THEME PARKS
The Fun Starts Here
Diversions are as plentiful
as sunshine in California. One of the most popular outlets: original theme parks. These attractions are meccas to amusement, each focusing rides and exhibits around different concepts such as fairies, film, plastic blocks, sea life and an inimitable mouse. Most of the parks are situated in the southern part of the state (where the weather is generally warmer), but the granddaddy of them all is up north. Each of the parks is worth a closer look.
Universal Studios Hollywood
This film-themed park got its formal start in the 1960s when walk-throughs of Universal Studios soundstages and sets were expanded to include peeks at actual production. Over the years, the studio added a tram to shuttle visitors through the back lot; this tram remains the best way to experience stunt demonstrations and staged events (such as an encounter with the shark from Jaws).
In 2016 the park opened its most anticipated attraction ever: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, complete with a replica of Hogwarts castle and a recreation of the shops of Hogsmeade. This new section is home to two new rides: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and Flight of the Hippogriff. It also affords visitors the opportunity to drink (non-alcoholic, butterscotch-flavored) Butterbeer in a rustic tavern named Three Broomsticks, and to shop for wands and other trinkets and souvenirs in Diagon Alley.
The rest of the park is divided into two areas connected by escalator: the Upper
and Lower lots. Transformers: The Ride 3-D is a fan-favorite on the Lower Lot. On the Upper Lot, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, a 3-D simulator ride, and Super Silly Fun Land, an outdoor family-friendly playground, both opened in April 2014. The official studio tour commemorated its 50th anniversary in 2015 with the opening of a new grand finale dubbed Fast & Furious: Supercharged.
Children’s Fairyland
Believe it or not, the first theme park in the U.S. to cater to families with young kids was Children’s Fairyland, a blink-and-you’llmiss-it theme park on the shores of Lake Merritt in Oakland. The place opened in 1950 (original admission started between 9 and 14 cents), making it the first official theme park in California, as well. According to some, it was one of Walt Disney’s inspirations for the eponymous park he created five years later.
Today, Fairyland includes small rides such as a mini Ferris wheel and carousels, and life-sized sets depicting scenes from timeless storybooks (Pinocchio’s castle and the Humpty Dumpty wall are two favorites). The theme park also is home to the Storybook Puppet Theater, which opened in 1956. A number of the country’s most famous puppeteers got their start here, including a teenager by the name of Frances Oznowicz. You likely know him as Frank Oz.
Disneyland
If the lovable (and life-sized) Mickey Mouse and friends don’t pique your interest and attention at California’s most famous theme park, surely the rides will. The park, which opened in 1955, features rides for all ages.
Overall, Disneyland is divided into eight themed areas, or “lands.” Some of these areas focus on actual history: Frontierland recreates the setting of the American frontier, while Main Street U.S.A. is patterned after a small Midwestern town (many believe Walt Disney got his inspiration from his own boyhood town of Marceline, Missouri).
The park opened with one hotel, but since the 1990s it has grown exponentially, adding a new theme park (Disney’s California Adventure), a shopping district (Downtown Disney) and two additional hotels. One of the newest attractions, Guardians of the Galaxy–mission: BREAKOUT!, was inspired by the Marvel A FAMILY WITH BUTTERBEER at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Studios Hollywood, above; CITYPASS cards, below; Cars Land at Disneyland California Adventure, bottom; entrance to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, opposite.
Comics movies and opened in May 2017. In the summer of 2019, the park will welcome Star Wars Land, an homage to the Star Wars franchise and its characters.
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 Discovery Kingdom (in Vallejo).
Great America, next to Levi’s Stadium, is all about rides. Diversions 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, including dolphins, sea lions, walruses, polar bears and beluga whales. In late 2016 Seaworld reorganized its entertainment program to focus more squarely on education. 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 incorporates 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 combines LEGO creations and an aquarium.
CITYPASS
Once you’ve decided where to go, CITYPASS can save you some money. For Southern California, CITYPASS tickets help visitors create and save on individualized ticket packages to attractions such as Disneyland, Disney California Adventure Park, Legoland, Seaworld, Universal Studios Hollywood, San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. Prices and savings vary, depending on which parks you choose and for how many days. The San Francisco CITYPASS ticket includes a 3-Day Cable Car and Muni Bus Passport and saves up to 40 percent off combined admission to the California Academy of Sciences, Aquarium of the Bay, a Blue and Gold Fleet Bay Cruise, and a choice between the Exploratorium and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art— SFMOMA. 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, available exclusively through citypass.com, allows visitors to choose any three attractions from a list of eight options.