Clowns, coasters and cartoon mice can all be found at area parks

Camden Park

WHAT'S NEW FOR '09: The Happy Clown Toy Store, featuring a wide range of toys and collectibles such as Lego, Webkinz and Manhattan Toy. The Sugar Shop, a new store filled with bulk candies, chocolates and novelty items. More than a dozen new games in the Penny Arcade.

HOURS: Saturdays and Sundays in May; Wednesday-Sunday in June; Tuesday-Sunday in July; select days in August, September and October.

SEASON PASS: Passes are $99.99. Go online for season-pass discounts of $59.99.

DAILY ADMISSION: $20.99 adults, $14.99 seniors and children 48 inches and under. Special Starlight discounts for after 5 p.m.

HITTING THE LINKS: Just opened in summer 2008 is the new 18-hole West Virginia Adventure mini-golf complete with waterfalls, a working grist mill, covered bridge, cabin and animatronic characters. Miniature golf (during regular hours with park admission), $4.99; miniature golf (Saturday after park closes at 7:30 p.m.), $6.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS: The park hosts May School Days for school kids in the region this month. The Children's Festival every Thursday in June, and special music, performances and admission specials around every holiday.

IN CONCERT: Check out hot regional and national-acts at the park's six-week-long Hot Summer Nights concert series.

GETTING THERE: Located five miles west of Huntington on U.S. 60. Turn at the sign of the happy clown.

DID YOU KNOW? This is the 106th season for Camden Park, the only amusement park in West Virginia. The park also runs special overnight packages with Heritage Farm as well as Best Western.

CONTACT: Call 866-8CAMDEN or 304-429-4321.

WEB SITE: www.camdenpark.com.

Kings Island

WHAT'S NEW FOR '09: A little coaster they call the 230-foot-tall Diamondback. This steel beast is the tallest, fastest and meanest roller coaster to hit Kings Island. It has more than 5,200 feet of steel track that includes monster twists and turns through 10 acres of wooded hills with a spectacular splashdown ending.

HOURS: Now open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily through August.

SEASON PASS: $94.99 for adults and $69.99 for juniors; a parking pass is $39.99.

SINGLE-DAY TICKETS: General admission tickets are $32.99. Also, if you pay $47.99, this allows you to get in for any two days during the 2009 season.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS: Kings Island is home to the legendary Beast -- the longest wooden roller coaster in the world -- and Firehawk -- Ohio's only flying roller coaster. Boomerang Bay, the water park, opens May 23, and runs through Aug. 30. Also, the new indoor water park, Great Wolf Lodge, is the official resort of Kings Island.

IN CONCERT: Kings Island has tons of concerts planned. Two Tri-State natives Billy Ray Cyrus, who hails from Flatwoods, Ky., and Kenova native Michael W. Smith are in concert Aug. 21, as part of the Sean Hannity Freedom Concert. There's also Spirit Song 2009, a contemporary Christian music fest July 9-11, featuring Third Day, MercyMe, Switchfoot and more.

GETTING THERE: Located about three hours from Huntington. Take the AA Highway in Kentucky to I-275 and then I-71 north to Mason, Ohio, just north of Cincinnati.

DID YOU KNOW? The centerpiece of Kings Island is a 1/3-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower.

CONTACT: Go online at www.visitkingsisland.com.

Kentucky Kingdom

WHAT'S NEW FOR '09: "The Secret of the Lost Temple," a new motion simulator ride movie that is part of the Thrill Park Theatre. Splashwater Kingdom debuts two new live shows with Fun in the Sun and Back to the Beach.

HOURS: Now open daily. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday-Sunday.

SEASON PASS: Discounted right now at $44.99 (offers unlimited visits to any of the Six Flags theme parks in the U.S., including Atlanta, Chicago and St. Louis.

SINGLE-DAY TICKETS: General admission $29.99; Children under 48 inches are $24.99, 2 and under are free. Buy online, and everyone pays $24.99 (saving $5 for adults).

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS: The 58-acre park features Chang, one of the world's longest steel stand-up roller coasters. The park's Splashwater Kingdom is anchored by the award-winning water coaster Deluge and Mega Wedgie.

IN CONCERT: There also will be a Starburst Summer Concert Series with Colbie Caillat, Gym Class Heroes, tobymac, Jesse McCartney, Raven-Symone, The Veronicas and others.

GETTING THERE: Located about three hours west of Huntington in Louisville, Ky. Take I-64 west to Louisville. Get on I-65 south in Louisville. The park is located five miles from downtown across from the Louisville International Airport.

DID YOU KNOW? More than half of the park's acreage hosts the Kentucky State Fair each summer.

CONTACT: Call 800-SCREAMS

WEB SITE: www.sixflags.com/kentuckykingdom.

Cedar Point

WHAT'S NEW FOR '09: New this year, take a walk through a multi-sensory experience on the Frontier Trail. The Starlight Experience, which runs May 23 through Sept. 6, features more than 1 million LED lights, music, special-lighted displays and more.

Take a break and rest near the new interactive Midway Fountain, located on the Main Midway near Kiddy Kingdom. The waters will jump as you walk through this new spot for making instant memories.

The two new live music shows are "Got Country" and "Live Music at the Palace."

HOURS: Open daily. Hours usually run 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekends through June, July and August.

SEASON PASS: $109.95

SINGLE-DAY TICKETS: $43.99 adults and $19.99 for children; 2 and under get in free.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS: More than 60 rides, including 17 roller coasters. Yes, that's more than any other amusement park in the world. Also, the Soak City water park.

GETTING THERE: About five hours north of Huntington (depending on roadwork, maybe longer). Take U.S. 52 west to U.S. 23 north. Take the Ohio Turnpike to Exit 118 (U.S. 250) and follow the signs north.

DID YOU KNOW? Cedar Point, which opened in 1870, is the nation's second-oldest amusement park and has 47,353 feet of roller coaster track.

CONTACT: Go online at www.cedarpoint.com.

Dollywood

WHAT'S NEW FOR '09: SkyZip, a 125-foot-high zipline that sends folks flying like an eagle on ziplines from 100 to nearly 1,000-feet long. The new show is "Sha-Kon-O-Hey!" capturing the spirit of the Smoky Mountains and the rich heritage of the people who call them home. This 45-minute show premieres May 9 in DP's Celebrity Theatre.

HOURS: Open daily through mid August.

SEASON PASS: $87 for adults, $74 for ages 4-11.

SINGLE-DAY ADMISSION: $53.50 adults, $50.20 seniors, $42.35 for ages 4-11.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS: In addition to coasters and rides, Dollywood focuses on heritage, crafts and lots of live music shows. There is a five-mile steam train ride as well as a museum and replica of Dolly Parton's Locust Ridge home where she grew up, the eagle sanctuary and the Southern Gospel Music Museum and Hall of Fame. There's also a water park called SplashCountry.

GETTING THERE: Dollywood is about a six-hour drive south to the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Take I-64 west to I-75 south to I-40. Take Exit 407 toward Pigeon Forge. Follow TN Highway 66 south which becomes U.S. 441. Turn left in Pigeon Forge at the eighth traffic light and follow the signs.

DID YOU KNOW? Dollywood hosts some of the South's biggest festivals including Festival of Nations, with five weeks of cultural events by performers from around the world. There's also KidsFest, a BBQ and Bluegrass, National Gospel and Harvest Celebration and a Smoky Mountain Christmas.

CONTACT: Go online at www.dollywood.com.

Disney World

WHAT'S NEW FOR '09: Disney has launched its first Celebration Vacation offer -- in 2009, everyone who visits a Disney theme park at Walt Disney World Resort on their birthday can get in free.

Active and retired U.S. military personnel can enjoy complimentary, multi-day admission into Disney World's theme parks, special rates at select Disney World Resort hotels and additional special ticket offers for family members and friends. The offer is good through Dec. 23, 2009.

It allows each active or retired member of the U.S. military one five-day "Disney's Armed Forces Salute" ticket with Park Hopper and Water Park Fun and More options. This ticket is valid for five days of admission into the four theme parks, plus five visits to a choice of Disney water parks, DisneyQuest and certain other attractions. During the offer period, one-time purchases of up to a maximum of five, five-day "Disney's Armed Forces Salute Companion" tickets are available for family members and friends for just $99 per ticket, plus tax.

OPENING DAY: Open year-round. A good time to go is late April through early June before the summer slam of crowds.

TICKET PRICES: A one-day ticket at Magic Kingdom is $75 or $63 for ages 3 to 9, but there are a wide range of ticket prices and specials for Magic Kingdom and the other parks in the Disney stable. A seven-day adult pass is $228 or ($32.57 per day). There are packages as cheap as about $1,600 for a family of four for six nights and seven days.

The Disney Dining Plan is included free when you purchase this five-night/six-day vacation package. As low as $58 a day per person based on a family of four in a standard room at a select Disney Value Resort for stays most nights Aug. 16-Oct. 3.

GETTING THERE: The easiest way now is to hook-up a package deal through Allegiant Air, which flies direct to Orlando three times a week out of Tri-State Airport. They also have special deals with 21 hotels in Orlando complete with Disney tickets.

DID YOU KNOW? You can learn more than you ever wanted to know about Disney by listening to Lou Mongello's podcast on Disney. It's online at www.wdwradio.com. Mongello is the author of the Disney Trivia books.

WEB SITES: www.DisneyVacation.com and www.disneyworld.disney.go.com.