What's New in Theme Parks This Summer

Here's our definition of the perfect summer day: a nonstop marathon of thrill rides and goofy attractions, interrupted only by the occasional partaking of something fried or sweet (or, even better, something fried and sweet).

In other words, we're suckers for theme parks.

Fortunately, the theme-park industry keeps giving us excuses to head out for a day of fun, as new parks open and established ones add major rides and attractions. It all helps to explain why even in a struggling economy, park attendance rose 2.5% in 2007, according to the TEA/ERA Attraction Attendance annual report. In terms of raw numbers, that translates into 122.8 million visitors to the top 20 North American parks alone. That's a lot of funnel cakes.

With that in mind, here are some highlights of what's new and noteworthy on the theme-park scene this summer: ...