Story Land Review, New Hampshire Theme Park | World's Best Children's Park?

[@gerarddip]

New Hampshire man here. Me and the family have been coming here most years since I was roughly the size of two footballs. The atmosphere is very laid-back, and I have great nostalgia and genuine appreciation for the fun this place has to offer. Still love the loopy lab.

[@CanobieCoaster]

It's an amazing park to grow up with.

[@RandallFPS]

The vintage footage of you at StoryLand put tears in my eyes because I remember going there in 99 too! Was a few years younger than you but still remember the times of VHS before social media, idk why but I just feel happy and sad seing the old footage.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I'm glad my parents kept that footage.

[@xyzzymeme5328]

Im glad to see that storyland is in great condition. It brings back great memories seeing imagery of the park

[@CanobieCoaster]

I'm glad the new chain hasn't ruined the magic.

[@Lucky_9705]

This place was my childhood. Polar Coaster was one of my very first credits.

[@CanobieCoaster]

It was one of mine too.

[@xyzzymeme5328]

Same here

[@pixelythegamer3260]

Fun fact: during my first and only visit to storyland in 2017, I actually remember being on the storyland queen before it was removed.

[@CanobieCoaster]

It only closed recently.

[@pixelythegamer3260]

@@CanobieCoaster I’m glad I experienced it

[@xyzzymeme5328]

Wait its gone? Thats so sad

[@pixelythegamer3260]

@@xyzzymeme5328 yep, I'm not sure why they removed it.

[@clarkcant]

Parking is no longer free; only the larger auxiliary lot across the street is. Rides and attractions continue to fall into disarray, with some like the pirate ship being out of commission for most of the summer for many consecutive years. The animals have all been removed. Instead of replacing the animal area of the park with functional attractions, the Spanish-based conglomerate that runs the park opted to keep that area and fill it with plastic animals.

[@cuddles669]

I remember going there in 1964. I was just a little kid

[@CanobieCoaster]

Nice!

[@MattMcIrvin]

The genius of this place for parents is that though it's a kiddie park, aside from one tiny piece of what amounts to playground equipment, I think it has NO "kiddie rides" per se--just gentle family rides (and one not-so-gentle one, but there are plenty that are fine for the little ones). You can go on them with your kid! Sharing that experience is special. The standout rides if you're not a little kid are Roar-O-Saurus and, in my opinion, the Splash Battle, which is just great anarchic fun on a hot day. My kid's single favorite attraction was the Loopy Lab area with all the ball-shooting gadgets, though even pre-pandemic I came away from that place wanting to swim in hand sanitizer.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I agree it's amazing how parents can take part in the rides with their kids.

[@upsidedown_]

Damn that old footage mixed it looks emotional, you can tell this place means a lot for you

[@CanobieCoaster]

It does.

[@juliaberry920]

We are in this video! My kiddos are the third generation of kids in my family who have enjoyed StoryLand as children. It’s such a magical place!

[@CanobieCoaster]

Nice!

[@crittah74]

My dad lives in Glen & I have visited the White Mountains since high school in the 80s. Because I first visited the area as a teenager, I never thought to step foot in Story Land. Your video shed new light on a place I unfairly ignored. I think I will change that next time I visit dear old Dad if only to ride Roar-O-Saurus. Maybe I can even get Dad on it with me! The White Mountains have some breathtaking areas, great outdoor opportunities and many creative & unique residents. Even if you don't want to go out in nature, there are some stunning drives around that area that offer gorgeous scenery. It really is a lovely area and I love visiting.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I agree the area is amazing for hiking as well.

[@DreamsmasherDowland]

THANK YOU FOR SHOWING VOYAGE TO THE MOON!! I was born in '99 so i always wondered what that random cart was that is outside the Loopy Lab! That looked like fun!!

[@CanobieCoaster]

I wish I rode it.

[@Noobulas673]

I’m going there on July 5 this was was really helpful! I went on the Dino coaster in 2015 and I don’t remember anything not even a Park so I’m excited to see it again after all this time❤!

[@CanobieCoaster]

Enjoy!

[@mitchellries256]

If I have kids one day, I hope they'll love amusement parks just as much as or even more than I do because I'd love to take them here along with other kids parks I wouldn't feel comfortable visiting without them like Santa's Village, Dutch Wonderland, Legoland, Sesame Place and Quassy just to name a few.

[@CanobieCoaster]

One tip for a park like Story Land if you don't have kids is to visit during an enthusiast event like Coasting for Kids

[@brianamcbride-drayton4831]

My daughter is only 3 and has had the same love for amusement parks/rides that I do since she was 1 (she has always been freakishly tall for her age and has been able to get on most kiddie rides since she was 1). I can’t wait to take her back somewhere because she is now 42 inches tall and can get on so much more now! She was very disappointed to find out she wasn’t tall enough for the bigger slides at great wolf lodge but now she is tall enough for most of them.

[@StamfordBridge]

Can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something odd about the way those horses gallop. 0:07 Great review. It really feels like a love letter to the park.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Thanks! The levitating horses are magical.

[@gerarddip]

They used to be real horses, but due to the upkeep they got replaced by internal combustion engine horses, and later electric horses.

[@joehabeeb3462]

I remember riding on the ride when the horses were real then later the noisy gas motors😊

[@mostly.coasters]

6 minutes in and I'm sold. Looks like a wonderful park.

[@CanobieCoaster]

It is!

[@War-Politics]

I went here when I was younger, around in 2000s! Those throwback films hit me hard. Thank you for a great video!

[@CanobieCoaster]

You're welcome!

[@maxhagenauer24]

The reason to go is for that airtime machine. Other than ejector O Souris, they have a solid junior/family ride. I would hit this place if I'm in the area for sure, it's a cute little fun place.

[@CanobieCoaster]

It's a park that's better if you love theming.

[@coasterhockygamingboy9549]

I’d definitely make a pit stop here for Roar O Sauras but appreciate the whole park.

[@WCfanboy]

have a house less than 10 minutes from here, so grateful! I have a lot of great memories here as a young kid as well.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Nice!

[@Superstrike_11]

Great times were had here! I still have a picture of my father and I going down the bamboo chutes hanging over my desk...it was 2018, and our final trip. My other three siblings were "too old/cool" for it, so my dad and I went as just the two of us for a final romp. We used to go as a family every year on his birthday.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Nice!

[@thecousinsgottalent32]

i used to go when i was 6, now 12 and going for my 13 birthday. i remember everything

[@CanobieCoaster]

Nice!

[@elevatoralarmcoasterandarc1214]

Hey, Canobie Coaster! Do you have any retro footage of Black Widow at Six Flags New England?

[@CanobieCoaster]

Unfortunately, I do not. Menachem Piekarski does though.

[@ladyanime100]

I remember that park I went there in the 90s. It was so much fun

[@CanobieCoaster]

It's a great park still for kids.

[@WeWereInvertedVideo]

Thanks for this awesome review. When I was a kid, we grew up 30 minutes away from a park called Enchanted Forest, located in Ellicott City, Maryland. It was very similar to Storybook Land in New Jersey and Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Enchanted Forest, however, didn't have much in the way of rides. There were several, like a boat ride, safari ride, and an indoor boat dark ride. The rest were similar to the walk up attractions at Storybook Land and even Great Escape. Sadly, Enchanted Forest has been long gone, although many of the buildings were removed and relocated/refurbished at a farm in the area. Anyhow, after visiting Great Escape in 2019 for the first time and Storybook Land in 2020 for the first time, I've been wanting to visit other smaller kids parks like Story Land here. Sure, I'd get a couple of coaster credits and from what it sounds, an amazing one in Roar-O-Saurus. But being taken back to my childhood at Great Escape and Storybook Land was awesome. I really need to venture up north and try this park out as well as Canobie Lake Park. Hopefully in 2022.

[@CanobieCoaster]

You're welcome! Enchanted Forest sounds like a cool park.

[@MattMcIrvin]

The one of these I went to as a kid was Story Book Land in Woodbridge, Virginia. It's long gone and never did evolve much beyond the simple nursery-rhyme walk-up attractions.

[@BoulderDashBoy]

Great video! I recently bought the palace entertainment pass from lake compounce. You mentioned and according to the pass it has "summer admission" to all sister parks. I tried to figure out what this means but I don't know if this means you can visit parks after Labor day? Do you know if this includes storyland fall weekend days? Thanks

[@CanobieCoaster]

Their haunted houses sometimes aren't included, so I suspect that's what the admission bit means. For example, my season pass used to get me rides at Lake Compounce's Halloween event, but the Graveyard haunt was extra.

[@themeparksandme]

Canobie Coaster, What's your take on Story Land closing Oceans Of Fun to open Moo Lagoon next year?

[@CanobieCoaster]

I'm sort of indifferent to that area being refreshed. I'm not really the target audience for it.

[@themeparksandme]

@CanobieCoaster Well, yes I know that you're not the target audience. I just wasn't sure if you had any sort of nostalgic ties to the area and/or if you viewed it as a worthy investment for the park as a whole?

[@myopnonmusic5525]

I live in an area thats hours and hours away from this park, so this place was definitly disneyland for me, it was massive to me

[@CanobieCoaster]

Same to me growing up.

[@linkat77]

So strange...my family opened a bakery that was right across from the Storybrook Inn...back in the 70’s and my best friend growing up ..was Cinderella at Storyland...great to see it is still open and enjoyed by families.....thanks for the memories.....

[@CanobieCoaster]

You're welcome!

[@Kirabetas]

The nostalgia is potent here. It's a good kind of nostalgia, though. I remember loving Voyage to the Moon, it was their best ride. I still went with my mom and younger sisters up until the first year after Voyage to the Moon closed, due to a combination of getting older, and finding out my favorite ride there closed.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I wish they still had a dark ride.

[@Kirabetas]

Yeah, I still think it would've been fun for kids. However, the sheer amount of moving parts inside it must've been a nightmare to maintain.

[@OklahomaCoasterFan]

I love how you included the home videos from when you were a kid. That Palace Entertainment platinum pass is tempting, as I could maybe plan a trip around mostly their parks. I know that Kennywood, Idlewild, Lake Compounce, Story Land, & Dutch Wonderland are included. I can't find anywhere that says all the parks that are included. Are there any others of note?

[@CanobieCoaster]

They have some decent water parks too.

[@NathanielSnow]

Roar was so much fun!

[@CanobieCoaster]

Love that ride.

[@coasterhockygamingboy9549]

For a non-local, teen, enthusiast visiting this park arriving in the middle of the day (12-2pm) who came here for mainly Roar O Sauras but wants to enjoy the rest of the park, what is the best ride scheduele?

[@CanobieCoaster]

One possible wrinkle that occurred in 2021 was that the back half not only opened late, but it closed for an hour for a lunch break. Assuming that doesn't happen, I'd take a ride on Polar Coaster, get your laps on Roar-O-Saurus, and if you have extra time try Dr. Geyser’s.

[@manofadventure2000]

Voyage to the moon was so great as a little kid, so amazing too bad it's not still around.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I wish it were still there.

[@shoopidly5249]

Every once in a while I end up in the coaster side of KZbin. You have no idea how deloghted i was for this to pop up on my recommendations. I went to Storyland every year from age 2 to probably about 12, went to Nostalgia Night when I turned 21 in 2021, and I'm so excited to start taking my son when he turns 2 in a few years. Twirling Turtles managed to mess with my mom one time that she could barely walk after. The Flying Fish were always my least favorite. The Mine is a hidden treasure. The Queen and the Pirate interraction on the water was always fun. The Flying Shoes was my dad's favorite and he went when he was little too. At Nostalgia Night, it was so interesting to see what had changed. I missed the Whirling Whales and didn't get to try Dinocoaster, but Dr. Gyser and Bamboo Shoots were as great as ever. Little Old Lady in the shoe stripped my dad of his sticker bc he called her Mother Hubbard. Every ride tells you to give a big thumbs down if you want off at any point, so my family gave the camera operator on Bamboo Chutes at nostalgia night the thumbs down and she just helplessly shrugged.

[@CanobieCoaster]

The thumbs down makes sense for the flat rides, but it's harder on the rides will more expansive layouts.

[@nsponenberg]

Dude... That cannon scared me to death when I went when I was like 5 or 6 (1990 or 91) so I feel you.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I'm sure we weren't the only ones.

[@MamalovesJesus603]

Grew up going here and Santa's village so fun

[@CanobieCoaster]

Love both parks.

[@Vibin_with_my_gnomes]

Also my great aunt used to be the old lady in the shoe

[@CanobieCoaster]

That's cool!

[@resulkesmez3822]

Where is the story land in NH. I’m foreigner so ı don’t know the name of area where stroy land is. I mean that ın which part of NH .And what is the name of this part. I need to know 😊

[@CanobieCoaster]

In the White Mountains.

[@resulkesmez3822]

@@CanobieCoasterthank you 😊

[@nsponenberg]

I took my daughter when she was 4 in 2018. I camped next door to the park with two other families with similar aged kids. I have a lot of memories there myself. We took her as a "Disney World Proving Ground". Unfortunately, she was too young for Roar-O-Saurus and took scared of Polar Coaster, but I thought Roar-O-Saurus was AWESOME. A nice feature we took advantage of was the Cinderella Tea Party, which is basically the kids having some juice boxes and a cookie while Cinderella interacts with them and then reads them a story. But the coolest part was Cinderella then going on the Cuckoo Glockenspiel with the kids. That's something truly unique to a park like this: a character meet and greet followed by a ride with the character? Unheard of at Disney. And at the end of the day, when my daughter met all the characters at the dance party, Cinderella even remembered her name. All-in-all, a great experience for our family.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I know some coworkers who have told their kids this park is Disney!

[@piperian3962]

I just went there last week and I’m surprised you didn’t mention the chapel.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Hope you had a good visit!

[@SkyrushFanboy]

This park reminds me of what idlewild (my home park) used to be 10 years ago and still should be today lol

[@CanobieCoaster]

I was definitely let down by Idlewild when I visited a few years ago since I was expecting Story Land.

[@nathanbishop5614]

When I was little, my entire family was ejected from Storyland one day because I was in the ball pit and kept throwing the plastic balls at people

[@CanobieCoaster]

Oh my!

[@WCfanboy]

Funnily enough on my latest visit, I found that polar coaster’s midcourse is likely not programmed in as a block zone, because as we were about to crest the lift we stopped, and I turned around and saw that for some reason, the prior train hadn’t advanced to the brakerun.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Interesting

[@elizabethmones594]

So many memories

[@CanobieCoaster]

Same!

[@coasterhockygamingboy9549]

Parques Reunidos operates so many random parks around the world.

[@CanobieCoaster]

And they don't have a consistent feel either.

[@jordanberndt4157]

Hey CC, Have you ever thought of making a video ranking the best children's parks you've been too?

[@CanobieCoaster]

I've thought about it, but it's a tricky one. Story Land is a park I have the most experience with since I have visited both as the perspective as a kid and an adult.

[@TheWolfXCIX]

@@CanobieCoaster I feel like you're still very qualified to make the list, and I'd want to see where chessington lands!

[@coasterhockygamingboy9549]

Was this Child Mike’s home park?

[@CanobieCoaster]

Mike? This, Santa's Village, and Canobie were annual trips for me.

[@coasterhockygamingboy9549]

That’s great NH has three great small parks.

[@newchannel-ro3yl]

Me bc im 11 and still LOVEEEE storyland and santas village and go to new hampshire every year JUST to go to those

[@CanobieCoaster]

Nice!

[@Joypyf]

So if we live near Chicago, you’d say this park is the best one for children in the country?

[@CanobieCoaster]

I think it's the best park for young kids. It may be hard to fly or drive a young kid this far though.

[@jacobqyv]

I was terrified of the talking treehouse

[@CanobieCoaster]

I loved it as a kid.

[@pianolover3711]

what about farm follies 😭? that was my favorite part about storyland when i was a kid

[@CanobieCoaster]

It's a cute show.

[@pixelythegamer3260]

I could see them getting a new dark ride by sally dark rides with higher capacity, and low maintenance cost.

[@CanobieCoaster]

That would be awesome.

[@pixelythegamer3260]

@@CanobieCoaster storyland desperately needs a new dark ride, either a reboot of voyage to the moon, or a new original one

[@eddistasio644]

I worked there for 9 years as ride operator I worked the flume dr geysers polar coaster and was on the opening year crew for roar o saurus

[@CanobieCoaster]

Whose idea was it for the whiteboard of lost objects by Roar-O-Saurus?

[@eddistasio644]

@@CanobieCoaster that wasnt there opening year it came after i left the park

[@sophiayates6485]

ive waited 1/2 hours just to get in the rora sorus but it was sooo fun

[@CanobieCoaster]

Worth it!

[@Adar512]

what coaster they should get next?

[@CanobieCoaster]

Something like Merlin's Mayhem would be a good fit and that seems to be popular at their sister park.

[@MattMcIrvin]

@@CanobieCoaster Assuming that they even need one at all! This isn't the kind of park that really needs to keep adding coasters, though if they're aiming to attract coaster fans, something like that would be nice.

[@chrisbenavides3176]

Love this place, but I like nearby Santa's Village even better

[@CanobieCoaster]

Both are great, but I prefer Story Land.

[@coasterhockygamingboy9549]

13:23 EXCUSE ME DID THEY JUST COPY THE LEGENDARY RIDE FROM THORPE PARK?

[@CanobieCoaster]

The name, yes.

[@coasterhockygamingboy9549]

6:14 Child Mike looks soooo cute

[@CanobieCoaster]

Do you mean Mike?

[@coasterhockygamingboy9549]

@@CanobieCoaster yes my bad

[@coasterhockygamingboy9549]

I’m so sorry that was the name I remembered from the live stream.

[@Vibin_with_my_gnomes]

I am going no this Sunday!!!

[@CanobieCoaster]

Enjoy!

[@clarkcant]

Parking is no longer free; only the larger auxiliary lot across the street is. Rides and attractions continue to fall into disarray, with some like the pirate ship being out of commission for most of the summer for many consecutive years. The animals have all been removed. Instead of replacing the animal area of the park with functional attractions, the Spanish-based conglomerate that runs the park opted to keep that area and fill it with plastic animals. The water play area has been replaced with a fully fledged water park that requires you to bring a full change of clothes, though people don't seem to mind doing this. I don't get that. The aforementioned water park also takes the space of one of the train stops, leaving just two stops for the entire park.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I heard about the animals and water park. I didn't know they made the lot on the same side of the street an upcharge. Did they make that preferred parking?

[@clarkcant]

@@CanobieCoaster yep. This means that all the "BMW types" park on that side, so when I visited last month I got there just after a major accident lol.

[@micoasters]

Maby with roar o saurus the ride opened more wild than the park thought

[@CanobieCoaster]

I think that's what happened.

[@dogocody8440]

Paultons park in the Uk is also very good for kids

[@CanobieCoaster]

That's another good one.

[@newenglandenthusiast3849]

One Got stuck on the pirate ship ride For almost an hour it got stuck on a high pile of dirt on a steaming hot summer day that was not fun

[@CanobieCoaster]

Yikes! Yeah that ride gets hot.

[@Chantheman475]

I’m going tomorrow

[@CanobieCoaster]

Have fun!

[@mateoalvira7826]

How many other fairytale themed parks do you know in the world?

[@CanobieCoaster]

Quite a few.

[@zollamark]

No hyperbole was lost on the making of this video

[@CanobieCoaster]

?

[@StamfordBridge]

Aw. What a shame that a kooky, unique dark ride gave way to a generic ball-shooting play area.

[@CanobieCoaster]

While I loved Loopy Lab as a kid, I wish that dark ride was still there.

[@HugeRMCFanBoY-bx3od]

I Feel Like Any Disney Park A Zoo Or Any Seaworld Entertainment Park Is Better But Eh

[@CanobieCoaster]

You can make the case. I lean towards this since it has less crowds and every ride is suited for the younger crowd.

[@Kidcorefrog-sillycore1]

Did u know that I made a water park

[@CanobieCoaster]

At Story Land?

[@Kidcorefrog-sillycore1]

Yeh

[@toastterrrr8957]

santas village is better imo

[@CanobieCoaster]

Both are great.

[@cliquet3scliquet3s96]

And I think in the Netherlands there is a park with similar theming.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Efteling?