Photo TR: Adventure City, Scandia, and Castle Park

[DBru]

This is the second of seven parts to my Texas/SoCal trip report, and I will split this part into three sections (one per park). I will try to provide an update every few days.

 

Part 1: Six Flags Over Texas

Part 2: Adventure City, Scandia, and Castle Park

Part 3: Disneyland and Disney California Adventure

Part 4: Universal Studios (and Santa Monica Pier)

Part 5: SeaWorld San Diego and Belmont Park

Part 6: Knott's Berry Farm

Part 7: Six Flags Magic Mountain

 

Adventure City: 6/21/12

 

Overview: I was very impressed with Adventure City. It's pretty much the ideal park for kids under 10. First of all, the staff here is by far the nicest of any non-Disney park I've experienced. Also, the location is convenient, everything looks fresh and clean, there are a ton of things for kids to do, the price is right ($15), and it has a very "safe-feeling" environment.

 

This is a great stop to make for anyone traveling through/staying in Anaheim who has kids or wants to make a quick credit run.

We've arrived at our first stop in California!

As you can see, I clearly fit in with the rest of the clientele.

Adventure City has a very nice "entrance plaza" for the park's size. This picture doesn't really do it justice.

To the right there are some cool strollers and nice theming for the miniature train that circumnavigates the park.

To the left there's a cool little ferris wheel.

The center piece of the park is this very nice looking carousel.

There's also an arcade...

...a plane ride...

...a crazy bus...

...mini fire trucks...

...a rock climbing wall...

...some hot gas, I mean air balloons...

...and the craziest freaking kiddie coaster you will ever ride.

Ever hear the phrase, "looks can be deceiving?"

Well, that phrase applies to the Freeway Coaster.

One time, a mechanical bull tried to buck me off of it.

This bastard tried harder.

But at least it looks pretty.

And the trains are very "cute."

In fact, everything in this park is "cute."

There aren't many places in the park that don't look pretty or well-done.

I mean, look at it. Just look at it!

Even the park's Gentlemen's Club looks like it came from a Disney movie!

But we've got bigger fish to fry here...

Drop Zone, Adventure City's Moser drop ride, is probably the second most "thrilling" attraction in the park.

Unfortunately, even though this one is taller than most and runs a program that takes the gondola all the way to the top and drops it almost all the way down (no "bouncing"), something about it is "off."

I'm usually a huge fan of these Moser towers, but the drops on this one seemed unusually...slow, or withheld, or something...

But the kids still seemed to be having a riot. And I probably should've been like any normal human being and not gotten on it with nine 6-year-old girls. But I digress.

But the big dog at Adventure City is...this way.

Tree Top Racers!

Tree Top Racers is a Miler wild mouse coaster.

And there's a reason they display this "advice."

This may look like your average, over-saturated mouse coaster...

But it's actually a cute little pink and blue metal death trap.

A fun death trap!

And the cars (with only seat belts) are precious.

The drops are very fun.

And the helix at the end is pure insanity.

How about some POV's? (That were, indeed, taken with permission.)

These hairpin turns would be less terrifying if the wheels on the cars were larger than Oreos.

These drops would be less terrifying if the seat belts in the cars actually buckled...

...or if the overhead track was just a wee bit farther away.

And this helix is just freaking terrifying.

But seriously, Tree Top Racers is definitely a fun coaster that's worth making the 3 minute drive from Knott's Berry Farm to check out.

My last stop at Adventure City was the petting zoo!

In general, I'm not very fond of animals.

But I found these two to be worth my time.

They really seemed to be enjoying each other's company.

Let's get a closer look.

Ah, momma likes.

On my way out, I stopped by the White House to question Obama about his views on health care.

But he was busy marrying a gay couple.

 

 

Thanks for reading; Scandia and Castle Park coming soon!

Edited July 18, 2012 by DBru

[DBru]

Scandia Amusement Park: 6/21/12

 

Overview: Scandia is a bit out of the way, but it's totally worth making a trip to when in the Anaheim area. It has a nice selection of rides, it looks good, and the atmosphere is very "mellow." But the best feature of the park is its setting--the views from some of the rides are absolutely breathtaking. When I was there (a Thursday afternoon), hardly anyone else was, so a ride operator would ask me what I wanted to ride next and then we'd walk to it. Admission is free for non-riders and only $25 for an unlimited ride wristband.

Second park of the day, third of the trip!

I was very excited to get my Scream on.

You enter the park through a nice-sized arcade. When I was younger, my parents trained me not to get too excited in these places by only giving my brother and me each a dollar to spend. Nowadays, that would be considered child abuse.

Upon entering Scandia, you will find a castle that is slightly larger than Disneyland's.

One day, I'm going to be able to take a decent panorama.

To the right of the castle are some bumper boats...

...and a decent-looking go-kart track.

To the left are these batting cages and the main section of the park.

Including this CRAZY LOOPING COASTER!!!

 

Whoops, nevermind, that's just part of the mini-golf course.

All the rides at Scandia, even the kiddie ones, actually look REALLY good!

See?

The park has a really nice selection of flats.

The Swedish Swing is the newest addition. It's a "strange" version of the Screamin' Swing.

All looks normal, right?

But for some reason, both arms swing in the same direction. Unfortunately, the ride's cycle really sucks. There's only one "full" swing...but I guess that doesn't really matter when you can ride it over and over again with no wait.

The park also offers a Tilt-a-Whirl...

...a Gravitron...

...some trucks...

...a giant slide!!!...

...and one of the most awesome drop rides I've ever experienced.

Cliff Jumper!

 

If you're ever feeling constipated, take this thing for a spin.

I'm not positive, but I believe this is an ARM tower...and ARM definitely makes the best drop towers.

The views of the fog-covered mountains from up there are amazing, the drop is completely unexpected, and the entire experience is just terrifying. I loved it.

Scandia also has a fun kiddie coaster called the Little Dipper. (Who could've guessed that?)

It is a Miler with a slightly different layout from their standard kiddie coasters.

The Little Dipper has some fun little dips.

It also features some terrifying head-choppers.

But I guess that's because the ride was designed with 7-year-old girls in mind and not 6-foot-tall men.

The park's main attraction is obviously the Scandia Screamer roller coaster.

The Screamer towers over the rest of the park.

It's actually a lot larger than I was expecting.

If I'm not mistaken, it's Miler's largest creation.

Here's a look inside the ride's station.

In my opinion, the trains are incredibly cool-looking.

But be careful, because the front of the cars really enjoy slamming into your knees.

Though the first drop is the biggest, it certainly isn't the baddest.

It's the surprisingly (and suddenly) steep drops in the middle of the ride that really getcha.

The Screamer is quite the airtime machine.

It may rough you up a bit...

...but as you can see, that just adds to the fun.

The Screamer offers a fun and lengthy ride. It's definitely a great "star attraction" for the park.

There's a second train on the transfer track, but I can't imagine them ever needing to use it.

After 5 or so rides on the coaster, it was time to head out. After all, we had another park to catch before sun-down!

I would definitely recommend Scandia to anyone who happens to be in the area.

Thanks for reading; Castle Park coming soon!

[beatle11]

These parks actually look really nice, and the Scandia Screamer looks terrifying. Nice pics.

[cal1br3tto]

Wow, I'd forgotten how cute, and nicely landscaped, those parks are. I'll have to agree that the kiddie coasters are more fun than your average credit whore rides.

[coasterdude2011]

These small little parks in California make me want to go there even more then Six Flags, Knotts, and CGA are making me want to. Great pics!

[Meteornotes]

The Scandia Screamer delivers an insanely brutal ride in the back seat. Just insane.

 

dt

[Kyle Coleman]

Every time I go to so cal from vegas I have to drive by the scandia screamer but I have never stopped. I might have to next time.

[SLUSHIE]

I've been by these places many times but have never been. I've heard about Adventure City but I've never seen it and I'm not sure exactly where it is. Castle Park I just drove by the other week, before the 4th. Santa Monica I've been to, but have never ridden the coaster. I lived like 30mins away from it for a few years and the one time I went specifically to ride the coaster it was closed.

 

The one small park coaster on your list that I have ridden is the Giant Dipper at Belmont.

 

Another California park I've never gone to is Santa Cruz, but I want to make a trip this summer to Monterrey and I might just have to go there.

 

Thanks for making me realize how unacceptable this is.

[DBru]

^Ha! The little parks really are great for what they are. If you ever get bored or just feel like being pathetic, you should definitely make your way out to whore the credits and soak in some of the non-commercial atmosphere.

 

Regarding Adventure City's location: when you exit the interstate into Buena Park, stay on the main strip and travel about two miles past Knott's. It's on the left side of the road and practically impossible to miss. Very convenient location.

 

Glad you guys are enjoying the reports!

 

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Castle Amusement Park: 6/21/12

 

Overview: Of the three "junior parks," Castle Park is definitely the best-looking and it has the largest and most diverse selection of rides. The staff is nice, the park seems pretty clean, and there is plenty of bang-for-your buck ($25 for my dad and me to get in). The most negative aspect of my visit to Castle was that many of the rides--including the one I was most excited for--were closed. Hopefully this was just an exception and not the rule. Regardless, I would recommend anyone in the area to make a visit.

 

Sorry that the lighting sucks in some of these photos. The sun was going down and I was running around like a maniac trying to get pictures of all the park had to offer before it got dark.

Ah, Castle Park. #3 for the day!

I could tell as soon as we arrived that this was going to be another quality little park. Seriously.

The log flume looms over the entrance to the park.

As you can see from the map, Castle Park has quite a bit to offer for the relatively small area it occupies.

No junior park (or any park, for that matter) is complete without a Crazy Plane.

The park has a really nice selection of flat rides.

Well, it would if they were all actually open, at least.

The double-shot is missing its top cover, but at least it was open!

And actually, it was only open every other hour. The ride ops would spend one hour at this ride and the next at the Flyers.

Unfortunately, I wasn't at the park for much more than an hour, so I didn't get to ride these babies.

They sure looked like fun, though!

The most thrilling flat at the park is probably the Fireball.

When I rode, I was the only person on it, so the op gave me an extra long cycle.

The most "exciting" coaster is the Screamin' Demon.

My dad can't handle spinning, so I rode by myself in the outer seat of the car. I spun dangerously fast which caused for a ride that was far more wild than I had expected. Fun, and scary, stuff.

The next largest coaster is Merlin's Revenge.

It's your standard Vekoma Roller Skater. But they do send you around twice.

It's located near the front of the park and the kids seemed to be eating it up.

Figuratively, of course.

The centerpiece of Castle Park is its Grand Carousel.

It actually looks very, very nice.

Unfortunately I find riding carousels to be more tedious than reading the Cedar Point thread...but I still appreciate it grandeur.

The park also has a nice-looking miniature train.

It cuts right through the midways...

...and the hedges.

My interest in Yo-Yos has been steadily increasing lately.

The "dump you out" motion they make is beyond terrifying.

Of course they don't look as elegant as the waveswingers...

...but I think they are far more thrilling.

Castle Park also has a (non-operating) Gravitron.

And some bumper cars.

And a swinging ship.

And a tilt-a-whirl.

But the ride I was most looking forward to at this park was the Falling Star!

But guess what. It was "closed for *maintenance*." (It didn't look like anyone was working on it...or had been working on it...or would be working on it anytime soon. Along with the other 5 closed rides.)

I looooove Falling Stars, so I was terribly disappointed. I hope this one is put back into action soon.

But at least there's an antique car ride.

Close enough, anyway.

In the very back of the park, nearest to the "castle," is a small water park-like area. However, this was also closed.

Me thinks this guy might have something to do with all the closed attractions. He seemed a bit angry.

He must even have issues with the kiddie whip.

The third and final credit at Castle Park is a standard Miler kiddie coaster. Bet you can't guess what it's called...

...The Little Dipper!

It may not look like much at first glance, but let me tell you--they send this thing around enough times to make it the longest roller coaster in the history of the planet.

The most impressive ride in the park is the log flume.

It begins with a fun "teaser" drop...

...gets you soaked...

...and ends with a large, steep drop. This was the biggest surprise of the park for me. Don't miss it!

That's all for Castle Park and Day 1 in California. Thanks for reading!