Special · Theme parks

The theme-park special.

30 parks across Florida and the United States East Coast, from the four Disney gates and Epic Universe to Hersheypark, Six Flags Great Adventure, Busch Gardens Williamsburg and the last seaside amusement park in South Carolina. Each destination page gives the real season, opening hours, how many days the park needs, which queue passes are worth paying for and bookable tickets.

Orlando & Central Florida

The densest concentration of theme parks on earth: four Disney gates, three Universal gates including Epic Universe, SeaWorld and two water parks, all within 25 minutes of each other.

Orlando

Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld

· Magic Kingdom
· EPCOT
· Universal Studios
· Epic Universe
· SeaWorld Orlando

Season Open every day of the year

Orlando park guide & tickets →

Florida beyond Orlando

Busch Gardens Tampa, LEGOLAND and the Kennedy Space Center

· Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
· LEGOLAND Florida
· Peppa Pig Theme Park
· Rapids Water Park

Season All year; the water parks run roughly March to early November

Florida beyond Orlando park guide & tickets →

Miami

No theme park of its own — zoos, islands and the Everglades instead

· Zoo Miami
· Jungle Island
· Everglades airboats

Season All year; December to April is the dry, comfortable half

Miami park guide & tickets →

The Mid-Atlantic

Between Philadelphia and Virginia sit the two best-looking parks in the country and a string of boardwalk piers built over the sand: coasters at Hersheypark and Busch Gardens Williamsburg, family rides at Dutch Wonderland and Sesame Place.

Philadelphia

Hersheypark, Dorney Park, Dutch Wonderland and Sesame Place

· Hersheypark
· Dorney Park
· Dutch Wonderland
· Sesame Place Philadelphia

Season Hersheypark all year with a reduced winter park; Dorney and Dutch Wonderland roughly April to early January

Philadelphia park guide & tickets →

The Jersey Shore

Six Flags Great Adventure and the boardwalk piers

· Six Flags Great Adventure
· Hurricane Harbor
· Morey's Piers
· Steel Pier
· Casino Pier

Season Six Flags roughly April to early January; the boardwalk piers from late May to late September

The Jersey Shore park guide & tickets →

Baltimore & Annapolis

Six Flags America between Baltimore and Washington

· Six Flags America
· Hurricane Harbor Maryland

Season Roughly April to early November, with Halloween and holiday events at the end

Baltimore & Annapolis park guide & tickets →

Virginia Beach & Williamsburg

Busch Gardens Williamsburg and two water parks

· Busch Gardens Williamsburg
· Water Country USA
· Ocean Breeze Waterpark

Season Busch Gardens roughly March to early January; Water Country USA and Ocean Breeze late May to early September

Virginia Beach & Williamsburg park guide & tickets →

The South Atlantic coast

Myrtle Beach keeps the last seaside amusement park in South Carolina, plus the state's biggest water park and a 57-metre wheel on the boardwalk — the cheapest family park week on the eastern seaboard.

Myrtle Beach

Family Kingdom, Splashes, Myrtle Waves and the SkyWheel

· Family Kingdom
· Splashes Oceanfront
· Myrtle Waves
· SkyWheel Myrtle Beach

Season Roughly late March to early October, daily in summer and weekends either side

Myrtle Beach park guide & tickets →

Before you book a park date

· Most East Coast parks close midweek outside summer and shut entirely in midwinter — fix the park date before the hotel.
· Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Hersheypark and Six Flags America include their water parks in the same ticket. Pack swimwear.
· Afternoon thunderstorms are normal from June to September in Florida and the Carolinas: keep an indoor attraction in reserve.
· A US trip needs an ESTA applied for at least 72 hours before departure, and travel insurance that covers medical care — hospital costs are not capped.