The Southern California Big Seven Amusement Parks - By: J. Michael Key

One of the many exciting things about visiting southern California is that there is always something fun to do. For example, there are seven world-famous amusement parks in this part of the state, including San Diego County's Legoland and Sea World, Los Angeles County's Six Flags Magic Mountain and Universal Studios Hollywood; and in Orange County, there's Knott's Berry Farm, Disney's California Adventure and of course, Disneyland itself.

Though all of these amusement parks have plenty to offer, they're all geared towards slightly different audiences and offer a different kind of experience to visitors. You probably won't be able to visit them all on one trip unless you happen to have a few weeks to spend in southern California, so here's a quick rundown on what makes each of these parks such special places.

We'll start in the south and work our way up the coast, meaning that our first stop is Sea World. This is a place that anyone can enjoy, but those who are fascinated by animals in general, and marine animals in particular, will be especially delighted by this amusement park. Sea World offers attractions that appeal to people of all ages; but if you or your family aren't quite so excited about marine life, then you may want to save this one for another vacation.

The next park on our list is Legoland. As you may have guessed, this is an amusement park that is much more appealing to young children. It's not completely lacking in activities and attractions for slightly older kids, but Legoland is for the younger set, first and foremost. Parents invariably like the large number of educational attractions featured at this park, however. They make it mor fun for adults.

Moving on up the coast to Orange County, we have the most famous of southern California's amusement parks, Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. Disneyland really needs no introduction - this is simply a place everyone should visit, no matter their age. The only area where some visitors to Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure may find wanting is in roller coaster excitement; Matterhorn and Space Mountain are great, but thrill rides are something that you'll find more of at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Knott's Berry Farm.

The two Disney parks are located directly across from each other, with Disney's California Adventure being the newer of the two and has a decidedly different look and feel than its classic counterpart. At present, a billion-dollar program of renovation is underway which will add many new attractions to this amusement park. Characters from Disney's Pixar world abound here, making this amusement park a good choice for younger children in particular; it'll be better in another year or so when construction is complete.

Now we come to the granddaddy of them all: Knott's Berry Farm. The eldest of southern California's amusement parks, Knott's was indeed once a berry farm with a roadside fruit stand and chicken shack and grew over the years, becoming the world famous park it is today. The Peanuts characters make their home here, as do some especially exciting roller coasters. If there are some thrill seekers in your family, Knott's may be the park for you.

Next we arrive in Los Angeles County, home of Universal Studios. This park offers several action-packed rides as well a tour of the studios. However, compared to Six Flags or Knott's, it doesn't offer nearly as many rides. Where Universal shines is in shows; here there are shows which feature characters from Universal's TV shows and films, as well as Spiderman and other Marvel Comics characters. Older children and adults will find plenty to enjoy here, but very young children may not be quite as thrilled, especially on a hot summer afternoon.

Last but by no means least is Valencia's Six Flags Magic Mountain. Like other Six Flags amusement parks, you'll find roller coasters and other thrill rides as well as Warner Brothers' Looney Tunes cartoon characters. Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam and Bugs Bunny are always around, along with many others. This amusement park features around 20 rides aimed at the serious thrill seeker, making this a great park for teens and adults.

In summary, here are some quick suggestions:

Disneyland: great for everyone of any age unless you've got your heart set on roller coasters.

Legoland: good for young children

Universal Studios: A good choice for adults and older children, and especially big movie industry fans.

Six Flags, Knott's Berry Farm: Great for roller coaster fans, though both parks offer plenty for younger children as well as those whose lives don't revolve around thrill rides.

Sea World: A must-visit for animal lovers.

About the Author

Michael Key has been writing for 30 years. For more information on SoCal amusement parks visit http://www.socal-vacation-guru.com/amusement-parks.html SoCal amusement parks.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/J--Michael-Key/50499

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