Page 34 - 2019 Travel Guide to California

THEME PARKS
MANTA COASTER at SeaWorld, right.
Comics movies and opened in May 2017. In
the summer of 2019, the park will welcome
Star Wars Land, an homage to the Star Wars
franchise and its characters.
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,
32 2019 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
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 incor-
porates rides and eateries, and is home to the
Model Shop, the headquarters for the park’s
10 master builders (a window allows guests
to witness these professionals at work).
There also are two tremendous on-site water
parks, and a new submarine ride that com-
bines LEGO creations and an aquarium.
CityPASS
Once you’ve decided where to go, CityPASS
can save you some money. For Southern
California, CityPASS tickets help visitors
create and save on individualized ticket
packages to attractions such as Disneyland,
Disney California Adventure Park, Legoland,
SeaWorld, Universal Studios Hollywood,
San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. Prices and
savings vary, depending on which parks you
choose and for how many days. The San
Francisco CityPASS ticket includes a 3-Day
Cable Car and Muni Bus Passport and saves up
to 40 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 and the
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art—
SFMOMA. The pass is valid for nine days.
Buy your CityPASS at any of the above attrac-
tions or online at citypass.com. There’s also
a San Francisco CityPASS C3 ticket for
shorter-stay visitors. This mobile ticket,
available exclusively through citypass.com,
allows visitors to choose any three attrac-
tions from a list of eight options.
» 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
SEAWORLD