Top 10 amusement parks outside Orlando

The Associated Press
Article Launched: 08/06/2007 09:49:24 AM PDT

NEEDHAM, Mass.—Can't get the family to an Orlando theme-park this year?

That's OK. TripAdvisor has come up with a list of the 10 best parks outside Orlando, based on popularity among TripAdvisor.com users and the Web site's editors.

The parks are:

-HersheyPark, Hershey, Pa., celebrating its centennial this year. When you're done riding the Storm Runner coaster, head for a tour of Hershey's Chocolate World, located nearby.

-Busch Gardens, Tampa, Fla., which has African-themed rides and landscaping, and a zoo with 2,700 animals.

-Cedar Point Amusement Park, Sandusky, Ohio, which calls itself the "roller coaster capital of the world," with 17 coasters.

-Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio, Texas, known for its entertaining shows in addition to rides like Scream and Poltergeist.

-Family Kingdom Amusement Park, Myrtle Beach, S.C., a combined oceanfront water park and amusement park.

-Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, N.J., known for thrill rides and a tiger exhibit, but with plenty for little kids to do as well.

-Paramount's Kings Island, Kings Island, Ohio, home to The Beast, the world's longest wooden roller coaster, and Face/Off, a face-to-face inverted coaster.

-Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort and Amusement Park, Gatlinburg, Tenn., where your visit starts with a scenic aerial tram ride up a mountain. Features include indoor skating, an alpine slide, a fun house, go-carts and a black bear habitat.

-Coney