Residing on the east coast, I all the time have romantic notions of California. I’ve usually fairly envious of their lovely climate, palm bushes, relaxed way of life, attractive Southern California seashores, and fabulous family-friendly actions.
Whereas I normally go to the Orlando theme parks, there are some unbelievable Southern California theme parks as nicely. Even if you happen to stay nearer to the East Coast, I undoubtedly suggest visiting the West Coast to discover the California theme parks. If you’re positioned within the California space, you can 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 free of charge for evaluation. All opinions are my very own. This publish comprises affiliate hyperlinks. A purchase order via one in every of these hyperlinks could lead to a fee paid to us at no extra price to you.
Lower your expenses in your Disneyland tickets and your Southern California trip by reserving via Get Away At this time. You can even save $10 in your Southern California trip of two days or extra with the code FTM10. We booked our most up-to-date two journeys to Disneyland via Get Away At this time.
Exploring the Theme Parks in Southern California.
Disneyland Resort
When visiting the California theme parks, you’ll completely have to return to the place all of it started. Disneyland Resort in Anaheim California was the primary Disney theme park, and it’s a lot enjoyable for households.
Sights on the Disneyland Resort embody iconic rides prefer it’s a small world, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Area Mountain, Massive Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Haunted Mansion. Youthful children will love seeing the Disney characters, in addition to the rides at Fantasyland, together with Mr. Toad’s Wild Experience, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland.
Though the 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 exhibits and parades all through the day, in addition to character interactions, scrumptious eating places (and yummy snacks), and enjoyable outlets.
Disney California Journey
The newer of the 2 Disneyland Resort parks is Disney’s California Journey. It’s positioned adjoining to Disneyland Park, and you’ll simply stroll from one park to the opposite all through the day. You’ll solely have to undergo safety as soon as. Simply take into account that park reservations are at the moment required, and also you aren’t in a position to park hop till after 11 am.
Disney’s California Journey affords a lot of family-friendly points of interest as nicely, together with Toy Story Mania, CarsLand (undoubtedly you’ll want to go to Radiator Springs Racers), Soarin’ Across the World, and Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! Thrill seekers will certainly need to go on the Incredicoaster (the one experience at Disneyland Resort that goes the wrong way up) and Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout.
California Journey can be residence to the brand new Avengers Campus. This space of the park affords a more moderen experience – WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Journey.
When visiting Disneyland, you’ll have the choice of a number of completely different ticket sorts. We undoubtedly suggest getting the park hopper in your tickets so you’ll be able to go to each parks in someday. You’ll additionally need to obtain the Disneyland app, and contemplate buying Genie+ if you wish to save time throughout your day(s) at Disneyland.
With Genie+, you pay a separate charge however will have the ability to e book a return time on the app. There’s additionally the chance to buy particular person lightning lane entry to the preferred rides – at the moment Radiator Springs Racers, Star Wars Rise of the Resistance, and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
There are three on property Disney lodges positioned adjoining to the parks. As well as, there are a selection of “Good Neighbor” lodges which can be positioned proper throughout the road from the parks. Many of those are chain lodges, and a number of other provide out of doors water parks for friends.
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 actually cherished all three. In the event you select to e book via Get Away At this time, it’s also possible to embody one in every of these resorts.
On the whole, you must plan to spend about 2-3 days on the Disneyland Resort if you happen to’d wish to expertise many of the points of interest on the property. You might be extra environment friendly if you happen to 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 theme park full of kiddie rides and world-class thrill rides. It’s positioned in Buena Park, California, which is 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’s a lot greater than an amusement park!
Knott’s Berry Farm is residence to Camp Snoopy, part of the park themed after the loveable Peanuts gang. That is undoubtedly most acceptable for youthful children. Along with rides, you’ll additionally discover character meet and greets in addition to exhibits that includes the characters.
Older children will completely love the joys rides at Knott’s Berry Farm. There are such a lot of quick coasters that go the wrong way up. My favourite of the rides is the Supreme Scream. This experience climbs up 252 toes within the air. You’ll have a break up second to benefit from the attractive view earlier than plummeting.
When you are there, you’ll undoubtedly have to go to Mrs. Knott’s Rooster Dinner Restaurant. It’s positioned exterior the park, so that you gained’t want a park ticket to go to, and it includes a scrumptious fried hen entree that comes with biscuits, mashed potatoes, and gravy.
I feel you can undoubtedly go to Knott’s Berry Farm in a day. There may be an affiliated lodge positioned adjoining to the park that’s extraordinarily handy, or you can keep within the better Los Angeles space. I’d in all probability plan to remain close to Disneyland, and drive/Uber into Knott’s.
LEGOLAND California
After we visited San Diego with our youngsters just a few years in the past, the children completely HAD to go to LEGOLAND California. It’s positioned in Carlsbad, CA, a few half hour from San Diego and an hour from Anaheim.
LEGOLAND California might be most acceptable for teenagers as much as about 12 years outdated. The park options rides, LEGO reveals, exhibits, and character greetings. There’s additionally an adjoining water park. If you’re simply visiting the theme park, you can undoubtedly go for simply someday.
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 utterly themed in full LEGO!
You’ll additionally discover a SEA LIFE Aquarium on the property. You possibly can improve your common LEGOLAND ticket to incorporate SEA LIFE. This publish will help in case you are making an attempt to determine on Disneyland vs LEGOLAND.
SeaWorld San Diego
Whereas I haven’t visited the San Diego model of SeaWorld, I’ve been to SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Antonio. My children have all the time cherished our visits to SeaWorld, particularly as they’ve gotten older. The park is full of enjoyable rides, together with a lot of thrill rides.
For youthful children, there’s the Sesame Avenue Bay of Play, which incorporates three rides which can be nice for youthful children. Thrill seekers will get pleasure from one of many latest rides – the Electrical Eel Curler Coaster. It’s the tallest coaster in San Diego and consists of drops, twists, and turns. There are additionally just a few water rides, together with Journey to Atlantis and Shipwreck Rapids.
SeaWorld San Diego is positioned alongside Mission Bay and might be a straightforward one-day journey. If you’re 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 positioned in Chula Vista, CA.
Common Studios Hollywood
This leisure and movie-themed park is a must-visit for film lovers. The most well-liked points of interest are the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in addition to the World-Well-known Studio Tour. There’s additionally Springfield U.S.A. – residence of the Simpsons, and Tremendous Nintendo World.
There are a number of close by lodges – just a few that provide trip packages with Common Studios Hollywood.
San Diego Zoo
Though it’s not a theme park, the San Diego Zoo is unquestionably price a go to. It will get very busy, so it’s a good suggestion to reach early. Throughout our go to, we arrived when it opens and nonetheless confronted a protracted line to park and enter the zoo.
When you select your ticket kind, buy your ticket, and enter the zoo, you’ll have the choice of taking a double-decker bus tour. Whereas it is a nice option to discover the zoo and make a recreation plan to your day, we opted out as a result of it didn’t begin till half-hour after the zoo opened.
One other choice to journey across the zoo is the Skyfari, which runs from one nook of the zoo to a different. We used the Skyfari as a option to stroll much less, nevertheless it was additionally a enjoyable little experience. Admission could also be further, relying on the kind of ticket you might have.
After all, as a zoo, there are a great deal of animal reveals to see. My children particularly cherished 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 exhibits, particular reveals, and extra.
Attending to These Southern California Theme Parks
There are fairly just a few airports which can be handy to those Southern California Theme Parks. Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) is unquestionably the most important and hottest, however different smaller airports could also be extra handy and even inexpensive.
Throughout my current journey to the LA space, I flew in via the Lengthy Seashore Airport (LBG). It’s a really small airport, however could be very simple to navigate. There’s additionally the John Wayne Airport (SNA), which can be centrally positioned.
Different choices embody the Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), Ontario Worldwide Airport (ONT), and the San Diego Worldwide Airport (SAN). If you’re visiting each LA and San Diego, you could contemplate flying in via one airport and out via one other.
Incessantly Requested Questions
If you’re planning to remain at or proper close to Disneyland, you don’t essentially want one. In any other case, I’d extremely suggest having a automobile. You possibly can see rental costs right here.
Our affiliate, Get Away At this time, affords packages with tickets to completely different points of interest.
I’d in all probability suggest staying in Anaheim, which is the place you’ll spend your time at Disneyland, or at a location nearer to the seashore.
In the event you aren’t renting a automobile, you’ll have a number of choices. You possibly can take a experience share or taxi, or a shuttle bus. Ensure you have left loads of time to get again to LAX as a result of the site visitors might be terrible.
