Local theme parks offer families a great way to play, eat and ride together under the summer sun.
Summer in Southern California is beaches, big movies, baseball and theme parks. But if you’re staying in town while the kids are home, there might be more happening than ever before at the theme parks. At least for those feeling adventurous.
Sure, Disneyland is celebrating its 70th anniversary, and Knott’s Berry Farm is throwing a summer party, but there are also Lego dinosaurs to discover, waterslides to plunge down, superheroes to meet, and lots of food to eat. So we’d better get started.
Knott’s Berry Farm
Couples, fathers and daughters, and total strangers do-se-do in the sun-filled streets of Calico, tripping back in time to an Old West hoedown. During the day, it’s the visitors who become the stars of an interactive Ghost Town Alive! — where the new, honorary citizens can solve puzzles and other activities along with the costumed characters of the town.
In the evenings, the party starts with Knott’s Summer Nights, where the music shifts to a modern groove of live local bands performing across the park, and families can play games, go on a ride or two, and eat.
Speaking of food, lots of new items like kimchi crab tots and grilled pineapple beef burger, or desserts like apple fritter bread, mango soft serve and tajin funnel cake are ready for munching while the family kicks back and listens to the sound of a summer party.
Knott’s Soak City is also just across the parking lot. If you’d rather get soaking wet than journey back to the Old West, tubes and body slides are available. So are the four-foot waves of Tidal Wave Bay, the relaxing Sunset River and Gremmie Lagoon for the little kids.
Disneyland Resort
Disneyland is turning 70 and looking new and shiny in some places, and cool and retro in all the others.
Before you even make your way down Main Street, you can have an audience with Walt Disney himself (in animatronic form) at the Opera House where Mr. Lincoln is usually commanding the stage. Hear Walt tell you the story about how some farmland in Anaheim became the Happiest Place on Earth, and also how it will never really be finished.
With lots of new and nostalgic takes on some long-gone park classics, families will have plenty to eat at the year-long party. The items include the Hook’s Gallery tuna melt, the chili cheese baked potato and chili cheese corn dog — both an homage to Walt, who loved the chili whenever he was at the park — the shareable cowboy fries or the grilled Tahitian ribs, and for dessert, the banana split or banana split shake.
But after the rides and the food, the dazzling shows include a new “World of Color” at Disney California Adventure, “Wondrous Journeys” returns to Disneyland along with “Paint the Night” and the continuing “Better Together” at California Adventure.
Getting the key to Disneyland is kind of a dream to a lot of Disneyphiles and kids around the world, but there’s a new special 70th anniversary toy that will allow the key holders a unique interactive experience with various places in the park, including a recording of Walt’s opening day speech from 1955. And if you do everything right, and enter the key at the grand finale lock station on Main Street, it unlocks the hidden chamber that features one of nine special pins for the 70th.
Other toys and merch items include lots of new clothing, specially designed Loungefly bags and backpacks, and specially designed R2-D2 and Spider-Bot 70th anniversary toys.
Great Wolf Lodge
The water is 84 degrees all-year-round at Great Wolf Lodge. The mostly indoor water park is ready for kids to slide and splash any day of the year, but in summer, you can always beat the heat and you’ll never need sunscreen.
The arcade is expansive and the food and gifts are all inside and near all of the more than 600 rooms at the Garden Grove resort.
Families can take on the Trail Blazer Challenge and earn badges in interactive games like bean bag toss and family trivia and kids can make crafts and keepsakes like friendship bracelets. Start the day with the family-friendly morning yoga program designed around summer stories and tales. In the evenings, families can gather by the fireplace in the Grand Lobby for campfire sing-alongs and bedtime stories.
Summer is also the season for the lodge’s best comfort food selections, like the mega bacon smoky barbecue double cheeseburger, the chicken nacho ranch pizza (featuring both pickled jalapenos and drizzled buttermilk ranch dressing), the smokehouse combo platter with smoked tender beef brisket and pork shoulder, grilled andouille sausage, Southern slaw, sweet corn bread and crispy french fries, pickle chips and barbecue sauce. Garlic herb roasted prime rib is served on Friday and Saturday nights, but on the lighter side, avocado and roasted corn summer salad is served daily, as is the blueberry milkshake, made with real blueberries and vanilla ice cream.
Half-day and full-day passes are available for locals who want to enjoy the water park, but don’t need to stay overnight. Heroes day passes are also available for active or retired military, and first responders.
Adventure City
Though it’s actually one of the country’s smallest theme parks, the 30-year-old Adventure City in Anaheim is also one of the most budget-friendly in Southern California with admission just over $30 and parking is free.
Designed for kids, the whole family can still ride attractions like Rescue Ride, Balloon Race, Barnstormer Planes, Freeway Coaster, Rewind Racers and Drop Zone. But the petting zoo offers soothing, quality time with animals for everybody. If your kids still have the energy — and they probably will — there is also a carousel, climbing tower and arcade.
Food includes burgers, pizza and hot dogs, but also veggie burgers, veggie trays and salads.
Boomers
The national chain of amusement centers are less theme park than those listed above, but a summer day at Boomers Irvine is every bit as well spent on attractions like Flamethrower, Starship and Tilt n Shout, taking pitches in the batting cages, or go-karting, mini-golfing, lazer tagging, bumper boating and arcade gaming.
Wild Rivers
Sliding, splashing and cooling down in the hot summer sun is pretty easy all day at Wild Rivers. Now in its Great Park location — across the freeway from its old location — the water park features slides and attractions for the whole family.
Parents with toddlers can splash around at Cook’s Cove, while the older kids (and moms and dads) can slide down Aquaconda, Bombay Blasters, Fiji Falls, Kontiki Cove, Pelican Plunge, Pipeline, Samoan Serpent, Tahitian Toucan, Tala & Mano, Tiki’s Revenge, Tomcat Racers, Typhoon, then get in a raft and take Tortuga and Bora Bora Boomerang all together.
When you’re done, chill out in Castaway River or listen to a DJ spinning while you hang out in the wave pool.
The new Mermaid Cove, near the wave pool, offers aspiring mermaids a walk-up salon — though appointments are recommended — for hair braids, glitter freckles, waterproof shimmer tattoos and photo ops inside a giant clamshell throne. The boutique sells swimmable mermaid tails, glitter sunscreen, themed glam kits and plushies.
Six Flags Magic Mountain
After you see “Superman” in theaters, you can meet him — or Wonder Woman or Batman — Friday and Saturday nights through July 26 at Magic Mountain’s “DC Heroes and Villains.”
The interactive story of Justice League members Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman and Robin facing down a villain breakout of Joker, Harley Quinn and Catwoman unfolds around you in live-action moments including stunts, music, some crowd-powered theatrics and even a few laughs.
Visitors might find themselves as citizens of Gotham caught in the middle of mayhem, while they enjoy DC Comics-themed rides and attractions.
Universal Studios Hollywood
At the movie studio that’s become a movie-themed theme park, summer is bringing in some characters new and old.
Jurassic World — The Ride now features the brand-new Mosasaurus Splash with one of the dinosaurs featured in the new movie “Jurassic World: Rebirth.” But if you’re just looking for a few good family selfies, you can meet some of your favorite characters from some Universal classics, like Quint and Chief Brody in front of a shark, celebrating the 50th anniversary of “Jaws,” or maybe a few photos with Elphaba and Glinda from “Wicked.”
Legoland
The Lego World Parade is back for summer with new floats and characters inspired by Lego themes. The all-new Driving School is ready for kids 6 through 13 years old, featuring realistic road scenarios on a new track and a car wash with bubbles. And the Nike and Lego Play Arena offers a basketball-themed play area for kids and families through Aug. 10.
Sesame Place San Diego
The Waterpark Challenge takes place July 28-30 in honor of National Waterpark Day, and Bert and Ernie as well as Elmo and Abby are available for meet and greets on Best Friends Weekend Aug. 1-3, where families can get pictures with the characters and a special friendship-themed storytime and complimentary Best Friends sticker.
Safari Park
Summer at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park (formerly the Wild Animal Park) is very different from most days at the park. Temperatures in Escondido can make it feel like you’re really on safari in Africa or Australia.
Start your day with an animal encounter at Journeys in the Wild, where you can meet a unique animal up close for a Q&A with a park animal specialist. Then head out on the Africa Tram that takes you around the perimeter of the park to see rhinos, giraffes, gazelles, cheetahs and zebras out in the open spaces. Then take a tour of the park’s other exhibits where you can watch gorillas, bats, tigers, elephants, lemurs and condors be themselves. You can even spend some quality time with kangaroos.
If you want a more in-depth look, book one of the several safaris available, like the Wildlife Safari or Behind-the-Scenes Safari, Cart Safari or Ultimate Safari. If you want to make a mini-adventure out of your visit, try the Roar & Snore Safari where the Safari Park goes glamping. Wrap up the day in a balloon safari, where you can watch the sunset up where the birds fly, about 400 feet above the park with views for miles in every direction. And though the balloon doesn’t fly in bad weather, in summer, there isn’t a cloud in the sky.
Sandwiches, burgers and fries are always available, but eats also include things on the light side like salads and wraps at The Sheared Sheep, to tri-tip sandwiches and craft beer at the Barking Deer.
Castle Park
Riverside’s Castle Park is an old-school amusement park, with more than 20 rides, like Merlin’s Revenge and Saw Mill Plunge, and seasonal water park Buccaneer Cove, four mini-golf courses and an arcade. The water park is four levels of water play for families, featuring five water slides, loops, aqua domes, cylinder spray fountains and also spray cannons.
By Shawn Price
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