Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
4
About
Welcome to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Northern California’s largest, most exciting theme park! If your family is looking for things to do in the San Francisco Bay area, you’ve come to the right place. With over 45 rides and attractions, including soaring rollercoasters, animal attractions and enchanting children’s rides for families with young children, live entertainment, classic dining options, exciting & educational animal encounters, and special events like Fright Fest and Holiday in the Park, there’s always something new and exciting happening in the park!
Duration: More than 3 hours
Does not meet animal welfare
guidelines
Tripadvisor does not provide bookings for this experience because it does not meet our animal welfare guidelines.
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- Vipulkumar RSacramento, California12 contributionsIt all depends on when you goThis was just ok. Worth it if you get a pass and can go multiple times. We’ve done this and have had different experiences. Went in April initially and at that time we had a fun trip with the kids for the most part but a lot of rides were closed. Some opened late ( remember at this time of year park is only open 6-7 hrs) and some of the food kiosks didn’t have scanners to give you discount for pass. Went next in June. Near perfect weather and this time is considered in summer peak so open on a weekday. This is probably the best time to go with short lines. Next came in October to experience fright fest. Fright fest itself is a joke. I had considered taking some family members that wouldn’t be going on roller coasters but who I thought would enjoy the extra stuff from fright fest. I’m just glad I didn’t waste that money. Went on a Saturday and unfortunately a hot day. Some of the food areas that were indoor were poorly ventilated so it was better to be outside in 90 degree weather. Lines were 2-3 hrs for some of the rides. Food lines about 1 hr. Didn’t buy the haunted attractions pass as I’ve heard it’s mediocre and sometimes not all of the haunted houses even open. All in all, don’t waste your time going for fright fest, haunted houses or on a Saturday when everyone else is there. Disappointed too that October fest closed by about 7 on a Saturday. Ok for other general things: Parking is expansive at $40 and is about 15 min walk from the entrance. Food is typical of these kind of parks. Entrees decent size. Any kiosk with food is ridiculously expensive and might not have a scanner to give you the pass discount. You should definitely buy the season drink cup as it pays for itself if you go there more than once. There are water fountains throughout the park. We went with teens who absolutely love all the thrill rides here, but there is plenty for younger kids too. Lastly, there are animals to see. Remember this is not a real zoo, so only a few but a good walkthrough area.Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, even if your experience wasn’t great. Please send a note to vipsupport@sixflags.com with further details, so we can improve in the future.Written 15 October 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Travelled with familyWritten 7 October 2023
- GiantsFanLosAngelesWest Covina, California293 contributionsPleasant post- holiday experience.Go early, no waiting for rides. Activities with animals start around noon. Staff is friendly. The crowd arrives about mid-afternoon. Although we do not ride roller coasters, it appears that they do not open all of them at the same time when crowds are small. However, when they close one coaster, they open another one. Nice to be there with the winter Christmas/holiday theme.Thank you for the review. Have a wonderful day!Written 5 January 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited January 2024Travelled with familyWritten 4 January 2024
- Tenille CArcata, California27 contributionsTerrible. Half brokenWe just went to six flags discovery kingdom today. Boy, was it SAD! half, and I do HALF of the rides were down. The place needs a serious paint job. We could not find any characters. And I'm a big character fan. The $20 burger sucked! I have been here before, back in 2017, and this time around was terrible . The signs are peeling everywhere. Decorations were half hanging on.Hello Tenille, we are disappointed to hear of your recent experience. We strive to provide fun environment to all our Guests. We would love to hear more details of your experience. Please contact us at vipsupport@sixflags.com, so we’re able to better resolve your concerns.Written 7 July 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited July 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 6 July 2024
- Leigh H1 contributionGood day out for usWe had a very good experience, we don't feel that the bad reviewson here were justified. 3 of the big rides were closed but we knew that before we booked. The rides that were open were plenty enough, though a little disappointing as the closed ones looked good. Shortish queues, we were able to ride them all twice in the 6 hours we were there and they were brilliant. We went on a Monday. We brought empty water bottles which you can fill and a few snacks which aren't really allowed but it was fine. The only negative was with the animals, we didn't really feel as if their natural behaviors were being prioritised, every animal was being used as money making add ons, hence 4 starsThanks for taking the time to leave us a review. Very sorry your experience wasn’t what you’d hoped. Please send a note to vipsupport@sixflags.com, so we can better look into your concerns.Written 20 July 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited July 2024Travelled with familyWritten 12 July 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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1,897 reviews
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William Umiker
Elk Grove2 contributions
Dec 2019
Used to love this place, have been season pass holders for many seasons, and members for the last year and a half. Over the last year the quality of the park has gone downhill. We pay for the meal plan and each time we go the park more and more food locations are not open. The park is dirty. There is no one available for complaints. I have left several messages, send multiple emails with complaints without a single call back or acknowledgment. I have requested cancellation of my membership but they insist on 45 days' notice before they will refund the deposit thereby guaranteeing they get another billing cycle as well as to hold onto my deposit for another 45 days. I have requested to speak to a Supervisor multiple times but was refused and had my chat session cut off and phone calls hung upon. I have never been rude or raised my voice I simply repeated that I would not accept that there was no way around the policy that I have to have an active membership for another 45 days. I told them it was fine to bill my final billing now ($40 for my family and me) and then return the $80 deposit and end my membership now as I will never return to any Six Flags park.
Written 15 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there! We are disappointed to hear of your experience. We would like to learn more about your visit and makes things right. Please reach out to us at vipsupport@sixflags.com with your order information so we can further assist you.
Written 26 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lightning21
Walnut Creek, CA129 contributions
Jul 2021
We were disappointed in our trip to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. The source of our disappointment was threefold: slow entry to the park, lack of food options, and closed attractions.
Entry to both the parking lot and the park itself took a lot longer than needed. There were too few people taking entry tickets at the parking lot. To enter both the parking lot and the park itself, advance tickets needed to be purchased. These could be either printed or scanned from a phone. Unfortunately, the process for scanning from a phone took much longer than scanning from a printed tickets; and most people used their phone for entry.
Discovery Kingdom is a food desert. Most of the food vendors were closed. The few that were open had long lines and high prices. For a two adults and a child to eat fast food from the Johnny Rocket both cost $63 after a significant wait. A bottle of water costs $4.
Many of the rides and attractions are simply closed. Closed rides seemed to be the theme of the day.
The dolphin show was great as always, and we did enjoy several other rides and exhibits. However, in general we were greatly dissatisfied with the a good portion of the overall experience.
Entry to both the parking lot and the park itself took a lot longer than needed. There were too few people taking entry tickets at the parking lot. To enter both the parking lot and the park itself, advance tickets needed to be purchased. These could be either printed or scanned from a phone. Unfortunately, the process for scanning from a phone took much longer than scanning from a printed tickets; and most people used their phone for entry.
Discovery Kingdom is a food desert. Most of the food vendors were closed. The few that were open had long lines and high prices. For a two adults and a child to eat fast food from the Johnny Rocket both cost $63 after a significant wait. A bottle of water costs $4.
Many of the rides and attractions are simply closed. Closed rides seemed to be the theme of the day.
The dolphin show was great as always, and we did enjoy several other rides and exhibits. However, in general we were greatly dissatisfied with the a good portion of the overall experience.
Written 14 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, even if your experience wasn’t great. We’re sorry to hear we did not meet your expectations. Hope you’ll give us another chance in the future.
Written 25 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Charles W
1 contribution
Oct 2021
After having a membership for years and being charged for a park that was closed down decided to go to the park on 10/08/2021. In order for me to enter the park I had to had to have a reservationthat cost over 60.00 for fright fest even though I have a membership. I was told that I was upgraded to the platium level but that was not true either and the line for customer relations looked longer than the lines at the few working rides. There was a long line just to get into the park. All the rides that were working had very long lines and the food lines were also very long. After paying extra money for Fright Fest the lines were very long too, even if you had a fast pass. The extra money paid to access the haunted house were a joke as the quality was not there from previous years. I tried to get something to eat or drink which was a joke too. You had to wear a mask inside but it was ok outside crammed in hours long lines not to wear a mask.
Written 10 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, allow us to take a closer look at this for you. Please contact us at vipsupport@sixflags.com with your information so we're able to best assist you. Thank you.
Written 19 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
RICK B
1 contribution
Jul 2021
hire more qualified personnel too long of lines it took 2 hours to almost get on a ride because as soon as we got to the front of the line the ride broke. we were there all day and couldn't get on a ride because we had to stand in food line at big belly for 3 hours and cost $165.00 for 6 burgers and a couple chicken strips, took over 2 hours too get into park, all we did all day was walk around and stand in lines for nothing nobody got to go on a ride we will never come here again, half the rides were closed this was the worst experience we ever had at a theme park, they should close it down till they get there act together and stop ripping people off, the staff at the wonder woman ride including supervisor are all unqualified to be running this ride they are going to get someone hurt, especially the fat Mexican girl, totally unprofessional.
worst time ever
worst time ever
Written 18 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi RLPPAPA, we appreciate your feedback and would like to hear more from you regarding your experience. Please reach out to us at vipsupport@sixflags.com, so we can better assist you.
Written 26 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Shelby C
Sutter, CA8 contributions
Apr 2021 • Family
The first week the park opened since the pandemic, during Spring Break, would not seem to be a great time to go. But the fact that they supposedly had reduced the number of guests convinced us to give it a shot. Big Mistake. It seemed more crowded than any other time I’ve been there, and we go at least once a year. We waited 2 hours for Medusa, 1 1/2 hours for Kong....it was ridiculous. They were filling the rides not even half full (at one point we counted 7 riders on a roller coaster that held 32!), and as a previous reviewer mentioned, the fast pass people were constantly passing us by while our line was at a dead standstill. The worst part is that my locker time ran out (because we were stuck in a long line.). I was happy to pay the extra dollar overage fee, but my purse (with my debit card) was trapped inside the locker, and I couldn’t ransom my things without the card. They were not taking cash, although that was trapped inside my purse, too. An employee called the locker people 3 times. After 1 1/2 hours of waiting in the heat, with our water bottles also locked inside the lockers, she told us to go to guest services, as the locker people were no longer even answering their phone. The lady at guest services was nice. She gave us 2 meal vouchers and said she would send us free passes for another day, but we never received them. By the time we were able to retrieve our things, we had wasted over two hours. I informed the locker guy that we had been waiting 2 hours for him. He said, “Oh. I need to go help someone else first, and then I’ll be over.” In the 8 hours we were there, we were able to ride 6 rides. We will not be back anytime soon.
Written 9 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi ShelbyC149, thank you for your feedback! We are disappointed to hear your visit to our park was less than amazing. We are committed to providing a fun visit for all Guests and are saddened to hear of your experience. Please reach out to us at vipsupport@sixflags.com, so we can better resolve your concerns.
Written 26 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jay R
Sacramento, CA4 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
They seem to have been hit hard by COVID. Half of everything is closed which puts a huge strain on the rest of the park.
We arrived at about 10:15, but they did not have enough staff to open all lanes for parking or for security and bag scanning. It wasn't until 11 that we made it into the park and made a b-line straight to the DC area. None of the rides were open. It wasn't until around 11:30 that superman and batman opened (the park opens at 10:30). Wonderwoman and Medusa seemed to open shortly after that. Joker was not open until sometime after 1:00. It was almost as if they did not have enough technicians to test and get the rides running, and they did not start early enough to have them all running in time for the park opening.
Probably due to COVID all the water attractions were closed. Almost all the animals were gone. More than half of all of the food vendors were closed.
To be fair, they did cut the price in half (for half the attractions), however, the park could not handle the guest to attraction ratio. Each big ride was about a 1.5 hour wait, with smaller rides clocking in at 30-45 mins. Getting food was a 45 minute wait unless you order ahead. Even getting a water or a soda ( or an adult beverage) was a 20 minute wait.
We were there for 7.5 hours and rode 5 rides (superman, wonder woman, batman, medusa, and daredevil), and saw the dolphin drench show to close out our day. Other than the wait, the rides were as fun as ever.
With our parking and food, that works out to just about $7 per person, per attraction.
The park has seen better days. Hopefully they get enough attendance to raise enough capital to hire more staff, open more attractions (on time for park open), and complete some obvious maintenance that is needed.
We arrived at about 10:15, but they did not have enough staff to open all lanes for parking or for security and bag scanning. It wasn't until 11 that we made it into the park and made a b-line straight to the DC area. None of the rides were open. It wasn't until around 11:30 that superman and batman opened (the park opens at 10:30). Wonderwoman and Medusa seemed to open shortly after that. Joker was not open until sometime after 1:00. It was almost as if they did not have enough technicians to test and get the rides running, and they did not start early enough to have them all running in time for the park opening.
Probably due to COVID all the water attractions were closed. Almost all the animals were gone. More than half of all of the food vendors were closed.
To be fair, they did cut the price in half (for half the attractions), however, the park could not handle the guest to attraction ratio. Each big ride was about a 1.5 hour wait, with smaller rides clocking in at 30-45 mins. Getting food was a 45 minute wait unless you order ahead. Even getting a water or a soda ( or an adult beverage) was a 20 minute wait.
We were there for 7.5 hours and rode 5 rides (superman, wonder woman, batman, medusa, and daredevil), and saw the dolphin drench show to close out our day. Other than the wait, the rides were as fun as ever.
With our parking and food, that works out to just about $7 per person, per attraction.
The park has seen better days. Hopefully they get enough attendance to raise enough capital to hire more staff, open more attractions (on time for park open), and complete some obvious maintenance that is needed.
Written 17 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, even if your experience wasn’t great. We’re sorry to hear we did not meet your expectations. Hope you’ll give us another chance in the future.
Written 25 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Brian S
2 contributions
Mar 2022
A very disappointing first (and likely only) experience at Discovery Kingdom.
Despite a promising first couple of hours, at least half of our park visit was wasted in line waiting for the Joker (one of the main draws for visiting the park), only for the ride to experience maintenance problems right as we were about to board the train, and were told to vacate the station. The park later re-opened the ride. Assuming the problem was resolved (and again, wanting to ride one of the marquee rides in the park), we get in line, only to wait another long while for the ride to break down, and be told to vacate the line.
I understand that maintenance issues happen, but if they cannot confidently re-open a ride after an issue, they should just keep it closed so visitors know not to waste their time. Customer relations weren't able to do anything satisfactory to improve our experience. I'm visiting from out of state and won't likely be back for years, so the free day ticket they offered would be useless. Even partial refunds were "off the table", even though we effectively wasted half of our visit.
Despite a promising first couple of hours, at least half of our park visit was wasted in line waiting for the Joker (one of the main draws for visiting the park), only for the ride to experience maintenance problems right as we were about to board the train, and were told to vacate the station. The park later re-opened the ride. Assuming the problem was resolved (and again, wanting to ride one of the marquee rides in the park), we get in line, only to wait another long while for the ride to break down, and be told to vacate the line.
I understand that maintenance issues happen, but if they cannot confidently re-open a ride after an issue, they should just keep it closed so visitors know not to waste their time. Customer relations weren't able to do anything satisfactory to improve our experience. I'm visiting from out of state and won't likely be back for years, so the free day ticket they offered would be useless. Even partial refunds were "off the table", even though we effectively wasted half of our visit.
Written 21 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, We are sorry that you are disappointed but appreciate your feedback. We are committed to providing you with a great experience and hope you give us another chance in the future.
Written 31 March 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MM Jaber
1 contribution
Aug 2021 • Family
After seeing the conditions the animals live in here, I felt absolutely mortified that I paid money into this establishment. The giraffes are depressed, completely barren enclosure with no plants at all, it looks more like a parking lot. The staff member near the giraffes told us of the two, one was the mom & one was the son. The dad had been with them previously but was taken to another zoo. The son was raised in captivity and looked like he had no will to live. The wolves definitely do not have enough space or enough to do in their enclosure, they were constantly pacing the small area. The crocodile is in the middle of rides just stuck in this tiny “swamp” made on concrete which looked super ridiculous. Many animals were not visible, like Odin the tiger- but we assumed it would have been heartbreaking to see him. The seemingly happiest & best cared for animals were the dolphins which are trained through operant conditioning so they get rewarded for their performance. Will be boycotting this sad excuse of an “animal kingdom”
Written 12 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for taking the time to leave us a review. Very sorry your experience wasn’t what you’d hoped. We will pass along your feedback to management.
Written 26 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Brittny H
Oroville, California3 contributions
Dec 2022 • Family
Having grown up in Northern California going to Six flags was common even with it being a 3 hour drive for us to get there. I remember going and everything was open there were better shows like the Indian Jones show and there were more animals. It was just all around better and you got more for your money. So since becoming a mom I hadn’t been in about 10 years so I thought let’s take the kids for Christmas so we took them the day after Christmas. So from the get go they didn’t even open until 12-7 but charged us 15 dollars more per ticket just because it was decorated for Christmas. There was NOTHING that was worth paying that much extra for no parades or shows. Plus we had much less time in the park for driving all that way. So when we got there it took so long for the minimal ride that we’re running to actually open so that first golden hour when the lines are short we could really take advantage of because very few things were ready. Then later in the day almost everything my kids wanted to go on (which were mostly smaller rides) weren’t running. The one ride we found that was running and looked fun had an 1hr and a half wait by the time we wait in that one line and went to see the dolphin show we had an hour left in the park. In total we drove 3 hrs rode 2 small kiddie rides and 3 medium rides saw 1 show and had to leave the rest of our day was spent walking up to this or that and saying sorry guys this isn’t open either. It cost our family $440 plus hotel and $50 in food for just that little bit. Also the park is dirty, most rides other then the new DC rides look ragged and rickety a cheeseburger cost $20. Which for me I get that these place have high prices and I expect that to some degree but for what there offering their guest as an overall experience is a TOTAL rip off!!!!!
Written 27 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
peart960
3 contributions
May 2021
The reservation system allowed me to make an 11:15 am reservation for 5/21/21. I later saw that their park hours were only 6 pm - 9 pm that day. I had purchased a Flash Pass since I was traveling from southern California to visit and was going to leave Vallejo after visiting that morning/afternoon.
I never received an alert from Six Flags that my reservation time was not valid, in fact my reservation still shows as valid on their website, and after two email messages (no response), two phone calls (no return to my voice mail messages I left), and 3 chats that each took nearly at least 45 minutes just to get a live rep for, not a single person I've reached out to is willing to provide me with a refund for a $140 Flash Pass their system sold me for a reservation time that they cannot honor.
I never received an alert from Six Flags that my reservation time was not valid, in fact my reservation still shows as valid on their website, and after two email messages (no response), two phone calls (no return to my voice mail messages I left), and 3 chats that each took nearly at least 45 minutes just to get a live rep for, not a single person I've reached out to is willing to provide me with a refund for a $140 Flash Pass their system sold me for a reservation time that they cannot honor.
Written 11 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
- Hi peart960, thank you for your feedback! We are disappointed to hear your visit to our park was less than amazing. We are committed to providing a fun visit for all Guests and are saddened to hear of your experience. Please reach out to us at vipsupport@sixflags.com, so we can better resolve your concerns.
Written 26 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
hi, I am allergic to the type of foods available in Discovery Kingdom; can I bring my own food ?
Written 29 October 2023
Does Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo, CA) have charging for electric vehicles? (I've called them directly and tried the online chat, but they don't answer and/or don't know. I'm VERY unimpressed with SFDK, and we haven't even visited yet!)
Written 6 August 2023
I have gold passes at hurricane harbor can I get in at discovery kingdom with my gold pass
Written 19 July 2023
How many tourists get mugged in the park,should i carry?
Written 20 April 2021
We have never been to a six flags. The website does not explain the flash pass. When you get an alert that your ride is ready, does that mean your entire party can get on the ride at the specified time exactly? Is it like Disney's fast pass where you get to go to the much shorter fast pass line?
Written 30 October 2019
Not sure how their passes system works
Written 15 November 2019
Do you offer 50% off if you have a Diamond Elite season pass on electric scooter?
Written 12 August 2019
Please contact six flags directly.
Or go to their website
Written 13 August 2019
My child has Autism and has to be in one of those wagons for kids if she not in one she runs off is it ok to bring a wagon into the park?
Written 14 July 2019
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