How to go to a non Disney theme park?

[lana772]

I forgot about The Jelly Belly factory. We took Grandma on the tour a few years back. It was interesting, but I don't know if it would have been as much fun without kids.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I forgot about The Jelly Belly factory. We took Grandma on the tour a few years back. It was interesting, but I don't know if it would have been as much fun without kids.

Agree that it's more fun with kids, and I've been so many times after all these years, that I don't really need to go again. But it is something that is a little different so I thought I'd throw it out there.

 

[WTFetus]

Be careful with Santa Cruz. We went twice this year (once over Spring Break and once in June) and both times some of the beaches were closed because of sewage contamination. I will now only go to the beaches south of there.

Well, I only mentioned the beaches for the scenery. During the whole day yesterday, I never actually went on the beach, haha (though it was packed). I just spent the day doing the attractions and we had a blast.

 

[PinkBudgie]

Lots of great ideas! We went to the Jelly Belly factory a lot when the boys were little. We pass it all time as we travel up 80. I've thought about stopping there again sometime. (My boys were bags of Jelly Bellies one year for Halloween and they wore those factory tour hats) I love factory tours! And I love museums! I wish there were more in our area. I've never heard of the Crocker in Sacramento so I'll have to see what that is. I have been to the train museum and have spent many long hours there as a child due to my dad's extreme interest in the railroad era and telegraph equipment.

Other places we have been, in case anyone else is interested in somewhere to go:
Winery tours- we live in the wine country so we do this every so often.
Jack London State Park- a museum and walking trails, ruins of his Wolf House.
Armstrong Woods- Beautiful park to see the Redwoods and great for even small children due to the many flat, wide paths. Bring a picnic.

Seeing Santa Cruz could be fun. If it isn't Disney, it is hard for me to get excited about the rides. I've always been that way. They are just lacking the extra magic. But Santa Cruz or Discovery Kingdom could be a fun day trip. Have to think about that.

All of these suggestions make me think it would be handy to have a Northern California sight seeing list over in the California forum. A place for people to get ideas and suggest ideas. I might start that if I find the time.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

We have done the Sacramento railroad museum many times also. The little history museum next door is an ok stop and just walking around Old Sac in general can be fun for a little while. The Crocker art museum while not in Old Sac is actually quite close by; it's at 216 O St. DH and I enjoyed visiting that museum even though we aren't big art museum fans. Maybe it was just that it was a different experience for us. Recently we took the boys and all went together on a tour of the state capitol building. The boys asked to do it because they were working on some scout merit badges. The tour turned out to be much more interesting to me than I expected.

 

[PinkBudgie]

We have done the Sacramento railroad museum many times also. The little history museum next door is an ok stop and just walking around Old Sac in general can be fun for a little while. The Crocker art museum while not in Old Sac is actually quite close by; it's at 216 O St. DH and I enjoyed visiting that museum even though we aren't big art museum fans. Maybe it was just that it was a different experience for us. Recently we took the boys and all went together on a tour of the state capitol building. The boys asked to do it because they were working on some scout merit badges. The tour turned out to be much more interesting to me than I expected.

A capitol building tour would be interesting. Haven't been there since high school. Just have to plan to avoid protests and demonstrations. Also, haven't been to Old Town Sacramento in ages. That would be fun too.

 

[CaptainEIEIO]

We usually buy the Southern California City Pass when we come out to California. We have done it about 5 times now. This past trip however we decided to add a little something to our Sea World part of the City Pass since we considered that to be the most boring of the parks on the City Pass. We added on a dolphin excursion for a little bit more money (50 bucks each) once we got to the park. It was FANTASTIC!!!!! We did not do the one where you get into the water with the dolphin. We did the one where you stand outside the tank and learned and gave them hand signals so the dolphins would do their tricks. You do get to touch them, petting them and so forth, with this one also. It was well worth it and made our Sea World trip much better this time around. We all agreed that even though we are Disney lovers through and through that that particular part of the trip was the highlight of our vacation.

 

[PinkBudgie]

We usually buy the Southern California City Pass when we come out to California. We have done it about 5 times now. This past trip however we decided to add a little something to our Sea World part of the City Pass since we considered that to be the most boring of the parks on the City Pass. We added on a dolphin excursion for a little bit more money (50 bucks each) once we got to the park. It was FANTASTIC!!!!! We did not do the one where you get into the water with the dolphin. We did the one where you stand outside the tank and learned and gave them hand signals so the dolphins would do their tricks. You do get to touch them, petting them and so forth, with this one also. It was well worth it and made our Sea World trip much better this time around. We all agreed that even though we are Disney lovers through and through that that particular part of the trip was the highlight of our vacation.

That's good to hear. Sea World is another place I've wanted to see, but we never seem to make it down past DLR. We should consider that next time.

 

[Pinup Mommy]

I forgot about The Jelly Belly factory. We took Grandma on the tour a few years back. It was interesting, but I don't know if it would have been as much fun without kids.

Your girls are such dolls!!

Now that is a somewhere I need to go.... I love, love, love, love Jelly Bellies. Every Christmas people who know me do not give me chocolate they give me Jelly Bellies. I killed 5lbs in about week over holiday break.

 

[lana772]

Your girls are such dolls!!

Now that is a somewhere I need to go.... I love, love, love, love Jelly Bellies. Every Christmas people who know me do not give me chocolate they give me Jelly Bellies. I killed 5lbs in about week over holiday break.

Thank you. They have grown so much since then.
They have a store by the "cafe" at the factory that sells Belly Flops. Same flavor, odd shape or messed up stamp and a lot cheaper. It's worth the drive for us just to get big bags of Belly Flops.

 

[WTFetus]

Seeing Santa Cruz could be fun. If it isn't Disney, it is hard for me to get excited about the rides. I've always been that way. They are just lacking the extra magic. But Santa Cruz or Discovery Kingdom could be a fun day trip. Have to think about that.

I agree that nothing can come even close to replicating that Disney magic. Santa Cruz is the closest you can get in my opinion though. I just got that amusement park feeling there that I didn't get the weekend before in Discovery Kingdom.
Plus, as a non roller-coaster buff, the rides at SC were more my type. Even their biggest coaster wasn't much of an intensity upgrade to matterhorn/btrr.

 

[lana772]

Isn't it funny how different everyone's view is. Myself and my family can't stand Santa Cruz. We have found it dirty and stinky with pan handlers and the rides very "county fair" like. We love going to the beach, but prefer one of the beaches south of there. Capitola, New Brighton or Seacliff are much better. And none of them hold a candle to Carmel.
But then the OP asked about Northern Ca attractions and I don't consider anything South of Monterey to be No Ca.

And - As far as theme park atmosphere - Discovery Kingdom and Great America (and even Gilroy Gardens) are closer (still a long ways off) to Disney like than Santa Cruz.

 

[PinkBudgie]

Isn't it funny how different everyone's view is. Myself and my family can't stand Santa Cruz. We have found it dirty and stinky with pan handlers and the rides very "county fair" like. We love going to the beach, but prefer one of the beaches south of there. Capitola, New Brighton or Seacliff are much better. And none of them hold a candle to Carmel.
But then the OP asked about Northern Ca attractions and I don't consider anything South of Monterey to be No Ca.

And - As far as theme park atmosphere - Discovery Kingdom and Great America (and even Gilroy Gardens) are closer (still a long ways off) to Disney like than Santa Cruz.

You're right. In the end we are just going to have to see for ourselves. If we find the time this month, we will probably go to Discovery Kingdom first since we were just down in Half Moon Bay.

Oh, and also on our "someday we'll have to go there" list is the Hearst Castle. But that is more than a day trip. Probably more on our way to Socal.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

You're right. In the end we are just going to have to see for ourselves. If we find the time this month, we will probably go to Discovery Kingdom first since we were just down in Half Moon Bay.

Oh, and also on our "someday we'll have to go there" list is the Hearst Castle. But that is more than a day trip. Probably more on our way to Socal.

Hearst Castle is on our "someday" list too. DH would also like to go to Winchester Mystery House. I have been to neither, but he visited each once when he was a kid. He says he doesn't remember a lot though and has said several times over the years that he would like to go back as an adult. We've kind of been waiting for the boys to be older (I think we're there now though; they're 12 and 13), or to go on our own.

 

[WTFetus]

And - As far as theme park atmosphere - Discovery Kingdom and Great America (and even Gilroy Gardens) are closer (still a long ways off) to Disney like than Santa Cruz.

Haha yeah, everyone is different. Santa Cruz just reminds me more of Disneyland. Giant Dipper is probably my favorite coaster in NorCal, and it feels like a mix between Matterhorn and BTRR. Then you have Logger's Revenge which is kinda like Splash Mountain, a Haunted Mansion, and Ghost Blasters which is kinda like Astro Blasters. Of course none of these even come close magically to the rides at DLR, but they were very fun nonetheless.
Plus, something my mom and aunt couldn't do in Discovery Kingdom but they did all day in Santa Cruz and DLR: People watch!

 

[lana772]

Haha yeah, everyone is different. Santa Cruz just reminds me more of Disneyland. Giant Dipper is probably my favorite coaster in NorCal, and it feels like a mix between Matterhorn and BTRR. Then you have Logger's Revenge which is kinda like Splash Mountain, a Haunted Mansion, and Ghost Blasters which is kinda like Astro Blasters. Of course none of these even come close magically to the rides at DLR, but they were very fun nonetheless.
Plus, something my mom and aunt couldn't do in Discovery Kingdom but they did all day in Santa Cruz and DLR: People watch!

I think it's the overall dirtiness that gets me. We have been approached by numerous beggars and felt unsafe in the parking lots. Then having to guide my children around people sleeping on the boardwalk is not for me. I'll take an "over priced" theme park over that any day.

 

[WTFetus]

I think it's the overall dirtiness that gets me. We have been approached by numerous beggars and felt unsafe in the parking lots. Then having to guide my children around people sleeping on the boardwalk is not for me. I'll take an "over priced" theme park over that any day.

That's weird. When was the last time you went? I had friends who went in June and July, and I went last weekend, and none of us saw any beggars. We all spent most of the time on the boardwalk; maybe most of them are on the beach?
The boardwalk didn't seem dirty at all either (the bathrooms were actually cleaner than the ones at Discovery Kingdom).

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I think it's the overall dirtiness that gets me. We have been approached by numerous beggars and felt unsafe in the parking lots. Then having to guide my children around people sleeping on the boardwalk is not for me. I'll take an "over priced" theme park over that any day.

Interesting, have you been lately? What you describe is a little how I felt about Santa Cruz boardwalk a few years ago, but not in the past couple of years. I feel like they have really improved upkeep, cleanliness, security, and atmosphere at the boardwalk. Now, the rest of Santa Cruz, yes, there is quite a bit of pan-handling, especially in the downtown area and some other spots, and I do feel uncomfortable in some areas. We have found quite a number of little gems in Santa Cruz though and have favorite spots we continue to return visit.

 

[lana772]

We went in April and June of this year. June was worse! That was when I decided I wouldn't go back. The Main beach was closed because of sewage contamination and we had to walk around 2 men sleeping in front of the bathroom on the boardwalk. On our walk back to our car (in the "guarded" parking lot) my daughters and I were followed by a man asking for money.
I remember Santa Cruz being much nicer when I was a teenager. I was a huge Lost Boys fan and my friends and I spent many a Summer day there. I was very disappointed that I couldn't share that with my girls.

Adding- Woody's is still a great spot for lunch.

 

[lana772]

That's weird. When was the last time you went? I had friends who went in June and July, and I went last weekend, and none of us saw any beggars. We all spent most of the time on the boardwalk; maybe most of them are on the beach?
The boardwalk didn't seem dirty at all either (the bathrooms were actually cleaner than the ones at Discovery Kingdom).

The beggars we saw were all in the parking lots, sidewalks and roads outside of the boardwalk.
...and I'll agree that DK has some issues keeping their bathrooms clean, but so does SC. I guess we are just spoiled with Disney.