Sunday 19 October 2014

12 best meat cities in America






Get ready to take a beef break, veal vacation or hog holiday in a T-bone a-fide U.S. meatopolis. These are the top cities for meat lovers.Get ready to take a beef break, veal vacation or hog holiday in a T-bone a-fide U.S. meatopolis. These are the top cities for meat lovers.

In Omaha, Nebraska, dinner is pretty simple: steaks on a grill. Johnny's Cafe (pictured) serves some of the best in America.In Omaha, Nebraska, dinner is pretty simple: steaks on a grill. Johnny's Cafe (pictured) serves some of the best in America.


"They still parade longhorns down city streets," says Texas Monthly Barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn of Fort Worth's "Cowtown" sobriquet. At Bonnell's Fine Texas Cuisine, pepper-crusted buffalo tenderloin with rye whisky cream sauce is another meaty signature.

"They still parade longhorns down city streets," says Texas Monthly Barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn of Fort Worth's "Cowtown" sobriquet. At Bonnell's Fine Texas Cuisine, pepper-crusted buffalo tenderloin with rye whisky cream sauce is another meaty signature.

Las Vegas is loaded with celebrity-chef steakhouses. This beef Wellington comes from the Gordon Ramsay Steak at the Paris Las Vegas.Las Vegas is loaded with celebrity-chef steakhouses. This beef Wellington comes from the Gordon Ramsay Steak at the Paris Las Vegas.


Tampa's Cuban sandwich piles Genoa salami atop roasted pork butt and smoked ham. This year's Cuban Sandwich Festival (in nearby Ybor City, site of the sandwich's purported genesis) produced the world's longest Cuban sandwich at 86.2 feet. It fed more than 200 homeless people.

Tampa's Cuban sandwich piles Genoa salami atop roasted pork butt and smoked ham. This year's Cuban Sandwich Festival (in nearby Ybor City, site of the sandwich's purported genesis) produced the world's longest Cuban sandwich at 86.2 feet. It fed more than 200 homeless people.

The cheesesteak (this one from Geno's Steaks) is a Philadelphia staple. Another is scrapple: pig trimmings in cornmeal and flour formed into a loaf. Slice and pan-fry until all you can taste is heart surgery.The cheesesteak (this one from Geno's Steaks) is a Philadelphia staple. Another is scrapple: pig trimmings in cornmeal and flour formed into a loaf. Slice and pan-fry until all you can taste is heart surgery.

Memphis is home to arguably the largest barbecue competition on earth: the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, aka, the Super Bowl of Swine. Memphis is home to arguably the largest barbecue competition on earth: the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, aka, the Super Bowl of Swine.

No single preparation plays the lead in Los Angeles, with steaks, burgers, tacos and barbecue all getting star turns.No single preparation plays the lead in Los Angeles, with steaks, burgers, tacos and barbecue all getting star turns.

Of the many "barbecue capitals of the world," Lexington is by far the smallest. There's a barbecue restaurant (19) for every thousand people, and most are world class.Of the many "barbecue capitals of the world," Lexington is by far the smallest. There's a barbecue restaurant (19) for every thousand people, and most are world class.

In Austin, Texas, Kreuz Market is famed for beef, sausage, turkey, pork and almost anything else you can barbecue.In Austin, Texas, Kreuz Market is famed for beef, sausage, turkey, pork and almost anything else you can barbecue.

Chicago's ethnic diversity makes it a meatopia. Annual area events include SausageFest, Ribfest, the Kosher BBQ Festival and Halal Food Festival.Chicago's ethnic diversity makes it a meatopia. Annual area events include SausageFest, Ribfest, the Kosher BBQ Festival and Halal Food Festival.

Only the gods know which Chicago loves more, Michael Jordan or steak. You can get a taste of both at Michael Jordan's Steak House on North Michigan Avenue. Only the gods know which Chicago loves more, Michael Jordan or steak. You can get a taste of both at Michael Jordan's Steak House on North Michigan Avenue.

Of 30-plus annual meat-flavored events in Kansas City, Missouri, the best is the American Royal, arguably the world's most prestigious barbecue comp, attracting more than 500 teams.Of 30-plus annual meat-flavored events in Kansas City, Missouri, the best is the American Royal, arguably the world's most prestigious barbecue comp, attracting more than 500 teams.

How much does New York love meat? Even its dogs eat at the finest steakhouses. Here's Uno, Best in Show at the 2013 Westminster Kennel Club dog show, chowing on steaks at Sardi's, the traditional champion's meal.How much does New York love meat? Even its dogs eat at the finest steakhouses. Here's Uno, Best in Show at the 2013 Westminster Kennel Club dog show, chowing on steaks at Sardi's, the traditional champion's meal.

In NYC, corner dogs are as classic as upscale steakhouse meals.In NYC, corner dogs are as classic as upscale steakhouse meals.








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  • We surveyed meat experts and collected consumption and other data to pick our list

  • Omaha Steaks probably the most iconic name in American steak

  • You may not have heard of Lexington, North Carolina, but a barbecue feast there is like no other

  • No surprise, Las Vegas leads the nation in high stakes meat cook-off competitions




(CNN) -- With the possible exception of smartphone technology, nothing's seen more practical advances this millennium than food.


While it's true that much of that progress involves vegan, vegetarian and low-meat consumption, carnivory has also seen an impressive evolution.


Bacon-wrapped sausage, sausage-stuffed tenderloin, tenderloin burger on a fried-chicken bun -- eating in the United States is becoming less a matter of sustenance than a game of meat Tetris.


Perhaps in response to years of demonization by health experts, the whole nation has gone meat crazy.


Of course, some parts of the country are more flesh-obsessed than others.


To determine the hierarchy of meat cities, we convened a caucus of nine experts in beef, burgers and barbecue for their top 10s, and made that half of our final score.


Then we factored in per capita meat consumption, drawing from USDA and Nielsen sales figures and survey responses provided by health assessment platform Sharecare.


Finally, we threw in the number of steakhouses (BBQ and burger joints aren't tracked), as determined by market research firm NPD Group, and the number of events staged to celebrate seared animals.


The following are our findings.


Some are expected, some may be shocking.


All are canon.


MORE: America's 11 new sandwich heroes


12. Omaha, Nebraska


Experts: 12th


Consumption: 12th


Steakhouses: 11th


Events: 7th


Nebraska is the nation's No. 2 beef producer, with 93% of its available land in one way or another used to house, feed or process cattle.


So, between cows and corn, there's really only room left in the state for the restaurants that serve the two.


Of those, Rick Browne, editor in chief of Barbecue America magazine, recommends Johnny's Cafe, a third-generation family-owned steakhouse near the Omaha Stockyards that's been in business for nearly a century.


Johnny's is notable for "a Chateaubriand and a one-pound prime rib that are pricey, but absolutely worth every penny," says Browne, "and both are aged right in the restaurant."


Coincidentally, this is also the home of Omaha Steaks, the most iconic name in American steak, if there can be such a thing.


Biggest among Omaha's annual meat-centric events are Ak-Sar-Ben's (Nebraska backwards) River City Rodeo and the Septemberfest BBQ and Rib Eye Steak Cookoff Challenge.


Plus, the city's indoor football team is called the Omaha Beef.




Buffalo at Bonnell\'s in Fort Worth.

Buffalo at Bonnell's in Fort Worth.



11. Fort Worth, Texas


Experts: 7th


Consumption: 11th


Steakhouses: 5th


Events: 11th


Texas is the Argentina of the United States.


Not only for its pride and passion, but also because it's the top beef producing state in the union, which explains the appearance of two cities from the state on our list.


"They still parade longhorns down city streets," explains Texas Monthly magazine's resident Barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn of how Fort Worth earned its "Cowtown" sobriquet. "It's a civic symbol of history, but also of how much they love beef."


But it's not just beef.


"There's a culinary safari just between the menus of local chefs Tim Love (Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, White Elephant Saloon) and Jon Bonnell (Bonnell's Fine Texas Cuisine)," says Vaughn.


Staged publicly for the first time in 2012, Meat Fight is fast becoming a premier annual barbecue competition over in neighboring Dallas (yes, we know Dallas isn't Fort Worth and definitely vice versa), where one of the most recent darlings among meat elites, Pecan Lodge, can also be found.


Says Steven Raichlen, author of the "Barbecue! Bible" cookbook series, "The beef plate ribs may well be the largest bones in North America."


MORE: Best free bar snacks in the U.S.


10. Las Vegas


Experts: 9th


Consumption: T-5th


Steakhouses: 8th


Events: 8th


Depending on your perspective, Las Vegas has either 600,000 residents or six.


It's a town predicated entirely on attracting outsiders, so it lacks some of the folksy authenticity of its peers on this list.


But it makes up for that with -- like anything else in modern-day Gomorrah -- an almost criminal bounty.


Vegas is notorious for its buffets: nine-dollar, 24-hour, all-you-can-eat meatpaloozas that extend for what would constitute city blocks in the real world.


But it's also loaded with celebrity-chef steakhouses -- two dozen on the Strip alone, according to Browne.


While it doesn't boast the most meat events, Vegas may claim the most of the largest magnitude.


It hosts the World Open Chili Championship, World Barbecue Championship, World Burger Championship and Bacon World Championship, with purses ranging from $25,000 to $50,000.


Each fall, nearby Laughlin stages the $50,000 USA Barbecue Championship, and just a half-hour outside of town, Boulder City throws the annual Best Dam Barbecue Challenge each spring.




Tampa or Miami? For Cuban sandwich lovers, it makes a difference.

Tampa or Miami? For Cuban sandwich lovers, it makes a difference.



9. Tampa, Florida


Experts: T-10th


Consumption: 2nd


Steakhouses: 6th


Events: 10th


Yeah, we couldn't believe it either.


Not only does the Cigar City rank second in per capita meat consumption, food author John T. Edge says it's the best place in the United States to get a steak.


"Because they serve prime porterhouses, dry-aged on premises for eight weeks, Bern's [Steakhouse] has made Tampa a citadel of American meat. The steak is that good."


More controversial is Tampa's dispute with rival Miami over the true origin of the Cuban sandwich.


When in doubt, go with the version that uses the most meat.


That would be Tampa's Cubano, which piles Genoa salami atop the customary slices of roasted pork butt and smoked ham.


Further stoking the broiler, the city council recently passed a resolution proclaiming the Cuban Tampa's "signature sandwich."


Meanwhile, an annual Cuban Sandwich Festival has been inaugurated in Ybor City, America's first Cuban community and site of the sandwich's purported genesis.


MORE: Best eats at America's 20 busiest airports




Classic Philly cheesesteak from Geno\'s Steak.

Classic Philly cheesesteak from Geno's Steak.



8. Philadelphia


Experts: T-10th


Consumption: 1st


Steakhouses: 3rd


Events: 12th


With Philly perennially placing at or near the top of any list of heaviest cities, meat's probably not gonna be the only food superlative associated with it.


But according to the USDA, meat represents the largest slice of overall food spending in America by almost double the second largest expense, and leading the field is the City of Buttery Love.


Synonymous with Philly is the cheesesteak, the most municipal of all sandwiches.


While the city's placement on our list would be assured with its official sandwich alone, Philadelphia boasts another signature regional meatstuff: scrapple.


After butchering a pig, take what's left on the floor, throw in some cornmeal and flour and form into a loaf. Next, slice and pan-fry until all you can taste is heart surgery.


Browne recommends City Tavern, "the only restaurant in America where the chef cooks rabbit, lamb, pork chops, ham, veal and venison using recipes adapted from the Colonial days."


7. Memphis, Tennessee


Experts: 4th


Consumption: 7th


Steakhouses: 12th


Events: 6th


"Hogs cluck like chickens during the first week of May in Memphis," says Jack Waiboer, co-owner of Carolina Pit Masters Barbecue Cooking School.


That's because the River City is home to arguably the largest barbecue competition on earth: the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (aka, the Super Bowl of Swine).


Memphis doesn't concern itself much with meat beyond smoked pig, and it doesn't have to.


"Pork capital of America," according to Grilling.com editor and Memphian Clint Cantwell, the city boasts several legendary barbecue joints, including Payne's, Central BBQ, Rendezvous and Cozy Corner.


If someone would just tell this place about steak, it might rank much higher -- only one other town received as many first-place votes from our meat elites (three) as Memphis, and it's the No. 4 city on our list ...


MORE: Why do people take their food so seriously?


6. Los Angeles


Experts: 8th


Consumption: T-5th


Steakhouses: 2nd


Events: 9th


No, this list isn't detouring into America's Best Gluten-Free-Range Chia Taquito Towns.


"Scratch beneath the glitzy, golden-tanned surface, and you'll find that Angelinos really do have an appreciation for meat," says hamburger blogger Jess Pryles (aka Burger Mary).


Contrasting with meat-myopic entrants like Austin and Memphis, no one method plays the lead here, with steaks, burgers, tacos and barbecue all getting star turns.


New restaurant chi SPACCA serves what "Barbecue! Bible" author Raichlen says may be North America's biggest steak: the costata. And if any table in the place sat more than six people, they'd have made it twice as large.


L.A. is home to budding burger chains Umami Burger and The Counter as well as mainstay In-N-Out, but also individual exemplars Father's Office, Comme Ca, Plan Check and 25 Degrees.


But as cheesesteaks are to Philly and Cubans are to Tampa, tacos are to L.A.


The panoply of animal parts that qualify for inclusion in a folded tortilla is mind-blowing (if not stomach-churning): tongue, cheek, tripe, brain, belly, head, esophagus -- in L.A. if it bleeds, it feeds.


MORE: How food trucks became L.A. kings




Lexington, North Carolina: The fashion police say \

Lexington, North Carolina: The fashion police say "Oink!"



5. Lexington, North Carolina


Experts: 6th


Consumption: 4th


Steakhouses: 7th


Events: 4th


Those who know, know.


Those who don't are likely puzzling over the lofty ranking of this speed bump an hour outside Charlotte.


Of the dozen or so "barbecue capitals of the world," Lexington is by far the smallest, which may be its best argument for the distinction.


There's a barbecue restaurant (19) for every thousand people here, and most of them are world class, including Lexington Barbecue, Wilber's, Skylight Inn and the Pit.


Waiboer calls it the quintessential barbecue haunt.


"More hogs are sacrificed daily in the name of great barbecue in Lexington than any other place on the planet," says Waiboer.


Each October the carnage intensifies with the Barbecue Festival. When your URL is simply "BarbecueFestival.com," the deal is real and Lexington's pig-out is a fixture atop food festival lists, hosting more than 125,000 attendees in a single-day event.


Make a long weekend of it and you could conceivably sample every barbecue joint in town. Or, pop over to Charlotte, where the majority of Lexington's steakhouse figures are attributed, and tour its 80 New York strip joints.


4. Austin, Texas


Experts: 2nd


Consumption: 10th


Steakhouses: 10th


Events: 2nd


"Doesn't anyone in Austin have a job?"


That's the question Steven Raichlen poses after noting that meatheads line up daily at 8 a.m. in front of places -- like Franklin Barbecue and La Barbecue -- that don't open til 11.


Despite topping PETA's list of vegan-friendliest cities, Austin is meatopia for those who ascribe brisket sacred status.


More than any other city on the list, our meat elites recommended restaurants found in Austin: Kreuz Market, The Salt Lick, John Mueller Meat Co., Smitty's Market, Rudy's and Freedmen's round out the local nobility.


"Even Din Ho Chinese BBQ gets high ratings," says Browne, only half-joking.


And that's just barbecue.


Hamburger blogger Jess Pryles champions local joints like P. Terry's Burger Stand, Dan's Hamburgers, Sandy's Hamburgers and Hopdoddy Burger Bar for their proficiency at the ground game.


"No other place in the country celebrates red meat like the Texans in and around Austin," says Browne.


That includes nearby Lockhart, which the state legislature decreed by resolution the Barbecue Capital of Texas, and where, says Vaughn, "There are five legitimate barbecue joints for just 12,000 people."


MORE: Tips from a chef: How to eat Korean barbecue




Chicago tips the meat scale with its array of ethnic influences.

Chicago tips the meat scale with its array of ethnic influences.



3. Chicago


Experts: 5th


Consumption: T-8th


Steakhouses: 4th


Events: 3rd


Erstwhile "hog butcher for the world" and object of Upton Sinclair's reformist rage, Chicago is a top meat retreat even without the Union Stock Yards through which more meat once passed than anywhere else in America.


The diversity of meats served and celebrated here may be the nation's richest, but Chicago gets Raichlen's vote for its Italian beef sandwich: thin slices of seasoned roast beef soaked in its own juices then piled on chewy long Italian rolls and topped with grilled sweet peppers or giardiniera (pickled vegetables).


Johnnie's Beef and Al's #1 are the Pat's and Geno's of Italian beef.


Then there's barbecue, which, like the blues, gives Chicago rare Southern cache for a decidedly Northern stronghold.


Smoque and Lem's Bar B-Q have the North and South sides covered, respectively, while the best beef ribs in Rick Browne's experience are served at Q.


Even the fests demonstrate uncommon range.


There are more than 15 major meat events in the Chicagoland area each year, adding to SausageFest and Ribfest audience-expanders like the Kosher BBQ Festival and even a Halal Food Festival.


2. Kansas City, Missouri


Experts: 1st


Consumption: T-8th


Steakhouses: 9th


Events: 1st


You can tell a lot about a city by the way it treats its meat, and KC gets downright meatarded when it comes to celebrating cooked critter.


Of 30-plus annual events, the main attraction is the American Royal, arguably the world's most prestigious barbecue competition, attracting more than 500 teams.


Kansas City manages its No. 2 ranking without the fetishizing of food that has become de rigueur, focusing instead on tried and true methods of meat prep, especially steak and barbecue.


KC's the home of burnt ends and some of the most titanic places to get 'em: L C's Bar-B-Q, Gates Bar-B-Q, Oklahoma Joe's Bar-B-Q, Danny Edwards Blvd Barbecue, Quick's Bar-B-Q, Jon Russell's and Jack Stack Barbecue, which Browne declares also serves the best lamb ribs on earth.


During its days as a stockyard town, Kansas City was as regarded for steak as it was barbecue, and it still houses institutions like Jess and Jim's Steakhouse and the 100-year-old Savoy Grill.


"When it comes to barbecue, Kansas City still rules," says Raichlen.


Or is it the other way around?




A traditional appetizer before dinner in New York.

A traditional appetizer before dinner in New York.



1. New York


Experts: 3rd


Consumption: 3rd


Steakhouses: 1st


Events: 5th


It hardly seems fair.


As if New York wasn't best at enough things already, even for meat it's top of the list.


King of the hill.


A-number one.


"Once a barbecue wasteland," says Grilling.com editor Cantwell, "New York's now a hotbed of great restaurants propelled by the recent rise of Brooklyn barbecue" at places like BrisketTown, Fletcher's, Fette Sau and Hometown Bar-B-Que.


New York pioneered the $100 burger ... then the $666 burger ... but it's awash in more prudent patties, too, at The Spotted Pig, Corner Bistro, Old Town Bar, Minetta Tavern, Burger Joint and Korzo Haus, where they're deep-fried inside Hungarian flatbread.


The city claims nearly twice as many steakhouses as No. 2 in the category (Los Angeles), headlined by Peter Luger, Old Homestead Steakhouse and Keens Steakhouse, which serves a mutton chop flanked by dog's ears of lamb bacon that will make eating for the next 24 hours optional.


Then, of course, there's the deli brisket, corned beef, pastrami and hot dogs for which New York has always been known.


All have superlatives at Katz's Delicatessen, further proving you can take the Meatpacking District out of the city, but you can't take the city off any list of meat meccas.


MORE: Being a New York local: 11 ways to fake it


Jordan Burchette is freelance writer and editor based in Los Angeles.



Best theme parks of the future






Disney World in Orlando will bring Avatar's blue-peopled planet, Pandora, to life with fantastical rides and the movie's strange jungle atmosphere.Disney World in Orlando will bring Avatar's blue-peopled planet, Pandora, to life with fantastical rides and the movie's strange jungle atmosphere.

If the Na'vi tribe could help build the new Avatar Land, it'd be finished faster. The new park within Disney World Orlando's Animal Kingdom broke ground in January 2014.If the Na'vi tribe could help build the new Avatar Land, it'd be finished faster. The new park within Disney World Orlando's Animal Kingdom broke ground in January 2014.

Overlooking the South China Sea, Atlantis Sanya will have an Aquaventure Waterpark and marine exhibits. All theme park images are artist renderings and subject to change upon construction.Overlooking the South China Sea, Atlantis Sanya will have an Aquaventure Waterpark and marine exhibits. All theme park images are artist renderings and subject to change upon construction.

Sanya is on Hainan Island. Often compared to the Hawaii, it's one of few places in China to get lots of blue skies.Sanya is on Hainan Island. Often compared to the Hawaii, it's one of few places in China to get lots of blue skies.

Shanghai Disney Resort is a Chinese re-imagining of classic Walt Disney themes. Shanghai Disney Resort is a Chinese re-imagining of classic Walt Disney themes.

Caribbean-like greenery and pirates are coming to Shanghai Disney at Treasure Cove. Caribbean-like greenery and pirates are coming to Shanghai Disney at Treasure Cove.

Shanghai Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" attraction is well on its way. It'll be part of the park's Treasure Cove area.Shanghai Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" attraction is well on its way. It'll be part of the park's Treasure Cove area.

Wanda Hefei is one of many theme parks that the Wanda Group is constructing in a bid to compete with Disney in Shanghai and upcoming Universal Beijing.Wanda Hefei is one of many theme parks that the Wanda Group is constructing in a bid to compete with Disney in Shanghai and upcoming Universal Beijing.

Taking inspiration from Chinese traditions, Wanda Hefei will feature a Chinese Opera Garden. The park will have a butterfly-themed area called Butterfly Wonderland and pirate ship attraction called Battle of Feishui (flying ship).Taking inspiration from Chinese traditions, Wanda Hefei will feature a Chinese Opera Garden. The park will have a butterfly-themed area called Butterfly Wonderland and pirate ship attraction called Battle of Feishui (flying ship).

Dubai Parks will be feature three themes in one with Legoland Dubai, Bollywood Parks Dubai and Motiongate Dubai. Dubai Parks will be feature three themes in one with Legoland Dubai, Bollywood Parks Dubai and Motiongate Dubai.

Motiongate Dubai will feature Dreamworks Animation characters and themed dining.Motiongate Dubai will feature Dreamworks Animation characters and themed dining.

Universal Beijing will blend Chinese cultural heritage with Hollywood movie themes. The complex will feature the first-ever Universal Studios-themed resort hotel.Universal Beijing will blend Chinese cultural heritage with Hollywood movie themes. The complex will feature the first-ever Universal Studios-themed resort hotel.

Work has yet to start on Beijing Universal, which is reportedly scheduled for opening in 2019.Work has yet to start on Beijing Universal, which is reportedly scheduled for opening in 2019.

IMG Worlds of Adventure's vast indoor theme park will include four zones, including ones dedicated to Cartoon Network and Marvel comic franchises.IMG Worlds of Adventure's vast indoor theme park will include four zones, including ones dedicated to Cartoon Network and Marvel comic franchises.

IMG Worlds of Adventure still has a ways to go before looking like the dazzling empire of fun shown in renderings. The looping roller coaster seen here is just a tease of the final ride.IMG Worlds of Adventure still has a ways to go before looking like the dazzling empire of fun shown in renderings. The looping roller coaster seen here is just a tease of the final ride.

The first theme park for 20th Century Fox in Genting, Malaysia, will feature rides tying in with "Ice Age," "Alien vs. Predator," "Planet of the Apes" and "Night at the Museum."The first theme park for 20th Century Fox in Genting, Malaysia, will feature rides tying in with "Ice Age," "Alien vs. Predator," "Planet of the Apes" and "Night at the Museum."

The Paramount London resort will have a main entertainment street, water park and sporting facilities. Its slated to open in 2020.The Paramount London resort will have a main entertainment street, water park and sporting facilities. Its slated to open in 2020.

Still a bare building site, Universal Moscow, this city's first major theme park, will be indoors to fend off the Russian winter.Still a bare building site, Universal Moscow, this city's first major theme park, will be indoors to fend off the Russian winter.








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  • Construction boom set to bring numerous theme park openings over the next five years

  • China and the UAE lead the theme park building charge with multiple major projects underway

  • Moscow and London also getting their first major branded theme parks




(CNN) -- You don't have to be a Soviet wheat farmer to realize that five-year plans aren't much fun.


Unless, that is, you start scheduling in new theme park openings.


A worldwide construction boom is currently underway that will bring in a slew of incredible new rides, slides, sights and frights over the next half-decade.


Stefan Zwanzger, aka the globetrotting Theme Park Guy, has been keeping an eye on what's coming so he can be among the first in line.


Here's his list of the best of attractions of the near future.


Shanghai Disney Resort (China)


Concept: Chinese re-imagining of the classic Disney concepts on vast site close to China's richest city.


Expect state of the art rides and the usual Disney trimmings, but with Chinese gardens and other themes replacing the European and American motifs of earlier parks.


Status: Under construction, due to open December 2015 (read Theme Park Guy's updates).


Zwanzger says: "Almost every decade in the past half-century we've had a new Disneyland somewhere in the world and this is the one for this decade.


"Design-wise it's going to be a bit of an experiment, and I think that is a wise move.


"I am absolutely convinced it's going to be a success because Disney innovates, surprises and invests into attention to detail, you've got more than a billion people in China, and it's still quite inconvenient for Chinese mainland passport holders to travel abroad."


Can't wait: Try Disneyland Hong Kong , Lantau Island, Hong Kong; +852 3550 3369


MORE: World's funnest theme parks




Wonder of Wanda



Dubai Parks (UAE)


Concept: Three parks under in one vast area 20 kilometers from Dubai's international airport.


These include a Legoland (the world's seventh), a Bollywood-themed park and Motiongate Dubai (a Hollywood-themed park).


Status: Under construction, scheduled for completion February 2015 (read Theme Park Guy's updates).


Zwanzger says: "This is a revival of the Dubailand idea, with a different developer.


"Dubailand was intended as a massive development with eight, nine or 10 theme parks in the deserts of Dubai. In the end, not one was built.


"Once again, the plan is to create a hub of family entertainment in the Middle East and in Dubai. Alcohol-free, family-orientated fun under the sun.


"If you ask me, it's the perfect fit for the region. It's also a smart move to limit it to three parks in the first phase, rather than 10."


Can't wait: Try Wild Water Wadi , Jumeirah Road, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; +971 4 348 4444


Avatar Land (near Orlando, Florida)


Concept: A park that brings to life Pandora, the blue-peopled planet of James Cameron's sci-fi movie "Avatar."


Avatar Land will sit within Disney's Animal Kingdom.


Status: Under construction, scheduled for opening in 2017 (read Theme Park Guy's updates).


Zwanzger says: "This will be James Cameron's first theme park involvement since the 'Terminator 2: 3-D' ride he directed and designed together with Gary Goddard for Universal Studios.


"Seeing the merciless perfection that comes with a Cameron movie applied to a theme park is really exciting.


"A lot of new technology has been promised for Avatar Land, with the animatronics expected to be more lifelike than anything seen before.


"Combining the talents of Disney Imagineering with James Cameron is going to create something really ambitious and unique."


Can't wait: Try Terminator 2: 3-D at Universal Studios Florida,1000 Universal Studios Plaza, Orlando, Florida; +1 407 363 8000


Universal Studios Beijing (China)


Concept: A reworking of Universal concepts for a Chinese audience that could follow earlier Universal parks in franchising other studio properties such as "Shrek" or "Harry Potter."


Status: After sitting on it for a few years, Universal has just re-announced the project with a fanfare price tag of $3.3 billion. No opening date, but Chinese media reports a 2019 debut (read Theme Park Guy's updates).


Zwanzger says: "Of course, it makes sense for Universal to get into the Chinese market as it did for Disney, and I think it's a great idea to build a park near Beijing.


"There are a lot of theme parks in mainland China, but no international brands operating yet. Disney will be the first and Universal second -- and it's a good idea they won't be in the same city."


Can't wait: Try Happy Valley Beijing , Xiaowujibei Road, Dongsihuan, Chaoyang District, Beijing; +86 10 6738 3333


Universal Studios Moscow (Russia)


Concept: An indoor Universal Studios park complete with retail mall south of Moscow.


Status: Announced in 2012 but as yet no sign of construction (read Theme Park Guy's updates).


Zwanzger says: "There's no theme park in or around Moscow whatsoever.


"For those who haven't been, it's a huge, modern, buzzing London-style metropolis, nothing less. Countless people live and work there, and an indoor entertainment facility for them would make a lot of sense.


"In Russia there's really almost nothing resembling a modern theme park -- the first ever opened in Sochi earlier this year -- and we're talking about a nation of more than 140 million people. There's nothing much for families."


"This is going to be the first of several.


"Apart from Universal, a local developer has tied up with DreamWorks to build three major indoor theme parks in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.


"Construction on them is due to commence this or next year."


Can't wait: Try Sochi Park Adventureland , Str. Ostrowski, 23, Sochi , Russia; +7 988 3603868


20th Century Fox World (Genting, Malaysia)




Mouse in China: Shanghai Disney Resort

Mouse in China: Shanghai Disney Resort



Concept: Mountaintop resort that'll be Fox's first movie-branded theme park with rides expected to relate to popular Fox films including "Ice Age," "Rio," "Alien vs. Predator," "Planet of the Apes" and "Night at the Museum."


Status: Under construction, expected to open 2016 (read Theme Park Guy's updates).


Zwanzger says: "Genting Highlands is home to Malaysia's only casino and part of the complex was an amusement park. It was one of the scariest I've been to as all the rides were in such an abysmal condition.


"They've now demolished the old park and are replacing it with one carrying the Fox brand.


"Fox has never built a movie theme park from scratch although it had a small studio-linked one in Sydney. So this will be a prototype and, it'll be interesting to see how it performs."


Can't wait: Try Sunway Lagoon , 3, Jalan PJS 11/11, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia; +60 3 56 390 000


Paramount Park London (Kent, UK)


Concept: Details expected imminently, but likely to feature rides and attractions based around Paramount studio properties like "Star Trek" and "Mission Impossible."


Status: Still a few planning hurdles to overcome, but projected to be opening in 2020 (read Theme Park Guy's updates).


Zwanzger says: "A lot of Paramount movie theme parks were announced in the past decade, in China, Korea, Japan, Dubai, Spain. None of them has been built, so this one would be the first of its kind.


"The UK is obviously neither China nor Dubai, so everything will take a bit longer.


"As far as I am aware, consultations are now taking place between the developers and local residents.


"I hope it'll go ahead. I can totally see a major theme park succeeding in the vicinity of London."


Can't wait: Try Parque Warner Madrid , M-301, Km 15.5, 28330 San Martin de la Vega, Madrid, Spain; +34 902 02 41 00


MORE: World's weirdest theme park


Wanda group (all over China)


Concept: Chinese leisure giant plans string of hugely expensive theme park complexes across China in a bid to challenge Disney and stamp its mark as a major player on the global entertainment industry (read Theme Park Guy's updates).


Status: Several already under construction, including an indoor movie theme park in Wuhan.


Last year Wanda reportedly announced a $5.9 billion theme park for Wuxi, west of Shanghai, that's been seen as a rival to Disneyland. It's said to be one of 10 "cultural cities" that Wanda intends to roll out across China.


Zwanzger says: "Wanda Group's got a huge budget and they're doing to their best to hire whoever they can find to bring major theme park experiences to China.


"There's a lot going on, a lot of talk and construction, but it's hard to see how it will pan out because there's no Wanda theme park in operation right now. We'll see."


Can't wait: Try Fantawild theme parks across China.




Blue planet: Avatar Land



Atlantis (Sanya, China)


Concept: An aquatic-themed resort and park on Hainan, a southern Chinese island often compared to Hawaii.


This'll be the third Atlantis, after the Bahamas and Dubai.


Status: Construction not yet underway. Scheduled for completion in 2016 (read Theme Park Guy's updates).


Zwanzger says: "Sanya has a beautiful coastline and it's one of the few places in China where you can get lots of blue sky.


"I can completely see an Atlantis resort and water park succeeding here.


"Hainan is very close to Vietnam, but it's very different to what you get in other parts of Southeast Asia. It's a high-end Dubai-style luxury destination that few people outside of China know about. Yet."


Can't wait: Try Atlantis Paradise Island , 1 Casino Drive, Paradise Island, Bahamas; +1 242 363 3000


IMG Worlds of Adventure (Dubai, UAE)


Concept: Vast indoor theme park with four zones including Cartoon Network and Marvel comic franchises.


Status: In final stages of construction, due to open at end of 2014, but more likely 2015 (read Theme Park Guy's updates).


Zwanzger says: "With a huge number of theme parks opening almost simultaneously in the UAE in the next couple of years, it'll be very interesting to see if they'll be a success or have a hard time attracting the crowds.


"IMG Worlds of Adventure, compared to government-backed Dubai Parks & Resorts, is a family enterprise in conjunction with a huge bank loan.


"It's an expensive undertaking. I have no idea if it'll ever break even."


Can't wait: Try Ferrari World , Yas Island, Abu Dhabi; +971 2 496 8000


MORE: 12 game-changing theme park attractions