Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is one of the best seaside parks in the world.
This California amusement park covers just 24 acres yet it features nearly 3 dozen rides.
This park has just 3 roller coasters, but they have a robust non-coaster lineup with a several
dark rides and some really fun flat rides. So in this video, I will Gs.
You’re plastered to the wall as the ride rises into the air. While it doesn’t go fully vertical,
you do have some fun visuals since the ride is on an elevated platform underneath the log flume.
14) Shockwave- This Zamperla disko offers the usually dizzying ride experience with some weak
weightlessness on the spikes. However, this one is plussed by two things. One, a flashy light package
that comes alive at night. Two, the ride is on the second level of the boardwalk, so you get a better
view looking down on the midway and beach. 13) Logger’s Revenge- This Arrow log flume
mostly takes place high above the ground and the sightlines of the ocean are fantastic.
Then you just one drop towards the end, but it’s a decent one and you
can get absolutely soaked with a full log. 12) Undertow- This Maurer spinning coaster
features the familiar SC2000 layout. On the bright side, this one offers some good views
of the boardwalk. On the downside, this one has several trim brakes that kill the ride’s speed
and spinning. So while this isn’t as intense as the others, it still has its moments. Namely
the first drop if you experience it backwards and the sideways stall on the horseshoe turn.
11) Sky Glider- This sky ride travels the length of the boardwalk, offering incredible views of
both the beach and the park’s attractions. Not only do you have the sights, but it’s an
efficient way to get about the park since you don’t have to navigate the cramped midway.
10) Fireball- This frisbee has a solid cycle. You get several pops of airtime on the max swings
while also getting some fun views of the adjacent Giant Dipper. Other frisbees are more intense,
but this is still one of the park’s better flats. 9) Ghost Blasters- This Sally dark ride is very
similar to the Cedar Fair Boo Blasters rides. I wish you had more complex sets and animatronics,
but most of the 2D targets you take aim at do work.
8) Rock-O-Plane- This classic Eyerly flat can be as tame or as wild as you please. I can flip so
often that the seatbelt causes bruises. If you use the lock, you can stay inverted for seconds
at a time. And then you can time the release to get your car flipping faster and more violently.
7) Typhoon- This ARM kamikaze is a hangtime machine. You get tons of hangtime on every
revolution. This one isn’t as heavy on the positive Gs as other models, but the good cycle
and abundance of hangtime more than compensates. 6) Double Shot- This 12 story tall S&S drop tower
packs a punch. The launches are tame, but both main ascents offer quick but
strong bursts of ejector airtime. And you also get arguably the best views
of the park and beach from atop the tower. 5) Cave Train Adventure- This quirky dark ride
is a lengthy ride that takes you past fun and busy sets. The ride has a cartoony feel to it,
but you’ll need to ride it a few times to take in everything that the cavemen and women are doing.
4) Haunted Castle- This Sally dark ride has some really nice effects. The physical sets are much
higher quality than you’d expect for a boardwalk park. And the ride has some clever use of screens
and air blasts to catch you off-guard as wel. 3) WipeOut- This Huss break dance is enclosed
in a building with lights and music. This takes an already dizzying flat and makes it
next level. If you throw your weight around properly, you can chain a few forceful spins
together which will cause you to lose all sense of direction amid the club like atmosphere.
2) Carousel- This classic Looff carousel is a beauty. It features wood-carved horses,
a pristinely maintained band organ, and most importantly a ring machine. The latter is what
really makes the ride special. It feels wrong to stand-up, reach out, and grab a ring nowadays, but
that’s exactly what you’re allowed to do. This one is a bit harder than the one at Knoebels since
the outside horses aren’t static; they also move up-and-down. And once you get the ring,
you get to throw it towards a clown’s mouth and a successful toss sounds an alarm.
1) Giant Dipper- This Prior & Church wood coaster is over 100 years old, but it’s one of the best
wood coasters in the country. This ride mixes some shocking airtime with some downright powerful
laterals. The turnarounds violently plaster you to the side of the train. Then if you’re in the back,
many drops will offer some really strong lifter airtime. The ride has a bit of a shuffle to it,
but the ride runs much smoother than you’d expect given this ride’s age. I have an entire review on
this coaster, but this ride is the main reason a coaster enthusiast should visit Santa Cruz.
So those are the top 15 rides and attractions at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. What are your
favorite rides here? Do you agree Giant Dipper is the best? Let me know down
below in the comments. If you enjoyed this countdown, I’d appreciate it if you gave
this video a like and you considered subscribing since there will be a lot
more roller coaster and amusement park videos here at Canobie Coaster. Thanks for watching!