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better choice~ Knotts/US/6 flags

AZlady

AZlady

DIS Veteran
Joined
Mar 19, 2012
I am a Disney lover (like all of you)....but my DS is ready for some bigger rides.
What is better....Knotts, Universal Studios or Six flags.
We are family of 4 my DS 12, DD 15....so no small ones to work around.
Your thoughts would be helpful or point me on the direction of a website/blog post, ect....
THANKS!!
 
Universal doesn't really give much in terms of thrill rides. They have rides, but they're all movie/TV themed.

Knott's Berry Farm gets a lot of reviews saying it's kind of run down. Same for Magic Mountain, along with issues of gangs sort of taking over the place and making it less family friendly. I think they've been working on that issue with more security.
 
Knott's is probably your better bet. I disagree with the security and condition concerns. It's still a wonderful park with some really fun thrill rides. Ghost Rider is the best wooden roller coaster I've ever been on.

Magic Mountain has the best selection of coasters, but not much else that's appealing. And it's way far out there, when you consider SoCal traffic. Knott's is only 10 mins from DLR. It gets my vote every time.

Universal is okay, but they don't really have the thrill rides.
 
Universal only has a small handful of really good rides, and they aren't really thrill rides anyway.

In terms of the number of thrill rides, Magic Mountain is your best bet. It has tons of rollercoasters.

Knott's is somewhere in the middle. It has more thrill rides than Universal, but there is more of a focus on atmosphere and theming than Magic Mountain.
 
If you're looking for thrill rides, Magic Mountain, hands down. Not my kind of park, out of the way, kind of sleazy and I don't like roller coasters, but some people love it.

I used to love Knotts when I was a kid, but it has changed dramatically since the days when we used to visit several times a year (60s-70s).
 
We tried Knott's for the first time in November. There were enough thrill rides to give my husband and teen boys a good experience and enough atmosphere and shows to keep me from getting too bored waiting for them. Plus, my husband and boys like the occasional show or calmer experience to break up the thrill rides. While they enjoy the thrills, that's not all they are about. Knott's provided a nice balance for us. We found the park not overly crowded, well-kept up, and clean. We also found some tasty food, but we did stay away from chain-type places like you can find in shopping malls or elsewhere.
 
I agree that Universal does not have much of the thrill rides, I like it for the day but it doesn't seem right for your family.

I personally prefer Magic Mountain to Knotts. There is a lot more to do and your kids age range will enjoy their rides better. The only thing it is a drive to get there since it is on the north end of LA. The drive can take upwards of 2 hours. It's not as scary as some people put it. They have limited the gang groups and it's not as bad as it used to be. I went a couple years ago and never felt scared. Use common sense and you will be fine. It is not Disney though and the theming and cleanliness is not the same.

Knotts has a few thrill rides. It's in between Disney and Magic Mountain to me. A lot of their rides are old feeling or new and out of place. As for the clean, I did not think as much but we got tickets for $35 so you couldn't hate too much. We watched some kid throw up and the mom wiped it up with a baby wipe and the workers did nothing. That was gross. But the rest of the trip was not that dirty. I think the cleanliness is similar to Magic Mountain. It's not what it used to be but it is still fun. They have cool shows and shopping. If you go there try and eat dinner at the chicken house. It's food is awesome!

Ultimately it's up to you and your family. Look at both websites and see which one has more of what you want. It also depends if someone in your family is comfortable with driving through LA to get to Ventura. You do not have to go through downtown but you get close. Avoid the 91 and 405, use an app like Waze, and look ahead to know which lane you need for freeway changes so you can get over quick enough. I know one of the changes is the left 2 lanes and the freeway is like 8 lanes at that spot.
 
Avoid Universal if you want to actually ride rides. The California park is pretty bare in terms of thrill rides compared to Orlando.

Knott's is okay. We used to go when I was a kid and I liked it then, but I went recently and found it super disappointing. It has decent roller coasters, but that's about it. If it weren't for the nostalgia I have for it, I wouldn't go again.

Six Flags is the best of these in my opinion. They have the best coasters/thrill rides. Definitely not a place for someone who is afraid of heights/big rides because there isn't much else there. But if you enjoy thrill rides, it doesn't get better than a Six Flags park.
 
I would agree with everyone elses assessment. I didn't go to Universal Hollywood. But, Six Flags Magic Mountain is the better thrill park but way up there. They have thrill rides and roller coasters you won't find any where else in the world. Knotts Berry Farm is a more all around park and close (It's a convenient city bus trip from the DL area if your group is small and you don't want to pay for parking.). I visited both and wished I had a second day at SFMM. As I've gotten older I still like thrill rides but I need to space them out farther.
 
Six Flags will have the most extreme rides. Knotts Berry Farm has a better mix of extreme and mild rides (I would choose Knotts over Six Flags). Universal Studios is the closest to Disneyland in that they are less run down and have attractions with themes, not just rides. The rides here, however, are not as extreme as Knotts or Six Flags.
 
I realize this thread may be irrelevant to the OP, but incase someone had a similar question:

I would say Six Flags, but as mentioned, it's a drive. I've had multiple Season Passes, and have been there at all hours of the day and night and never once felt unsafe. It is a different crowd than Disney, by far, but I don't think it's unsavory at all. Lots of fun rollercoasters in a fairly compact park. Fair prices, okay food, I think Six Flags is a great choice.

I would skip Universal unless they have an interest in film or film history if you are limited on time/money.

Knotts is a good choice, but it doesn't have nearly as many thrill rides. However, it is MUCH closer to DLR. To over simplify it, Six Flags is a park you basically go from ride to ride (many of them thrill roller coasters), whereas Knotts is more of a park to explore with some rides along the way (lots of scenery and 'smaller' attractions).

Both are great; I'd choose Six Flags.
 
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