Fun Family Day Out (American Adventure Theme Park)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	American Adventure Theme Park
Date:	28/03/04 (1079 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: No queues, Some great rides, Not too expensive

Disadvantages: Not much to tempt the frequent visitor, Skycoaster costs extra, Quite remote

Often overlooked in comparison to theme parks such as Alton Towers and Camelot, the American Adventure in Derby is one of the most enjoyable theme parks in the North. Reasonably cheap at around £15 for an adult and £13 for a child, and even less with a season pass, my Dad enjoys taking me and my brothers here on a fortnightly basis. We enjoy it too for the first three outings, but then it becomes quite a chore; however I shall endeavour to keep this review free of loathing.

The American Adventure is, obviously, based on something of a Western theme however this has largely faded over the years. The rides and attractions are all situated around a vast lake, and while a section of the park is very distinctly based on the saloon and home-on-the-range motif, the rollercoasters slightly break the illusion. There are also some repetitive and historically inaccurate Mount Rushmore heads in the distance.

There are also never any queues.

In terms of the rides, there are several noteable examples that fall into the following intelligent categories:


ADRENALIN& #69; JUNKIES:


- The most impressive 'ride' greets visitors as soon as they enter, and is called SKYCOASTER . Apparently the tallest ride of its kind in Europe, this involves up to three people being harnessed and secured together and hoisted 200 feet into the air for a face-first freefall! Certainly not a ride for those with a heart condition, it even unnerves me when I see the tiny peoples' faces shrinking into obscurity and I've been on it at least thirty times. The problem with Skycoaster is that it costs extra; £15 for one fly, which means either splitting the cost between two or three people, or having some solo action. r>
- The only truly enjoyable rollercoaster has existed at the park for over fifteen years and is called THE MISSILE. A quite basic track takes riders upside down and twisting before reaching the far side and doing it again in reverse. No impossibly high drops to terrify people like Blackpool's Pepsi Max 'Big One,' but it's a fun and consistent ride that can easily be enjoyed throughout the day.

- TWIN LOOPER has now been painted yellow to tie in to the park's 'JCB World' attraction, but is still a lot of fun. Another simple rollercoaster, this one features two consecutive loop-de-loops and then is pretty boring for about two minutes.

- SKY BOUNCER isn't really a ride, more a set of trampolines that you have to be tied up to bounce on. The enjoyment of this high-bouncing pull-fest really does hinge on the staff's experience as straps that are too loose can cause back ache, while straps that are too tight could severely damage my chances of ever conceiving children.

- No park would be complete without a LOG FLUME, and the three-drop American Adventure version is by far the best I have been on. In my youth it was promoted as 'the tallest log flume in Europe' but I don't see that mentioned so much nowadays. There are also RIVER RAPIDS on which people still defeat the point and wear plastic overalls to protect their clothes; I feel my Dad's hostility.


AHH, THAT'S NICE:


- One of the main features of the park is its LIVE SHOW, which occur three times a day. People hired either for
their acting talent or their horse-riding ability - and certainly not a mixture of both - carry out quite a silly tale involving exploding barrels, jumping sound effects and a redneck man who cals his mother "Ma" a lot. Good to see the first time, but after that it loses its charm and is the same for the rest of the year.

- The 3D CINEMA is a feature of many places and as long as you don't mind it being the same every time then you should be happy. There's a more aggressive MOTION MASTER that throws riders around in their seats which is more fun.

- The BALLOON RIDE, or Beep-Beep, is a relaxing ride that basically consists of sitting in pretend hot air balloons that spin on an axis. Still, it's better than the deadly boring Wagon-train Big Wheel (I think they were going for the 'Wagon Wheel' joke but I'm not going to give them the satisfaction).


I must also complement the park on its staff; much more easy-going and friendly than the average worker at Alton Towers, my Dad developed such close friendships with those working on Skycoaster that he negotiated a deal whereby he would pay for two 'flies' and receive a third later in the day for free. Those people you see on Claims adverts demanding all the money possible; that is my father. And of course some of the less communicative staff earn themselves nicknames.

The American Adventure's 2004 season begins next Saturday, and my father already has the season tickets. I'd recommend this park to anyone who regularly visits Alton Towers, however be sure not to over-do it. Right Dad.

Information on tickets and location can be found at www.americanadventure.co.uk