Best theme parks to visit in Los Angeles

Whether you live in Southern California and are looking for a day trip or you are on vacation here, you will find plenty to do in the Los Angeles area. If theme parks are on your list to visit, here is a brief introduction to the best theme parks near Los Angeles. Our family has checked out all these parks and we had tons of fun.

Disneyland and California Adventure, Anaheim, CA

About 30 minutes from downtown LA (with flowing traffic), this is one of the best places to visit with kids. All their favorite Disney/Pixar characters will be there and there are rides for all ages. These are two separate parks next to each other (you can walk from one to the other, same parking), with separate entrance fees. Usually there are pretty good deals on park hopper tickets which allow you to visit both. The parks are big and you will need a day for each, if you want to explore all the rides.

Both parks have long opening hours, with California Adventure typically opening later and closing earlier. It can get crowded during typical vacation season, so it’s a good idea to get familiar with the park layout, rides and shows in advance. In high vacation season, you will need to prioritize and focus on the rides you really want to get on and take advantage of the FASTPASS system.

For more useful advice on the FASTPASS and how you can have the most fun in Disneyland and California Adventure, check out my dedicated hub: “ How to make the most of Disneyland California”

Knott’s Berry Farm and Soak City

These two parks are near Disneyland, in Anaheim. Knott’s Berry Farm, “America’s first theme park” has a mix of thrill roller coasters and rides and shows for the younger kids as well. Snoopy and the gang will meet you there! Check for online specials to save money on admission. Soak City is separate and has separate entrance fees.

Universal Studios

Universal Studios is a must visit park if you want to experience Hollywood movie making. The park is just off Hwy 210 or Hollywood Fwy, near Hollywood, and offers plenty to do for all ages. Since it is close to other LA attractions, this park can easily be integrated into your Los Angeles vacation.

The universal tour will get you in the middle of iconic sets from movies and you can experience special effects as if you were in the movie. They just added King Kong to the tour! Get on your priority rides early. People tend to do the Universal tour first, so maybe you want to start with some other rides, like the Simpsons or the Mummy that can get really busy later on. Unless your focus is on eating, don’t go for the all you can eat deals, in best case scenario, you will break even. The front of the line pass is expensive, so your best bet is to get to the park near opening time and get on the rides right away!

Six Flags – Magic Mountain

For roller coaster enthusiasts, this is the place to go. About half an hour North on Hwy 5 from LA, in Valencia, Ca, Six Flags Magic Mountain is not for the light hearted. No kiddie rides here, but if you are into roller coasters, this is THE place. This park is recommended for kids older than 9 and most rides have a height requirement of min. 42” and up. Teens will definitely have a blast here.

Getting into the park early is a good idea and getting on your priority rides early is also recommended. Most people start with rides near the entrance and work their way through the park, so if you get their near park opening time, bypass those first rides and go to the ones further from the entrance, you might not have to wait at all. We did this and got on Apocalypse (aka Terminator) and the Riddler’s Revenge several times in a row with no wait at all. Later, these rides had 30-60 min. wait times, so it was definitely worth it. If you have a ride that you absolutely want to get on, do it sooner rather than later, because these are highly sophisticated rides, and if they break down, they could be down for a while.

If you have more time and want to visit more theme parks, you could drive down to San Diego from LA (about 2 hrs.) and check out Legoland in Carlsbad (North of San Diego) and Seaworld. San Diego also has one of the best Zoos in the US. For more info on San Diego, look for my San Diego hub. As always, remember to have fun!