At California's Great America Again With My Fiancée's Postpone Club And Two Other Salinas Schools; Alisal HS. And Everett Alvarez HS. So Many Rides And Dood Stands..!! Gonna Get Our Ride On And Food On..!!!
Amanda M.
the winterfest at great america was very fun. There was alot of holiday music, the food at was great and the rides are fun. the carousel looked very nice. the only con is the carousel looked kind of messy but it was still fun. I dont like the celling holes of the carousel. espicaly if my horses pole points to the front of them at the end of the ride!
Kenny L.
I am posting this not to try to get anyone fired, but I really cannot ignore because of how they made my daughter feel. On 4/7/2024 around 5:15pm, an employee at Great America named Liz/Elizabeth who just took over the ride Liberty Twirler told my daughter she couldn't ride with her friend because my daughter didn't "meet" the height requirement. (Keep in mind, they have been riding on Liberty Twirler numerous times before Liz took over, and the previous employee said my daughter and her friend clearly met the height requirement to ride on their own. Please also refer to the pictures below. It clearly showed that my daughter was over the height requirement.) My daughter was very upset because she told me that Liz was very rude to her, and she embarrassed my daughter in front of her friends. As a parent of two daughters, and also having my daughters' friends parents on site, the perception we had was Great America does not welcome Asian Americans to the park. (Even my daughters' friends parents measured my daughters' height with Liz, and everyone said she met the height requirement and she doesn't need to ride with an adult.) Why the previous employee and the other employee at Great America said my daughter met the height requirement whereas Liz said my daughter did not? I thought about letting this go, but seeing how my daughter feels, I have to do something about it. Therefore, I decided to post this on Yelp. I know I will get different opinions and point of view, but I stand by what I did because I am speaking up for my daughter. I want to let her know that it's not ok to be treated unfairly because we are Asian American when we clearly met the standards they asked for. This is not the right way to do business. DO THE RIGHT THING.
Jan A.
Went 2 days ago on a Wed with my 2 grandsons. I am assuming since it was before Memorial Day, they don't have the full staffing, but disappointed at a lot of the rides that were not even open that the kids wanted to visit. The ones that were, lines did not seem that long, but took forever because they would have one operator that put everyone on each seat and ran the ride and took everyone off each seat one at a time. And they were definitely in no hurry Most of the food booths were closed. Had to go to Sierra lodge and get hamburger and pizza - $75 for the three of us for lunch. Later I wanted to get them ice cream and there is no where to get ice cream, icees, treats of any kind. The only booth open was the churros and the line was at least 45 minutes to get through but less than 30 people, Because they had one guy cooking, and he kept running out and the next person would have to wait for him to fully cook another churro and get it ready. It was ridiculous. And that was $45 for three churros and three drinks I would advise until waiting until summer when more things will be open and better staffed
Swati R.
I'm a Bay Area local and wanted to like this park but our experience was .. underwhelming. No, worse, it was almost an ordeal. The water park is closed, lines for even mediocre rides were too long, and the food is pretty bad and overpriced to boot. Many rides were closed, which probably drove the long lines for the rides that were open. There aren't really a lot of maps around, and no good signage so it's easy to keep wandering around without ever finding what you're looking for. I had to try to make the best of it for my kids' sake so I feigned cheerfulness, having already decided that I'd be taking them to Legoland later in the year. Such a bust.
Nate P.
I went with my friends, and it was a total blast. The rides were really fun. I do have a complaint, I took only cash with me because I don't have a card. Guess what, they didn't accept cash, and I didn't get what I wanted to buy. Overall a great experience 8/10
Generous Y.
Can be fun but lots of issues really add up. It's nice that Great America is an amusement park with rides, arcade games including claw machines, carnival games, and a water park. But the amount of problems present can really ruin an experience. Buying the fast pass is extremely worth it if you're a roller coaster fanatic. Your time is worth more than waiting in 90 minute lines for a 3 minute experience. If you have a big group though, it's not as bad because there's lots of conversation and then the roller coaster isn't the main purpose of your visit. So gauge your priorities. However, the fact that you pay an entry fee and then have to pay separately for arcade games or carnival games is quite annoying. I mean it doesn't have to come with, but there should be some discount or way to add it onto the entry fee because it is part of the park. You can buy rides and dining together which are part of the park, obviously, but the others are still very present in the park. Also lots of rides just aren't operating. Website claims that "the food and drinks at California's Great America will satisfy all tastes" because they have classics and "Bay Area favorites like boba tea and sushi rolls" but pretty sure that's a bait. The latter (boba and sushi) aren't open or available. Though I will say food is actually not bad. The Premium All Day Dining is valuable and I highly recommend it. Roughly three visits will make back the money as some entrees and sides can be close to $20. Though the variance between places is weird, like Panda Express only offers a bowl which is a rough $10 value versus a $16 entree at other places. Also the drink system doesn't include Icees and even though it says Coca Cola products, Fairlife that they display isn't included either. So a tad misleading. On the gondola ride, the Eagle's Flight, we were paused at the top for 20 minutes and later it was explained that some of the employees just left in the middle? I noticed everyone else had a smooth ride and was confused why we were stuck, almost worrying that the ride broke. After we got off we got an apology and note that "some of us," referring to employees, just left. Whitewater Falls is a fun experience because you get wet and suffer together and the ride itself isn't as frightening as others. Highly recommend doing it early on so that you have tons of time to dry off from the heat. We opted to do it at the end on a whim and well, we spent extra time at the carnival games in order to dry. Some carnival games accept the Great America game card whereas others do not so it's a poor experience that you have to either be selective with your choices or rely on a regular credit card. The latter is fine, but don't even give us the option of getting a game card if it's not compatible. The purpose of getting a game card is for the extra credits when you buy large amounts but if they're not usable, it's worthless.
Rome D.
2024 Opening Day, 70% of the rides and 80% of the food locations are closed. The water park is completely closed so that's not even an option. This is the worse experience I've ever had at a theme park. I'd strongly recommend saving your money and doing something else. Not worth the time or money.
Isaac G.
Love love love Great America. Not what it used to be but there is still a lot of fun to be had. I've been coming here since the 90's. Railblazer, Gold Striker, Flight Deck and Drop tower are amazing rides. Go have fun before it's gone.
Chris W.
So much better than what your opinion probably is if you haven't been in years. - Their holiday theming is incredibly well done for that kind of park, we've really enjoyed the summer and winter themes along with a Mardi Gras type thing. They actually go pretty big and decorate almost everything that holds still. - The water park is meh. Probably best left to young'uns. - The staff is pretty friendly, mostly teens / young adults. - You'll either like the rides or you won't, research that before you go obviously but whew, Top Gun still deals. - If you live nearby I heavily recommend the season pass. Pays for itself after a couple of visits and if it's particularly crowded you aren't worried about just riding a couple things then splitting. - Food is meh and pretty expensive but that shouldn't be a surprise. - Booze. Booze makes any theme park more fun but you should probably have a couple before you arrive (safely) to take the edge off how insanely expensive it is. Makes beer at Oracle Park look like a bargain. Digest that. Enjoy it while you can folks, it probably won't be here for many more years with the land having been sold and Cedar Faires being acquired by Six Flags.
I had a great time here. Spent the extra money getting fast passes which was definitely worth it because we were able to skip the long lines and ride multiple rides over and over again. The food www NOT worth it and honestly was worse than my old high school cafeteria. Make sure to eat before you get here and bring your own water bottles !
Amt L.
This amusement park is awesome. If you are looking for a thrill rollercoaster flight deck, and gold striker are a must do. If you want a good old classic wooden roller coaster grizzlie is a must do. If you want to get dizzy delirium, and fly eagle are a must do. If you want a ride that is calm but has a great view the gondola, or star tower is a must do. But if you come here make sure to get a funnel cake.
Christine V.
Bought tickets online for 4 to visit Great America on Wednesday 12/27/23. We drove all the way to the park and when we reached the entrance at 7:30 pm saw signs that said "Park Closed". Other guests who arrived had to turn around in their cars too. We called the main number Great America and the recording stated that "due to expected inclement weather" the park would be closed on 12/27. The recording stated that tickets would be honored until 12/31/23. There was no notice given ahead of time on 12/27 of the closure. No email, no phone call, nothing. I can only imagine all the hundreds of guests who didn't know about the closure who were disappointedly turned away. It wasn't even raining when we arrived at the park! No drizzle even! The fact that Great America would only honor tickets through 12/31/23 which is only 4 days from 12/27 is completely unreasonable and not practical for scheduling with busy families. They should allow a grace period of at least 6 months or more to honor the tickets! Otherwise I am out $164 for nothing. I tried all day on 12/28 to call customer service during operating hours to ask for a refund and the line would just ring and ring. Not even a recording to leave a message. I tried calling again on 12/29 to talk with someone for a refund and still no answer, just incessant ringing to an absent "customer service" line. No one ever picks up! I ended up having to file a merchant dispute with my credit card company to get my money back. Great America, you need to work on your customer service and sending notice of closures to guests who have pre purchased tickets online.
K H.
I think this year, they really have done a great show of customer service, available cast members, cleanliness, musical shows and concerts, and efficient ride/ crowd control movement. I especially think this is a golden year, comparative to Disney- which I now think, they may actually do it better here. I don't know their political beliefs and I like it that way! Its about fun, safety and families. Its beautifully decorated, I see lots of age and abilities working but with active engagement and a helpful spirit. They are doing it right. I have been spending my moneys on trips here instead of Anaheim for the kids and their friends and our families, for the last couple of years the level of experience is more professionally handled here. I just want to thank you for the good management, logistics and everyday lay persons who make the trip here worth it. Food is expensive but they have decent choices and they have a Starbucks. We come often. They decorations are a sight to see btw, it feels like a movie set of a Hallmark Christmas movie, like Park Estes or Aspen like. Its great.
Annette H.
One word: disappointed. We came to the park expecting at LEAST 90% of the rides to open to the public. But, reality struck when we realized that the majority of the rides were broken or closed, especially our favorite ones. Trailblazer, The Demon, Droptower, Tiki Twist, Grizzly Bear... (some of the most popular rides) The park was closed yesterday and will be closed tomorrow, meaning all the people who wanted to visit yesterday, today, or tomorrow, came today. The combination of the severe influx of people coupled with the severe decrease in available rides led to increased wait times. With our given circumstances, the park should have prepared diligently or at least sent a message notifying visitors of their broken rides before purchasing the ticket. We got to the park and went straight to the grizzly ride where we had to wait in line for an hour until we were let in. When leaving, the line was so long that it reached all the way to the carnival games. Even the fast pass line was backed up. Due to the rides being broken it didn't matter if you even purchased a fast pass, because you couldn't go on any rides anywhere! Throughout our experience, rather than asking ourselves "what should we do first?" we had to ask, "is it worth it to wait the 2 hours for a ride that is going to break multiple times while we wait?" This led to us to think, are these rides even safe? How can a ride be broken one minute, and fixed entirely the next minute? Overall, the experience did not justify the high prices that it costs to enter the park. Please use discretion when planning your next visit and take our experience into account.
At California's Great America Again With My Fiancée's Postpone Club And Two Other Salinas Schools; Alisal HS. And Everett Alvarez HS. So Many Rides And Dood Stands..!! Gonna Get Our Ride On And Food On..!!!
the winterfest at great america was very fun. There was alot of holiday music, the food at was great and the rides are fun. the carousel looked very nice. the only con is the carousel looked kind of messy but it was still fun. I dont like the celling holes of the carousel. espicaly if my horses pole points to the front of them at the end of the ride!
I am posting this not to try to get anyone fired, but I really cannot ignore because of how they made my daughter feel. On 4/7/2024 around 5:15pm, an employee at Great America named Liz/Elizabeth who just took over the ride Liberty Twirler told my daughter she couldn't ride with her friend because my daughter didn't "meet" the height requirement. (Keep in mind, they have been riding on Liberty Twirler numerous times before Liz took over, and the previous employee said my daughter and her friend clearly met the height requirement to ride on their own. Please also refer to the pictures below. It clearly showed that my daughter was over the height requirement.) My daughter was very upset because she told me that Liz was very rude to her, and she embarrassed my daughter in front of her friends. As a parent of two daughters, and also having my daughters' friends parents on site, the perception we had was Great America does not welcome Asian Americans to the park. (Even my daughters' friends parents measured my daughters' height with Liz, and everyone said she met the height requirement and she doesn't need to ride with an adult.) Why the previous employee and the other employee at Great America said my daughter met the height requirement whereas Liz said my daughter did not? I thought about letting this go, but seeing how my daughter feels, I have to do something about it. Therefore, I decided to post this on Yelp. I know I will get different opinions and point of view, but I stand by what I did because I am speaking up for my daughter. I want to let her know that it's not ok to be treated unfairly because we are Asian American when we clearly met the standards they asked for. This is not the right way to do business. DO THE RIGHT THING.
Went 2 days ago on a Wed with my 2 grandsons. I am assuming since it was before Memorial Day, they don't have the full staffing, but disappointed at a lot of the rides that were not even open that the kids wanted to visit. The ones that were, lines did not seem that long, but took forever because they would have one operator that put everyone on each seat and ran the ride and took everyone off each seat one at a time. And they were definitely in no hurry Most of the food booths were closed. Had to go to Sierra lodge and get hamburger and pizza - $75 for the three of us for lunch. Later I wanted to get them ice cream and there is no where to get ice cream, icees, treats of any kind. The only booth open was the churros and the line was at least 45 minutes to get through but less than 30 people, Because they had one guy cooking, and he kept running out and the next person would have to wait for him to fully cook another churro and get it ready. It was ridiculous. And that was $45 for three churros and three drinks I would advise until waiting until summer when more things will be open and better staffed
I'm a Bay Area local and wanted to like this park but our experience was .. underwhelming. No, worse, it was almost an ordeal. The water park is closed, lines for even mediocre rides were too long, and the food is pretty bad and overpriced to boot. Many rides were closed, which probably drove the long lines for the rides that were open. There aren't really a lot of maps around, and no good signage so it's easy to keep wandering around without ever finding what you're looking for. I had to try to make the best of it for my kids' sake so I feigned cheerfulness, having already decided that I'd be taking them to Legoland later in the year. Such a bust.
I went with my friends, and it was a total blast. The rides were really fun. I do have a complaint, I took only cash with me because I don't have a card. Guess what, they didn't accept cash, and I didn't get what I wanted to buy. Overall a great experience 8/10
Can be fun but lots of issues really add up. It's nice that Great America is an amusement park with rides, arcade games including claw machines, carnival games, and a water park. But the amount of problems present can really ruin an experience. Buying the fast pass is extremely worth it if you're a roller coaster fanatic. Your time is worth more than waiting in 90 minute lines for a 3 minute experience. If you have a big group though, it's not as bad because there's lots of conversation and then the roller coaster isn't the main purpose of your visit. So gauge your priorities. However, the fact that you pay an entry fee and then have to pay separately for arcade games or carnival games is quite annoying. I mean it doesn't have to come with, but there should be some discount or way to add it onto the entry fee because it is part of the park. You can buy rides and dining together which are part of the park, obviously, but the others are still very present in the park. Also lots of rides just aren't operating. Website claims that "the food and drinks at California's Great America will satisfy all tastes" because they have classics and "Bay Area favorites like boba tea and sushi rolls" but pretty sure that's a bait. The latter (boba and sushi) aren't open or available. Though I will say food is actually not bad. The Premium All Day Dining is valuable and I highly recommend it. Roughly three visits will make back the money as some entrees and sides can be close to $20. Though the variance between places is weird, like Panda Express only offers a bowl which is a rough $10 value versus a $16 entree at other places. Also the drink system doesn't include Icees and even though it says Coca Cola products, Fairlife that they display isn't included either. So a tad misleading. On the gondola ride, the Eagle's Flight, we were paused at the top for 20 minutes and later it was explained that some of the employees just left in the middle? I noticed everyone else had a smooth ride and was confused why we were stuck, almost worrying that the ride broke. After we got off we got an apology and note that "some of us," referring to employees, just left. Whitewater Falls is a fun experience because you get wet and suffer together and the ride itself isn't as frightening as others. Highly recommend doing it early on so that you have tons of time to dry off from the heat. We opted to do it at the end on a whim and well, we spent extra time at the carnival games in order to dry. Some carnival games accept the Great America game card whereas others do not so it's a poor experience that you have to either be selective with your choices or rely on a regular credit card. The latter is fine, but don't even give us the option of getting a game card if it's not compatible. The purpose of getting a game card is for the extra credits when you buy large amounts but if they're not usable, it's worthless.
2024 Opening Day, 70% of the rides and 80% of the food locations are closed. The water park is completely closed so that's not even an option. This is the worse experience I've ever had at a theme park. I'd strongly recommend saving your money and doing something else. Not worth the time or money.
Love love love Great America. Not what it used to be but there is still a lot of fun to be had. I've been coming here since the 90's. Railblazer, Gold Striker, Flight Deck and Drop tower are amazing rides. Go have fun before it's gone.
So much better than what your opinion probably is if you haven't been in years. - Their holiday theming is incredibly well done for that kind of park, we've really enjoyed the summer and winter themes along with a Mardi Gras type thing. They actually go pretty big and decorate almost everything that holds still. - The water park is meh. Probably best left to young'uns. - The staff is pretty friendly, mostly teens / young adults. - You'll either like the rides or you won't, research that before you go obviously but whew, Top Gun still deals. - If you live nearby I heavily recommend the season pass. Pays for itself after a couple of visits and if it's particularly crowded you aren't worried about just riding a couple things then splitting. - Food is meh and pretty expensive but that shouldn't be a surprise. - Booze. Booze makes any theme park more fun but you should probably have a couple before you arrive (safely) to take the edge off how insanely expensive it is. Makes beer at Oracle Park look like a bargain. Digest that. Enjoy it while you can folks, it probably won't be here for many more years with the land having been sold and Cedar Faires being acquired by Six Flags.
Restaurantji Recommends
I had a great time here. Spent the extra money getting fast passes which was definitely worth it because we were able to skip the long lines and ride multiple rides over and over again. The food www NOT worth it and honestly was worse than my old high school cafeteria. Make sure to eat before you get here and bring your own water bottles !
This amusement park is awesome. If you are looking for a thrill rollercoaster flight deck, and gold striker are a must do. If you want a good old classic wooden roller coaster grizzlie is a must do. If you want to get dizzy delirium, and fly eagle are a must do. If you want a ride that is calm but has a great view the gondola, or star tower is a must do. But if you come here make sure to get a funnel cake.
Bought tickets online for 4 to visit Great America on Wednesday 12/27/23. We drove all the way to the park and when we reached the entrance at 7:30 pm saw signs that said "Park Closed". Other guests who arrived had to turn around in their cars too. We called the main number Great America and the recording stated that "due to expected inclement weather" the park would be closed on 12/27. The recording stated that tickets would be honored until 12/31/23. There was no notice given ahead of time on 12/27 of the closure. No email, no phone call, nothing. I can only imagine all the hundreds of guests who didn't know about the closure who were disappointedly turned away. It wasn't even raining when we arrived at the park! No drizzle even! The fact that Great America would only honor tickets through 12/31/23 which is only 4 days from 12/27 is completely unreasonable and not practical for scheduling with busy families. They should allow a grace period of at least 6 months or more to honor the tickets! Otherwise I am out $164 for nothing. I tried all day on 12/28 to call customer service during operating hours to ask for a refund and the line would just ring and ring. Not even a recording to leave a message. I tried calling again on 12/29 to talk with someone for a refund and still no answer, just incessant ringing to an absent "customer service" line. No one ever picks up! I ended up having to file a merchant dispute with my credit card company to get my money back. Great America, you need to work on your customer service and sending notice of closures to guests who have pre purchased tickets online.
I think this year, they really have done a great show of customer service, available cast members, cleanliness, musical shows and concerts, and efficient ride/ crowd control movement. I especially think this is a golden year, comparative to Disney- which I now think, they may actually do it better here. I don't know their political beliefs and I like it that way! Its about fun, safety and families. Its beautifully decorated, I see lots of age and abilities working but with active engagement and a helpful spirit. They are doing it right. I have been spending my moneys on trips here instead of Anaheim for the kids and their friends and our families, for the last couple of years the level of experience is more professionally handled here. I just want to thank you for the good management, logistics and everyday lay persons who make the trip here worth it. Food is expensive but they have decent choices and they have a Starbucks. We come often. They decorations are a sight to see btw, it feels like a movie set of a Hallmark Christmas movie, like Park Estes or Aspen like. Its great.
One word: disappointed. We came to the park expecting at LEAST 90% of the rides to open to the public. But, reality struck when we realized that the majority of the rides were broken or closed, especially our favorite ones. Trailblazer, The Demon, Droptower, Tiki Twist, Grizzly Bear... (some of the most popular rides) The park was closed yesterday and will be closed tomorrow, meaning all the people who wanted to visit yesterday, today, or tomorrow, came today. The combination of the severe influx of people coupled with the severe decrease in available rides led to increased wait times. With our given circumstances, the park should have prepared diligently or at least sent a message notifying visitors of their broken rides before purchasing the ticket. We got to the park and went straight to the grizzly ride where we had to wait in line for an hour until we were let in. When leaving, the line was so long that it reached all the way to the carnival games. Even the fast pass line was backed up. Due to the rides being broken it didn't matter if you even purchased a fast pass, because you couldn't go on any rides anywhere! Throughout our experience, rather than asking ourselves "what should we do first?" we had to ask, "is it worth it to wait the 2 hours for a ride that is going to break multiple times while we wait?" This led to us to think, are these rides even safe? How can a ride be broken one minute, and fixed entirely the next minute? Overall, the experience did not justify the high prices that it costs to enter the park. Please use discretion when planning your next visit and take our experience into account.