By Madeline Higdon, Staff writer

VALDOSTA, Ga. – Wild Adventures theme park brought back its “VSU Day” on April 25, 2026 after a two-year hiatus. On these days, students can use their One Cards to get free admission and 30% off of all park dining. The park saw about 900 students.

As a Florida resident, I’m spoiled by the endless thrills offered to me by Universal Studios and Disney World. A small-town theme park was not filling me with anticipatory excitement. I was picturing one roller coaster, a few kiddie rides, and a ton of merchandise or food stalls.

And yet, Wild Adventures proved me wrong. I was pleased by the amount of attractions available for all age groups. The park wasn’t stuffed to the brim with pathetic cash-grabs, and I was greatly impressed by the cleanliness of the grounds and the friendliness of the staff.

There was a decent selection of attractions that I classified as “thrill” rides. This classification was for rides with a 46” minimum height requirement. I was able to ride all of them except for The Boomerang, Pharaoh’s Fury, and VSU Blastoff, as it had started to rain halfway through the day, causing shutdowns.

I have ranked these thrill rides from least enjoyable to most enjoyable, providing a “scream ranking” for each one.

#6 – Marsh Mayhem (1/10)

Scream Ranking: 10/10 (If you count screams of pain and torment).

Image source: Brendan Carey on Youtube

This was singlehandedly the worst theme park ride that I have ever set foot on. You are sat into a four-person cart, yet only allowed to squeeze in the tiny space allotted for one rider, despite the lap bar going all the way across both seats. The track takes you to a decent height above the park before slamming you against the side of your ride vehicle. The ride is famous for its sharp-turning track. Each curve sends your lap bar into your abdomen, your thighs and hips smacking against the side, and your stomach churning. If you are someone who carries weight in your lower body, I would NOT recommend riding this attraction. Granted, the singular drop in the ride was thrilling, so I’ll grant it one pity point in recompense.

#5 Twisted Typhoon (3/10)

Scream Ranking: 10/10 (Screams of terror, mainly.)

Image Source: The Coaster Kings website

My favorite ride at Disney World is Rock N’ Rollercoaster, so I figured that this ride would be so much fun with the loops and corkscrews. Sweet Jesus in the garden, was I ever WRONG. The ride was far too fast to be enjoyable — I’m talking beyond ludicrous speed. Before you could even change your mind about riding this beast, you were already too far gone. I find it imperative to talk about what happens to your head during this ride. If it isn’t forced downward by the rapid drops and speed, it’s slammed against your shoulder restraint during the sudden loops and turns. The thrill factor is what gives this ride its ranking. I really did love the corkscrew section (mainly because my ear was flat against the restraint, and I

could enjoy the ride for about six seconds). I was audibly telling this coaster that I “was done” about ten seconds before the ride ended. One and done for me.