News: Hersheypark voted No. 1 amusement park outside Orlando

Posted at 10:06 AM EDT (1406 GMT)

Aug. 14th, 2007 -- HERSHEY, PA — TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel community, recently announced the Top 10 amusement parks in the United States outside Orlando. Hersheypark is rated No. 1 on that list, with rankings based ontraveler popularity and assessments by TripAdvisor editors.

What sets the Top 10 parks apart is that they offer something for every kind of visitor, from family-friendly rides and shows, to great food and games, to thrilling rides and coasters.

"These amusement parks feature much more than cotton candy and carousels," said Michele Perry, director of communications for TripAdvisor. "Travelers like thrills but not spills – TripAdvisor reviews were littered with comments about the importance of amusement park cleanliness."

Here’s the assessment of Hersheyparkin a release issued by TripAdvisor earlier this month:

#1. Chocolate Champion. Hersheypark, Hershey, Pennsylvania: Celebrating its 100th anniversary, Hersheypark is about as sweet as it gets for amusement park connoisseurs. This gigantic park features more than 60 rides and attractions, live shows, games, a museum chronicling Hershey history and of course, gobs of chocolate. For roller-coaster fans, the "Storm Runner" (0-72 mph in 2 seconds flat), "Superdooperlooper" and "The Comet" are must rides. As one TripAdvisor member said, "What is so great about Hershey? There is something for         everyone."

Other parks in the Top 10 were Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL; Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH; Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, TX; Family Kingdom Amusement Park in Myrtle Beach, SC; Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ; Kings Island in Kings Mills, OH; Ober Gaitlinburg Ski Resort and Amusement Park in Gaitlinburg, TN; Coney Island Park in Coney Island, NY; and Carowinds in Charlotte, NC. 

TripAdvisor-branded sites feature real advice from real travelers. The sites boast more than 20 million monthly visitors, 6 million registered members and 10 million reviews and opinions.

For more information on the TripAdvisor survey, visit www.tripadvisor.com. For more information on Hersheypark, which this year is celebrating its Centennial season with the opening of The Boardwalk at Hersheypark, visit www.hersheypark.comor call 1-800-HERSHEY.