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Let yourself be flipped, dropped and spun on these thrill rides, Lucas Aykroyd writes

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On Disneyland's The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure, all ages relished the escapism of travelling inside giant seashells, singing along to Under the Sea with animatronic figures.

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At Knott's Berry Farm, Silver Bullet, the West Coast's longest inverted coaster that covers 3,125 feet at breakneck speed, left me so G-forced-up that a 10-year-old had to help me unbuckle my seatbelt afterward.

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At Legoland California, I couldn't hold back screams of excitement while getting relentlessly jolted around on Knight's Tournament, a robot-arm attraction.

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At Belmont Park, I rode the 1925-built Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster - twice. Delightfully bumpy, it's an American Coaster Enthusiasts Roller Coaster landmark.

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Green Lantern: First Flight thrills at Six Flags Magic Mountain, a park that boasts more roller coasters than any park in the world.Craig T. Mathew/Mathew Imaging

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At Sea World San Diego I rode on Wild Arctic, a herky-jerky, simulated helicopter ride featuring collapsing glaciers and cute - real - polar bears.

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At Knott's Berry Farm I boosted my self-esteem on GhostRider, the monstrous wooden roller coaster.

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At Disneyland, the Indiana Jones Adventure upped my adrenalin.

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