Six Flags Holiday in the Park, a fun way to
celebrate the season
A Review by Ken Kiunke
Staff Writer
 I spent my younger days as a Cast
Member (also know as employee) at Disneyland, and much of that time
as a Steam Train conductor on Main Street USA. My favorite time of
the year was between Thanksgiving and New Years when the park was
all decked out for the season, with a Christmas parade, giant
Christmas tree, Dickens carolers, decorations all over, and plenty
of Christmas music playing all day. With everyone decked out in
winter wear, and in a jolly mood, it compared very favorably to the
long, hot busy summer days. With the bar set high by Disney, it
seems that every theme park now goes all out for special events at
Christmas and the holiday season.
Photo by Ken Kiunke: Carolers greet the
guests near the Christmas tree at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in
Vallejo.
 We visited Six Flags
Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo for their Holiday in the Park event,
which runs until New Years day. I tried not to compare it to
Disneyland too much, since there really is no comparison to the
charm of Main Street USA, especially during Christmas. But
Discovery Park does the season well, with the park decorated
nicely, and lots of special events going on. They have with the
biggest artificial Christmas tree I've ever seen, a perfect cone,
all lit up at night. The kids get a chance to meet Santa, decorate
cookies, see a puppet show, and see some cute singing and dancing
shows. There is a Christmas tree forest area with a grove of
decorated trees, and Candy Cane Lane, which features a snow hill
that young and old can slide down on a sled, and a small snow play
area where kids can play in the snow and pelt their folks with
snowballs.
Photo by Ken Kiunke: Sledding fun in Candy Cane Lane
at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo.
Most of the regular features of the park are also open, (though
some do close early, so check the schedules, especially if you want
to visit the Land section or “Reindeer Village”, and see tigers and
elephants.) Our kids enjoyed the penguins, sharks, dolphins and
walruses. The dolphin show is done up for the holidays, mixing a
Christmas theme in with the usual aqua acrobatics, delighting the
audience. The dolphins really do seem to enjoy the performance, and
all four perform some amazing tricks, and even do some “singing”.
If you sit up front, you will get wet, so you may want to back off
for the cold weather. We didn't have time to see everything, but
Shouka the killer whale and the sea lions also have special holiday
shows.
 Of course, the great roller coasters
are always there, and the great thing was there were hardly any
lines to board when we were there, so the kids could go on as many
times as they wanted – the Cobra was a favorite for its quick but
not too scary route. The go carts were also a favorite (extra fee
required) as we raced around the road course pretending we were
NASCAR drivers. There is no track, so passing is possible, and you
get enough laps to really make it a race.
Courtesy Photo: Six Flags Park in Vallejo
We finished the day with the Happy Holidays musical dinner and
show. They served an all-you-can-eat turkey dinner, with dressing,
mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, salad, cranberries, and a
vegetarian pasta dish. The turkey tasted great, it was carved right
there and you could choose your own white or dark meat. The desert
was a choice between tiramisu and cheesecake with toppings (or
both!) They were both were very tasty. Soft drinks and coffee are
also included. The Happy Holidays show was a musical set performed
by five talented young people. They did six songs that ranged from
cute to funny. It lasted just long enough to enjoy, but not too
long for the kids in the audience to get restless.
The staff of Discovery Kingdom was friendly and helpful throughout
the day. Whenever we spent too much time looking at the guide map,
someone would come and ask if we needed help finding anything. (the
map is one thing that could be improved on; it was not detailed
enough to find our way to the things we wanted to see.) The people
working there seemed to really enjoy what there were doing, and it
showed in how they interacted with the park guests. And one thing I
had never seen before in a theme park were the little bonfires they
had going in several places around the park, so if you got too
cold, you could always warm your hands and chat with the staff or
other guests.
 The park is open daily from December
17th to January 1st, except Christmas Eve and Christmas day.
(Another difference from Disneyland – I worked every Christmas Eve
and day in my career there!) The hours are limited, so plan ahead
and get there right at opening time to enjoy all they have to
offer. By the way, the directions on the website are not quite
accurate from the Sacramento area, but just take to I-80 West, and
then Highway 37 West; get off at the first exit and turn left on
Fairgrounds Drive. If you can't make it down to Disneyland, or just
want to avoid the crowds and hassle, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is
a great way to treat the kids and have a fun time yourselves (and
not spend the whole day doing it!) Have a great time and a
wonderful holiday season!
Photo by Ken Kiunke: John Kiunke and friends
enjoy the Snow Play area
at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo.
Don’t miss out this season as Six Flags is transformed into a
winter wonderland complete with holiday activities, snow, dynamic
shows and the man himself, Santa Claus! Purchase your season ticket
today to take advantage of the best values. For pricing and park
information, including a calendar of events, visit
www.sixflags.com
 DAILY TICKETS ONLINE OFFER — EVERYONE
PAYS KIDS PRICE $35.99
Ticket is valid all season through
January 1, 2012. Print your tickets at home and go straight to the
gate. General ticket Prices: Admission $49.99; kids Under 48"
$35.99; 2 & under FREE. The Park is 55 miles from Sacramento.
For more general park
information, visit their information page online at:
http://www.sixflags.com/discoveryKingdom/info/parkInfo.aspx
Call 707-643-6722 for
recorded information;
707-644-4000 for the administrative office. Visit soon!
Six Flags
Discovery Kingdom
1001 Fairgrounds Dr.
Vallejo, CA 94589
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