orange county Archives - SoCal with Kids

Slide, Float, and Play at Knott’s Soak City OC Water Park!

May 22, 2013 By socalwithkids Leave a Comment

Knott’s Soak City OC is a Water Park located in the Buena Park area of Orange County, California. Knott’s invited us to visit Soak City OC as part of a media day to experience it first hand. We recently took our first trip there and had a splash-tastic time! We’re excited to share our experience with you, and give you some insider tips to help you plan your own visit.

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Knott’s Soak City OC!

Soak City OC is spacious, and has fun attractions for all ages. The Park consists of many water slides, a relaxing lazy river, huge tidal wave area, fun water play area for the littles, and more. It’s a great place to cool off on a hot day!

When we visited Soak City OC we had our 9 month old baby with us. We spent most of our time lazily floating down Sunset River. I put an infant life jacket on him, and held him while I was in the tube. He loved it so much that he fell asleep in my arms not once, but twice throughout the day! (He was born a water baby in a birthing tub & has loved water since birth!)

We also played in Gremmie Lagoon, spent a good amount of time walking around checking out everything, and relaxing in the cabana. Our 8 year old daughter loved taking a tube into Tidal Wave Bay. She probably spent over an hour in it!
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Filed Under: Knott's Soak City OC Tagged With: buena park, family, knotts, knotts berry farm, orange county, soak city oc, socal, water park

Cool Off This Summer At Knott’s Soak City OC!

May 9, 2013 By socalwithkids

There’s lots of things to do in southern california with kids! One thing we’re most looking forward to this summer is checking out Knott’s Soak City OC! Surprisingly, we have yet to visit this Water Park, but have been invited to visit it as part of a media event on opening weekend 2013. We can’t wait!

Knott’s Soak City OC Water Slides and Splashable Attractions

Knott’s Soak City OC Water Park has something for everyone! Since we’ll be visiting with our baby, we look forward to splashing and playing at Gremmie Lagoon, a play area for kids 54″ and below. I know our 8 year old daughter is looking forward to floating down Sunset River, a 1/3 mile long lazy river! Some of the other features of the 13 acre Water Park are as follows:
• Banzai Falls
• Laguna Storm Water Tower
• Malibu Run
• Old Man Falls
• Pacific Spin
• Tidal Wave Bay
• Toyota Beach House
• Toyota Beach House Slides

As mentioned above, this will be our first visit to Knott’s Soak City OC. We look forward to sharing pics from our visit, as well as insider tips in a separate post once we experience it ourselves. Visit this LINK for further details about the attractions within Knott’s Soak City OC.

2013 Season Pass Offer

Knott’s Soak City OC is offering a 2013 Season Pass Special Offer which includes members only benefits and unlimited visits throughout the season. One such benefit is that Season Passholders may bring a friend between June 3-6th, 2013 for just $25 for the day! Passes start as low as just six payments of $9.49 for a Junior/Senior Pass, but this Special Offer is only valid until May 27th, 2013. Season Pass details can be found HERE.

Knott’s Soak City OC is adjacent to Knott’s Berry Farm Theme Park, located in the Buena Park area of Orange County. Opening day is May 18th, 2013. Perhaps we’ll see you there!

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We will be provided with tickets to experience Knott’s Soak City OC as part of a media event. We believe many of our readers would be interested in learning more about the Water Park, and we look forward to sharing our experience with them. Our opinions are our own. GigaSavvy contributed to this post.

Filed Under: Knott's Soak City OC Tagged With: family, fun, knott's soak city, oc, orange county, water park

Springtastic Fun At Knott’s Berry Bloom March 23-April 7th!

March 30, 2013 By socalwithkids

Our family was recently invited to experience the first ever Springtime celebration at Knott’s Berry Farm, Knott’s Berry Bloom! The first thing we noticed when we entered the Park were the beautiful Springtime decorations. Lots of cut-out giant-sized butterflies and flowers, live flowers, and fun photo opportunities.

Upon entry, the kids received a paper to take around the Park to search for the Easter Beagle. Each time they found one, an employee marked it off their paper with a special paper punch. It was a fun scavenger-type hunt, and a great way to explore the Park. Upon finfishing the hunt, the kids took their finished paper to the Redemption Center at Easter Beagle Egg Garden, located in Camp Snoopy.

We also loved the chalk art we saw adorning the walkway. We saw the woman coloring with the chalk, and were amazed at how the art seemed to pop out in a 3 dimensional manner. Beautiful!

After a full day of exploring the Park, we decided to check out the Towering Topiary Tasting Garden, a special wine and food pairing event they were having at the Wilderness Dance Hall. They had a large assortment of wine, but since I’m still nursing the baby I opted to join the kids in sampling the different selection of nonalcoholic lemonade. My favorite was the strawberry, which I found out is sold year-round in the same location as the churros. Hubby tried a few different beer samples, and we each tried some of the delicious food pairings. This is a special event they’re having right now during Berry Bloom. The cost is $15 for 6 samples of your choice. If you go, be sure to take a look at the beautiful centerpieces made of fruit. Gorgeous!

Once we left the Wilderness Dance Hall, the kids asked if they could have a pastel drawing made of their profiles. It sounded fun, and we agreed since we had never done anything like it prior, and it was reasonably priced at $10 per person. The artist did a great job, and now we have a really cool keepsake!

Prior to leaving the Park, we decided to indulge in an ice cream cookie sandwich. It was two giant chocolate chip cookies with soft serve vanilla ice cream between the two, then rolled in mini chocolate chips. It was HUGE, and we each loved every bite of it. It too was reasonably priced at under $6.

All and all we had a Springtastic day! Berry Bloom is happening now through April 7th, 2013. Click HERE For more information on the event. Perhaps we’ll see you there!

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We were received complimentary media tickets to experience Knott’s Berry Bloom. The event was one which we believe our readers would enjoy, and our opinions are our own. Many thanks to Knott’s for inviting us for the day!

Filed Under: Knott's Berry Bloom Tagged With: berry bloom, family, fun, kids, knotts berry farm, orange county, springtime

Springtime Fun At Knott’s Berry Bloom March 23rd – April 7th!

February 20, 2013 By socalwithkids

We love visiting theme parks in Southern California, and are excited that for the first time ever, Knott’s Berry Farm is welcoming Spring with a new Park-wide celebration! Knott’s Berry Bloom is coming to Knott’s from March 23rd-April 7th, and includes something for the entire family, including live entertainment, interactive games, and with food and wine as well. From Ghost Town to the Boardwalk the Park will be alive with new activities and décor creating a fun and festive experience sure to cure Spring fever!

Search for the Easter Beagle
The Search for the Easter Beagle will have kids (3-11) scurrying across the park to find images of the famous beagle.

Join the Peanut’s Party in the Park
Warmer weather means enjoying the great outdoors, which is just what the Peanuts characters are doing in “Peanut’s Party in the Park,” a new interactive live show located in Charleston Circle. This musical revue includes some of today’s top ten
tunes that will have the whole family singing along.

Game-On at Knott’s Boardwalk
Looking for a little friendly competition? Then head over to Knott’s Boardwalk area for the big game, the Big Boardwalk Board Games that is. It’s family game night to the extreme as everyone becomes oversized game pieces in some of their favorite board games. From dominoes to tick-tack-toe, it’s game-on!

Lucy’s Really Big Show
For the younger set, “Lucy’s Really Big Show” in Camp Snoopy features Lucy Van Pelt in her very own show at the Camp Snoopy Theatre. The darling diva is joined by her brother, Linus and good friends, Charlie Brown and JT in a show that’s sure to delight kids of all ages.

Spring Fling Dance Party
For the teens, tweens and anyone who has rhythm, the nighttime Spring Fling Dance Party in Fiesta Village will provide an opportunity for everyone to take to the floor with some of their favorite dance music.

Knott’s Towering Topiary Gardens
For some refreshment, guests won’t want to miss a trip to Knott’s Towering Topiary Gardens located in Wilderness Dance Hall. Everyone will enjoy the display of sculpted greenery while the adults can enjoy a tasting garden featuring wines from around the world, craft beers and farm fresh food offerings (additional fees may apply).

Get Artsy at the 3-D Art Show
For all those who get into art, Knott’s invites you to do so, literally. The Grande 3-D Art Show at the Silver Bullet Midway, guests can step into life-size drawings of some of nature’s most beautiful Spring scenery for priceless photo opportunities. The park will also be filled with giant interactive displays that scream “Spring”!

All of the exciting Knott’s Spring Fling activities are included with admission to Knott’s Berry Farm, which also offers a full day of thrilling coasters and family fun rides. Knott’s will have extended hours, from 10am-10pm during Spring Fling, for families to take advantage of all the entertainment offerings. We’re super excited to check it out.

For information about the day you plan to visit and available discounts, call (714) 220-5200, visit www.knotts.com, or download the Knott’s Berry Farm mobile app for your smartphone. Perhaps we’ll see you there!

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Discloure: GigaSavvy contributed info regarding the event for this post. We believe many of our readers would enjoy Spring Fling with their families. Our opinions about the Park are our own. We will be provided media entry to experience the event ourselves.

Filed Under: Knott's Berry Bloom Tagged With: amusement park, family, kids, knott's, orange county, socal, spring fling

Knotts Merry Farm Sparkles During the Holiday Season!

December 12, 2012 By socalwithkids

During the holiday season Knott’s Berry Farm is transformed into Knott’s Merry Farm with beautiful holiday decor, delicious treats, special seasonal shows, and and much more! We went to Knott’s to check it out ourselves, and had a great time! Some of the fun of Merry Farm includes is as follows:

“It’s Christmas, Snoopy” Ice Show
This ice skating show is spectacular! The kids, my husband, and I were all impressed by the performance. The skaters were incredible, and just as good as those you’d see in a professional ice skating performance at a large ice arena. We highly recommend you see it! The show is running December 1-2, 8-9, 15-18, 20-24, 26-31, and January 1, 3-6, 2013.

“A Peanuts Holiday Parade”
The Peanuts Holiday Parade includes seven themed floats featuring the Peanuts Gang. We missed the parade during our visit, but plan to see it on our next visit, later this month. I’m a huge Peanuts fan!

Knott’s Christmas Craft Village
Here you”ll find strolling carolers, dozens of artisans selling unique treasures, and beautiful Victorian decor. The kids loved some of the wooden toys, knitted hats, and other potential holiday gifts we saw in this area. The Christmas Craft Village is where we saw Santa, who’s available for pictures daily (additional fee), until December 24th.

Bird Cage Theatre Productions
If you enjoy live theatre, or want to introduce your kids to it, head over to the Bird Cage Theatre to see a live performance of Charges Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, or O’Henry’s “A Gift of Magi”. We enjoyed “A Gift of Magi”, which ran approximately 25 minutes.

Elf Mountain
Get a peek at Santa’s Elves getting ready for the big day when you go on Timber Mountain Log Ride!

Snoopy’s Magical Nights of Lights
Be sure to walk through Camp Snoopy after dark to experience hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights set to a festive holiday soundtrack. We spent a few hours here, and loved it!

Winter Wonderland
Catch Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, and JT perform on a wintery wonderland stage at Camp Snoopy!

Calico Christmas Tree Lighting
The Peanuts gang deck the halls in a fun-filled musical show as part of the nightly Christmas Tree Lighting. If you miss the show, be sure to check out the beautiful 45′ tree once it’s lit. It’s beautiful!

While we were at Knott’s we sampled a few of the stuffed churros, Canadian Maple Syrup Lollipops, decorated gingerbread cookies, and ate a delicious meal at Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant. The churros were absolutely delicious, the lollipops (which are a holiday treat there for Merry Farm), the kids gobbled up their gingerbread, and our meals at the restaurant were all delicious! My personal favorite were the biscuits from Mrs. Knott’s restaurant. Melt in your mouth delicious!

We also enjoyed going on many rides, strolling through the shops decorated in beautiful holiday decor, seeing Snoopy Santa in the park, and all that makes Knott’s so much fun. Merry Farm is happening now through January 6th, 2013.

Right now, through January 13th, 2013, Knott’s 2013 Season Passes are just $66.99, with NO blackout dates, and include one visit in 2012! This is an awesome deal, and could make great holiday gifts. You can find more info about Merry Farm HERE, and more about the Season Passes HERE. Perhaps we’ll see you there!

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Disclosure: We were invited to attend a Media Day at Knott’s to experience Merry Farm. We were not asked to write a formal review, but we had a wonderful time, and wanted to share info about it with our readers, as we believe many would also enjoy Merry Farm with their families. Our opinions are our own. Many thanks to Knott’s, LaLa Castro, and Giga Savvy.

Filed Under: Knott's Berry Farm, Knott's Merry Farm Tagged With: buena park, christmas, family, festive, fun, holidays, kids, knotts merry farm, oc, orange county

Scooter’s Jungle ~ Fun Indoor Private Party & Pop-In Play Destination!

September 10, 2012 By socalwithkids

Scooter’s Jungle is a fun, safe, clean, and active tropical-themed indoor play setting offering worry-free kids birthday parties, open play, fundraisers, team events and children’s and family activities. The kids and I visited the Aliso Viejo location during one of their All Ages playtimes, and had a blast!

The kids ran, made friends, and played the entire two hours we were there. They enjoyed playing on the huge inflated slide, taking turns on the zip-line, and playing on the inflated obstacle course. They burned off tons of energy, and got lots of exercise.

While we were there, one of the nice employees showed me around the facility and explained about the parties they offer. She gave me a tour of the two large rooms they have with inflatables suitable for different ages. They have one area called the Junior Jungle Arena, which is best for ages 1-5, and the Ultimate Jungle Arena, which is geared toward ages 6+. Both areas have incredible activities for kids, as well as designated dining areas for party-goers.

Pop-in-playtime includes a 1 1/2 hour Toddler Play Time, 2 hour All Ages Play, and 3 hour Family Fun option. The Toddler Play happens weekly, All Ages is offered a handful of times each month, and the Family Fun Play can be enjoyed once a month. Contact Scooter’s Jungle for specific pop-in play dates & time, plus pop-in play and party pricing. Perhaps we’ll see you there!

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Disclaimer: We received complimentary admission to Scooter’s Jungle, so that we could share our experience with our readers. We were not compensated by any other means, and our opinions are our own.

Filed Under: Scooter's Jungle Tagged With: aliso viejo, fun, indoor play, kids, oc, orange county, scooters jungle, socal

Disney Junior Story Magic Celebrates Storytelling with Story Pirates!

July 21, 2012 By socalwithkids

Disney Junior Story Magic celebrates storytelling and kids’ creativity with Story Pirates in a live interactive sketch comedy performance at the Westminster Mall on Saturday, July 28 at 11am and 1pm at Macy’s Court.

Not familiar with the Story Pirates? They’re an entertaining group of teachers, comedians, and actors that conduct national tours, perform in schools, toddler classes, after-school programs, and more. Once our kids became familiar with them, they continually ask to go to their website to watch their videos.

The Story Pirates will weave ideas from kids in the audience at Westminster Mall into a fun, interactive story. Children in attendance will receive “Jake and the Never Land Pirates” bandanas. Perhaps we’ll see you there!

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Not a sponsored post. We were contacted by Disney Junior, but were not compensated by any means. We believe this is an event that would interest our readers, and were happy to share details regarding such.

Filed Under: Disney Junior Story Magic featuring Story Pirates Tagged With: disney junior story magic, orange county, performance, socal, story pirates

Winter Fantasy at the Sawdust Brings Joy To The Season!

December 3, 2011 By socalwithkids

One our favorite holiday events in the OC is Winter Fantasy at the Sawdust Art & Craft Festival. It’s a super fun, family-friendly event, held in the canyon area of Laguna Beach. The festival runs weekends, until December 9, 2012.

Here you’ll find Santa, ready for visits, a festive environment, and more. They have art projects for kids for a very small fee, classes, and free entertainment. Our kids love coming here!

The festival is held in a eucalyptus grove, and consists of many different artists, displaying (and making) art of many different mediums.
The setting is very unique, and the best way to describe it is that it is truly majestic. Each artist designs his/her own booth, and some are true art forms of their own. There’s a stream, a neat deck, and a very cool working water wheel. Be sure to bring your camera!

The Festival is working with Toys For Tots again this year, and is offering FREE admission on Sundays (11/18/12, 11/25/12, 12/2/12, & 12/9/12) when you bring a new, unwrapped toy for a child (newborn to age 17). One admission per toy donated per person per day. This is a great way to go to the Festival, and help a child who may otherwise not receive a gift for the holidays. Click HERE, and go to the Special Events tab for more info.

Aside from the great offered for sale, they also sell food and beverages onsite. Check out our images from Winter Fantasy below. It’s a fun place to get into the holiday spirit. Perhaps we’ll see you there!

Filed Under: Winter Fantasy at The Sawdust Tagged With: christmas, family, festive, fun, holidays, laguna beach, orange county, santa, sawdust art festival, winter fantasy

SoCal Holiday Lights Bring Sparkle To The Season!

November 29, 2011 By socalwithkids

One of our family’s favorite holiday traditions is to view holiday lights. Luckily, there are many incredible displays throughout Southern California! Below are some great links of areas with holiday light displays in San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, and the Inland Empire. If you know of a great place to view lights that are not listed within the links below, please comment, and share the sparkle! Perhaps we’ll see you at one of the displays!

San Diego
Nothing’s merrier than a Sparkling Christmas Light Display! Here’s San Diego Family’s annual list of the best and brightest light shows around San Diego County. Displays range from decorated, private homes and streets, to entire neighborhoods.

You’ll also find festive local events, holiday parades and unique Christmas traditions, such as the Oceanside Harbor Parade of Lights, San Diego Botanic Garden’s “Garden of Lights” and the big Christmas tree at Coronado’s historic Hotel Del. Click Map of Christmas Lights to plan your holiday adventure!

Orange County
Some of our favorite holiday light displays in the OC include those at Irvine Park Railroad, Irvine Spectrum, and of course, Disneyland! Here’s a LINK to a list of residential areas with light displays compiled by the Orange County Register.

Los Angeles
The Decorated Pines of St. Albans in the San Marino area of Los Angeles are some of our favorite lights to view in L.A. The Christmas tree and decorations at The Grove are also at the top of the list. Here’s a LINK to lights and displays in and around Los Angeles, put together by Santa Clarita Guide.

Inland Empire
I have yet to personally see any Christmas light displays in the Inland Empire myself, but I’ve heard over and over that Tom’s Farms, located in the Temescal Canyon, is a great place to go for their Festival of Lights, as well as The Mission Inn’s Festival of Lights, located in Riverside. Both look to be pretty incredible from the pictures online, and the SoCal Kids love Tom’s Farms, so it’s likely a great place to go for the holidays with kids.

Filed Under: SoCal Holiday Lights Tagged With: christmas displays, family, inland empire, kids, los angeles, orange county, san diego, socal holiday lights

Zoomars Petting Zoo in San Juan Capistrano ~ Great fun!

September 23, 2011 By socalwithkids

Zoomars Petting Zoo, located in beautiful San Juan Capistrano, in Orange County, is one of our family’s favorite destinations! They have a large, walk-in bunny & guinea pig petting area, goat and sheep petting area, pony rides, a little train for kids to ride, gem panning area, playground, corn box, hay bale maze, lots of other assorted animals including cows, chickens, mule zebras, and much more! Check out their website for further details. Perhaps we’ll see you there!