CLICK & DOUBLE CLICK: INTERNET PROVIDES THRILLS AND CHILLS OF NATION'S THEME PARKS

Summer is approaching, and we have begun to think about vacations.

We visited many theme park Web sites in the past, but they are much improved with more razzle dazzle this year.

Let's start with a trip to our closest theme park. You will need the latest version of Shockwave and RealPlayer for many of these sites.

www.sixflags.com

Joni: Do you like roller coasters? We know Peggy does. She was one of the debut riders on Mr. Freeze. You can take a video trip on all Six Flag's daring roller coasters. You can choose shorter and longer versions of the ride. The longest is about 37 seconds.

Peggy: Let's go. Wheeee! You get video views as if you were riding the coasters mixed with pictures of coaster riders.

Joni: If you're a little nervous but want the feel, this would be a good start. I will say that with RealPlayer the screen is bigger.

Peggy: Whoa, that was wild. New at Six Flags in St. Louis this year is a 12-acre water park called Hurricane Harbor.

Joni: When you buy one ticket you can go to both parks. They have all kinds of stuff like a wave pool, a family raft ride down a six-story course and an inner-tube ride. It opens in May.

Peggy: You can also learn more about the rides and thrills. Six Flags has seven roller coaster and thrill rides, including my favorite, Mr. Freeze. Mr. Freeze blasts you from 0 to 70 mph in just four seconds.

Joni: If you want to know more details, you can check out the specs, including how long it lasts. My kids think the Tidal Wave looks fun.

Peggy: This is a 20-person boat that drops down a 50-foot waterfall. It creates a wall of water 20 feet high and 80 feet wide.

Peggy: The site also gives you details about height requirements and prices. If you can't make it to St. Louis today, you can play a couple games in the online arcade.

Joni: They have a boomerang and a maze game. Let's try the maze. High scores can win free tickets.

Peggy: Well, we finished the maze in 46 seconds. Sounds good. But then we noticed the top score is just over five seconds. They must have a secret method.

Joni: Or they must have great eye-hand coordination. OK, next stop. Let's try Silver Dollar City.

www.silverdollarcity.com

Peggy: Silver Dollar City was awarded the top theme park in the world by an international organization.

Joni: At the site, you can learn more about the rides and more than 50 shows performed daily. They have a new ride called BuzzSaw Falls, a liquid roller coaster.

Peggy: It takes you on a rapid water ride with dry coaster speed. It opens in May. You can watch a video sample of the fun at Silver Dollar City, using QuickTime. But you can't see BuzzSaw Falls.

Joni: We'll have to check back. You can also learn about the prices and times and all the other details. Let's head to Universal Studios. They are supposed to give Disney a run for its money with the revamped theme park.

www.uescape.com

Peggy: Click on the Universal Studios Escape button. The Escape, in Orlando, Fla., has been transformed to a bigger destination.

Joni: The park includes Toon Lagoon, Jurassic Park, The Lost Continent, Seuss Landing and Marvel Super Hero Island. On each one you can look at the attractions, hotels and the shopping. The Cat in the Hat is here, Peggy.

Peggy: Cool. I may have to rethink my vacation plans. Hmm, here's something interesting. There are no straight lines in Seuss Landing, including no straight palm trees. They adopted palm trees bent during hurricanes.

Joni: Did you know that Dr. Seuss books are the most read books behind the Bible?

Peggy: I didn't know, but I'm not surprised. It seems that the rides are patterned after favorite Seuss books.

Joni: I suspect when the park opens the Web site will improve also. Some parts aren't quite working yet. The Islands of Adventure is a separate theme park from Universal Studios theme park.

Peggy: Of course, no look at theme parks would be complete without a look at Disney. You can go directly to the Walt Disney World site at

disney.go.com/DisneyWorld/index2.html

Joni: You can learn they have added a little something to the Tower of Terror. If it's possible, they have made the ride even scarier. I found it hard to believe.

Peggy: They have opened the Explore Asia part of Animal Kingdom. At Epcot, you can drive a General Motors test vehicle.

Joni: For a kind of kooky site, related to Disney, you can learn about the Hidden Mickey's found throughout the park.

www.hiddenmickeys.org

Peggy: A hidden Mickey is an image of Mickey concealed in the design of some Disney attraction. As people find Mickeys, they post the findings on this site. We've seen some local people who are Mickey spotters.

Joni: Plus, they give you lots of links to other things Disney. For example, they show you some Backyard Imagineering. Make a leapfrog fountain in your backyard.

Peggy: Anheuser Busch has several theme parks, and you can visit them online at

www.4adventure.com

Joni: You can learn about Busch Gardens and Sea World and other stuff they have. They have new things opening at Sea World in Orlando. You can also learn more about Discovery Cove, which opens next summer. Visitors can swim one-on-one with dolphins and other sea life.

Peggy: You can also click over the Busch Gardens to learn about the new roller coasters both at Tampa Bay, Fla., or Williamsburg, Va. Between the two, they have some of the best coasters in the country.

Joni: To learn more about the best roller coasters, you can go to

www.ultimaterollercoaster.com

Peggy: The Six Flags Great America in Chicago features the Raging Bull -- the tallest, fastest, longest roller coaster of its kind in the world. And roller coaster enthusiasts are counting the days until it opens May 1. What's your favorite theme park site? E-mail us at click@semissourian.com

See you in Cyberspace.

Joni Adams and Peggy Scott are members of the Southeast Missourian online staff.