My favorite non-coaster rides

While I do love to ride coasters when I go to amusement parks, there are other rides that compliment them that are also deserving of attention.  There are a vast number of different types of rides found at amusement parks, such as flat spinning rides, drop rides, water rides, and more.   A lot of these bring a unique flavor to each park which their coasters alone can't bring out.  Here are some of the non-coaster rides I've come across and would gladly jump in line for when given the chance.

Daredevil Falls- Dollywood- This is my favorite water ride I've done thus far.  Dollywood has a lot of great theming throughout the park as well as lots of great shows and arts and crafts for a little bit of everything for a wide demographic.  Most of the theming has to do with industries and happenings that go on in a mountain town such as Pigeon Forge, and Daredevil Falls brings that aspect out being themed to a riverside saw mill gone wrong.  Unlike Disney's Splash Mountain, Daredevil Falls doesn't throw Disney in your face through the entire ride.  Instead, it starts out drifting through a cave, but overall, a relaxing float through the woods.  Then the lift takes hold and the build up to the 66 ft drop is done very well.  The lift even overlooks the maw of wood that riders seem to plunge into with mists all around giving the ride a mysterious look.  

Dollywood Express- This isn't like most usual park trains you'll find.  First off, the engines used are legitimate steam engines that used to be in service at the beginning of the 20th century.  Most other parks have those smaller propane powered engines, but with Dollywood's, you get all the noise and soot off of a real steam locomotive.   Secondly, its perhaps one of the most scenic of any park train ride you'll find, with track winding up around the surrounding mountain sides with great views all around.  Did I mention the ride was a 5 mile loop?  So if you're at Dollywood and want a break from the action, the Dollywood Express is the place to go.

Huss Giant Frisbees- This ride is found at a lot of parks, but my experiences have been with Kings Island's Delirium and Cedar Point's MaXair.  The hugeness factor really make it a bit more graceful than what you'd expect from a ride that does what it does, the swinging coupled with the spinning motions.  And big is an understatement when you see this thing in action, swinging up to 137 ft at 67 mph.  The huge 50 person gondola spins at just the right speed where it isn't too dizzying.  Overall, a pretty neat experience.

Drop Towers- This is a pretty simple yet terrifying ride.  Hoist a bunch of guests to absurd heights and let gravity do the rest.  Drop Tower at Kings Island plays it out in that way, but with the added bonus of spinning the gondola for an extended view whilst being lifted to 300+ ft.  Cedar Point's Power Tower comes in two flavors for the drop fanatic.  Two of the towers have that typical drop, but with the added boost of air compressors which force it down faster than gravity.  The other pair do something a bit different.  Instead of dropping from the top, they take those same air compressors and launch riders from 0 to 50 in the blink of an eye straight up.  Overall, I tend to have a love/hate relationship with towers.  I hate the lift going up and the agonizing few seconds they like to hold you up there, but the adrenalin rush afterwards is a great payoff.  

Huss Top Spins- These are another set of thrilling spinning rides.  However, you better be ready to go upside down quite a lot as these steel arms all have different programs, some which have flips in rapid succession while others like to hold you upside down for a while.  The unpredictable nature of these rides help make them more thrilling as well.  One in particular, Kings Island's Crypt, better known as Tomb Raider The Ride, was perhaps the best of them during its prime.  I say that as when Cedar Fair acquired the park, they left it as a shell of its former self.  During they days as Tomb Raider, the ride was filled with the ancient theming that was on par with something you'd find at Universal Studios.  The program coupled with the visuals as well as a great soundtrack made it a pretty awe inspiring ride.  

ProSlide Tornados- I've been to a few water parks, but none of the other slides came up to snuff with what this funnel slide delivers.  The way the ride hashes out is pretty awesome as well.  You start on 4 person rafts which meander through a pitch black enclosed slide.  After a few twist and turns, a very steep drop breaks out into daylight as you rocket around the HUGE funnel, pitching nearly vertical at times with great air time as well.