If you have been to Ocean City, NJ, you know there are two amusement parks on the boardwalk: Playland’s Castaway Cove and Gillian’s Wonderland Pier. Both are a good time, but which one do more people prefer?
Playland’s Castaway Cove has been around since 1959 and is celebrating 60 years at the Ocean City boardwalk. They have an arcade and over 30 exciting rides for people of all ages. The Castaway Cove has gotten some great reviews on Trip Advisor, some include: “My daughter just loves this place, and the mega pack of tickets works out to be a pretty good deal. The new Gale Force coaster is insanely wild and fun. And all you can ride for $15 on Wednesday was the perfect activity for 6 kids in need of an adrenaline rush,” said Scott D from Walnut Creek, California. “Definitely the better boardwalk park. Playland continues to improve itself. Rides are long – you get your money’s worth – and the tickets required for rides are reasonable. The exception to that is for Gale Force; 14 tickets is steep, and I thought they’d drop a bit by now. The staff are friendly and there’s something for everyone here,” said a person with the username 6MA6.
Gillian’s Wonderland Pier was founded in 1929 by David Gillian. The ferris wheel and the merry-go-round were the main attractions, now they have about 30 fun rides. There aren’t such great reviews on Yelp for Wonderland. A lot of people mentioned that the prices were a little high: “Wonderland Pier is pretty pricey for the old rides that they have… I rode most of them when I was a little kid, and they weren’t new then! I like the retro feel, though. There usually aren’t long waits for the rides. The people who work there are nice in a nonchalant kind of way. What could objectively be described as an overpriced collection of old rides comes together to be a better summer experience with kids than a lot of fancier places,” said Mike M. from Blue Bell, PA. Some reviews were more positive, like Jesse K.’s from Abington, PA: “Gillian’s is a classic style boardwalk amusement ride centre. Some of the kiddie rides are really old, but they’re cool. There are a few rides for the older, more adventurous types too. I was pleased with the customer service I received from the ride attendants, trying to help one of my frightened kids. That is what won my vote for the experience tonight.”
Castaway Cove seems to have more positive reviews than Wonderland, they are both fun places though. You’ll have to give them both a chance to see which one you like better.