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
Back to Top
|
|
Amador Flower Farm
Murder in the Gold Country
 Support the fight
against Breast
Cancer
Ione Pharmacy
Clear Water
The Shack Restaurant
Pizza Factory
Lockeford Jewelry
and Loan
Sew Into You
Ronnie McBrayer
Joe's Bar & Grill
|
