AMUSEMENT PARK

An amusement park (sometimes referred to as a funfair or theme park is a group

of entertainment attractions, rides, and other events in a location for the enjoyment of
large numbers of people. Amusement parks have a fixed location, as opposed
to travelling funfairs and traveling carnivals, and are more elaborate than simple city
parks or playgrounds, usually providing attractions meant to cater specifically to certain
age groups, as well as some that are aimed towards all ages. Theme parks, a specific
type of amusement park, are usually much more intricately themed to a certain subject
or group of subjects than normal amusement parks.
Amusement parks evolved from European fairs and pleasure gardens, which
were created for people's recreation. World's fairs and expositions were another
influence on the development of the amusement park industry.
In common language, the terms theme park and amusement park are often
synonymous. However, a theme park can be regarded as a distinct style of amusement
park. A theme park has landscaping, buildings, and attractions that are based on one or
more specific themes or stories. Despite many older parks adding themed rides and
areas, qualifying the park as a theme park, the first park built with the original intention
of promoting a specific theme, Santa Claus Land, in Santa Claus, Indiana, did not open
until 1946. Disneyland, located in Anaheim, California, built around the concept of
encapsulating multiple theme parks into a single amusement park is often mistakenly
cited as the first themed amusement park, but is instead the park that made the idea
popular.

HISTORY
The amusement park evolved from three earlier traditions, the oldest being the
periodic fair of the Middle Ages - one of the earliest was the Bartholomew Fair in
England, which began in 1133. By the 18th and 19th centuries, they had evolved into
places of entertainment for the masses, where the public could view freak
shows, acrobatics, conjuring and juggling, take part in competitions and walk through
menageries.

The world's oldest amusement park appeared in the Continent. Bakken ("The
Hill") at Klampenborg, north of Copenhagen, Denmark, opened in 1583.
A wave of innovation in the 1860s and 1870s created mechanical rides, such as
the steam-powered carousel (built by Thomas Bradshaw, at the Aylsham Fair), and its
derivatives. This inaugurated the era of the modern funfair ride, as the working classes
were increasingly able to spend their surplus wages on entertainment.

VAUXHALL GARDENS, FOUNDED IN 1661 AS ONE OF THE FIRST PLEASURE GARDENS.

The second influence was the pleasure garden. One of the earliest gardens was
the Vauxhall Gardens, founded in 1661 in London. By the late 18th century, the site had
an admission fee for its many attractions. It regularly drew enormous crowds, with its
paths being noted for romantic assignations; tightrope walkers, hot air balloon ascents,
concerts and fireworks providing amusement. Although the gardens were originally
designed for the elites, they soon became places of great social diversity.
Public firework displays

were

put

on

at

Marylebone

Gardens,

and Cremorne

Gardens offered music, dancing and animal acrobatics displays.

The concept of a fixed park for amusement was further developed with the beginning of
the world's fairs. The first World fair began in 1851 with the construction of the

landmark Crystal Palace in London, England. The purpose of the exposition was to
celebrate the industrial achievement of the nations of the world and it was designed to
educate and entertain the visitors

THE ORIGINAL FERRIS WHEEL, WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION, 1893

American cities and business also saw the world's fair as a way of demonstrating
economic and industrial success. the world's columbian exposition of 1893 in chicago,
illinois was an early precursor to the modern amusement park. The fair was an enclosed
site, that merged entertainment, engineering and education to entertain the masses. It
set out to bedazzle the visitors, and successfully did so with a blaze of lights from the
"white city." to make sure that the fair was a financial success, the planners included a
dedicated amusement concessions area called the midway plaisance. rides from this
fair captured the imagination of the visitors and of amusement parks around the world,
such as the first steel ferris wheel, which was found in many other amusement areas,

such as the prate by 1896. Also, the experience of the enclosed ideal city with wonder,
rides, culture and progress (electricity), was based on the creation of an illusory place.
The "midway" introduced at the columbian exposition would become a standard part of
most amusement parks, fairs, carnivals and circuses. The midway contained not only
the rides, but other concessions and entertainments such as shooting galleries, penny
arcades, games of chance and shows.

BLACKPOOL AND CONEY ISLAND

The modern amusement park evolved from earlier seaside pleasure resorts that
had

become

popular

with

the

public

for

day-trips

or

weekend

holidays

in Blackpool, England and Coney Island, United States Blackpool began to develop as a
seaside resort with the completion of a branch line to Blackpool from Poulton on the
main Preston and Wyre Joint Railway line from Preston to Fleetwood. Fleetwood
declined as a resort, as its founder and principal financial backer, Peter HeskethFleetwood, went bankrupt. In contrast, Blackpool boomed. A sudden influx of visitors,
arriving by rail, provided the motivation for entrepreneurs to build accommodation and
create new attractions, leading to more visitors and a rapid cycle of growth throughout
the 1850s and 1860s.
The growth was intensified by the practice among the Lancashire cotton
mill owners of closing the factories for a week every year to service and repair
machinery. These became known as wakes weeks. Each town's mills would close for a
different week, allowing Blackpool to manage a steady and reliable stream of visitors
over a prolonged period in the summer.
In 1863, the North Pier was completed, rapidly becoming a centre of attraction for
elite visitors. Central Pier was completed in 1868, with a theatre and a large open-air
dance floor. The town expanded southward beyond what is today known as the Golden
Mile, towards South Shore, and South Pier was completed in 1893, making Blackpool
the only town in the United Kingdom with three piers. In 1878, the Winter
Gardens complex opened, incorporating ten years later the Opera House, said to be the
largest in Britain outside of London.

In 1879, large parts of the promenade were wired. The lighting and its accompanying
pageants reinforced Blackpool's status as the North of England's most prominent
holiday resort, and its specifically working class character. It was the forerunner of the
present-day Blackpool Illuminations. By the 1890s, the town had a population of 35,000,
and could accommodate 250,000 holidaymakers. The number of annual visitors, many
staying for a week, was estimated at three million.
In 1894 two of the town's most prominent buildings opened, the Grand
Theatre on Church Street, and Blackpool Tower on the Promenade. The Grand Theatre
was one of Britain's first all-electric theatres. When the tower opened, 3,000 customers
took the first rides to the top. Tourists paid sixpence for admission, sixpence more for a
ride in the lifts to the top, and a further sixpence for the circus.

In the United States, picnic groves were established along rivers and lakes that
provided bathing and water sports, such as Lake Compounce in Connecticut, first
established as a picturesque picnic park in 1846, and Riverside Park in Massachusetts,
founded in the 1870s along the Connecticut River.[16]
A similar location was Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, on the Atlantic
Ocean, where a horse-drawn streetcar line brought pleasure seekers to the beach
beginning in 1829. In 1875, a million passengers rode the Coney Island Railroad, and in
1876 two million visited Coney Island. Hotels and amusements were built to
accommodate both the upper classes and the working class at the beach. The
first carousel was installed in the 1870s, the first roller coaster, the "Switchback
Railway", in 1884.
In the final decade of the 19th century, electric trolley lines were developed in
many large American cities. Companies that established the trolley lines also
developed trolley

parks as

destinations

of

these

lines.

Trolley

parks

such

as Atlanta's Ponce de Leon Park, or Reading's Carsonia Park were initially popular
natural leisure spots before local streetcar companies purchased the sites, expanding
them from picnic groves to include regular entertainments, mechanical amusements,
dance halls, sports fields, boat rides, restaurants and other resort facilities.
Some of these parks were developed in resort locations, such as bathing resorts
at the seaside in New Jersey and New York. A premiere example in New Jersey
was Atlantic City, a famous vacation resort. Entrepreneurs erected amusement parks on
piers that extended from the boardwalk out over the ocean. The first of several was
Ocean Pier in 1891, followed later by Steel Pier in 1898, both of which boasted rides
and attractions typical of that time, such as Midway-style games and electric trolley
rides. The boardwalk also had the first Roundabout installed in 1892 by William Somers,
a wooden predecessor to the Ferris Wheel. Somers installed two others in Asbury Park,
New Jersey and Coney Island, New York.
An early park was the Eldorado Amusement Park that opened in 1891 on the
banks of the Hudson River, overlooking New York City. It consisted of 25 acres.

Modern amusement parks

The first permanent enclosed entertainment area, regulated by a single
company, was founded in Coney Island in 1895: Sea Lion Park atConey Island in
Brooklyn. This park was one of the first to charge admission to get into the park in
addition to sell tickets for rides within the park.
In 1897, Sea Lion Park was joined by Steeplechase Park, the first of three major
amusement parks that would open in the Coney Island area. George Tilyou designed
the park to provide thrills and entertainment. The combination of the nearby population
center of New York City and the ease of access to the area made Coney Island the
embodiment of the American amusement park. Coney Island also featured Luna
Park and Dreamland. Coney Island was a huge success and by year 1910 attendance
on days could reach a million people. Fueled by the efforts of Frederick Ingersoll, other
"Luna Parks" were quickly erected worldwide and opened to rave reviews.
The first amusement park in England was opened in 1896 - the Blackpool
Pleasure Beach by W. G. Bean. In 1904, Sir Hiram Maxim's Captive Flying Machine
was introduced; he had designed an early aircraft powered by steam engines that had
been unsuccessful and instead opened up a pleasure ride of flying carriages that
revolved around a central pylon. Other rides included the 'Grotto' (a fantasy ride), 'River
Caves' (a scenic railway), water chutes and a toboganning tower.
Fire was a constant threat in those days, as much of the construction within the
amusement parks of the era was wooden. In 1911, Dreamland was the first Coney
Island amusement park to completely burn down; in 1944, Luna Park also burned to the
ground. Most of Ingersoll's Luna Parks were similarly destroyed, usually by arson,
before his death in 1927.

THE GOLDEN AGE

During the Gilded Age, many Americans began working fewer hours and had
more disposable income. With new-found money and time to spend on leisure activities,
Americans sought new venues for entertainment. Amusement parks, set up outside
major cities and in rural areas, emerged to meet this new economic opportunity. These
parks served as source of fantasy and escape from real life. By the early 1900s,
hundreds of amusement parks were operating in the United States and Canada. Trolley
parks stood outside many cities. Parks like Atlanta's Ponce de Leon and Idora
Park, near Youngstown, OH, took passengers to traditionally popular picnic grounds,
which by the late 1890s also often included rides like the Giant Swing, Carousel,
and Shoot-the-Chutes. These amusement parks were often based on nationally known
parks or world's fairs: they had names like Coney Island, White City, Luna Park,
or Dreamland. The American Gilded Age was, in fact, amusement parks' Golden Age
that reigned until the late 1920s.
The Golden Age of amusement parks also included the advent of the kiddie park.
Founded in 1925, the original Kiddie Park is located in San Antonio, Texas and is still in
operation today. The kiddie parks became popular all over America after World War II.
This era saw the development of the new innovations in roller coasters that included
extreme drops and speeds to thrill the riders. By the end of the First World War, people
seemed to want an even more exciting entertainment, a need met by roller
coasters. Although the development of the automobile provided people with more
options for satisfying their entertainment needs, the amusement parks after the war
continued

to

be

successful,

while

urban

amusement

parks

saw

declining

attendance. The 1920s is more properly known as the Golden Age of roller coasters,
being the decade of frenetic building for these rides.
In

England,

the Dreamland

Margate opened

in

1920

with

a Scenic

Railway rollercoaster that opened to the public in 1920 with great success, carrying half
a million passengers in its first year. The park also installed other rides common to the
time including a smaller roller coaster, the Joy Wheel, Miniature Railway, The Whip and

the River Caves. A ballroom was constructed on the site of the Skating Rink in 1920
and in 1923 a Variety Cinema was built on the site. Between 1920 and 1935 over
500,000 was invested in the site, constantly adding new rides and facilities and
culminating in the construction of the Dreamland Cinema complex in 1934 which stands
to this day.
Meanwhile, the Blackpool Pleasure Beach was also being developed. Frequent
large-scale investments were responsible for the construction of many new rides,
including the Virginia Reel, Whip, Noah's Ark, Big Dipper and Dodgems. In the 1920s
the "Casino Building" was built, which remains to this day.
In 1923, land was reclaimed from the sea front. It was at this period that the park
moved to its 44-acre (180,000 m2) current location above what became Watson Road,
which was built under the Pleasure Beach in 1932. During this time Joseph Emberton,
an architect famous for his work in the amusement trade was brought in to redesign the
architectural style of the Pleasure Beach rides, working on the "Grand National" roller
coaster, "Noah's Ark" and the Casino building to name a few.

DEPRESSION AND POST-WORLD WAR II DECLINE

The Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II during the 1940s saw the
decline of the amusement park industry. War caused the affluent urban population to
move to the suburbs, television became a source of entertainment, and families went to
amusement parks less often. By the 1950s, factors such as urban decay, crime, and
even desegregation in the ghettos led to changing patterns in how people chose to
spend their free time. Many of the older, traditional amusement parks closed or burned
to the ground. Many would be taken out by the wrecking ball to make way
for suburban housing and development. In 1964, Steeplechase Park, once the king of
all amusement parks, closed down for good. The traditional amusement parks which
survived, for example, Kennywood, in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, and Cedar Point,
in Sandusky, Ohio, did so in spite of the odds.

AMUSEMENT PARK TODAY

The amusement park industry's offerings range from large, worldwide type theme
parks such as Walt Disney World, Europa-Park and Universal Studios Hollywood to
smaller and medium-sized theme parks such as the Six Flags parks and Cedar
Fair parks. Countless smaller ventures in many of the states of the U.S. and in countries
around the world. Even simpler theme parks directly aimed at smaller children have
emerged, such as Legoland.
Examples of amusement parks in shopping malls exist in West Edmonton
Mall, Alberta, Canada; Pier

39, San

Francisco; Mall

of

America, Bloomington,Minnesota.
Family fun parks starting as miniature golf courses have begun to grow to include
batting cages, go-karts, bumper cars, bumper boats and water slides. Some of these
parks have grown to include even roller coasters, and traditional amusement parks now
also have these competition areas in addition to their thrill rides.
As of 2008, the Walt Disney Company accounted for around half of the total
industry's revenue in the US as a result of more than 50 million visitors of its U.S.-based
attractions each year.
OTHER TYPES OF AMUSEMENT PARK

EDUCATIONAL THEME PARKS

Some parks use rides and attractions for educational purposes. Disney was the first
to successfully open a large-scale theme park built around education. Named Epcot, it
opened in 1982 as the second park in the Walt Disney World Resort. There are
also Holy Land USA and the Holy Land Experience, which are theme parks built to
inspire Christian piety. Dinosaur World entertains families with dinosaurs in natural
settings, while the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks also offer educational
experiences, with each of the parks housing several thousand animals, fish and other
sea life in dozens of attractions and exhibits focusing on animal education.

FAMILY-OWNED THEME PARKS

Some theme parks did evolve from more traditional amusement park enterprises,

such as knott's berry farm. In the 1920s, walter knottand his family sold berries from
a roadside stand, which grew to include a restaurant serving fried chicken dinners.
Within a few years, lines outside the restaurant were often several hours long. To
entertain the waiting crowds, walter knott built a ghost town in 1940, using buildings
relocated from real old west towns such as the calico, california ghost town
and prescott, arizona. In 1968, the knott family fenced the farm, charged admission
for the first time, and knott's berry farm officially became an amusement
park.[4] because of its long history, knott's berry farm currently claims to be
"america's first theme park." knott's berry farm is now owned by cedar fair
entertainment company. Lake compounce in bristol, connecticut may be the true
oldest continuously operating amusement park in the united states, open since
1846. Santa claus town, which opened in santa claus, indiana in 1935 and
included santa's candy castle and other santa claus-themed attractions, is
considered the first themed attraction in the united states: a precursor to the modern
day theme park. Santa claus land (renamed holiday world in 1984) opened in 1946
in santa claus, indiana and many people will argue that it was the first true theme
park despite knott's history.[16] in the 1950s the herschend family took over operation
of the tourist attraction, marvel cave near branson, missouri. Over the next decade
they modernized the cave, which led to large numbers of people waiting to take the
tour. The herschend family opened a recreation of the old mining town that once
existed atop marvel cave. The small village eventually became the theme
park, silver dollar city. The park is still owned and operated by the herschends and
the family has several other parks including dollywood, celebration city and wild
adventures.

REGIONAL PARKS
The first regional theme park, as well as the first Six Flags park, Six Flags over

Texas was officially opened in 1961 in Arlington, Texasnear Dallas. The first Six
Flags theme park was the vision of Angus Wynne, Jr. and helped create the modern,

competitive theme park industry. In the late 1950s, Wynne visited Disneyland and
was inspired to create an affordable, closer, and larger theme park that would be
filled with fantasy. He followed in the steps of Disney and had subdivisions within the
park that reflected different lands. The subdivisions included the Old South and other
sections

that

referenced

Wynne's

background. By

1968,

the

second Six

Flags park, Six Flags Over Georgia, opened, and in 1971, Six Flags Over MidAmerica (now Six Flags St. Louis) opened near St. Louis, Missouri. Also in 1971 was
the opening of the Walt Disney World resort complex in Florida, with the Magic
Kingdom (1971), Epcot (1982), Disney's Hollywood

Studios (1989) and Disney's

Animal Kingdom (1998).

ADMISSION PRICES AND ADMISSION POLICIES
Amusement parks collect much of their revenue from admission fees paid by
guests attending the park. Other revenue sources include parking fees, food and
beverage sales and souvenirs.
Practically all amusement parks operate using one of two admission principles:

PAY-AS-YOU-GO

In amusement parks using the pay-as-you-go scheme, a guest enters the park at
little or no charge. The guest must then purchase rides individually, either at the
attraction's entrance or by purchasing ride tickets (or a similar exchange method, like
a token). The cost of the attraction is often based on its complexity or popularity. For
example, a guest might pay one ticket to ride a carousel but four tickets to ride a roller
coaster.
The park may allow guests to purchase a pass providing unlimited admissions to all
attractions within the park for a specified duration of time. A wristband or pass is then
shown at the attraction entrance to gain admission.

MELBOURNE LUNA PARK

Disneyland opened in 1955 using the pay-as-you-go format. Initially, guests paid
the ride admission fees at the attractions. Within a short time, the problems of handling
such large amounts of coins led to the development of a ticket system that, while now
out of use, is still part of the amusement-park lexicon. In this new format, guests
purchased ticket books that contained a number of tickets, labelled "A," "B" and "C."
Rides and attractions using an "A-ticket" were generally simple, with "B-tickets" and "Ctickets" used for the larger, more popular rides. Later, the "D-ticket" was added, then
finally the now-famous "E-ticket", which was used on the biggest and most elaborate
rides, like Space Mountain. Smaller tickets could be traded up for use on larger rides
(i.e., two or three A-tickets would equal a single B-ticket). Disneyland, as well as
the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, abandoned this practice in 1982.
The advantages of pay-as-you-go include the following:

guests pay for only what they choose to experience, allowed them to visit the park
for a short periods of time (whereas guests who get day passes in "Pay-one-price"
are generally compelled to spend hours to make the most of the cost)

attraction costs can be changed easily to encourage use or capitalize on popularity

best suited to parks located in areas with high pedestrian traffic and surrounded by
competing points-of-interest (i.e. shopping arcade or theatre not operated by the
park) and/or natural attractions, that make it hard to charge an admission fee. For
instance, Centreville Amusement Park was one of the numerous attractions on
the Toronto Islands alongside beaches and boating clubs, and its pay-as-you-go
fare scheme was suited its guests who usually spent only 12 hours at the park. For
amusement

parks

inside

shopping

centers

such

as

the West

Edmonton

Mall's Galaxyland, where amusement attractions exist alongside stores, pedestrian

traffic consists of both shoppers and park guests, so it may not be practical to
segregate the park premises and charge an admission fee.
The disadvantages of pay-as-you-go include the following:

guests may get tired of spending money almost continuously

guests may not spend as much on food or souvenirs

results in high volumes of low-spending guests, and the resultant low profit margins
are only sufficient for mature amusement parks that are not expanding.

PAY-ONE-PRICE

An amusement park using the pay-one-price scheme will charge guests a single,
large admission fee. The guest is then entitled to use most of the attractions (usually
including flagship roller coasters) in the park as often as they wish during their visit. A
daily admission pass (day pass) is the most basic fare on sale, also sold are season
tickets which offer holders admission for the entire operating year (plus special
privileges for the newest attractions), and express passes which gives holders priority in
bypassing lineup queues for popular attractions.
Pay-one-price format parks also have attractions that are not included in the
admission

charge;

these

are

called

"up-charge

attractions"

and

can

include Skycoasters or go-kart tracks, or games of skill where prizes are won.
When Angus Wynne, founder of Six Flags Over Texas, first visited Disneyland in
1959, he noted that park's pay-as-you-go format as a reason to make his park pay-one-

price.[37]He thought that a family would be more likely to visit his park if they knew, up
front, how much it would cost to attend.
The advantages of pay-one-price include

lower costs for the park operators, since ticket-takers are not needed at each
attractions

guests need not worry about spending money continuously on attractions, so they
may spend more money on food and souvenirs

more predictable price to offer guests since upfront cost is known.

better suited to amusement parks located in the suburbs or rural areas, with the park
often as the only attraction there, which allows for a more captive audience to
charge higher admission fees.

the higher profit margins, in turn, allow the park to add new attractions.

The disadvantages of pay-one-price include:

price may be unattractive for guests who just visit the park to be with their families or
use only few attractions

guests are generally compelled to spend hours in order to make the most of the cost
of a day pass, pricing is geared towards guests making a full day excursion rather
than a short visit

RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS

Mechanized thrill machines are a defining feature of amusement parks. Early
rides include the carousel, which originally developed from cavalry training methods first
used in theMiddle Ages. By the 19th century, carousels were common in parks around
the world. Another such ride which shaped the future of the amusement park was
the roller coaster. The origins of roller coasters can be traced back to 17th-century
Russia, where gravity-driven attractions, which at first only consisted of individual sleds
or carts riding freely down chutes on top of specially constructed snow slopes with piles
of sand at the bottom for braking, were used as winter leisure activities. These crude
and temporarily built curiosities, known as Russian Mountains, were the beginning of

the search for even more thrilling amusement park rides. The Columbian Exposition of
1893 was a particularly fertile testing ground for amusement rides and included some
that the public had never seen before, such as the world's first Ferris wheel, one of the
most recognized products of the fair. In the present day, many rides of various types are
set around a specific theme.
A park contains a mixture of attractions which can be divided into several categories.

Flat rides
There is a core set of flat rides which most amusement parks have, including
the enterprise, tilt-a-whirl, the gravitron, chairswing, swinging inverter ship, twister, and
the top spin. However, there is constant innovation, with new variations on ways to spin
and throw passengers around appearing in an effort to keep attracting customers.
Manufactures such as Huss and Zamperla specialise in creating flat rides among other
amusement attractions.

Roller coasters
Amusement

parks

often

feature

multiple

roller

coasters

of

primarily timber or steel construction. In essence a specialized railroad system with

steep drops and sharp curves, passengers sit and are restrained in cars, usually with
two or more cars joined to form a train. Some roller coasters feature one or more
inversions (such as vertical loops) which turn the riders upside down.

Train rides
Amusement park railroads have had a long and varied history in American
amusement parks as well as overseas. Some of the earliest park trains were not really
trains; they were trolleys, which brought park patrons to the parks on regular rail lines
from the cities to the end of the rail lines where the parks were located. As such, some
older parks, such as Kennywood in Pennsylvania, were referred to as trolley parks. The
earliest park trains that only operated on lines within the park's boundaries, such as the
one on the Zephyr Railroad in Dorney Park, were mostly custom-built. Also, amusement
park railroads tend to be narrow gauge, meaning the space between their rails is
smaller than that of 4 ft 8 12 in(1,435 mm) standard gauge railroads. Some specific

narrow gauges that are common on amusement park railroads are 3 ft (914 mm)
gauge,2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge, and 2 ft (610 mm) gauge.
Past and present manufacturers include:

Allan Herschell Company

Brookville Equipment Corporation

Cagney Brothers

Chance Rides

Crown Metal Products

Custom Fabricators

Custom Locomotives

Doppelmayr Garaventa Group

Miniature Train Co. (MTC)

National Amusement Devices Co. (NAD)

Ottaway

Sandley

Severn Lamb

Tampa Metal Products

Train Rides Unlimited

Water rides
Amusement parks with water resources generally feature a few water rides, such
as the log flume, bumper boats, rapids and rowing boats. Such rides are usually gentler
and shorter than roller coasters and many are suitable for all ages. Water rides are
especially popular on hot days.
Dark rides
Overlapping with both train rides and water rides, dark rides are enclosed
attractions in which patrons travel in guided vehicles along a predetermined path,
through an array of illuminated scenes which may include lighting effects, animation,
music and recorded dialogue, and other special effects,.

Ferris wheels
Ferris wheels are the most common type of amusement ride at state fairs in the US.
Transport rides
Transport rides are used to take large numbers of guests from one area to
another, as an alternative to walking, especially for parks that are large or separated
into distant areas. Transport rides include chairlifts, monorails, aerial trams, and
escalators.
Ocean Park Hong Kong is well known for its 1.5-kilometre (0.9 mi) cable car
connecting the Lowland and Headland areas of the park, and for having the world's
second longest outdoor escalator in the Head land. Both transportation links providing
scenic views of the park's hilly surroundings and, while originally intended for practicality
rather than thrills or enjoyment, have become significant park attractions in their own
right.