Located in Minnesota, this huge mall holds wonderful attractions such as, Nickelodeon Universe, LEGO Imagination Center and much, much More! Plus there are 20 sit-down restaurants and 30 fast food joints. There are roller coasters as far as the eye can see. Now tell me you wouldn't want to visit the Mall of America!

 

Nickelodeon Family Suites

Nickelodeon Family Suites is in Orlando, Florida. With basketball courts, water slides, pool complexes, and 777 suites who wouldn't want to stay here? There is even a 400 gallon dump tank at one of the pools so I hope you plan on getting wet! It is only a mile down the road from Disney World too! 24 marvelous acres of "round the clock fun!

 

Hershey Park

This wonderful and Chocolate-themed park is located in the well-known Hershey, Pennsylvania. With their newest added roller coaster, Fahrenheit®, this park truly is the Hottestof it"s kind! There are 11 awesome coasters in Hershey Park and lots more rides too! Altogether there are about 67 fun-filled rides!

 

Six Flags

Six Flags is a very well-known Amusement park all throughout America. There are tons of rides to choose from such as The Sky Coaster, Tony Hawk's Half Pipe, Tornado, and many more! The rides are rated by three thrill levels.

• Mild- Smaller children
• Moderate- Family Rides
• Max- Ultimate Thrill!

 

Carowinds

This park is conveniently located on the North Carolina-South Carolina Border Near Charlotte, NC. This Awesome Amusement Park is home to tons of neat thrill rides and Family rides. Some of the Roller Coasters include, Afterburn, Carolina Cyclone, Nighthawk, Vortex, and other thrill rides as well!

 

This is about the dolphin versus mouse or HKOP x HKDY. Nuh, nuh, nuh, nuh, no, this is not a review of a kung fu movie of two martial artists with two different fighting styles. Nor is this about a Japanese kaiju (giant monster) movie of two mutated beasts primed for a showdown in the middle of Tokyo. This is about which theme park in Hong Kong is the best, Hong Kong Ocean Park or Hong Kong Disneyland.

Hong Kong in My Heart

I love Hong Kong. Its streets have a slight scent of tea, and it has a very efficient mass transportation system. When I was single, it was about the shopping and the culinary delights. I was also able to walk the nature trails and play basketball with the locals there, both non-conventional activities for most visitors. When I became a dad, it was about time for me to visit Hong Kong's two most popular theme parks.

The Tale of the Tape

Let's compare the two like boxers. First off in the tale of the tape are the entrance fees. Hong Kong Ocean Park is cheaper than Hong Kong Disneyland at HKD208 per adult and HKD103 per child compared to HKD295 per adult and HKD210 per child. Second, being older and bigger, Hong Kong Ocean Park has more attractions than Hong Kong Disneyland. Both are continuously expanding though with more features. Third, Hong Kong Ocean Park is nearer than Hong Kong Disneyland to the main urban districts. This does not really matter though because the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) can get you to Hong Kong Disneyland in a jiffy.

Hong Kong Disneyland

Now, let's compare the two as a dad and a tourist. First off is the mouse. The mouse and its posse are world-famous. You are star-struck meeting them as well as seeing, in the middle of the park, that enchanting castle branded into every kid's brain aged one to 100. Some of the mouse's best features are the tea cup, jungle ferry and space mountain rides and that 3D movie theatre. The climax in the evening is undoubtedly the glorious fireworks, light-show and animation from the castle accompanied by well-loved Disney hits.

Hong Kong Ocean Park

Then, there is the dolphin. In the lowlands, one is treated to the pandas, balloon ride, kids' playground, dolphins and sea-lion and bird shows. Through cable car, in the scenic highlands are the aquariums for shark and various marine animals and the various theme park rides. The climax of one's visit is definitely the heart-warming and amazing dolphin and sea-lion show playing at two to three times a day.

The Preferences

Personally, I like Hong Kong Ocean Park because the animals are live and real, and there is a cause planted in one's head to take care of the environment and the animals in the planet. That really is a strong impact. Meanwhile, I cannot count out Hong Kong Disneyland. That castle alone in the grandeur of fireworks symbolize dreams coming true, and that goes along with the thought of how a spark like imagination can create an empire that is Disney. They are two powerful themes that can influence and surprise families going out just to have a good time in Hong Kong.

The Verdict

So as a dad with a three year-old princess, in dolphin versus mouse, which is the best? Actually, it does not really matter because I'm pretty sure, like my daughter; your kids are going to drag you to go to both of them! Really, they will even plead their eyes out if you skip one of them in your trip to Hong Kong. It's just like in a martial arts movie, after the final showdown between two fighters, it is the townspeople that are really the winners. Also similar in a kaiju movie after the city is levelled and the final confrontation between two giant beasts is over, it is man who is actually the winner. In dolphin versus mouse, it's the families, more especially the kids, who are the winners as they are treated to two different themes of wonder and imagination. This is not a play-it-safe-ending. Just look into your kids' eyes when you're out in Hong Kong Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland, and you'll know what I mean.

Runaway Train

A good ride to begin with is the Runaway Train. It is not the quickest ride but fast enough and 2 laps around the track will certainly get your adrenalin going. The camera is situated just before the tunnel and on the fastest part of the course.

Duel

This ride is like a ghost train but with a difference. After walking through a crooked room with an interesting interior you climb into a boat that seats 5 people. On these boats are laser guns with an electronic scoring system in front of you. With these guns you have to shoot as many yellow and green lights during the ride. When you strike these lights they turn red and your score goes up accordingly. The ride is very addictive, especially when egos are involved as to who gets the best score!

Nemesis

This has got to be my favorite ride. It is a roller coaster except you are seated underneath the track so that your legs are hanging in mid air. The ride is fast and your field of vision is constantly changing making it even more dramatic. You fly up a waterfall, just miss crashing into rocks then do a complete revolution and speed through a hole in a building. This ride must be done on the front row of the coaster to fully appreciate the drama.

Air

Air is similar to Nemesis except that while you are strapped in underneath the track you are in a horizontal position akin to Superman. The ride is smoother and more graceful than its counterpart. Although the ride isn't as fast as Nemesis you can take in your surroundings and also includes a full revolution.

Oblivion

Oblivion in my opinion is the worst ride, in that it provides the most adrenalin - so much so that I have only been on the ride once. I breathed so hard that my chest hurt for weeks afterwards and I have refused to go on it again.

The ride consists of a coaster of 2 rows of 8 seats. It climbs a steep incline and is the highest ride in the theme park. After the coaster has climbed the slope it moves around in an arch then perches on the edge of a sheer drop of about 300ft for about 5 seconds, until it drops you with the maximum amount of G-force that is legally acceptable without making you pass out and then back to the finishing bay.

Rita - Queen of Speed

Rita is the newest and fastest roller coaster in the theme park. Starting at breakneck speed it is a high adrenalin ride. The coaster is aptly a rally car that races around a track leaving you breathless and shaky.