Luna Park Review, Zamperla-Owned Amusement Park in Coney Island | New York's Best Amusement Park

[@CivilianSatellite]

Zamperla has done an excellent job bringing new life to Coney Island. The refurbishment of the Cyclone alone was worth the endeavor. Another cool convenience of the park is ease of getting there with public transportation if you don't want to deal with traffic or parking. There are two subway stations that go right up to Luna Park's doorsteps.

[@CanobieCoaster]

That's true you have the public transit option. I've done that twice from Manhattan, but it's a long subway ride and you still have to figure out how to get there.

[@CivilianSatellite]

@@CanobieCoaster That’s true that it is a pretty long subway ride from Midtown. I only bring it up as an option because driving on Long Island is the tenth circle of hell 🤣

[@EastCoasters]

This park is my hometown. Being from a badass hometown hood, the delight of a boardwalk amusement park right down the street was why we all had a good side to us. The Cyclone & ThunderBolt are a strong top 2. I love Coney Island 🥃

[@CanobieCoaster]

That top 2 is very good. I know not everyone loves Thunderbolt, but I'm glad you're another fan of it.

[@StamfordBridge]

Cheers for Luna Park. After decades of uncertainty, I finally feel Coney Island is in safe hands and isn’t likely to shut down any time soon.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Yes, Zamperla has done a very good job bringing stability and new rides.

[@airtimecinema65]

The park is worth visiting just for the cyclone, it just helps that zamperla is one of the more innovating manufacturers out there right now, so The supporting cast of coasters and flat rides is really solid!

[@CanobieCoaster]

I hope their next batch of thrill coasters are better received.

[@iamtinfamousxii9326]

Got to go once before, loved Cyclone and walked around Luna Park a bit. I love the inner-city carnival feel, yet the rides still look permanent. They did a great job. Excited for the future.

[@CanobieCoaster]

The place has a great atmosphere.

[@Coyotek4]

Summer of 2000 will always be dear to me ... I lived in Brooklyn and made numerous trips to Astroworld. Their flatrides always had incredibly long cycles (of particular note: the Musik Express that would run forwards-backwards-forwards-backwords and the Enterprise that would go up, come down, then go up again) ... and I simply cannot find a 'Breakdance' anymore, especially one where the DJ would warn "Here comes that wake-up call!" I love the modern-day Luna too, what with the coasters and other rides (I really like 'Endeavor'), but my heart belongs to Astroworld 2000.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I've only visited the park since it became Luna Park, but I heard Astroland had crazy cycles on their flats.

[@mkhanman12345]

Remember Dante's Inferno?

[@Chris6d]

There's a plot of land next to the Thunderbolt that would be ripe for the Double Heart coaster. The new log flume ride is being built on the southern portion of that plot, but the other two thirds of the plot is still open and ripe for new thrill rides!

[@CanobieCoaster]

I'd love seeing one there.

[@mkhanman12345]

Yea, walked past it yesterday. There is some good space there

[@OklahomaCoasterFan]

I've always been a bit confused about Coney Island and the setup and what parks are what, but you helped clear it up with your reviews. I never looked into it, because I felt they wouldn't be worth the headache of the traffic/parking/etc to go to them. But I'm now starting to change my mind on that. I should find a way to get out there eventually.

[@CanobieCoaster]

The traffic on the side roads isn't bad, but the highways can be awful if you don't time it well. Coney Island is worth the trouble.

[@FullThrills]

Do they still include the Sling Shot on the Extraordinary Wristband?

[@CanobieCoaster]

I believe they do.

[@mitchellries256]

Now I am even more excited to come here one year after watching this review. Before that, I was mostly looking forward to Splish Splash and the American Dream parks nearby.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I still need to get to Splish Splash myself.

[@jayminyoel7911]

Day wristbands aren’t on the website anymore, can you still get them in person?

[@CanobieCoaster]

I see the extraordinary wristbands on the website if you click the "Buy" tab.

[@jayminyoel7911]

@@CanobieCoaster They are for 4 hours only.

[@MamaShineyskye]

I love the look of the bungee jump in the night! Or shall I say parachute jump? 😏

[@CanobieCoaster]

It does look nice.

[@MamaShineyskye]

@@CanobieCoaster Yeah my daughter always says about it. She wants to know about it when she saw it she called a big red thing 😂

[@ctaco5112]

I was there with a friend today. It was a delight to spend the day there 👌 😊

[@CanobieCoaster]

Glad you liked it!

[@Thuggysmurf]

Notes from visit to Luna Park on Sunday June 5, 2022 at 6 pm: - Park was mobbed. Lots of people were in the park who hadn't paid for the wristband. - Queue line for Cyclone was full, spilling out onto the sidewalk. Didn't get to ride it. Every ride had long waits. Nothing was a walk-on. - Entire boardwalk had a pungent stench of marijuana. - Trash, needles, drug use, yelling, fighting, teenage girls twerking on the sidewalk, rap/hip-hop ghetto blasters competing with the equally loud salsa music, graffiti, broken car window glass in the baseball parking lot, etc. - Robust diversity. Not many families with a mother and a father present. There is a KZbin video called "1940s - Coney Island and Manhattan in Color". Wow. - Ate at Salt & Sizzle. It was okay quality for a boardwalk, but expensive. Couldn't hear each other talk though because of the loud and crappy live music playing. - Left early to make it back to the parking lot before sundown because my concealed carry license isn't respected by NY, and this was not a safe area to bring children without protection. I guess we visited on a bad day, but will be spending money at competing establishments going forward. Park at Owa was a more enjoyable Zamperla showcase park.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Wow I've only seen the park that busy on $5 wristband day.

[@fredflintlocks9445]

The city is actually working on that, the same development fund that allowed zamperla to redevelop luna park is quietly building "affordable housing" which is a euphemism for gentrifying the area aka its getting the downtown Brooklyn treatment which will be great for the future of the area!

[@coasterboss1654]

Is parking at the aquarium a viable strategy as well?

[@CanobieCoaster]

I haven't tried.

[@tnkBeatbox]

Nice content, as always

[@CanobieCoaster]

Thanks!

[@maxhagenauer24]

Idk if its really NY best amusement park, you also have Great Escape and Darien Lake. But it's a fun little place with a polarizing Zamperla Thunderbolt, a classic woodie, a Volare and many other attractions. Definitely worth the visit and would be the reason I get this close to downtown New York.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I easily take it over those 2 parks. Luna Park has such a unique atmosphere and great rides.

[@Spiderific]

@@CanobieCoaster I agree with you on that 👍

[@dytamic]

would Thunderbolt count as an in-house coaster?

[@CanobieCoaster]

In a way.

[@StamfordBridge]

I recommend the annual ACE event here. For one very low price you get unlimited rides at Luna and many rides at Deno’s. And ERT on the Cyclone.

[@CanobieCoaster]

That's awesome!

[@andyroman8223]

I hope Zamperla can put one of their double heart coasters here.

[@CanobieCoaster]

That would be great!

[@sampa2nyc]

That would be a great idea!

[@rc_cactus3363]

So Luna 360 looks like it’s rotating incredibly fast. Is that common?

[@CanobieCoaster]

This one is more intense than some of the others I've ridden.

[@rc_cactus3363]

@@CanobieCoaster dang. I’ve yet to ride a giant frisbee (always wanted to). But this one looks as intense as you describe!

[@wildboy1983]

International visit to USA for a theme park road trip... Luna Park or knoebels?

[@CanobieCoaster]

Knoebels. Better wood coaster, more unique atmosphere, deeper lineup, better food.

[@CaptainAlbatross]

While this does look kind of fun, do you happen to know why prices in the US are so extremely high? At least to my standard. Here in the Netherlands, we have De Efteling, of which every Dutchie knows it's expensive. However, it's still under 50 dollar, and that's for a full day. Awesome attractions, fantastic theming, theatershows, fantasy characters everywhere, huge park, one of the best theme parks in Europe probably. Luna Park, which dóes seem nice, is a parking lot filled with fair rides, without any theming whatsoever and charges 62 dollar for 4 hours. I recently looked up the prices for Disney World and i was in shock. Only Disneyland (no other theme parks, no parkhopping, no waterparks) would cost me 135 dollar. I do understand The Netherlands and America are different countries on different continents with their own financial systems, taxes and whatnot, but most things are priced roughly the same as far as i can tell. Would you happen to know why these themeparks are so incredibly expensive? Is it different per state? As Cedar Point for example doesn't look thát extreme.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Parks in touristy areas tend to be way higher around here. New York City and Orlando are two of those markets.

[@CaptainAlbatross]

@@CanobieCoaster I figured they were touristy areas indeed, but I never thought it would be this extreme :) Thanks for clearing that up!

[@JFrombaugh]

The way Luna Park is set up (i.e it’s not really a singular amusement park so much as the specific Coney Island rides in between streets that are owned under that name) can definitely be confusing for a first time visitor. I remember the guy at the ticket counter even went out of his way to make sure I understood that my wristband was NOT good for Deno’s Wonder Wheel or any other rides in that particular plaza, because apparently a LOT of people make that mistake!

[@CanobieCoaster]

The placement of Deno's is particularly confusing.

[@ScottyMania313]

Great way to spend a day when you are playing hooky from school or work with your friends. The Cyclone alone is worth the trip, but definitely get a wristband, maybe some Xans if you visit the Wonder Wheel. It's dope AF, but also freaky as s**. They still got the shoot paintballs at the clown freak game?

[@CanobieCoaster]

I think Shoot the Freak was removed.

[@kevinkruse7992]

T this is the best Coney Island has looking many many years very clean great rides the whole park is just a wonderful experience it's as good as amusement park as anyone I've ever been to Coney Island is back and it's doing great and it's clean and it's nice and it's fun to go

[@CanobieCoaster]

I'm glad Zamperla breathed new life into it.

[@denone5327]

Are you fighting off a cold? Hope you’re feeling better.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I've had the flu for the past week. I'm at the tail end of it.

[@davidfrischknecht8261]

When I go to Luna Park, I park at the Edison NJ Transit station and take the train and subway to the park.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Good tip, thanks!

[@NorCalCoasterMedia]

When I visited earlier in June, I was the only rider on Luna 360 lol

[@CanobieCoaster]

Wow!

[@saspurillie]

I always wondered why the rides were all zamparilla!

[@CanobieCoaster]

Makes sense when you see the owner.

[@michaeldunetz90]

And yes I agree that there needs to be a good Dark ride. Or several dark rides,

[@CanobieCoaster]

Thankfully the adjacent Deno's has a good one.

[@S1LLY_LE0_LOV3R]

This Is My 3rd Favorite In New York, Behind Great Escape At #2, And Six Flags Darien Lake At #1, And Also, Ride Of Steel Is The Best Coaster In New York, Do You Agree With Me?

[@CanobieCoaster]

It's my favorite park in the state.

[@Paolo8772]

While I admit I've never ridden Cyclone: There are only three cars per train, with each car featuring four extremely padded couch like seats. Each of those cars include four rows of what is what I'd call a sofa soft ride experience; which I'd consider to be a pro for this coaster. The con, however, can be seen by the fact that Cyclone at Luna Beach have trains that lack in being able to articulate the layout in a nuanced way for each car, since it each train only has three cars, each with four rows, which I find to be problematic, despite the sofa softness each seat provides. Also: more extreme coasters with the same name ("Cyclone") kept being built (almost as often as parks title coasters today with the name Goliath) and indeed there were three better coasters with the name The Cyclone AFTER The Cyclone at Luna Beach; each of which were built late 20s/early 30s with a different but also cloned layout; that featured over banked turns and trick track never yet experienced on a coster before. One in the state of New Jersey; one in the state of New York and another in Ontario Canada. The pros of those three coasters entitled "Cyclone" are: It was the best layout of its time and tried beating coasters of today, but's cons are that none of them exist anymore. On a personal note: My mom told me she rode the Coney Island Cyclone at Luna Beach in Brooklyn in NYC in NY it when she was a teenager in the late 50s and hoped it would end after the 1st drop, (because that's when she discovered coasters aren't exactly her thing) whereas my dad thought The Cyclone was the best coaster he'd ever ridden. He just turned 86 yesterday. As for me: I may have ridden about 100 roller coasters, but I still have yet to ride The Cyclone. When I visited family just over seven years ago in September 2014, my Aunt knew I had a love of roller coasters which was a latent love of mine at the time; I knew I had a love of roller coasters I'd forgotten I'd had, so she offered to take me there, not knowing that the park would be closed on weekdays after labour day, (which I also didn't know at the time but I also didn't care about at the time, as that's not why I visited) so we went to a pizza place instead. BTW It's not afectionatto; it's aficionado. Thanks for posting this awesome video! I intend to go back to this park to actually ride at least one ride!

[@CanobieCoaster]

The 4 bench cars on Cyclone are definitely odd. I think they track well enough and they're so well padded that any bump or lateral slam is still comfortable.

[@oblivieon1567]

You do know Viper at SFGA is a Cyclone Clone right? While not exactly the same experience it's basically the same layout. Cyclone at SFG and SFNE were also clones but have been RMC'd. Psyclone at MM was closed of course. So I think Viper is the last one at least in the US that I know of.

[@Paolo8772]

@@oblivieon1567 Yes, I know it's a "clone" with different trains and a different track profile. But it's not a clone like Batman or Superman are clones; the Cyclone clones are all by different manufacturers.

[@oblivieon1567]

@@Paolo8772 Yes I'm aware. I just wanted to mention it if you're in the Chicago area you could ride Viper which actually has been really well taken care of and is surprisingly great.

[@yamilctv3984]

Can you pay per ride at luna park rather than pay $62?

[@CanobieCoaster]

Before covid, yes.

[@isaackracl6633]

Imagine if they put their new hyper coaster in Luna Park. 👀

[@CanobieCoaster]

I'd love to see a double heart coaster here.

[@Chris6d]

@@CanobieCoaster There's a plot of land next to the Thunderbolt that would be ripe for the Double Heart coaster. The new log flume ride is being built on the southern portion of that plot, but the other two thirds of the plot is still open and ripe for new thrill rides

[@chargedonpc9989]

I want to visit and ride the Cyclone one day.

[@CanobieCoaster]

It's amazing.

[@massachusettscoasters]

7:24 Unpopular Opinion:Thunderbolt here is a 100/100 one and Done for me and it’s my number 1 Least Favorite Coaster And I’m one of those people/coaster enthusiast who this coaster too much

[@CanobieCoaster]

I know plenty of people that hate that ride.

[@Donut18]

They should add season passes so you can go on rides the hole year and pay it again next year so it’s fair

[@CanobieCoaster]

That would be nice.

[@ThrillsofColdplay]

I kind of miss Astroland but this is much nicer. If only the observation tower was still their

[@CanobieCoaster]

The new Astro Tower basically is an observation tower lol

[@StamfordBridge]

For good food, avoid everything on the boardwalk - and skip Nathan’s Hotdogs - and head to Totonno’s Pizza, a few blocks away. Just get there early as it gets a line.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Totonno's was permanently closed when I went earlier this year. As was the Grimaldi's location. I think the best food option near there is now Paul's Daughter (weird name, good food).

[@StamfordBridge]

@@CanobieCoaster Apparently, it seemed as if the place had permanently closed, but it’s still open in a limited capacity. Looked up this week, for example, and it’s open Fri, Sat, and Sun.

[@StamfordBridge]

Also, Brighton Beach is nearby if you like Russian/Ukrainian/Uzbek food.

[@michaeldunetz90]

It would be cool 😎 if they built a Classic Mangels Whip.

[@CanobieCoaster]

That would be cool.

[@AishaAguilar-zu4pt]

Bless zamperla

[@CanobieCoaster]

Glad they saved the park.

[@xevious2501]

Coney island as a park and tourist play ground goes as far back as the late 1800's !!!

[@CanobieCoaster]

So much history!

[@elidavidson5503]

Astro Tower is hilarious, I have no clue why it's so weak when the pendulum and most other rides run fast.

[@CanobieCoaster]

The old Zamperla tower at WWE Niagara had a good launch and airtime combo, so they can make a solid drop tower.

[@ThrillsofColdplay]

Might not be in the best location but this fun park kind of takes away from that negativity

[@CanobieCoaster]

I enjoy the area.

[@Soundofsilence-j4d]

THERE IS DARK RIDE UNDER THE WONDER WHEEL.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Yes I talk about it in the Deno's review.