Thrill rides, themed fun and campgrounds these six exciting venues have them all

WITH THE Internet, hundreds of cable channels and an incredible proliferation of electronic gadgetry conspiring to keep families at home, most people would probably guess that amusement- and theme-park attendance has dropped off over the past decade. And this would be a reasonable assumption, considering the steady rise in admission prices that require a monetary outlay for a family of four that can make health insurance seem like a bargain.

Yet despite the hiccups in the economy, amusement parks and theme parks have seen attendance rise 17 percent over the last eight years, with a record 92 million visitors walking through the turnstiles of these venues nationwide in 2002.

RVers looking to strap themselves into thrill rides, listen to concerts, eat cotton candy and test their skill in arcades can often satisfy their fun-filled desires simply by walking or shuttling from the RV parks to the nearby amusement parks. The following list should help RVers park and ride.

CEDAR POINT

* This place is not about being warm and fuzzy. No, Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, specializes in roller coasters - and delivers them in abundance. In fact, 16 rollercoasters, thrill rides and steel screamers shoot up above this park like a colorful, mechanical Seussian dreamscape. The latest addition to this gasp-inducing collection of physics lessons is Top Thrill Dragster, the tallest, fastest ride in the world, rising 420 feet high and propelling riders at the almost unimaginable speed of 120 MPH. When you feel like letting your stomach return to its rightful place, head to Camper Village and the more luxurious Lighthouse Point. With 111 electric-only RV sites, all providing a picnic table and a barbecue grill, Camper Village meets the basic needs of RVers who have come for the rides. Adjacent Lighthouse Village, with its lakeside location, pier and namesake lighthouse evocative of New England's nautical settings, provides RVers with a more upscale environment. In addition to the lakeside cottages and rustic cabins, Lighthouse Village features an arcade, as well as a pool and Jacuzzi, to complement its 97 large, full-hookup sites, with more on the way.

WALT DISNEY WORLD

* Families have either reveled in the magic and wonder that this park specializes in or plan to do so when they finally visit Orlando, Florida. Exploring the Magic Kingdom and adjoining Epcot Center, Jungle Land and MGM Studios is especially easy for RVers who stay at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Throughout its 740 acres, Fort Wilderness serves up the special touches that those familiar with Disney's style have come to expect. Campers can rent golf carts, canoes, kayaks, boats, fishing equipment and bikes, or they can check out equipment to play tennis, shufileboard or horseshoes for free. Guides take anglers out on Bay Lake for some serious catch-and-release action, or fishermen looking for a simpler, less-expensive option can test the waters of the canal. Offering 784 campsites (all with water, electric and barbecue grills) and 409 wilderness cabins, the park can cater to families or groups with different traveling styles. The petting zoo and Hoopdeedoo, a Vaudeville-style review, serve up family-friendly entertainment. When it's time to visit the amusement parks themselves, guests can ride a boat to the Magic Kingdom or catch a free bus that runs from the campground to the various parks about every 10 minutes. During holidays, Fort Wilderness sites are pricey ($86 for full-hookups), so plan your visit accordingly.

THE ADVENTUREDOME

* Las Vegas delivers its own special brand of excitement. Yet you don't have to wager a dime to experience hold-your-breath thrills in Sin City. Simply visit the theme park at the Circus Circus Casino, The Adventuredome, and you'll be certain to consider yourself lucky. In keeping with the big-top theme, all the excitement inside this five-acre family-friendly funzone takes place under one roof (or dome, as the case maybe). Connected to the casino, The Adventuredome allows guests to wander among its multitude of rides and arcade games for free. Of course, should the youthful energy and ecstatic squeals convince you to reach in your pocket, you'll pay for such rides as Canyon Blaster, the double-loop, double-corkscrew engineering marvel, and Rim Runner, a water ride that will make Vegas' summer heat seem miles away. Much closer, in the shadow of the hotel, in fact, Las Vegas KOA at Circus Circus draws rigs to its 399 full-hookup spaces year-round. Featuring a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, arcade and playground, as well as the requisite showers, laundry facilities, convenience store, dump station and pet run, Las Vegas KOA at Circus Circus is the only RV park on the famous Las Vegas Strip. Guests who check in here can't bank on their luck at the tables, but they can sure take the gamble out of Vegas nights.

CELEBRATION CITY

* Officially described as "a multimedia laser production show," the technological extravaganza that takes place nightly at Celebration City in Branson, Missouri, may as well be called, "Wow, look at that!" Consisting of lasers, lighting effects, film footage and fireworks - many of these projected against a giant water screen - this 30-minute show called "Celebrate!" transports viewers through the last five decades of 20th-century America. Elvis, the Beatles and the Apollo rocket that helped men walk on the moon all make appearances, accompanied by a soundtrack that keeps toes tapping. As this spectacle caps off the evenings events, guests to Celebration City can still wander among the Art Deco buildings and explore the numerous shops that specialize in retro-kitsch items such as poodle skirts and Barney Fife T-shirts. Of course, 30 themed rides, including the wooden roller coaster Ozark WildCat, provide physical thrills in this nighttime complement to nearby Silver Dollar City. When it's time to settle in for the evening, RVers have dozens of choices in the area, including numerous Good Sam parks. The Wilderness at Silver Dollar City offers 138 sites, as well as a pool, a rec hall, a game room, a playground and a general store. Silver Dollar City season-pass holders receive 15 percent off their stay.

SIX FLAGS MAGIC MOUNTAIN

* One way to make Los Angeles' traffic bearable is to set out for nearby Valencia, California. Sure, it might be bumper-to-bumper on the way to Six Flags Magic Mountain, but the rides you encounter once you arrive at the park will be so extreme that freeway stagnation will have a certain appeal. For example, in 2003, Magic Mountain launched a coaster called Scream! The exclamation point is not superfluous. Riders zip around the track at speeds up to 65 MFH and become all-too-familiar with g-forces in the ride's seven 360-degree inversions. Gasping riders experience all this in "flying chairs," meaning, according to the park, "there is no floor below you, no track above you and no car around you." Of course, this being L.A., the guy next to you may still be on his cell phone. But even this won't bother you, because the park has so many thrill rides - Goliath, Viper and Psyclone, to name but a few that you'll be tempted to call everyone you know, just to rub it in. Once you've depleted your energy stores and need a place to rest, head to the Good Sam Park, Valencia Travel Village, just five minutes away. With boating and fishing at nearby Castaic and Piru lakes, as well as easy access to many of L.A.'s attractions, Valencia Travel Village almost doesn't need on-site attractions. But, in addition to its 301 sites, three swimming pools, a spa, tennis-, Volleyball- and shufileboard courts, a playground and a country store add to the park's appeal.

HERSHEYPARK