Family Kingdom Amusement Park is a small oceanside park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Well, the (currently still closed) water park portion of the park is right on the beach. The larger amusement park is on the other side of Ocean Boulevard. And it’s pretty fun! I wouldn’t name it as a destination on its own, but there are two roller coasters here, one of which is actually enjoyable.
Parking
The park is right in the thick of the Myrtle Beach strip, surrounded by hotels, restaurants, shops, etc., so it’s easy to walk there if you’re already nearby. If you’re driving in, there are several paid parking lots around Myrtle Beach, including a $10 lot on the north/3rd Ave side and a dedicated $9 lot on the south/Yaupon(?) Dr. side just for Family Kingdom Amusement Park patrons. (Google Maps doesn’t do a good job of pointing these out, either.)
Family Kingdom Amusement Park Rides
Let’s take a look at what there is to ride, in a loose ranking.
Swamp Fox Coaster
The headliner at the Family Kingdom Amusement Park is the Swamp Fox Roller Coaster. (“Legendary” since 1966.) As you board this coaster and travel up the lift hill, it feels very rickety. The train cars sort of shift under you in a way that feels like the whole thing may be less than solidly built. If there were a news story about an accident on an old roller coaster that was poorly maintained, this feels like it.
But then you round the first turn and go down the hill, and it’s a pretty fantastic ride from there on out! I won’t call it smooth, but it’s a much better ride than I had expected going up the lift hill. It is the most popular ride in the park and the only one you might have a decent amount of wait for.
Log Flume
The next best ride at this small park is the Log Flume. It’s not a dug-in channel. It’s like a flat ride set on top of the concrete, which I had never seen before. But it’s pretty fun! My favorite part is a dry drop on the back side with a smaller splash before the big hill and splashdown. And you can get fairly wet, but it’s not a drenching.
Pistolero Roundup
A surprisingly fun ride is the Pistolero Roundup, a laser-shooter dark ride with some ambition. There is a cartoony (and very politically incorrect) animatronic of a Mexican police officer (maybe?) who lays out the story of the banditos you are supposed to be shooting at. At least, that’s what I think he says – it’s really hard to understand. Then inside, two people per car can shoot at targets and rack up points. It’s a short ride but fairly entertaining. I’m always up for a silly dark ride.
Ferris Wheel
The Ferris Wheel is your best bet for views of the ocean, though you can see it from the top of the Swamp Fox coaster as well. This is a gondola-style Ferris wheel, however, and single riders aren’t allowed. I ended up riding with a guy and his kids, which was awkward, but I’m glad I got to ride it. There are some really pretty views from it in the evening.
Flat Rides
Lumping all the flat rides together, I will say that they were universally well-operated. The Tilt-A-Whirl is well maintained and very spinny. The Hurricane (a music express with fixed seats) and the Thunderbolt (a Matterhorn/flying bob with bobsled seats that swing out) are operated fast, going both forward and backward. The Galleon is a swinging pirate ride, and the Yo-Yo is a serviceable swings ride (though very pretty at night.)
Train
The small train isn’t anything to really shout about. It’s a small gauge train that travels from under the Swamp Fox Coaster, around the back of the park, then in a loop around the cactus-themed area under the elevated Pistolero Roundup ride. There’s no narration or banter, just a chance to sit down for a bit.
Twist’n Shout Coaster
There is another roller coaster in the park, the Twist’n Shout wild mouse coaster. It’s fine. It has about the same layout as every wild mouse you’ve ever been on, including a hard brake at the end. It’s also a little bit out of the way.
Kiddie Rides
There are 19 rides primarily for kids, from a face-down spinning flyer, a pretty carousel, to several slow, go-in-a-circle rides on various vehicles. One cute one is a canoe water ride through a plastic teepee or two.
Closed Rides
There is a Sling Shot drop tower ride and some Bumper Boats at Family Kingdom Amusement Park, but they were closed during my visit. I would probably like the Sling Shot, so I’m sad that it was closed. There’s also a figure-8 go-kart track for an extra fee which I didn’t try.
Hours
Family Kingdom Amusement Park is only open in the evenings. most days from 6 to 11:30 pm, and on Saturdays from 4 pm to midnight. And as far as their calendar states now, the park is open daily through the end of September. I asked, and they usually open for the season around Easter and close by October.
Phone App/Wifi
It’s worth noting – this isn’t the place for full phone connectivity. It’s basically a larger roadside amusement park. There’s no phone app or wifi available in the park. Though it might be possible to connect to your hotel’s wifi if it’s close enough!
Admisson
Admission to Family Kingdom Amusement Park is via a wristband that costs $32.95 for all ages. Or you can buy individual ride tickets for $1.15 each. The most expensive rides are the Swamp Fox and the Log Flume for 5 tickets/$5.75, Most other rides are 4 tickets/$4.60 each, and kid’s rides are 3 tickets/$3.45. To walk in and just walk around is free. (And there is SC sales tax on all those prices.)
Go-carts aren’t included under the wristband, and you must buy tickets to ride, no straight cash. Each ride is 5 tickets/$5.75.
As I said, I wouldn’t travel any major distance to visit the Family Kingdom Amusement Park. But if you’re in the area and looking for something to do on an evening at the beach, it’s a reasonably fun destination, especially for families with kids.
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