World Book Trivia Challenge Advanced--2/20--amusement Parks

Amusement parks developed in the United States in the late 1800's. One of the earliest types was the trolley park. Railways built these at the end of their lines to encourage the weekend use of trolleys.

Today, theme parks have replaced many traditional amusement parks. They are organized around such themes as local historical events, pioneer life, and wildlife. The first theme park, Disneyland, opened in 1955 in Anaheim, California.

Parks based on historical themes often have museumlike exhibitions. For example, Flambards, at Helston in Cornwall, England, has an authentic life-size Victorian village with real shops, a World War II city street with all the atmosphere of an air raid, and an airpark with helicopters and airplanes on display. At Bendigo and Ballarat, both in the Australian state of Victoria, visitors can wander through the streets of gold rush towns of the 1850's and take an underground trip through a gold min

In 1971, the company opened Walt Disney World Resort, near Orlando, Florida. Near this theme park is Disney's futuristic Epcot (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow), on Lake Buena Vista. It opened in 1982. In 1983, the Walt Disney organization opened Tokyo Disneyland, the first Disney theme park outside the United States. Disneyland Paris Theme Park (now Disneyland Resort Paris), the first Disney park in Europe, opened in 1992 in the Paris suburb of Marne-la-Vallee.

The merry-go-round is the oldest amusement ride still in use. The first known American merry-go-round was set up in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1799.

Kerzner, Sol, a South African businessman and entrepreneur, became recognized as the father of the African resort and tourism industry. In 1982, Sun International launched Sun City, a resort 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Johannesburg, South Africa, which soon became famous for its hotels and casinos, its golf course, and the Lost City theme park.

In an amusement park, customers must pay for each game, ride, or other entertainment separately. In a theme park, customers usually make a single payment to enter, and then they can enjoy all the rides without further charge.

The most exciting and scary rides are known as thrill rides or white-knuckle rides. Many rides reflect the themes of the parks.

Carnivals developed from traditional festivals in Europe dating back hundreds of years. The traveling carnival in America began in the late 1800's as a result of improved transportation and technology.

The earliest known kinds of roller coasters were ice-covered wooden slides built in Russia in the 1400's. The first American roller coaster was built at Coney Island in New York City in 1884.