Knott’s Berry Farm
Down the street from Disneyland, Knott’s is an affordable theme park compared with its rivals. A family of four can enjoy a day at the Old West-themed park for less than $300. Sitting on 160 acres, Knott’s offers five-themed areas with thrill and kiddie attractions and entertainment for all ages.
Park prices
Tickets are $67 for adults and $37 for kids.
What’s new?
Voyage to the Iron Reef: Riders battle the Queen of the Kraken and her army in this 4D interactive ride underneath the park’s Boardwalk area. The ride allows visitors to shoot down the Kraken. “It is the best interactive dark ride on the West Coast,” Niles says. “It’s more complex, much more fun … it makes you feel like you’re in their environment.”
Quick tips
Pay for tickets online: Buying the tickets online could save you $10 to $20 per ticket.
Visit Camp Snoopy: Children can meet Snoopy, Woodstock and the rest of the Peanuts gang here. The Huff and Puff ride gets kids to rigorously pump a handle of a mine car up and down a track. “This ride actually demands an activity from the kids,” Niles says.
Eat the fried chicken outside: Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant is located outside of the theme park. Fried chicken is also served inside the park, but the experience is not the same, Niles says. The boysenberry pie is a must-have, too.
Register for Kid Track: It is every parent’s worst nightmare to lose track of a child inside a crowded place. Knott’s has a program for parents or guardians to provide their information (name and phone number) to Guest Services in front of the park. Guest Services will write the information on the inside of the KidTrack wristband and place it on the child’s wrist. If the child gets lost or separated, she can notify any Knott’s employee wearing a name tag to help contact her parents or guardians.
Baby-changing stations: There are two baby-changing and nursing stations, located in the California MarketPlace and Camp Snoopy.
Go on the thrill rides first: For parents with young teens and teenagers, arrive early and hit up the Xcelerator, Silver Bullet, and GhostRider, first. These are the busiest rides at Knott’s.
Adventure City
Just 5 miles away from Disneyland, Adventure City prides itself as a “little theme park that’s big on family fun.” Located in Anaheim on Harbor Boulevard and Ball Road, the theme park is built for children 10 and younger. There are 11 rides, and such attractions as a puppet theater, magic and puppet shows, sing-alongs, and a petting zoo with goats, sheep, chicken and a tortoise. There’s also a video game arcade and a meet-and-greet area with Adventure Dog and City Kitty. The theme park is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. on weekends.
Park prices
Tickets are $16.95 for adults and children, and $11.95 for seniors. Parking is free.
What’s new?
Rewind Racers: The theme park’s newest kid coaster goes forward and backward. The ride is a family shuttle coaster that can fit 14 people. Kids must be 4 years old, 39 inches tall, and ride with an adult.
Quick tips
Go on a picnic: There’s a picnic area in front of the park where guests can bring their own food and drinks.
Bring water and snacks: Besides baby fomula and baby food, outside food is not permitted in the park but picnic tables are available directly outside the main gates.
Go anytime: The theme park never gets too crowded. The longest you’ll ever wait for a ride is 10 minutes.
Host a birthday party: If you’re tired of renting out a bounce house or having a house party, host a birthday party here. Group discounts are available to parties of 20 or more.
Six Flags Magic Mountain
If you like to hang upside down, be thrown side-to-side and go really, really fast, Six Flags Magic Mountain is the place for you. This is thrill-seeker paradise. Located in Valencia, Six Flags offers rides and entertainment for young kids, teenagers and adults. But, the theme park is known for its thrill rides and visitor screams.
Park prices
Tickets are $72.99 for adults and $47.99 for children under 48 inches.
What’s New?
Twisted Colossus: A revamped version of the park’s iconic Colossus ride, which closed in August after 36 years, the Twisted Colossus uses hybrid technology and features steel tracks laid on top of the original ride’s wooden structure. This four-minute ride takes passengers through 5,000 feet of wooden and steel tracks that twist, turn, go upside down, and features a 116-foot drop from an 80-degree angle. “You would have to go all the way out to Texas to ride something similar,” Niles says. “It’s a great experience and might be the best coaster there.” This summer, wait times for that ride are expected to be two to three hours, he says.
Quick Tips
Arrive early: Hop on Twisted Colossus first. A 30- or 45-minute wait early in the morning won’t be as bad as the wait later in the day.
Plenty of rides for small kids: Introduce your kids to Looney Tunes. The cartoon isn’t as prominent as it once was, but kids will enjoy hopping on Daffy’s Adventure Tour, Pepe Le Pew’s Tea Party, and Sylvester’s Pounce and Bounce.
Wear sunscreen and bring a sweater: Valencia gets brutally hot mid-day and cool in the early evenings.
Eat the funnel cake: The line for the funnel cake can be just as long as some attractions. The funnel cake topped with strawberry toppings is the best around.
Bring Dramamine and Pepto Bismol: With all the thrill rides, you may need to bring both to prevent nausea, vomiting and dizziness.
Universal Studios Hollywood
The movie- and television-themed park in Universal City is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and has rolled out three new attractions for visitors.
Park prices
Tickets are $95 for ages 3 and older.
What’s new?
Springfield U.S.A.: A new land based on TV’s “The Simpsons,” complements “The Simpsons Ride,” which opened
at the park seven years ago. At Springfield, visitors can walk around the town and meet Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Krusty the Clown and Sideshow Bob. You’ll see the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, Springfield Elementary School, and Apu’s Kwik-E-Mart. And just like Apu, employees say, “Thank you, come again.” You can also grab a Krusty Burger, drink a Flaming Moe’s at Moe’s Tavern, or get a beer at Duff Gardens. “The food is an attraction in itself,” Niles says.
Nighttime Studio Tour: Universal is well known for its Studio Tour, where visitors can see Hollywood’s famous movie-making backlot. This year, Universal is making the tour available at night. “The new nighttime tour will be a different experience from the daytime tour,” Niles says. “They are adding new special effects.”
Fast & the Furious – Supercharged: Guests are fully immersed into the high-speed world of “Fast & the Furious.” During the park’s famed Studio Tour tram ride, visitors are surrounded by a massive 360-degree, 3D screen and feel as if they’re in the middle of a street race.
Quick tips
Buy Front of the Line passes: If you can afford it, you can reduce your wait times with these passes. Passes start at $149 and include park admission. But, if you arrive early, you can get most of the attractions done in one day.
Go to Lower Lot first: Hit up Transformers: The Ride 3D first, Revenge of the Mummy and Jurassic Park. These are some of the most popular attractions.
Child Switch: There is a Child Switch program. If a child cannot ride an attraction, one person can wait with the little one in a separate room, while the other adult enjoys the ride — and then vice versa.
Best ages: Niles says Universal Studios Hollywood is best suited for toddlers taller than 40 inches and elementary school-aged and teens.
Sit in the back row: Shrek 4D and Despicable Me Minion Mayhem are inside 3D theatres. If you watch along the back row, you’ll see more of the visual 3D effects on the screen.
Legoland
A Lego lover’s dream. Located in Carlsbad, the Lego-themed park is less than an hour’s drive south of Orange County. While Disneyland is a place where adults can be kids again; Legoland is a theme park that best caters to children ages 2 to 12.
What’s new?
“Star Wars” Death Star: Darth Vader’s Death Star is the newest model display in the theme park’s “Star Wars” themed area. This massive model stands 13 feet tall, 8 feet in width, and weighs nearly 1 ton (1,900 pounds). It’s made out of a half million Lego bricks. There are also X-Wing and TIE fighters orbiting around the Death Star. The model is interactive. Kids can press a button and play out scenes from the “Star Wars” movies. For example, one projected scene shows the battle between Obi Wan and Darth Vader. In another, it shows the Death Star blowing up Princess Leia’s home planet, Alderaan. Kids can also construct their own starship. There are Lego building stations on each side of the display.
Heartlake City: A land based on the popular Lego toy and television cartoon franchise, Heartlake City is geared for families with young girls. There is Mia’s Riding Camp, a carousel that features 60 horses, a splash pad, and a Friends Forever stage where the “Lego Friends to The Rescue” perform, six times daily.
Quick tips
Clockwise pattern: The park is shaped like a pinwheel. The left side is skewed more for younger guests and as you work around clockwise, the park opens up for older children. “For more adventurous rides, veer to the right,” Gonzales says.
Plan activities: Get an understanding of what your child wants to do. Legoland is unique. Some kids may just prefer to build Legos all day. Others want to go on the rides.
Stay at least two days: To get the most out of the theme park, stay at the Legoland Hotel. Legoland has other park areas — the Sealife Aquarium and Lego Chima Water Park.
Bring water and snacks: Visitors are allowed to bring bottled water and light snacks inside the theme park.
Buy tickets online or look for a retailer: The Legoland website is the best place to find ticket deals. Some grocery and restaurant chains also offer deals. Try Costco, Denny’s or Wendy’s.
