Spending my birthday at California's Great America

Hi everyone, I came back from spending my birthday visiting one of Northern California's two major amusement parks, California's Great America. I have actually never visited this park until this year, which is surprising since me and my dad love to ride roller coasters having visited Knotts Berry Farm in Southern California, Silver Dollar City in Missouri, Dollywood in Tennessee, Kennywood in Pennsylvania, Lagoon in Utah, and even Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California. But since the park is planning to close in 2033(1), 9 years from now, I felt like it was time for my family and I to visit the park. I decided to spend my 23rd birthday (the day before my 23rd birthday) evening at this park. And when we went, I was pleasantly surprised. 

The grounds at the park are beautiful and the front carousel is beautiful. And there are some fun roller coaster rides, even though when we started with the Grizzly and the Demon coasters, I felt like I would be right about my judgment of the park not having as good of roller coasters being correct. But I was pleasantly surprised when I rode their new ride Rail Blazer, and their classic Flight Deck (Top Gun coaster), and their new wooden roller coaster Gold Striker, that I was wrong. 

I was thinking about the land situation. It seems like it is in a better location being in Santa Clara near San Jose than where Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is at in Vallejo. Being in the Silicon Valley, tech central, which results in it being a money and power hub. And being near Levi's Stadium where the San Francisco 49ers play. Which is also why the location may not be as good as Six Flags Vallejo, because the park is closed on Sundays when the 49ers play at home because they share the same parking lot because of fears of overwhelming the road capacity and the resources of the community(2). 

Despite all this, many people haven't been to Great America in many years, even in the Bay Area. And Six Flags has become a popular choice for people in the Bay Area with more popular roller coasters and attractions being between the Bay Area and Sacramento. Which in Great America's heyday in the 80s and 90s was only Marine World which was originally in Redwood City and moved to Vallejo in 1986. When Premier Parks bought it in 1996 was when the major roller coasters were first installed at the park, which there are 10 of as of present(3), while Great America has 9 of them(4). And Six Flags operates the aquarium and zoo attractions that Great America does not have. 

Despite these things against Great America, Great America was still a fun and appealing park to visit and honestly didn't feel like a park in permanent decline as I initially thought. And the atmosphere at Great America is cleaner and more family friendly in my opinion than Six Flags with more pleasing shows and even their Halloween celebrations were more fun than I thought. I especially enjoy the Peanuts theme at the park with Snoopy and Charlie Brown like Knotts Berry Farm has. 

I really enjoyed visiting this park and I think it would be good place to visit and even take your family to visit. I think you would enjoy it!!

1. https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2022/06/27/cedar-fair-prologis-great-america.html

2. https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/great-america-closure-what-its-like-18471961.php

3. https://coasterpedia.net/wiki/Six_Flags_Discovery_Kingdom

4. https://coasterpedia.net/wiki/California%27s_Great_America