If theme parks could speak, they would tell beautiful stories of families bonding and making memories while enjoying themselves because no one goes to an amusement park to have a bad time. Nope, these places are designed to put smiles on your face and the faces of those you love enough to bring with you. But with so many options, how do you narrow down your choices?
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We got ya! We know that taking your entire family to a theme park can be quite an investment and that not all theme parks are designed to accommodate younger children. It stinks to pay big bucks to get everyone in only to find out that your kids are too small to enjoy much of anything, which is why we've compiled a list of theme parks that are great for families.
Some of these theme parks will be familiar to you and had to be included because there is no denying that they are awesome. Others may not be on your radar, but they totally should be. We hope that this inspires you to take your family on adventures where you can play together because as we all know families that play together stay together.
Visit Disney's Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida.
Address: 1180 Seven Seas Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Website: Magic Kingdom Park
Price: Varies by day and length of stay.
Disney's Magic Kingdom is perfect for families.
With so many Disney Park options available, Disney's Magic Kingdom is still a standout for families because it has so much to offer younger children while still keeping everyone else filled with glee. Fun rides and activities include Pirates of the Caribbean, Small World and Big Thunder Railway.
Visit Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California.
Address: 1313 Disneyland Dr., Anaheim, CA 92802
Website: Disney California Adventure
Price: $97 and up
Disney California Adventure delivers fun for all.
Again, Disney comes through for everyone in the family, even toddlers. Rides and attractions include Ariel's Undersea Adventures, Princess Dot Puddle Park and the Red Car Trolley. Adults have all kinds of delicious food and even adult beverages to choose from.
Visit Universal Studios in Hollywood, California.
Address: 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608
Website: Universal Studios Hollywood
Price: $99 and up
Universal Studios Hollywood is rated FF for family fun.
Family members will find many age-appropriate attractions. From Despicable Me Minion Mayhem to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to The Walking Dead attraction.
Visit Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
Address: 6000 Universal Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32819
Website: Universal Studios Florida
Price: $115 and up
Universal Studios Florida is where it's at for Harry Potter fans.
There are many reasons to visit Universal Studios in Florida, but really Diagon Alley is a HUGE draw. It's like walking into a Harry Potter book/movie.
Visit Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California.
Knott's Berry Farm has rides and berries.
There's a ghost town, great shows, rides for kids and the food is wonderful. Yes, there are berry products to die for, but the fried chicken is incredible too.
Visit Six Flags, nationwide.
Six Flags gives you options.
With so many locations across the country, Six Flags is determined to be a draw for families looking to have a good time.
Visit Legoland in Carlsbad, California.
Legoland is perfect for families with children ages 2 to 12.
Kids love Legos, so it stands to reason that they will love a land made out of Legos. Parents will love it because it is safe, kid-friendly and the shows are great.
Visit Bush Gardens in Florida or Virginia.
Address: 10165 McKinley Dr, Tampa, FL 33612 or 1 Busch Gardens Blvd, Williamsburg, VA 23185
Website: Busch Gardens
Price: $70 and up
Busch Gardens has rides and animals.
Both the parks in Tampa and Williamsburg have tons of family-friendly rides and attractions as well as animal attractions. The location in Tampa has over 300 species of animals.
Visit Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, California.
Address: 400 Beach St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Website: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Price: Admission is free, you pay for rides.
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is budget-friendly.
What makes this place so special is its flexibility. You don't have to pay to get in, you only pay for rides, attractions or food, which means family members who don't want to or can't get on rides don't have to spend a dime. It's right on the beach, so bring your bathing suit if it's hot.
Visit Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Hersheypark provides a deliciously intimate experience.
Think of this as a smaller more manageable park than some of the more sprawling options. There are plenty of rides that the whole family will enjoy and there's CANDY because as you know, Hershey makes candy.
Visit Sea World in San Diego, California.
Sea World San Diego has more than dolphins.
Dolphins are awesome and you will definitely find some at Sea World in San Diego, but you will also find so many other kinds of animals, rides and shows.
Visit Sea World in Orlando, Florida.
Sea World Orlando has flamingos and so much more.
Wave to the flamingos at Sea World Orlando and enjoy the large variety of sea creatures and fun rides the park has to offer as well.
Visit Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana.
Holiday World and Splashin' Safari, what more could you want?
Holiday World and Splashin' Safari is a two-for-one kind of place. You've got the theme park area that is divided into areas celebrating Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving and the Fouth of July. Then you've got a water park area. Admission gets you both.
Visit Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia.
Kings Dominion has family rides and the Eiffel Tower.
There are rides that cater to everyone and on a clear day you can see as far as 18 miles out from the deck of the Eiffel Tower in Kings Dominion, which is a third the size of the original one in Paris, France.
Visit Silverwood in Athol, Idaho.
Silverwood is big and big on fun.
With over 70 rides and attractions, Silverwood Theme Park is the largest theme park in the Pacific Northwest. Admission into Silverwood also gets you into the adjacent Boulder Beach Water Park.
Visit Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Carowinds is also in South Carolina.
Get this, Carowinds is in both North AND South Carolina because it's right on the state line. It's also incredibly family-friendly. They even offer height measurement stations right at the front of the park so you know ahead of time what rides your littles can and cannot ride.
Visit Knoebels in Elysburg, Pennsylvania.
Address: 391 Knoebels Blvd, Elysburg, PA 17824
Website: Knoebels
Price: Admission is free, ride passes start at $23.
Knoebels is the largest free-admission park in the country.
Aside from bragging rights for being the largest free-admission park in the U.S., Knoebels has so much to offer. There are rides, coasters, campgrounds, a pool and a golf course.
Visit Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pennsylvania.
Sesame Place is perfect for younger children.
Let's be honest, teenagers aren't really going to be chomping at the bit to go to Sesame Place, but small kids will absolutely love it.
Visit California's Great America in Santa Clara, California.
Address: 4701 Great America Pkwy, Santa Clara, CA 95054
Website: California's Great America
Price: $42 and up
California's Great America has a lot to offer.
Planet Snoopy at California's Great America is the perfect spot for smaller children with plenty of rides for them to choose from as well as meet and greets with their favorite Peanuts characters. Admission into the park also includes admission into Boomerang Bay waterpark.
Visit Nickelodeon Universe in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Nickelodeon Universe is inside of the Mall of America.
Usually, you think of malls and amusement parks as being separate, but Nickelodeon Universe is inside of the Mall of America. What's more, it still manages to take up seven acres of space. Young Nickelodeon fans will feel like they are stepping right into their favorite shows. Say hola to Dora while you are there.
