing and better flexibility so moms and dads can strap in their youngsters.

Also new this season are different entertainment options all over the park.

“Entertainment is huge this year,” Filicko said. “We have for the first time a stunt show called ‘Undercover: An Action Adventure.’ There’s a lot of fight sequences, cool stunts, people falling off a tall tower. It’s very high-energy. We’re also bringing back the roaming show called ‘Dance Zone,’ which shows off kind of the fun, quirky, new dance crazes and popular songs.”

Sandcastle Waterpark

1000 Sandcastle Drive, Pittsburgh; call 412-462-6666, or go to sandcastlewaterpark.com

Online admission is $28.99, $18.99 for seniors and children under 46 inches, with children age 3 and under admitted free (slides not included). Note: Tickets are more expensive at the gate.

Where there’s smoke there’s fire. That’s what Sandcastle spokeswoman Melissa Kelly says about the Pittsburgh-area’s latest attraction, Dragon’s Den, which opened last year.

“It’s still an exciting addition for us and different than any kind of experience we have in the park,” said Kelly. “What makes it different is it’s a ride where you kind of shoot down into a bowl, and you take two to four revolutions around a dragon that is squirting water at you before you plummet into a landing pool. It’s kind of like an amusement-park ride meets a water ride.”

Sandcastle Waterpark also boasts 14 additional water slides, a wave pool and lazy river. For the young kids — remember, children age 3 and younger are admitted free — there are two children’s areas: Wet Willie’s and Tad Pool.

Located along a scenic bend in the Monongahela River opposite a tree-covered ridge, the outdoor venue offers a grassy beach, volleyball area and old-fashioned boardwalk.

“The one thing we hear more than anything is, ‘I can’t believe I’m in the city,’” Kelly said. “Another highlight is we’re kind of a fit for all ages. We cater to the youngsters as well as adults. We have a bar area down in our Mushroom Pool area, so someone can enjoy a few leisure drinks while they’re here.”

Waldameer Park & Water World

220 Peninsula Drive, Erie, Pa.; call 814-838-3591, or go to waldameer.com

Ride wristbands for Waldameer Park are $25 (over 48 inches)/$16.50 (under 48 inches). Entrance to Water World is $13.50 (over 48 inches)/$13.50 (under 48 inches). Ride wristbands for both parks are $28.50 (over 48 inches)/$20 (under 48 inches). The park is closed on Mondays (except Memorial Day and Labor Day).

From a financial point of view, Waldameer Park and Water World is one of the best deals around.

“It’s the free parking and free admission,” said Paul Nelson, owner. “Then add in the fact when you come in if you’re a family, you don’t have to ride. You can just watch your kids because the customer can pay what they want to spend. Other parks have gotten so expensive with parking and admission and everything else. It’s really tough for a family. You have to spend $50 to get in, and their lines are so long they charge $50 for a pass. So you have two lines, those who have money and those who don’t. We’ve grown because of that.”

Over the past five years, Waldameer Park & Water World, located at the neck of Presque Isle State Park peninsula, has been reinventing itself with the Ravine Flyer II coaster, the spinning Steel Dragon roller coaster, the classic wooden Comet roller coaster, the Flying Swings, the rotating Wendy’s Tea Party and the kid-friendly Ravine Flyer III.

This season’s big highlight is Music Express, which is a suped-up and revamped version of its Scrambler with LED lights, loud music and a gregarious attendant who turns the ride into an interactive experience by engaging the riders.

“It’s really a kids thrill ride,” Nelson said. “Plus, it’s a very fast ride. We’re a family park, and we’ve been putting in mostly family rides in the last four or five rides. So we felt it was something now targeted toward the teenagers. But the whole family can ride because of the big capacity.”

Wildwater

Kingdom

1100 Squires Road, Aurora; call 330-562-8303, or go to wildwaterfun.com

Online adult admission is $26.50, while junior/senior admission is $16.24. Note: Tickets are more expensive at the gate.

There are many wet and wild experiences taking place all summer long at Wildwater Kingdom, but there’s one ride that stands out above the rest at the popular water park located on the shores of Geauga Lake.

“That would probably be Liquid Lightning, which is the funnel with the four-leaf clover raft,” said park spokeswoman Lori Davis. “It’s just thrilling. It has the conveyor belt that takes your raft up so you don’t have to carry it up stairs. The ride whooshes you back and forth, and it spits you out down the funnel.”

The attractions range from the family and thrill-seeking slides of Thunder Falls to a relaxing float down Riptide Run. There’s also kid-centric areas featuring splashing, climbing and soaking on Splash Landing, Coral Cove and Little Tikes Town.

For many parents, the idea of going to Wildwater Kingdom brings back memories as a child of attending its former tenant Sea World. Davis said there are hints of Shamu all over.

“We have the old Sea World footprint with beautiful landscaping and great trees and flowers,” Davis said.

Kings Island

Kings Island Drive, Mason; call 800-288-0808, or go to visitkingsisland.com

Online admission: $37.99 adult (over 48 inches), $33.99 junior/senior (age 3 and up and under 48 inches, and age 62 and up). Note: Tickets are more expensive at the gate.

Located 30 minutes north of Cincinnati, the 364-acre Kings Island amusement and water park Soak City features more than 80 world-class rides, shows and attractions. This includes the return of Dinosaurs Alive! (additional $5 admission) for its third season in the Queen City.

“Because it’s already the world’s largest animatronic dinosaur park, we were looking at how we could make it even bigger and better,” said park spokesman Don Helbig. “This year, we brought in the world’s largest animatronic dinosaur called Sauroposeidon. It’s six stories tall and is the length of three school buses. That’s already a popular attraction.”