Dwelling on the East Coast, I at all times have romantic notions of California. I am typically fairly envious of their stunning climate, palm bushes, relaxed life-style, attractive Southern California seashores, and fabulous family-friendly actions.
Whereas I normally go to the Orlando theme parks, there are some improbable Southern California theme parks as effectively. Even in the event you dwell nearer to the East Coast, I like to recommend visiting the West Coast to discover the California theme parks. In case you are situated within the California space, you would embody theme park visits in your weekend getaway in Southern California.
I’ve had the chance to go to a number of of those theme parks for gratis for evaluation. All opinions are my very own. This submit accommodates affiliate hyperlinks. A purchase order by way of one in all these hyperlinks might lead to a fee paid to us at no extra value to you.
Lower your expenses in your Disneyland tickets and your Southern California trip by reserving by way of Get Away As we speak. You too can save $10 in your Southern California trip of two days or extra with the code FTM10. We booked our most up-to-date three journeys to Disneyland by way of Get Away As we speak.
Exploring the Theme Parks in Southern California.
Disneyland Resort
When visiting California theme parks, you will completely have to return to the place all of it started for Disney. Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, was the primary Disney theme park, and it is a lot enjoyable for households.
Sights on the Disneyland Resort embody iconic rides like It is a Small World, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, House Mountain, Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Haunted Mansion. Youthful children will love seeing the Disney characters and the traditional rides at Fantasyland, together with Mr. Toad’s Wild Trip, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland.
Though ToonTown in Orlando closed years in the past to make method for a brand new Fantasyland, Disneyland California nonetheless has a strong ToonTown. Little children will love the colourful colours of the ToonTown buildings. It now boasts one of many latest Disney rides: Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
Disneyland additionally affords reveals and parades all through the day, character interactions, scrumptious eating places (and yummy snacks), and enjoyable retailers.
Disney California Journey
The newer of the 2 Disneyland Resort parks is Disney’s California Journey. It is situated adjoining to Disneyland Park, and you may simply stroll from one park to the opposite all through the day.
You will solely must undergo safety as soon as. Simply take into account that park reservations are presently required, and you are not in a position to park hop till after 11 am.
Disney’s California Journey affords a lot of family-friendly sights as effectively, together with Toy Story Mania, CarsLand (positively you should definitely go to Radiator Springs Racers), Soarin’ Across the World, and Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! Thrill seekers will wish to go on the Incredicoaster (the one experience at Disneyland Resort that goes the wrong way up) and Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout.
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California Journey can also be dwelling to the brand new Avengers Campus. This space of the park affords a one of many newer California Journey rides – WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Journey.
When visiting Disneyland, you’ll be able to select a number of completely different ticket varieties. We suggest getting the park hopper in your tickets so you’ll be able to go to each parks in at some point. You will additionally wish to obtain the Disneyland cell app and think about buying Lightning Lane Multi-Cross if you wish to save time throughout your day(s) at Disneyland.
With Lightning Lane Multi-Cross, you pay a separate price however will be capable of e book a return time on the app. There’s additionally the chance to buy particular person lightning lane entry to the preferred rides like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Radiator Springs Racers.
Three on-property Disney lodges are adjoining to the parks. As well as, many “Good Neighbor” lodges are situated proper throughout the road from the parks. A few of these are chain lodges, and several other provide out of doors water parks for company.
Throughout our final two visits, we stayed on the Howard Johnson Anaheim Resort, the Westin Anaheim Resort, and the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance and beloved all three. When you select to e book by way of Get Away As we speak, you can even embody one in all these resorts.
Generally, you need to plan to spend about 2-3 days on the Disneyland Resort if you would like to expertise many of the sights on the property. You will be extra environment friendly in the event you get the park hopper possibility in your ticket.
Knott’s Berry Farm
Knott’s Berry Farm, the oldest theme park in California, grew from humble beginnings to a park stuffed with kiddie rides and world-class thrill rides. It is situated in Buena Park, California, about 20 minutes from Anaheim.
Along with Knott’s Berry Farm Park, there’s additionally Knott’s Soak Metropolis, a water park that’s open seasonally. It is a lot greater than an amusement park!
Knott’s Berry Farm is dwelling to Camp Snoopy, part of the park themed after the lovable Peanuts gang. That is most applicable for youthful children. Along with rides, you will additionally discover character meet and greets and reveals that includes the characters.
Older children will love the fun rides at Knott’s Berry Farm. There are such a lot of quick coasters that go the wrong way up. My favourite experience is the Supreme Scream. This experience climbs up 252 toes within the air. You will have a cut up second to benefit from the attractive view earlier than plummeting.
If you are there, you will have to go to Mrs. Knott’s Rooster Dinner Restaurant. It is situated outdoors the park, so you will not want a park ticket. It contains a scrumptious fried rooster entree with biscuits, mashed potatoes, and gravy.
You could possibly most likely go to Knott’s Berry Farm in a day. There’s an affiliated lodge adjoining to the park that’s extraordinarily handy, or you would keep within the higher Los Angeles space. In case your plan contains each theme park resorts, I might most likely plan to remain close to Disneyland and drive/Uber into Knott’s.
LEGOLAND California
After we visited San Diego with our children just a few years in the past, the children HAD to go to LEGOLAND California. It is situated in Carlsbad, CA, a couple of half hour from San Diego and an hour from Anaheim.
LEGOLAND California might be most applicable for youths as much as about 12 years previous. The park options rides, LEGO reveals, reveals, and character greetings. New this 12 months is Dino Valley.
There’s additionally an adjoining water park. In case you are simply visiting the theme park, you would go for simply at some point.
There are two LEGO-themed lodges on the property – the LEGOLAND Lodge and the LEGOLAND Fort Lodge. These lodges are good for a LEGO lover – they’re fully themed in full LEGO!
You will additionally discover a SEA LIFE Aquarium on the property. You possibly can improve your common LEGOLAND ticket to incorporate SEA LIFE. This submit can assist if you’re attempting to resolve on Disneyland vs LEGOLAND.
SeaWorld San Diego
Whereas I have not visited the San Diego model of SeaWorld, I’ve been to SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Antonio. My children have at all times beloved our visits to SeaWorld, particularly as they’ve gotten older. The park is stuffed with enjoyable rides, together with a lot of thrill rides.
For youthful children, there’s the Sesame Road Bay of Play, which incorporates three rides which are nice for youthful children. Thrill seekers will take pleasure in one of many latest rides – the Electrical Eel Curler Coaster. It is the tallest coaster in San Diego and contains drops, twists, and turns. There are additionally just a few water rides, together with Journey to Atlantis and Shipwreck Rapids.
SeaWorld San Diego is situated alongside Mission Bay and might be a straightforward one-day journey. In case you are staying within the Anaheim space, you’ll be able to journey all the way down to San Diego for the day, or there are many San Diego lodges close to SeaWorld.
A few of them provide complimentary shuttles to the park. In season, SeaWorld additionally operates the Aquatica Water Park, which is situated in Chula Vista, CA.
Common Studios Hollywood
This leisure and movie-themed park is a must-visit for film lovers. The preferred sights are the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in addition to the World-Well-known Studio Tour. There’s additionally Springfield U.S.A. – dwelling of the Simpsons, and Tremendous Nintendo World.
There are a number of close by lodges – just a few that supply trip packages with Common Studios Hollywood.
San Diego ZooÂ
Though it is not a theme park, the San Diego Zoo is price a go to. It will get very busy, so arriving early is a good suggestion. We arrived when it opened throughout our go to and nonetheless confronted an extended line to park and enter the zoo.
When you select your ticket sort, buy your ticket, and enter the zoo, you’ll be able to take a double-decker bus tour. Whereas this can be a nice strategy to discover the zoo and plan your day, we opted out as a result of it did not begin till half-hour after the zoo opened.
Another choice for touring across the zoo is the Skyfari, which runs from one nook to a different. We used the Skyfari to stroll much less, nevertheless it was additionally a enjoyable little experience. Relying on the kind of ticket you will have, admission could also be further.
After all, as a zoo, there are a great deal of animal reveals to see. My children particularly beloved the koala exhibit, as a result of we had by no means seen them earlier than. There are additionally dozens of different animals, in addition to reveals, particular reveals, and extra.
Attending to These Southern California Theme Parks
Fairly just a few airports are handy to those Southern California Theme Parks. Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) is the most important and hottest, however different smaller airports could also be extra handy and even cheaper.
Throughout my current journey to the LA space, I flew in by way of the Lengthy Seashore Airport (LBG). It is a very small airport, however it is rather straightforward to navigate. There’s additionally the John Wayne Airport (SNA), which can also be centrally situated.
Different choices embody the Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), Ontario Worldwide Airport (ONT), and the San Diego Worldwide Airport (SAN). In case you are visiting LA and San Diego, you could think about flying in by way of one airport and out by way of one other.
