Playland Park

Hello everybody! 

I went back and forth for such a long time on what my next blog post would be. I started thinking that I was going to write about restaurants of former Hell’s Kitchen contestants in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, then I thought I was going to write about the Village of Bronxville, which I went to last weekend, then I thought I was going to write about the towns of both Mahopac and Bronxville, but mostly just the restaurants in them, before finally deciding on restaurants of past Hell’s Kitchen contestants, but after I had written about only a small number of restaurants, I just felt like writing about more restaurants was just draining me, so I deleted everything I had written, and just sat there waiting to decide on what I would write about, before I figured that I would write about what made the most sense at the time: Playland Park in Rye! 

I’m sure that all of you reading are familiar with it, but there is a big reason why I have chosen to write about it this week. It’s preseason opening is on Saturday and Sunday, and its grand opening is on May 23. I felt that this made it seasonally appropriate to write about. 

Before I get into what you can enjoy from the park this year, I feel that I need to address how troubled last year was for the park. 

In January 2025, Standard Amusements, the company that had been leasing Playland since 2022, wanted to terminate their agreement to operate the park, claiming that Westchester County had not upheld an agreement to upgrade the park. Because of this, the Westchester County government took over operations for the 2025 season. That May, the Westchester County government issued an emergency order that allowed them to directly hire amusement park manufacturing company Zamperla to fix and maintain the rides, rather than having to solicit bids for the rides’ maintenance and upkeep. As a result, when it opened that same month, a park that had a total of 40 rides had only 20 operating, and one that remained closed for the entire summer was one that is easily the most iconic one there. Things did not get much better, as many TikTok users also posted videos of the park with so many closed rides, and they gained traction, to the point that they were picked up by the news. 

After such a tumultuous year last year, an announcement was made in March form Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, where he said that Westchester County had invested almost $150 million into capital projects to restore the park, and that skilled carpenters and mechanics were working on restoring and maintaining rides, and grounds crews are enhancing the park with seasonal plantings and beautification efforts. One of these changes has been confirmed to be the complete renovation of their signature ride, which I will get to later. 

I will now be going over all the rides here, by starting with the rides that are no longer there, but I at least either got a chance to see or actually go on. 

The first ride that is no longer there is SkyFlyer, which was a swinging pendulum ride that you could have never gotten me on. Seriously, I will NEVER go on a ride that goes upside down.

The next ride that is no longer there is one that I actually had the “pleasure” of going on is Thunderbolt, which consisted of swinging cars that traveled on an uneven circular path. 

The next ride that is no longer there is Starship 2000, which is a ride that I only ever got to see from the outside, as it was an indoor ride, and what I could see was the fastest spinning thing ever, and even from just reading the description of it, I will never want to go on any rides like it, because here is what it says on Wikipedia. “48 padded panels lining the inside wall. Riders lean against these panels, which are angled back. As the ride rotates, centrifugal force is exerted against the pads by the rider, removing the rider from the floor, due to the slant.” Yeah, that is easily the most terrifying and uncomfortable thing I have ever seen in my life.

The next ride that is no longer there is Wipeout, which is a flat ride where 60 riders sit while the ride spins and tilts. I actually had the misfortune of going on this ride many years ago, and it was easily one of the most uncomfortable rides I have ever been on. 

The next ride that is no longer there is called Sky Skater, which was easily one of the most uninteresting rides I have ever seen in my life, as it was just an oversized skateboard that teetered back and forth. 

The next ride that is no longer there is Go Karts, and I do not need to explain to all of you reading what this is, because you definitely all know what they are.

The next ride that is no longer there is Catch N’ Air, which was a skateboard themed ride where guests rode in a circular motion up and down a bunny hill. Fun fact about this ride: It opened in 2022, and was closed by the 2024 season, which shows how popular it was.

The next ride that is no longer there is a dark ride called Flying Witch, which is a haunted house themed ride that is not a good ride to go on if you are a very young kid, which I am saying from experience.

The last ride that is no longer there is a roller coaster called Super Flight, which is weirdly not gone, but rather standing inoperable in the park, which is definitely not a waste of space. I also can’t say that I’m too surprised by this, because even when I went to the park in years before 2022, the ride would not be open a lot of the time. 

Okay, now let’s move on to rides that you can expect to go on this year!

First of all, there is a section of the park called Kiddyland, which only matters towards people who have kids, as these are the rides they will be able to go on.

The main rides in the park are split into two categories, which are Family Rides and Thrill Rides. I will be starting with the Family Rides.

The first of these rides is Bumper Cars, and I don’t need to explain to you what they are, because all of you reading know what they are.

The next of these rides is called Family Flyer, and the best way for me to describe it is that it’s a roller coaster for the whole family.

The next of these rides is Gondola Wheel, which is a Ferris Wheel for those of you who don’t know. Fun fact: I was actually at Playland a few weeks ago, walking on the Boardwalk and near the Beach, and I could see the Gondola Wheel from where I was, and there was not a single gondola on it, which is the first time I have ever seen anything like that. I just hope they’re all back by now.

The next of these rides is Grand Carousel, and for those of you who think I need to explain this ride to you, no I don’t.

The next of these rides is actually a House Of Mirrors, and for those of you who want an explanation of it, just read the name again.

The next of these rides is called Jack The Puppeteer, and this is the only ride at the park that I have never seen. Seriously, it wasn’t there when I was last there, and it’s so new that Wikipedia hasn’t even listed it as a ride yet. It seriously got to the point that I had to search the ride on Google, and I found that it first opened in 2024, so now I’m wondering how nobody has bothered to add it on Wikipedia. The ride itself is a type known as The Polyp, or The Octopus, which has that nickname due to the fact that it resembles an octopus, and it also has five to eight arms that are each attached to a central axis that move up and down, and at the end of each arm are rotating groups of gondolas that hold two riders. 

The next of these rides is called Kite Flyer, and it’s where guests lay horizontally on colorful gliders as they fly through the air.

The next of these rides is called Music Express, and its design is based on the original Caterpillar rides, with twenty 3-passenger cars connected in a circle that rotate on a track with alternating sloped and flat sections, and it rotates both backward and forward.

The next of these rides is called Old Rye Motorbike Factory, and it is a Swingaround ride, which is a ride that rotates in a circle while the arms come out and then come back in, which it keeps doing in progressively bigger increments, until the end when they all swing out.

The next of these rides is one that may or may not still be there, as it’s still listed on Wikipedia, but it’s currently not listed on the official park website. It’s called Tornado, and it is a standard carnival and amusement park ride where the center base spins at 14 RPM, each car can be spun by the riders, and then the ride tilts at a 24-degree angle while spinning. Fun fact: I have seen this exact ride at the St. Patrick’s Carnival in Bedford.

The next of these rides is one of the most famous ones there, as it has been there since 1929, and it has also been the source of two major incidents that you have probably heard about: Ye Old Mill. This is an indoor dark ride that takes you through an “Underground Water Works” where elves, trolls, and dragons live, and there are also some animatronics in the ride as well. Fun fact: I have never been on this ride, as I was too scared to go on it when I was much younger, and now I just don’t care to go on it.

The last of these rides is another indoor dark ride called Zombie Castle, which according to Wikipedia, is where passengers steer themselves through a canal with surprises along the way. I have never been on this ride, and it is an indoor ride, so I have no way of determining how true this is.

Now, I am going to go over the Thrill Rides at the park!

The first of these rides is called Catch A Wave, which is a model of ride known as a Genesis, and it consists of a row of seats that rotate clockwise and counterclockwise in a vertical circle by two arms.

The next of these rides is a basic Wild Mouse Coaster called Crazy Mouse. Here’s a fun story about my history with this roller coaster. I didn’t go on it when I was much younger, so I went on it for the first time several years later, and I was so disappointed, as it did not feel like a roller coaster, because apparently I was a roller coaster expert at one point in time.

The next of these rides is a Drop Tower attraction called Double Shot, which uses compressed air to rapidly propel riders up the tower, and then gently lower them with a series of air-cushioned bounces back to the loading platform.

The next of these rides is Dragonator, which is a Disk’O ride that consists of riders sitting on a circular platform with outward facing seats that goes back and forth on a halfpipe. Here’s an interesting fact about this ride: It opened in 2019, making it the first new ride in the park since 2008.

The next of these rides is The Whip, and in order for me to describe it properly, I’m just going to defer to the description on Wikipedia. “Two circular wheel-like turn-table platforms on opposing sides of a rectangular base. Motors turn a cable that leads a number of 2–3 person seater cars that are attached, around a platform made of steel plates. The ride follows the track while the cable turns. When the car reaches one of the turn-table platforms, the speed picks up forcing riders to one side as the car whips around the corner.”

These next four rides that I am about to say are not listed on the park website currently, but I have no reason to believe they are completely gone.

The first of these rides is Derby Racer, which is one of only three rides of its kind still in existence, which is a Carousel-type ride that rotates at 25 miles per hour, which is three times the speed of a normal carousel, and the horses move back and forth and up and down, simulating a gallop. 

The next of these rides is Playland Yo-Yo, which is a swing ride that tilts.

The next of these rides is Log Flume, which is exactly what you think it is, as you ride in the logs, which are propelled along the flume by the flow of water, and it is followed by a rapid descent. Additional fun fact that none of you reading care about: I think there is a picture of me, my brother, and my mom on this ride somewhere in the house, because even Playland offers you the opportunity to have your picture taken on the ride, and for you to keep it. 

The last of these rides is Playland Plunge, which is a Shoot The Chute ride, which is similar to a Log Flume, except it has larger boats that can seat at least four across by row, and it slides down a ramp into a lagoon with enough force that it produces a large splash that reaches the area in front of it. 

But there is still one more ride that I need to talk about, and if you are very familiar with Playland, you know which one it is.

Yes, it’s the Dragon Coaster. It is easily the most iconic ride at the park, so much so to the point that the mascot of the park is now a dragon named Coaster. It is also one of the few rides at the park that is a contributing factor to Playland being registered as a National Historic Landmark. One of the original train cars from its opening in 1929 is also mounted across the path from the entrance, and guests can sit down and take pictures in it. The ride itself was also featured in the movie Fatal Attraction and the music video for Mariah Carey’s song “Fantasy.” 

The reason why the Dragon Coaster got its name is because of its tunnel that is designed to look like a dragon, which is this weeks information that you don’t care about and will never need.

The interesting thing about the Dragon Coaster is that even though it is the most famous ride here, it never opened once last summer. Yeah, of all the rides that were able to open last summer, this was not one of them. This proved to be so controversial that in all the announcements that the park has put out for their opening this month, they have gone out of their way to show everyone that the Dragon Coaster is back, even showing off pictures of the new dragon tunnel.

The park itself also has a pool and a beach attached to it, which you can also visit at this time. There is also a Children’s Museum that is perfect for any of you that have kids.

One of the last notable features of park is over at the pier that is off to the side, a restaurant called Tiki Beach. I would go over the interesting foods on their menu, but I feel I have gone over enough with this blog post, and I feel that going in depth about a restaurant now would be very out of place. 

Overall, this is a very fascinating place that seems to be headed on the right track after a difficult season last year. Preseason opening is this weekend, and the grand opening is next weekend, so get in your car, and as their slogan says, Have Some Fun Today!