Let yourself be flipped, dropped and spun on these thrill rides, Lucas Aykroyd writes
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.
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.
At Legoland California, I couldn't hold back screams of excitement while getting relentlessly jolted around on Knight's Tournament, a robot-arm attraction.
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.
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
At Sea World San Diego I rode on Wild Arctic, a herky-jerky, simulated helicopter ride featuring collapsing glaciers and cute - real - polar bears.
At Knott's Berry Farm I boosted my self-esteem on GhostRider, the monstrous wooden roller coaster.
At Disneyland, the Indiana Jones Adventure upped my adrenalin.