Adventure City is an adventure in affordability
People concerned about crowds and the high cost of admission to Orange County’s marquee theme parks may find a budget solution at Adventure City in Anaheim.
The tyke-friendly theme park, which opened as an extension of the old Hobby City on the Stanton border in 1994, offers 11 rides, a petting zoo, a Thomas the Tank Engine play area, a children’s theater and a few other attractions.
Admission is $16.95 for guests ages 1 to 54 and $11.95 for those 55 and up. Fun cards with points that can be applied at the arcade, rock wall and petting zoo add an additional $10 to $30.
Contrast that with Disneyland, which costs $99, and Knott’s Berry Farm, which is $67 for same-day tickets bought at the gate (though discounts are available online).
“Overall, you can spend a day here with the kids and have a blast at a fair price,” wrote one reviewer on Yelp, where the oft-missed attraction on Beach Boulevard near Ball Road gets 4.5 stars. “This is about a $100 dollar day for a family of 4 for admittance, food, and a souvenir. Less for a mommy and me day. Really fairly priced.”
Of course, the rides are not nearly at the scale of the better-known parks, leading another Yelper to dub them “subpar” and give his overall experience a single star.
Visitors won’t find high-priced food at Adventure City. A hot dog is $3.25, and a small Icee costs $3. Candy and other sweets range from $1.25 to $5.50. For the parents who need extra help keeping up with sugar-high or excited children, Starbucks Coffee drinks are $4.25 to $5.50.
And parking? It’s free.
No options like Disneyland’s FASTPASS are offered, but lines move fairly quickly at the 2-acre park.
The rides are friendly for the little ones, even those considered a bit daring.
The new Rewind Racers roller coaster, which goes forward and backward and is open only to parkgoers 39 inches and taller, opened last weekend.
“I think it was really awesome, and I’ve never had a ride like this before,” said 11-year-old Cooper Latham of Huntington Beach. “It wasn’t that scary, but when we were on the hill about to go backwards, I was just kind of nervous.”
The Drop Zone, another fast ride available to those 38 inches and taller, can be viewed as a kids’ version of Knott’s Supreme Scream, which transports open-air riders straight up a 312-foot-tall tower before blasting them down, all at about 45 mph. The Drop Zone is drastically shorter at 45 feet — and slower.
Tamer rides include the ever-popular Adventure City Express Train, which travels around the park, and the carousel. Neither has a height restriction.
For the kids (or parents) who could use a little rest from walking around, the children’s theater offers puppet shows and story times.
Adventure City is open seven days a week with varying hours, depending on the time of year.
For more information, visit AdventureCity.com..