Page 34 - 2020 Travel Guide to California

THEME PARKS
A FAMILY WITH BUTTERBEER at the
Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal
Studios Hollywood, right.
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).
In early summer, Great America will
open South Bay Shores, a transformed
water park with double the play space of
retiring Boomerang Bay. The park is also
known for its rides, which 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 2020 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
including dolphins, sea lions, walruses,
polar bears and beluga whales. In 2016 Sea-
World 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 time and money. For Southern
California, CityPASS tickets help visitors
create and save on individualized ticket pack-
ages to attractions such as Disneyland Park,
Disney California Adventure Park, Legoland
California, SeaWorld San Diego, Universal
Studios Hollywood, San Diego Zoo and San
Diego Zoo Safari Park. Prices and savings vary,
depending on which parks you choose and
for how many days. The San Francisco City-
PASS ticket saves 40 percent or more off
combined admission to the California
Academy of Sciences, a Blue and Gold Fleet
Bay Cruise, a choice between Aquarium of the
Bay or The Walt Disney Family Museum, and
a choice between the Exploratorium or the
San Francisco Zoo. The pass is valid for nine
days. Buy your CityPASS at any of the above
attractions or online at citypass.com. There’s
also a San Francisco CityPASS C3 ticket for
shorter-stay visitors. This mobile ticket, avail-
able exclusively through citypass.com, allows
visitors to choose any three attractions from
a list of nine 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
seaworld.com/san-diego
Knott’s Berry Farm
knotts.com
CityPASS
citypass.com
NATHANIEL CHADWICK/UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD