Bay area trip advice?

[BrianL]

I'm planning this trip in July with my girlfriend, and it'll be our first visit to any of these parks. How much time do I need (say on a Wed) to ride all the coasters at SFDK, and see all the animal exibits/shows? I will be flying in that day, so wouldn't get there until probably around 12:30. Enough time or do I need a full day? They close at 8.

I'll probably be flying into SFO since it's cheapest, and it's also closer to SFDK than SJC is.

 

BTW, I'm thinking about maybe staying in Saratoga, since I'll be going to a concert there on Thr. Is it safe?

 

I'm thinking:

Wed 25th - flying in, arrive (probably SFO) around 11:30; Six Flags Discovery Kingdom around 12:30 - close (8:00)

Thr 26th - (concert at Mountain Winery, Saratoga)

Fri 27th - Knott's Great America

Sat 28th - Gilroy Gardens 1/2 day; eat; Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk early evening/night

 

What do you think?

If I'm staying in Saratoga, I wouldn't need to go all the way back up to SFDK (and I'd be driving there straight from SFO).

If not staying in Saratoga, it wouldn't matter which day I went to which, and could do Knott's instead on the day I fly in, or even Gilroy/SCBB, if those would take less time. Although it would be nice to buy a season's pass at Knott's before going to Gilroy though since I could use it there (and Gilroy doesn't seem to sell them).

 

 

Can anyone recommend a safe area to stay, and a decent hotel?

 

FYI, I really know nothing about the traffic and such in California, if you have any tips. I was only 3 when we moved from Sacramento.

 

Thanks!

[SharkTums]

I think your plan looks really good.

 

My only concern would be your day at SFDK. If your plane lands at 11:30, I cannot see you actually being in the park till more like 1 or even 2. It's 43 miles from the airport to the park, plus you'll have to deal with all the airport stuff, then traffic. Now unless there's some crazy event or the park is totally packed you should still be okay.

[Meteornotes]

Looks like a good plan. Like Elissa said, it's going to take awhile for you to get from SFO to SFDK. You're going to have to cross the bay, which is always hell. You might want to consider crossing at the San Mateo bridge (a bit south of SFO) as opposed to the Bay Bridge between SF and Oakland, as there will likely be less traffic. Traffic in general in the bay area is a giant pain in the ass (it's comparable to DC, with only LA being worse). Be prepared to spend some time in traffic, and make sure you check the traffic report before heading out. A map so you can pick alternate routes might be a really good idea.

 

As far as places to stay, the only area I'm familiar with is the one around Great America, which is OK, and there should be some hotels in the area (it's mostly office complexes). One place NOT to stay is anywhere near the SCBB. That whole area is a mess, and you pretty much just want to go to the boardwalk (which is awesome) and then get a hotel somewhere else.

 

Any other questions, ask away. I moved out of the bay area awhile ago, but I lived there long enough and travel out there at least once a year.

 

dt

[Zonga]

It would probably be even quicker to fly into Oakland. It tends to be much quicker to get in and out compared to SFO. Plus the drive up to Discovery Kingdom would be much easier than going through San Francisco.

[BrianL]

Thanks again for the advice. So how about doing Great America on the short fly in day (Wed) instead? Then saving SFDK for Friday. I don't want to be too rushed, and we want to see the animal exibits/shows. Would KGA take less time to do than SFDK? Also we might could hit KGA again for a couple hours on Thr.

 

As far as flying into Oakland, it's $80 more per person than SFO, so that's out. And if we're going to KGA that day, we may or may not fly into San Jose anyway since it's down the street ($47 more).

 

 

Is Saratoga generally a safe enough area to stay in, or does it have it's good and bad areas? Or would Santa Clara, around KGA, be better?

[cfc]

^Hitting Great America first might be a good idea--you can take the 101 south from the airport toward San Jose (and you'd be on the right side of the bay). The park is in Santa Clara.

[socalRCfan]

Definately go to Great America the first day. It is pretty easy to reach regardless of which airport you use. Great America has some nice rides, but pretty much no shows. I would much rather have a full day (opening to closing) at Discovery Kingdom.

 

And yes, Gilroy Gardens doesn't sell the Maxx Pass. Go to Great America the first day and then the rest of your trip is pretty flexible.

[shepp]

Another vote for a full day at SFDK.

 

If all you wanted was to ride the coasters, you could polish them off in the first hour or so after opening - assuming that Roar is running more than one train, that V2 is running at all, and that Medusa opens on time. But if you want to hit all the animal attractions, remember that most of them take place only a couple of times per day, and besides the big stadium shows, there are the Tiger Island show and the walrus training session, both of which I recommend. So it will take some planning and running around to hit them all. (Oh, and if you're into wee beasties and have never bene to a butterfly house before, the little-noticed one at SFDK is worth a visit, too.)

[Coaster Palooza]

Brian,

 

I agree with Shepp and most everyone else. Go to KGA on Wednesday. You never know what your flight will be like into SFO. There is almost always some sort of delay.

 

Saratoga is a little on the pricey side for everything, I would think that hotels are very expensive there too. I don't know of any bad areas there. You might want to stay near KGA on Wednesday.

 

You would definitely want a fulll day at SFDK if you want to go to the shows. They are worth it too!

 

Traffic here sucks bad.

 

Have a good time!

[haiderodes]

This is all good information for me as well. I'm flying up to San Francisco for a lil weekend trip next weekend (June 2-3). I'm thinking of turning a non-theme park trip into a theme park trip by buying a ferry/six flags package. For $60 you get admission and transportation to the park and back.

[XII]

Spend your full day at SFDK.

IMO, It's a much better park than Great America.