I loved roller coasters in my teenage years but it’s been years since I’ve been on one. My son is afraid of even the small roller coaster at the zoo, so even though we now live only 20 minutes from Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, attending was the furtherest from my mind. Imagine my surprise when my neighbor with two small children suggested we all go together to the park. Her children are younger then mine, with her oldest closer to my daughter’s age. “Isn’t it all big roller coasters?” “No! It’s got great little kids areas, and lots of animals.” “Animals?” I had a lot to learn.
A thrill ride amusement park with young ones ranging age 2 – 7? Can it really be done?
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom was not always part of the Six Flags family. It started as a small zoo in Redwood City, then expended to add marine animal centers. It partnered with Premier Parks to add thrill rides, and was finally part of the Six Flags family in 1998. While today’s park has the latest and greatest roller coasters, there are still several animal exhibits and shows left over from it’s zoo days.
My neighbors have season passes, so they were amazing guides and showed us the perfect route through the party that would work for our younglings. We started in the Loony Tunes Sea Port Play Area. This one had a train, planes, tea cups, and mazes – all things my kids love.
The rides in the Loony Tunes Sea Port were just the right speed for our bunch
Afterward, we headed out to see some of the amazing animal exhibits.
A walk through the Shark Experience was eye opening for all
The Butterfly Habitat lets you get up close and personal with these beautiful creatures
Plenty of outside fun from the up close experience at Penguin Isle to the energetic dolphin shows
We later went to Tava’s Jungleland, where they have the most amazing play structure. The kids spent at least an hour, just running around exploring the whole area
Our little monkeys claiming the Jungleland jungle gym
Six Flags is knows for going all out during different holidays throughout the year. We happened to visit during Holiday in the Park. One of the most fun features of this festival is the snow hill. Being in the Bay Area, we don’t see a lot of snow. So the kids were excited to try sledding.
My son and neighbors went down with glee. My daughter insisted on having me ride with her and I was less gleeful
The night wrapped with a dazzling dance and light show. The kids were able to get front row seats, making a perfect cap to our evening.
The holiday entertainment is available every night during the season
Afterward we had four tired kids and four exhausted adults. We climbed into the car and headed back home, with my kids asleep in no time (they love the moving car). I’m extremely grateful to my neighbor who introduced us to a fantastic family outing that I’m sure we will enjoy again soon in the future.
Vallejo, CA
- Winter: Weekends Generally 11am – 6pm
- Summer: 7 Days a Week, generally 7am – 8pm
- General Admission: $42.99 – $67.99
- Children Under 48”: $42.99
- Children Under 2: Free
- Season Pass: $64.99 – $199.99 each
- Discounts are usually available in the summer and spring via Coca Cola products and through the Six Flags Read to Succeed program with your local public school
