California Theme Park help!

[PaulZ]

Hey all, first I'd like to say how happy I finally got off my lazy bone and joined. So anyways, I'll be going to California from Feb 15-20. Here's my schedule:

 

Monday 16th- Six Flags Magic Mountain (Presidents Day)

Tuesday 17th- Knott's Berry Farm

Wednesday 18th- Disney's California Adventure

Thursday 19th- Disneyland

 

So what I need to know is crowd expectations, where to sit on the rides for the best air time and what's worth doing. I don't need so much info for Disney but the other two I do.

 

Thank you so much, all help is appreciated.

[Top Thrill Dragster]

SFMM will be busy.

Knotts will be empty. I suggest you do Knotts and DCA in one day. That way you can do Disneyland park for two days.

Disneyland park will be empty the two days you plan to go.

 

 

Knotts

 

Ghostrider- will be closed for refurbishment.

Xcelerator- will most likely be closed. It has been closed for the past 3 weeks.

Sierra Side winder- back row is the best

Pony Express- the front is the best

Montezoomas Revenge- the back is the best

Silver Bullet- Front is the best.

Make sure you see Mystery Lodge show.

 

SFMM.

 

Make sure you get to the park early and RUN to X2 first thing. Then hit the back of the park.

[Sir Clinksalot]

Since it's a holiday weekend, SFMM will be busy on that Monday, but will most likely be the best day of the weekend to go. Probably as busy as an off-season Sunday??? Not 100% sure on that though.

 

Knott's, have no idea. Haven't been there in like 3 years.

 

Disney you should be good. Although some schools do have the full week off, isn't that the dreaded "Utah Week"???

[sfmmrules!]

I would do it in this order if I were you & get Knotts out of the way first-save the best for last!

Mon-Knotts

Tues/Wed-Disney

Thurs-SFMM

YES PLEASE GET TO SFMM BEFORE THEY OPEN THE GATES!!! RUN TO X2!!! Trust me you do not want to get stuck in a 2 1/2 hour line for X2!!! Then go right to Tatsu & Superman.

[gisco]

I would do it in this order if I were you & get Knotts out of the way first-save the best for last!

Mon-Knotts

Tues/Wed-Disney

Thurs-SFMM

 

 

SFMM is not open on Thursday. Stick to your original plan.

[PaulZ]

all right thanks all. Yeah SFMM is only open Monday, so I was stuck with that. Well I don't think I want to do knotts and disney in one day. They're pretty far from each other, maybe 45 minutes? Not sure but thanks all. Any tips on where to sit in SFMM?

[CHILLERLC1]

I think they meant Knotts and DCA in the same day. Knotts is worthy of at least 3/4's a day. I don't think DCA is worth more than a half so I see why they wanted to pair the two together.

 

I did both Disney parks in the same day before. I wish I had gone to USH. I did all the other parks you want in my same week. My Presidents Day was reserved for The Price is Right in 2005.

[RCFreak]

They're pretty far from each other, maybe 45 minutes? Not sure but thanks all.

 

More like 11, or a little over 2 hours if you walk (They're 6.5 miles apart). I say just stick with the plan you have. Disneyland and DCA can be mixed together over the two days and you'll still have more then enough time to do most everything multiple times.

[rcdude]

Six Flags Magic Mountain

 

SFMM may be crowded on Monday, but it is your only choice. In order to get on all the best rides, you will need a plan. Here is the one I used last time I went, which worked pretty well.

 

1. Be at the park at least fifteen minutes before opening time. If you can, get tickets before you arrive.

2. When the gates open, everyone will run straight to X2. Both times I have been recently, it wasn't open immediately. Instead, go to Tatsu by going up the exit of Revolution. This will get you there before the masses arrive.

3. After Tatsu, go to the top of Samurai Summit and go on Superman The Escape and Ninja if you want to. Ninja rarely gets a wait and is a pretty good ride, while Superman usually has a bit of a wait even though it is only worth about a fifteen minute wait.

4. Head down the back of the hill and bypass Riddler's Revenge. By this point, people will have arrived in this area of the park and when I have gone on Riddler's Revenge at this time the line was commonly around an hour and a half. Instead, go to Colossus County Fair and ride Goliath, followed by Colossus and Scream.

5. If it is still before noon and the food places haven't become packed, this is a good time to eat.

6. During the main lunch hour (12-1), go ride X2. Last time I got on it in around 45 minutes, which it is definitely worth. If you want to ride Viper and Revolution and they have short waits, now is a good time to ride them.

7. If Deja Vu is open, go to that part of the park and ride it. It is best to use single rider as it turns an hour and a half wait into a fifteen minute wait most of the time.

8. Return to Riddler's Revenge. By now, the line should be shorter. If you want to ride Goldrusher, which rarely has a wait, now is a good time.

9. Go to Batman The Ride and ride it. As long as both trains are in use the line should only be a half hour at most.

10. If you are trying to get all the credits, go to Bugs Bunny World and ride Canyon Blaster.

11. By this point, it was around 4 p.m. last time I used this plan. I used the remaining time to go on Tatsu, Scream, X2, Goliath, and Riddler's Revenge a second time. None of the non-coaster rides are really worth the wait on a crowded day.

 

If you use this plan it will usually work, although if anything is running only one train or has an unusually long line you may not be able to complete it. Whatever you choose to do, the four must ride coasters are X2, Goliath, Tatsu, and Riddler's Revenge, so make sure you get on those four at some point.

 

Knott's Berry Farm

 

No matter when I have gone, Knott's is never crowded on a weekday. I have always been able to get on pretty much every ride worth doing by mid-afternoon. You don't really need a plan, but here are a few things I recommend.

 

1. Go on Ghostrider first thing if it is open, especially if you do not like rough rides. It tends to run smoothest in the morning and get rougher as the day goes on.

2. Lines are rarely a problem on Jaguar, even if there is only one train running. None of the other Fiesta Village rides usually have much of a line either except La Revolucion. This gives you flexibility as to when you want to visit Fiesta Village.

3. Boomerang has a low capacity, but usually doesn't get too long of lines (it isn't worth riding if there is one). On the other hand, Sierra Sidewinder has low capacity and gets somewhat long lines, especially with only one train. Since this one is definitely worth riding, I would recommend doing it early.

4. Just because something is listed as closed on the website doesn't mean it will be. The website isn't always reliable so don't write something out of your plans until you actually get to the park.

 

Unless you get unlucky, you probably will not need a whole day at Knott's Berry Farm. The only must ride attraction is Xcelerator (if it is open), and everything else will get boring after about two rides. If it is crowded, avoid walking through Camp Snoopy as it seems to be the most likely area to run into a bottleneck.

 

Disneyland Resort

 

Since Disney's California Adventure only has about four must ride attractions (Tower of Terror, Soarin', Toy Story Midway Mania, California Screamin') it can usually be done in half a day. Disneyland, on the other hand, requires about a day and a half to see and do everything. I find the best way to do Disneyland is to split the park up and only do half of it each day. On a day reserved for just Disneyland, do all the major rides, such as Indiana Jones, Splash Mountain, the four roller coasters and other fastpass rides. You can also do popular or low capacity rides on this day as well. Save all of the unpopular or high capacity rides for a day split with California Adventure. This will allow you to see everything at both parks easily.

[PaulZ]

Wow thanks! Yeah I allready got my SFGAdv season pass so i don't need to worry about tickets for SFMM, wheres the exit for revolution? I've never been to CA

[rcdude]

To get to the exit of Revolution, turn left when you enter the park. Go past the Grand Carousel and the path will split. Take the right path up toward the entrance to Revolution. Once there, go up the walkway with the Flash Pass sign. This will cut the distance from the entrance to Tatsu in half.

[PaulZ]

all right thanks.

[PaulZ]

Okay well my days were switched with Disney to tuesday and Knotts to Thursday. I really hope Xcellerator is open.

 

I've just been told that Xcellerator is closed because they're waiting for parts. It was suppose to open the 6th but still noting.