According to a recent USA TODAY reader vote, Kings Island is one of the top theme parks in the nation. In the most recent round of USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, which were announced on Wednesday, the Mason amusement park came in at number ten for finest theme park in the nation. The top rank went to Branson, Missouri’s Silver Dollar City, a sister site to Dollywood. Kings Island’s Under the Stars came in at number seven in a vote for the finest theme park entertainment. The amusement park’s laser, drone, and fireworks extravaganza outperformed competing attractions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Universal Studios Hollywood.
For the second consecutive year, Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s Celtic Fyre in Williamsburg, Virginia, was ranked as the top theme park attraction overall. A panel of industry professionals nominates their favorite attractions in a variety of categories, ranging from best riverwalk to best coastal small town and everything in between, to choose each week’s candidates for USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. After reviewing these nominations, editors choose a final group of candidates to put in front of the electorate for a four-week period.
See below for 10Best’s ranking of America’s top 10 theme parks and park entertainment attractions. Gannett, the parent company of The Enquirer, is the owner of USA TODAY. Readers of USA TODAY rank the top theme parks in the United States. Branson, Missouri is the location of Silver Dollar City. Elysburg, Pennsylvania’s Knoebels. Orlando, Florida is home to SeaWorld Orlando. Tampa, Florida’s Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. West Mifflin, Pennsylvania’s Kennywood. Tennessee’s Dollywood (Pigeon Forge). Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, is Busch Gardens. (Hershey, Pennsylvania) Hersheypark. (Santa Claus, Indiana) Holiday World. Mason, Ohio is home to Kings Island.
The US’s greatest theme park entertainment Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Williamsburg, Virginia) hosts Celtic Fyre. Silver Dollar City’s Rivertown Ramblers (Branson, Missouri). Orlando, Florida’s CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s “Rhythm of Nature” (Tampa, Florida). Dollywood’s Gazillion Bubble Show in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Happily Ever After at Orlando, Florida’s Magic Kingdom Park. Kings Island (Mason, Ohio) Under the Stars. Universal Studios Hollywood’s WaterWorld in Universal City, California. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, there is a Lion King festival. Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Orlando, Florida) hosts Fantasmic!.