Page 30 - 2018 Travel Guide to California

THEME PARKS
LEGOLAND California, right.
Comics movies and opened in May 2017. In
2019 the park will welcome Star Wars Land.
Other Bay Area Parks
The San Francisco Bay Area is home to two
other popular parks: California’s Great
America (in Santa Clara) and Six Flags Dis-
covery Kingdom (in Vallejo).
Great America, next to Levi’s Stadium, is
all about rides. Diversions range from
scream-inducing (Flight Deck, a roller
coaster, has one 360-degree loop and a
zero-gravity roll) to family-friendly (the
Carousel Columbia is the world’s tallest
double-decker carousel). In 2017 the park
added Patriot, a floorless roller coaster; and
in 2015, the park expanded the Planet
Snoopy kids area and added three new
attractions, including two new racing rides.
The vibe at Discovery Kingdom is more
eclectic. In addition to rides such as the
Medusa roller coaster and SkyScreamer (a
swing ride), the park also is home to a
number of animals, including Jocko the
walrus, who starred in the 2004 movie, 50
First Dates, and Brandon the reticulated
giraffe, who was named after San Francisco
Giants slugger, Brandon Belt. In 2017, park
officials added Wonder Woman: Lasso of
Truth, a circular swing ride; in 2015, the park
added the Dare Devil Chaos Coaster, a roller
coaster that takes passengers upside-down
in both forward and backward directions.
San Diego Area Parks
San Diego and its surrounding suburbs also
comprise a great region for theme parks;
two family favorites are SeaWorld and
Legoland California.
Out near Mission Bay, in San Diego
proper, SeaWorld is a sprawling homage to
dozens of different species of marine life,
28 2018 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A
including dolphins, sea lions, walruses,
polar bears and beluga whales. In late 2016
SeaWorld reorganized its entertainment
program to focus more squarely on educa-
tion. This means no more animal shows,
which has kept conservation groups happy.
In the nearby community of Carlsbad,
Legoland is dedicated to tiny plastic bricks
(“Legos”), and boasts Lego replicas of
famous architectural icons (the Statue of
Liberty and the Taj Mahal among them).
The park incorporates rides and eateries,
and is home to the Model Shop, the head-
quarters for the park’s 10 master builders (a
window allows guests to witness these pro-
fessionals at work). There also are two
tremendous on-site water parks.
CityPASS
Once you’ve decided where to go, try City-
PASS for saving some money: In Southern
California, it saves about $150 per person
off combined admission for attractions
such as Legoland and SeaWorld. The
Southern California CityPASS also includes
back-and-forth admission to both Disney-
land Park and Disney California Adventure
Park for any three days during a 14-day
period. The San Francisco CityPASS ticket
booklet includes a 3-Day Cable Car and
Muni Bus Passport and saves 45 percent off
combined admission to the California
Academy of Sciences, Aquarium of the Bay,
a Blue and Gold Fleet Bay Cruise, and a
choice between the Exploratorium or the
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
(SFMOMA). The pass is valid for nine days.
Buy your CityPASS at any of the above
attractions or online at citypass.com.
» FIND YOUR
FANTASY
Universal Studios Hollywood
universalstudioshollywood.com
Children’s Fairyland
fairyland.org
Disneyland
disneyland.disney.go.com
California’s Great America
cagreatamerica.com
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
sixflags.com/discoverykingdom
Legoland California
california.legoland.com
SeaWorld
seaworldparks.com/en/
seaworld-sandiego
Knott’s Berry Farm
knotts.com
CityPASS
citypass.com
CITYPASS