10 Theme Parks For True Daredevils

Theme parks can offer attractions for the whole family; there are kid-friendly places like Disney… and then there are the more extreme spots.

For decades, people have been enjoying the sights, sounds, food, and fun at these destinations, and today, we are going to be suggesting the ones with record-breaking rides not meant for the faint of heart.

From the tallest and fastest roller coasters to acres and acres filled with one-of-a-kind rides, these are 10 theme parks that can be found in cities all over the world and that were created for true daredevils!

10 10. Cedar Point In Sandusky, Ohio

Regarded as "America's Roller Coast", Cedar Point is the second-oldest theme park in the country, behind Lake Compounce in Connecticut. It has 72 rides, 17 of them are roller coasters (only Six Flags Magic Mountain has more than this!), and six of those are taller than 200 feet. This place has been called the Best Amusement Park in the World by Amusement Today 16 times, with rides like the following: Corkscrew (was the first with three inversions), Magnum XL-200 (was the tallest and fastest when it opened), Millennium Force (the coaster that was the tallest, fastest and steepest in the world) and Wicked Twister (is the tallest and fastest inverted one in the world).

9 9. Holiday World In Santa Claus, Indiana

Holiday World & Splashin' Safari is a theme and water park in Santa Claus, Indiana; as the name suggests, the park is centered around holidays, with sections focusing on the Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. There is something for everyone here - including the two longest water coasters in the world and three wooden coasters, which are themed around "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving and the Pilgrims coming over on the Mayflower. No other theme park on the planet has been given more Golden Ticket Awards (from Amusement Today) than Holiday World has.

8 8. The Stratosphere In Las Vegas, Nevada

The Stratosphere Las Vegas does feature a hotel, a casino, and a tower, but there are four rides, too, that have set world records when it comes to thrill rides: Big Shot (was the highest in the world), Insanity (is the third highest in the world), X-Scream (is the fourth highest in the world), as well as SkyJump Las Vegas, which is like bungee jumping. Insanity puts people out over this tall tower and then spins them around at 40 mph, and just know that once, this ride got stuck, and people were left up there, over the Vegas Strip, for 80 minutes!

7 7. Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park In Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park used to be all about cave tours, but now, there are several attractions here. Located atop the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, this destination has notable things to try like a Haunted Mine Drop with the first underground drop found on a drop tower, the first alpine coaster in the nation and the Giant Canyon Swing.

This last ride, which USAToday called one of the most extreme, goes up to 50 mph and is on a cliff that is 1,300 feet above the Colorado River; it's even too much for the owner, who only rode it when Good Morning America visited the park!

6 6. PortAventura World In Catalonia, Spain

This place is home to PortAventura Park, Ferrari Land, and Caribe Aquatic Park. Two rides worth mentioning here are Dragon Khan and Shambhala. Dragon Khan has eight inversions, meaning it used to be the coaster with the most inversions and with the tallest vertical loop. Shambhala is a hypercoaster that has set some records, as well, as it was the fastest, the tallest and the one with the longest drop out of all the roller coasters in Europe - but Ferrari Land’s Red Force passed it as the tallest and fastest! The water park also features the tallest free fall slide in the country.

5 5. Fuji-Q Highland In Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan

Japan’s Fuji-Q Highland has roller coasters that were truly built for daredevils. There is Fujiyama, which used to be the tallest in the world. There is Do-Dodonpa, which used to be the fastest in the world. There is Eejanaika, which was the second fourth-dimension coaster to be created, meaning the seats in this ride can go around 360 degrees (the other is called X², and it can be found at Six Flags Magic Mountain). There is Takabisha, which is the steepest one on the planet. All of this and much more can be found at this theme park located at Mount Fuji!

4 4. La Feria Chapultepec Mágico In Mexico City, Mexico

La Feria Chapultepec Mágico, which was formerly operated by the government in Mexico, has several different rides and attractions, offering something for the whole family. For instance, there are animal sections, as well as a train with zero emissions - the first of its kind!

While this is all nice, the main aspects to be discussed right here and right now are, of course, the thrill rides. Let it be known that Montaña Rusa was once the tallest coaster in the world and that Montaña Infinitum was the first one to have three vertical loops, and they both can be enjoyed in Mexico City.

3 3. Liseberg In Gothenburg, Sweden

Next up is a theme park in Sweden that is called Liseberg. Here, guests can find Balder, which has been called the Best Wooden Tracked Roller Coaster on the planet. Another notable ride is Helix, which has two launches, seven inversions, and several airtime spots; it is the world’s second-longest coaster that features inversions. Valkyria opened recently in this park, too, and it is the longest dive coaster in Europe, as it drops 50 meters at 105 kph. Forbes magazine has also called Liseberg one of the top amusement parks out of all the ones that exist, so it definitely belongs on this list.

2 2. Dreamworld In Queensland, Australia

Dreamworld is a theme park and a zoo in Queensland, Australia. It has sections that are called Main Street, Tiger Island, Rocky Hollow, Town of Gold Rush, Dreamworld Corroboree, Rivertown, DreamWorks Experience, Wiggles World, and Ocean Parade. Some of these sections are targeted towards children, such as DreamWorks Experience, which has rides focused on films like Madagascar and Shrek. But then there are attractions like the Tower of Terror II. When this roller coaster opened, it was the tallest in the world, the fastest in the world and the first to get up to 100 mph in the world. Now, it is the fourth tallest and fourth fastest, which is still pretty exciting!

1 1. Six Flags Magic Mountain In Valencia, Santa Clarita, California

Near Los Angeles is this theme park, which became one of Six Flags’ in 1979. There are 18 roller coasters here - the most in any theme park! It has already been mentioned within this list several times, so it deserves its own entry. World-record holders found in this park include CraZanity (tallest pendulum ride), Tatsu (tallest, fastest and longest flying coaster and the biggest pretzel loop), X² (first fourth-dimension coaster), The Riddler's Revenge (tallest, longest and fastest stand-up coaster) and Superman: Escape from Krypton (one of the first to get up to 100 mph and the first to get up to 400 ft).

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