New adventures await at local theme parks this summer.
Bright summer sunshine is the best medicine after a long El Niño winter. In Southern California, adventures in the sun often lead to theme parks. Screaming as you zip along a ride, gobbling up delicious food or even quietly watching giraffes and rhinos are all great family memories to fill a summer.
Lots of new things are happening at the parks, but let’s start with something a bit older.
On June 13, 1934, Cordelia Knott served dinner to eight people. They paid 65 cents each and got her country-fried chicken dished up on Cordelia’s own wedding china. For years, she’d served hot biscuits and homemade preserves to customers who stopped by their little roadside produce stand in what was then the farming community of Buena Park. Her biscuits and boysenberry preserves were so successful, she added chicken in 1934.
By 1940, people waited in line for hours to enjoy the Knott’s food. To entertain folks while they waited, Walter created a ghost town. Southern California’s first themed amusement park had begun. Ninety years later, Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant serves an average of 1,000 chicken dinners every day.
Looking Back and Forward at Knott’s
To celebrate the 90th anniversary, Knott’s is offering various reasons to stop by the restaurant when you visit the park: On select weekend mornings through Sept. 2, Knott’s will serve a Berry Family Breakfast; on National Fried Chicken Day (July 6, for those marking your calendars), visitors can get discounted fried chicken dishes — and some family photo ops — available that day only; and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily in August, Throwback Happy Hour Flights will give visitors a chance to sample popular drinks from nine decades at the restaurant’s bar.
But while they’re frying up the chicken at Knott’s restaurant, aspiring Beagle Scouts can explore new rides and new experiences at a newly reimagined Camp Snoopy.
The last major renovation of Camp Snoopy was in 2014 for the camp’s 30th anniversary. Now with four new rides, a theater turned green space, and revamped restaurant and gift shop, it’s mostly a new adventure for families.
Snoopy’s Tenderpaw Twister Coaster is a family-friendly coaster that takes riders up a lift hill to a pint-sized launch. Riders also get to go around twice, so it’s double the fun. Sally’s Swing Along allows families to go on a super-sized swing set and glide back and forth as they sing along to help Sally forget her frustration with Linus who has stood her up. Camp Snoopy’s Off-Road Rally — formerly Rocky Mountain Trucking Company — gives little drivers the chance to race through newly expanded terrain in their own Peanuts-themed Jeep. Along the way, the little drivers will find funny road signs and obstacles to navigate. And the Beagle Express takes riders on a scenic locomotive journey over a covered bridge to see Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang prep for jamboree events.
The former theater area has also become Beagle Scout Acres, a large green space for families to relax and have lunch on shaded picnic tables, or join in special jamboree sing-a-longs around the new campfire fire pit.
The remodeled Grizzly Creek Lodge is still the place to eat at Camp Snoopy, and Snoopy’s Camp Store is still the place to shop for the best Camp Snoopy merchandise.
Before or after a chicken dinner and day at the park, families can check in for the night at the newly renovated Knott’s Hotel. Despite a multi-million-dollar modern redesign, homages to the roadside produce stand of the early 20th century are everywhere, giving the feel of a cozy 322-room guesthouse on the farm. Inside is a brand-new restaurant, 30 Acres, that further explores the theme.
“It’s modern farm house. Based on the original 30-acre farm of Knott’s Berry Farm,” says manager Giovanni Bernal.
The restaurant’s Executive Chef Shannon Tracewell likes to describe it as “Modern farm to table,” and emphasizes, “we try to use our local produce vendors and try to use most local to us first. … We try to keep it as close to home as possible.”
The hotel offers exclusive summer packages that include admission to both Knott’s and its neighboring water park, Soak City, as well as parking and overnight accommodation. For reservations, visit knottshotel.com.
Three Days at Disneyland
The latest summer ticket offer for Disneyland and California Adventure is aimed at families, and offers a break in ticket prices for kids, but requires a three-day commitment to visit. Good for families visiting from out of Southern California, but also local Disney fans with an extra day or two of vacation available during the week.
According to the company, for a limited time, kids ages 3-9 can enter the parks for as little as $50 per child per day, and kids ages 10 and older can enter for $83 per day with the purchase of a special three-day, one-park-per-day ticket valid Monday through Thursday. Passes for the 3- to 9-year-olds are $149. Passes for 10 and older are $249.
However, for families who can’t always get to the parks during the work week, passes good for any day of the week are available for the younger kids at $199 and for the older kids at $299.
Once you’ve purchased the passes, families can use the passes three times through September 26 and both a theme park reservation and a valid ticket for the same park on the same date are required.
When you’re at the park, Pixar Fest continues through Aug. 4, with newly added features to celebrate the release of “Inside Out 2,” including learning to draw four characters — Joy, Sadness, Anxiety and Anger — at Animation Academy in California Adventure park. Also, movie-inspired merch, food and drinks include a medallion from Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff Medallion Machine, an Anxiety Straw Clip at select locations and Disney PhotoPass Lens with “Inside Out 2” characters for guests who purchase Disney Genie+ service.
A Roaring Good Time at Legoland
Legoland’s new Dino Valley and World Parade are a combination adventure and party for kids and lovers of Lego. Sing and dance along as Lego dinosaurs roam the landscape in new fun for summer 2024.
Two new rides debut this summer, Explorer River Quest and Duplo Little Dino Trail, along with the return of the dino-coaster Coastersaurus. For those who venture into Dino Outpost, buried bones and fossils can be found, where kids can build their own pterodactyls, raptors and other dino creations.
Before you leave Dino Valley, stop by to meet new characters T-Rex Costume Fan and Paleontologist for a selfie, then head off to the World Parade.
As the Lego parade goes marching, dancing and singing by, check out the latest creations in Lego-themed floats like City Firetruck, the swashbuckling pirate ship and other creations inspired by Ninjago, Lego Friends, Duplo and City Deep Sea Adventure. Popular Lego characters also come to life in the parade like Fire Chief Freya, Lloyd, Scuba Diver, Scallywag Pirate and Hopsy.
Elmo and You at Sesame Place
A new character experience called Dine with Elmo is a chance for visitors to really hang out with the ticklish Muppets star at Sesame Place San Diego’s Sunny Day Cafe. For $24.99 ($44.99 for adults), guests can have a buffet meal and meet, sing and dance with Sesame Street characters, who often come right to your table for their selfies.
The buffet includes BBQ brisket, chicken dijon, lemon herb salmon, pasta marinara with meatballs, and vegetables, roasted potatoes, fruit and salad for adults. The kids menu includes chicken tenders, mini corn dogs, mac and cheese, vegetables and tater tots.
Going Hollywood Retro at Universal Studios
The 60th anniversary of Universal Studios Tour comes with some limited-time perks. This summer you get to step off the ride and explore a few famous movie sets on foot, or take a selfie in front of a replica of the Hollywood sign. But the tour includes some retro features this summer as well, with a vintage-style Glamor Tram and witnessing a cinematic parting of the Red Sea.
Retro food and drinks are available around the park, but include Chilly Willy Funnel Cakes, and burgers and sandwiches with Woody Woodpecker–branded buns at Universal’s eatery Hollywood and Dine. And, running through Aug. 11, blue QR code signs marked with the words “Here Back Then” give visitors the chance to look back and learn about shows or attractions that stood on that particular spot in years past.
Be an Adventurer in Huntington Beach
Kids 5-12 years old can build a fort with extra-large building blocks, travel a rope bridge, raft on a pond or go down a mudslide at Huntington Beach’s Adventure Playground. One of three unique kid-friendly play areas in Orange County, HB’s — located inside Central Park — has recently been redesigned. Kids will need to bring a towel, change of clothes, extra shoes and a plastic bag to keep items, and there are no lockers or cubbies available.
Though it’s probably the most affordable adventure on this list at just $4, reservations are strongly suggested and must be done through the www.hbsands.org website.
Play Heroes and Villains at Six Flags
Every Saturday and Sunday evening through Aug. 4 a kid can feel like a superhero, eh, or a supervillain, at Six Flags Magic Mountain’s DC Heroes and Villains Fest. The park has called in the big guns for some meet and greets with regular kids who love Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Supergirl or Batgirl. Or, if folks are so inclined, they can pose with The Joker, Harley Quinn or Catwoman.
Each night on stage, the mayor of Gotham and various members of the Justice League celebrate the 85th anniversary of the caped crusader, aka Batman. But after the heroes celebrate, Harley Quinn and Femme Fatales will create mischief with pulsing music.
Before the sun goes down, visitors can spend all day riding the park’s DC-themed coasters like Batman The Ride’s zero-gravity effect as the coaster spins, turns and loops; Wonder Woman Flight of Courage — the world’s tallest and longest single-rail coaster; Superman: Escape from Krypton, the first coaster to reach nearly 100 miles per hour; The Riddler’s Revenge, said to be the world’s tallest and fastest stand-up coaster; Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom, which is one of the tallest tower drop rides on the West Coast; Teen Titans Turbo Spin; or the laser tag dark ride Justice League: Battle for Metropolis.
By Shawn Price
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