Record-Breaking Theme Park Thrills

At 115 feet, Perilous Plunge at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, ranks as the country’s tallest water ride. But that’s not the scariest part of this flume ride. The drop measures an unbelievable 75-degree angle (only 15 more degrees, and this would be a straight vertical drop) Thanks to an eddy magnetic braking system, the splashdown isn’t as ferocious as one might expect, but there’s still no escaping a total drenching on the Perilous Plunge.

Kingda Ka—the pride of Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey—is the tallest roller coaster in the world; at 45 stories, or 456 feet at its highest point, the ride is taller than London’s famed Big Ben and only a few feet shorter than the Great Pyramid at Giza! Kingda Ka is also the fastest roller coaster in North America. Riders of Kingda Ka zoom from zero to 128 mph in just over three seconds on launch and then fly over camel humps, dip, turn, and finally come to a rest in what can only be described as a breathless 59 seconds.

The Scorpion’s Tail in Noah’s Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells is the first looping waterslide in the U.S. Riders step into a capsule-like entrance, an attendant closes the door, and then the floor drops out, plunging the rider down the long, curving tube. The stomach-lurching ride on the Scorpion’s Tail runs 400 feet over the course of five to seven seconds (exact time depends on the weight of the passengers—the heavier you are, the faster you fall) and includes a nearly vertical, coaster-style loop.

The Beast, at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, is America’s longest duration roller coaster. The record-breaking running time—4 minutes, 10 seconds—is about a minute and a half longer than most of its counterparts, steel or wood.

At a third of a mile long, the Wildebeest at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, ranks as the world’s longest water coaster.

Leap-the-Dips, in Lakemont Park, Altoona, Pennsylvania, is the oldest operating roller coaster in the world. Built in 1902, the coaster has a top operating speed of just 10 mph and a peak of 41 feet.

The title of “tallest free-fall waterslide” in the U.S. goes to Summit Plummet at Walt Disney World’s Blizzard Beach in Orlando. The ride plunges the brave down a 120-foot slide. That’s 12 stories, or twice the size of the presidential heads on Mount Rushmore. The ski-lift-themed Summit Plummet, complete with mounds of fake snow, makes you wonder if it’s really a smart idea to slide down the slopes in just your bathing suit. But don’t worry: The waters here are heated year-round to a bath-like 80 degrees.