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 Hesketh-

Fleetwood, 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 Mid-

America (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 "C-

tickets" 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 1–2 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 1⁄2 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.