Six Flags Discovery Kingdom

This is my second year with a season pass. I’ve always been a fan of this place but the lines are crazy long! Every where food rides and bathrooms ! I have a refillable cup and the refill stations are never open. Flash passes cost way too much money. One of my favorite things about this place is the animals but no exhibits or shows. 4 rides plus rides closed? Making lines at the other rides much longer

So sad that the day was less than expected.
Please, please, Six Flags… signs!!! From parking to entering the park, to refilling our drinks, there was no clear direction of where to go, what line to be in, etc! It was a disaster from the off-​ramp all the way to the parking spot, trying to remember where to go, where we would be paying, etc. There was no clear direction anywhere. If there were two very long lines at a snack stand, you may get all the way to the front just to be rudely told that that was a refill only line, then you are directed to the back of the food line to start all over again.
I prepaid for tickets, food and a drink bottle thinking that I was saving money and time, but there was no option for my 4-​year-​old granddaughter on the website, so I bought her an adult ticket and spent $ 6 more than I probably should have. Once inside the park, the drink bottle coupon was refused by four snack stands before I found the approved one and the food coupon was good at only a few places. We chose a bucket of chicken meal (waited in line for 45 minutes) and ended up with ½ a bucket of over-​cooked, dried out chicken strips with soggy fries.
The staff was so unhappy. Why? Also, the food staff was quite often rude, slow and many times only one or two windows were open to help a huge mass of summer-​going consumers (hire up for your busy season, Six Flags!).
Seeing as how we were only going to go on the kiddy rides with my granddaughter in tow, I was disappointed to see so many rides down (in the middle of the summer rush!!). I understand the water features/​fountains being down (because of the drought?), but so many rides? I was also disappointed to see so many line jumpers, even in the kid rides and food lines. Line jumpers were everywhere and I even heard some people inform staff about them, but staff just said «oh, okay, thanks for telling me».
I am so sad that the quality of this park has dropped so significantly since I was last here in 2013. What is going on? The animals need bigger pens and your staff need more training. This is a place where families come to make memories and this was a bummer one this time.

Wow!!! This place is not worth the money. It seemed like every other ride we passed it was non-​operable. The food is not that great and SUPER expensive, $ 12.00 minimum and that doesn’t include your drink or the one hour you have to wait. Don’t even bother looking at the brochure. The locations don’t seem to add up and the height requirements need to be updated on it. My husband and son waited 45 minutes in line and they couldn’t even ride the ride because this amusement park is to cheap to update their brochures. I mean come on, they make $ 25 on a general parking ticket let alone the ticket to get in and food.
If you do come, go to the Sports Bar for food. The wait is not long since you can order food at the bar. Bring sun screen, water, shorts, good walking shoes, and a hat. Don’t even bother with makeup ladies, totally not worth the makeup sweat.

The animals make Six Flags Discovery Kingdom worth the visit. The roller coasters are nice, the funnel cakes are okay. But the animals! Giraffes, lions and bears oh my! Ok not bears, but there are giraffes and lions! Tigers too! Even a cougar! Ride an elephant? No problem! Dolphins? You betcha! We love the dolphins, most notably Jasmine who our kids got to know up and personal a few years back!
Parking is a 10 minute walk away or just use the buses. Expect to wait in line for the buses from and to parking. Actually lines are the norm here. But it’s an amusement park. What do you expect?
We go here at least once a year, so that has to mean we are a fan! 4 stars.

Awful. If you’re curious about the experience, let me save you the trouble:
First, you’re going to go through a slow march of cars that starts from the freeway exit. Very slow. You may be one of those diligent people in the proper lane from the beginning, but you’d have to deal with shameless line cutters.
Then, you’ll pay a hefty $ 25 for parking. Yikes. Actually, $ 30 if you want to park a few rows further.
Then, unless you wait for the shuttle, you’ll walk a half mile from the parking lot to the front. In the heat. You’ll think, «My goodness, why is the park soooo far from the parking lot?»
Then, you’ll wait in line for security. Slow.
Then, you’ll wait in line for tickets. Very slow.
Then, you will pay $ 67 per adult. You will probably think all this trouble is worth it. (Hint: it’s not)
Then, you’ll wait in line to get in. Also slow.
Then, you’ll get in. You will find that many of the rides are not working… even on a Saturday afternoon in the middle of summer. Wtf, really?
Then, you’ll find long lines for rides, high prices for not so good food, long lines for food, not enough seating in the shade, and a ton of animals in captivity.
Even the shorter lines, for some reason, move at a snail’s pace.
For an extra $ 15, you can even ride a poor sweet elephant that looks like he wants to call PETA.
If you want a fast pass, the premium will run you $ 100 per for a premium pass. Ridiculous.
You finally decide to bail. And, oh, now you have to walk half mile back to your car: tired, hangry, annoyed.
You call that fun?

This is my first time here and it sucks. Most of the rides are down. That’s the main reason why I came here. It was a waste of time and money.
All of the kids shows are on schedule that’s the only positive feedback I have about this place.

I love this place the staff is amazing wonderful,&sweet Bryan and Sonia at the Drench dolphin show made my sons day he got to help one of the trainer. I love all the shows and everyone is great but Bryan and the trainers at drench dolphin show are super entertaining I this show it makes making the trip

I went on a Tuesday, and the wait for each ride was not bad at all! We were able to ride all the rides we wanted throughout the day. Medusa was my absolute favorite, since the ride was so smooth but exhilarating. Kong was fun but extremely painful with the bumpiness.
The workers there were also extremely nice! I fell down at one end of the park, and when we asked a cashier for the first aid station, they called the first aid station to walk all the way across the park to give us ice and make sure that I was doing okay! All the workers there were so nice when they saw me injured and all wanted to make sure i was ok!

Where do I start?! I have been coming to Marine World, or Six Flags now, since I was a kid. We bought season passes last year and try to come often for make the passes worth it. My daughter whose 3 ½ lives coming here. There’s a lot for kids her age to do and see. But It seems like every time we come there is something to be disappointed about.

Today is the first time we’ve come this year. Excited about the New Joker Ride, to our not so surprise, it was closed :(What was surprising was how many other rides were closed! The medusa kept getting closed down. The boomerang was closed down, and vertical velocity. On a more positive note, they had some other rides open that we enjoyed like both the water rides and a 3D ride as well. the waits weren’t too bad.
On another day we had gone, we left way too early because it was soooo packed. It was a bring a friend free day, and the park was crowded. The problem we had was, so many food courts were closed as well as the refill drink stations. It was a very hot day and everytime we needed a refill on drinks we had to wait a minimum of 45 minutes!!! That day was terrible. I don’t understand why they would decide to keep so many food and drink stations closed in a day like this! We left because we were spending more time in lines than on attractions.
The food is terrible in my opinion. And overly priced. We will start bringing our own lunches and eating in our cars.
We drive an hour to come here everytime and we look forward to having a great time. Unfortunately it’s not always the case. I wish they would put more effort in trying to make this park more successful, we don’t have many theme parks in Northern California. I know there can be technical difficulties which is understandable but for 4−5−6 rides to be closed at once, it’s ridiculous! Parking is so expensive, and over $ 60 for a one day pass. I feel bad for people who actually pay the daily fee because on a day where food courts are closed and water stations and rides, it make it not worth it. People are spending so much money to be disappointed.
If it wasn’t for the fact that I got a super good deal on season passes, I wouldn’t be coming here at all. But since we have them I do Look forward to coming and hoping it’ll be a good time !

Many Rides not working — including new Joker. Long, long, long lines for rides AND food. Not low maintenance… no maintenance. Everything needs fresh paint. And the season just started. Management must not care at all about the guest’s experience.

OK. You expect long lines at an amusement park for the roller coasters and other thrill attractions. I am ok with the idea of waiting an hour for a 3 min ride. Not thrilled, but to be expected.
However, given that admission is over 60 bucks each, I do expect a few simple things. For starters, a little maintenance on the cue lines so the peeling paint is covered… you know a little pride in your facilities.
But the real reason for my overall dissatisfaction is the unacceptable waiting for food and drinks. We waited over 35 min in the heat to order 80 bucks of food for the four of us. When I got up to the single open order window out of three available, I found a single person taking orders. She was also fulfilling orders. To add insult to injury, the food was sub par at best.
We made the mistake of ordering the all you can drink soda glass. Great concept. However when we wanted to get a refill before the tiger show, getting that refill proved to be a challenge. We waited for 15 min before the show. and still were 5 people away from the promise land. We ducked out of line so we did not miss the whole show (missed first 5 min). On our way out, the group in front of us where still in line 15 min after we ducked out. And they were still 2 behind to get to the window. There were «refill stations» in the park… but none were open. So, if you actually wanted to refill your soda cup you paid 12 bucks for… you were waiting in line for 30 to 40 min a refill.
Just not what you expect when you spend serious cash for an afternoon with the family.
Poor…very poor.

I’m definitely one of those people that still want to call this place Marine World Africa USA. Yea. Old school all day.
Anyone remember the giant jungle gym and blue whale playhouse?
Anyway, over the last few decades this place has gone through a major change. Roller coasters were added, they were picked up by big name Six Flags, and now here we are. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.
Since it’s expansion, the park has become increasingly more popular, therefore, it’s way way WAY more busy than it used to ever be. I’ve owned season passes twice, both times the passes came with passes to WaterWorld in Concord (I don’t think they offer that anymore). Now, they seriously are trying to nickel and dime you. Besides the season passes, they offer a much needed parking pass (it’s $ 25 for parking… that’s more than DISNEYLAND… granted Disney park tickets are significantly more expensive). They charge for your FlashPass. They have a handy dining pass for the season (which, doing the math, is incredibly affordable). They don’t allow items to wait at the deck (expect for random hats and their sports bottles) so you MUST rent a locker. Seriously, if they have a way to charge you for something they will.
Now the best thing, is their rides. Some of my FAVORITE coasters are at this park. Medusa was always a favorite, but now I must add The Joker and SUPERMAN: Ultimate Flight to that. Seriously, both coasters are TOP NOTCH for thrills. Best thing? They have lap bar instead of shoulder restraints. That adds to the thrill in the craziest way.
Last few times I’ve gone was part of a work picnics. So we enjoyed their catering services. It’s okay… buns lightly dried out, lukewarm meats, but their beans are really good, it comes with unlimited soda, and ice cream sandwiches.
Now my last complaint, they don’t have a plain funnel cake option that is under $ 10. Now if their plain funnel cake was say…$ 7.99 I’d be okay. But I don’t enjoy having to pay $ 11 for a funnel cake that automatically comes with strawberries and whipped cream when all I want is powdered sugar… like…why am I paying the SAME PRICE? Not cool…
Yea, I like coming here. I might get another season pass, but we’ll see.

Dear Management: Please get your stuff together or this park will eventually close down.
Former Gold Pass Season holder and visitor of 3 – 4 times total.
Lunch was a horrible experience here. I can understand the typical 30 – 45 minutes during rush hour, but 1.5+ hours of waiting for chicken strips and fries? Give me a break.
If you’re hiring for a learning and development manager, please let me know and I’ll kindly apply. None of your workers looked happy. None of the food workers worked efficiently and lacked the basic customer services and etiquette of any restaurant/​fast food establishment.
Okay, okay. I get it. We went during an off season time and it’s hard to staff the theme park because budgets are tough. I also understand how hard it is to recruit and pay for staff. Understood. Point taken. It’s probably hard to recruit a learning and development manager to totally revamp your culture and training programs, let alone afford them. Lets talk about rides.
Four to five rides were shut down during our visit and we had no heads up knowledge about this until the day of our trip. This was utterly disappointing to see. The lines were short, but due to limited coasters operating. We barely got to 4 rides during the entire time. We started during opening time and ended at closing time. Oh, and a lot of the animal exhibits were closed too.
Overall, this place once was an awesome theme park, but lately, I’m not too sure. But hey, at least the group price was affordable. I wouldn’t pay the general admission price.

Now that I have a toddler, I sincerely take back everything negative I ever said about Six Flags. Seriously, this place is AMAZING. We even have Gold annual passes that includes parking (normally $ 22/​day) AND a Gold Dining Pass which includes 20% discount at the gift shop. (I have no idea how they make any money at all with the dining pass btw…)
This magnificent place is a zoo, marine park, AND a theme park all rolled into one. There are loads of rides for small children as well as quite a number of large roller coasters. They have the Looney Tunes characters dance around with the kids at the main square by the fountain. It’s way too cute. Also, there is a BUTTERFLY EXHIBIT! My daughter and I love this area the most. Butterflies fly around all around you and may even land on you at times. It’s just so… Magical.
For the low price of $ 79.99, I was able to score an annual pass (with parking, which is normally $ 22/​day). An extra $ 79.99 bought me a Gold Dining Pass for an ENTIRE calendar year. It includes a lunch, dinner, snack (which includes the $ 9.99 funnel cake), and unlimited refills on soft drinks — which includes soda, lemonade, Powerade, or my favorite: unsweetened tea. I have NO idea how they make any money at all, honestly. Sure, the food isn’t exactly the healthiest. But they DO offer grilled chicken sandwiches, salads, and steamed veggies with a good protein at the Chopstix, which serves food similar to Panda Express. Have I mentioned all of the food at Sox Flags is usually around $ 12 – 13 per entrée?
I have gone there a total of 10 or so times in the past 2 months and I’d probably go more frequently if they didn’t only open Friday-​Sunday during the off season.
As far as the zoo and marine park side of the park are concerned, my daughter loooooves the animal shows and being able to see live animals like at a zoo while STILL getting to go on rides. Also, there is a giant playground for kids there. We hardly go to the Oakland Zoo anymore and might not even be renewing our annual pass next year because… WHY should we? Their crappy little train costs extra money per person and doesn’t even go for very long. At Six Flags, my daughter can have a somewhat educational experience AND ride that hopping frog ride 12x in a row without costing me any extra money for tickets! Okay, just kidding. I’ll probably renew my annual pass for the sake of supporting their conservation efforts.
Also, the Discovery Kingdom offers dolphin encounters where you get to swim with dolphins for waaaaay cheaper than other places. Last time I checked, they had a promo for $ 99. You have to be 6 and be able to swim.
Seriously, I am SO GLAD the Discovery Kingdom is now only 30−40mins away. If it were open on weekdays, we’d proooobably be there 3 times a week.
Some CONS:
— A lot of the employees there don’t know where most things are and will refer to a map when asked for directions.
— There are set hours for lunch, dinner, and snack but it’s never bothered me.
— The food isn’t super healthy. There’s only one place that sells fruits and they’re not included in the dining plan…
— You can’t bring outside food, but they usually don’t say anything when they see toddler food/​snacks.
— There is one smoking section that is located in a high traffic area. You almost HAVE to pass that path to get to the butterflies.

My daughter is tall enough to ride Boomerang. Yay for me (not really)! As I get older, I’m finding out I get really dizzy when I go on these rollercoasters. My husband and I parent swap so our daughter now gets to go twice and we both take one for the team. Our daughter is 6 years old.
I was also happy to see that if you have the Meal Pass they offer more selections and more snacks to choose from.
For the Snacks from what I can remember they now offer churros, Good Humor Ice cream, pretzel… as well as the funnel cake, soft serve ice cream, popcorn (there are more choices but I can’t remember what else they offer).
As for the lunch and dinner you can now get Chinese food. Its not the best ever but its not bad. They still offer the hamburger, pizza, nachos as well as some other selections.

We went on Christmas eve. Contrary to what we thought, this turned out to be the perfect time to come. Everything was decorated, there was a special holiday show schedule, but, best of all, there were no lines! I guess families have better things to do on Christmas eve. Worked for us. We walked on to every ride we chose, there was ample room for all the shows, and there wasn’t any traffic around the park. The downside was that some of the park was closed, due to the season.
The rides are good. Not suited for a real coaster enthusiast, but for the average Joe or Joette, they’re fun. The best is Medusa, and the one in the picture is Superman (not to be confused with the one in LA), which was also pretty sweet.
We went to a few shows, one with the tigers, one with the dolphins. Insider tip, if you see the dolphins, don’t sit up front unless you wanna get drenched! Overall it was fun.
Food is overpriced, yes, but that’s expected so I won’t ding them for that.
So, while it’s not the best six flags I’ve been to, it’s still a fun time, especially on Christmas Eve.

Back when this spot was known simply as «Marine World» by its patrons (and it is still known by that name by some), there really weren’t that many rides and its main attraction were the animals. Nowadays, we are all about our thrill rides, and we are constantly asking for rides that will knock our socks off. Well, Six Flags definitely has those.
Unless you’re getting dropped off, you will have to park all… the…way…in the designated parking lot which feels like it’s a mile away. You can buy your parking pass right there, or if you bought the season pass, you’ll be able to use that for parking. Of course, you can always wait for a tram, but if you don’t want to, you will be treated to a very narrow walkway that’s supposed to serve both incoming and outgoing foot traffic. So watch out if you’re behind a family with a stroller or some slow folks.
After you brave that commute, you get to the gates, where you can purchase your tickets or use your season pass to get in. Depending on the day, you can actually breeze through or you’ll have to wait while someone holds up the line for whatever reason.
The rides themselves aren’t that bad, though on our latest trip there, the first ride the rest of our group wanted to ride, the Superman, got stuck while they were the next to ride. I got to be the one watching the kids that day, so we waited in the souvenir shop. So just beware of the delays, which seem to be plentiful when there’s lots of people at the park.
Food here at Six Flags is exorbitantly expensive, so you should take advantage of those food deals they have there. Don’t remember the prices but they do have a special where if you shell out a set amount, you can eat all you want for that season. Same goes with the drinks. If you want to save a lot, you’ll want to buy the special souvenir cups. They’re also particular to that current season, so if you an older cup, sorry it won’t work so you’ll have to buy the correct one (shell out money again).
Just like with any other theme park, you will be doing a lot of waiting and walking. Make sure you have some comfortable clothing on and possibly a change of clothes in case you decide to do a water ride. Outside food is banned, I guess unless you can prove a medical need for it. Buy the season pass if you plan to keep coming back. I’m not sure which one we have but my wife says it’s the one where they’ll keep deducting from your bank account until you say you don’t want to renew.

What are you willing wanting or trying to Discover at Kingdom?
The possibilities are great for everyone as this park offers such a variety of things to do it makes for a unique experience that is one of a kind!
This was my first time coming to Kingdom and basically I expected a Six Flags park and what we found was a lot better than I expected.
They have some really fun coasters and are currently working on a hybrid coaster that will fit the park well as all the coasters here are kinda unique in the way that there aren’t very many of these styles that they have at other parks.
They have a variety of animals and sea life in the park the animals were pretty far away from the distractions in the park so that was definitely a plus for them.
The giraffe, lion, and tiger were pretty close together on the opposite side of the park away from the rides and most of the noise so I found that to be a good thing for them even though they were passed out when we came by.
The park itself is very clean I had a hard time finding any type of trash or anything anywhere even the restrooms were pretty clean for a park which was a surprise as they aren’t really at some of them.
This really is an awesome park as the animals and shows are spread out through the park so no matter where you look your sure to see something cool!
The best way to visit any Six Flags park is to buy a season pass as they are pretty much the same price as a regularly priced admission plus you get to come back as many times as you want to the park or to all the Six Flags parks if you choose to get a gold pass as it’s well worth it because it includes free parking!
We really enjoyed our time here and had a great time Discovering Kingdom and all the awesomeness that it provided every step of the way I know it won’t be super long before we venture back here from So Cali as I can hear The Joker already calling my name!

I’m updating my review since my last in 2014. This will not be a long review as I’m just speaking on my experience from 2015 going into 2016.
I renewed my season pass even though I vowed no too. However, Six Flags have made major changes and the season dining pass and season pass that made me give them another chance.
First off like like the fact if you get your season pass in November for the following year it under $ 50 and the season dining pass is still $ 80 however, you get more food options and and you get a snack in between which they started in the middle of the 2015 season. The 2016 season if you buy the season dining pass with a gold season pass you get the sports bottle free with free refills all season long until Jan 2017. Keep in mind the sports bottle alone is now $ 23 vs 15.99 in the past seasons.
I’m really bummed they got rid of Roar after 16 yrs but luckily Joey and I were one of the last people to take the final ride on it’s last day.
The daredevil OMG! That is some scary Sh** I only rode that sucker once and never again. Here is why depending on the person operating the ride they will keep you hanging upside down anywhere from 10s-​30s and I don’t like being upside down that long not to mention it’s pretty fast. I have never cried on a ride before but this one had me crying and shaking. Don’t tell nobody :/​
Overall I still have a great time and it something to do with the kid. So as long as she’s happy I’m happy too.

My review is based on the fact that I do have the membership and that green drink for this year. That you can unlimited drinks. We got our membership during the summer so we didn’t have to deal with those crazy lines during Fright Fest .
We wanted to go to fright fest a lot and we did. Just to go see the zombies walk around. If you have a child get that no-​boo stick to scare away the monsters that act like you just brought a cross to a vampire. Pretty cool
Now its winter and they have the Christmas stuff out. And that was also fun. Be sure to bring gloves because you can ride the sled ride and also throw some snow around. They have hot chocolate thats refillable for the day.
If you decide to eat a lot there maybe the dining pass would be worth it. It’s lunch, snack, and dinner for a fixed price. Pays for itself after 3 trips.
Plus Stars:
Membership is pretty cheap $ 6 dollar a month per person.
Unlimited Drinks with that Cup.
Lots of kid rides. Good for the Tweens in your life.
Animal shows are still pretty fun. Great if you love dolphins.
God these Halloween and Xmas things to look forward to.
Butterflies are cool too.
Warnings: Try to look if there is something happening. The craziest I’ve seen is when the Key Club people are there. It was packed. Halloween was also packed. But it went from 12 – 12. Just be careful if you get membership then. They are inefficient at that point.