We all love our wonderful Disney adventures, but maybe some other park would be fun too.

1) Universal Studios: Universal Studios is a place that many people love, but this park mainly has shows. There are only 4 rides which include Transformers the ride (new 2012), The Simpson’s ride, Revenge of the Mummy the ride, and Jurassic Park the ride. The rest of the park is full of shows such as the studio tour (not as boring as it sounds), Shrek 4-D, Waterworld (my ABSOLUTE favorite show in California) and much more! There are even some characters you can meet there like in Disneyland including Beetlejuice, Spongebob, Dora the Explorer, Curious George, and the Mummy.

2) Sea World: Sea World is a place where families come together to watch wonderful sea life perform, but not by force. The whales, dolphins, etc; do shows because they want to. There are also some rides; more than Universal. Some of these rides are Manta, Riptide Rescue, Journey to Atlantis, Wild Artic Ride, and Skytower. There are also shows, exhibits, and exclusive park experiences. Your kids will love it but I personally found it was hard to stay a full day. Maybe a half day there and the other half back in Disneyland.

3) Knott’s Berry Farm: I have never been here but I know people that have, and they LOVE it! there are things here for everyone. There are thrill rides, family rides, children rides, water rides, live entertainment, shopping, dining, and even pin trading. I call Knott’s Berry Farm an ‘everything place’, like Disneyland!

4) Six Flags Magic Mountain: Magic Mountain has rides from pulse-pounding roller coasters to gentler options for tots. If you go to Magic Mountains website you can find which rides are good for you, being mild, moderate, or max thrill. There are Flash Passes that you can use in the parks. A Regular The Flash Pass allows you to enjoy your day at Six Flags by avoiding long lines at your favorite rides. With a Regular Flash Pass, you wait as long as everyone else is waiting, but not in line—you can enjoy your free time elsewhere in the park. With a Gold The Flash Pass, you enjoy a significant reduction in wait time allowing you to ride more rides with less wait. Also with a Gold Flash Pass you will be able to reserve a seat on X2. (X2 requires an additional fee per person and has limited availability).

5) Legoland: LEGOLAND California is home to more than 60 rides, shows and attractions. right as you walk inside the Park, you can’t miss a bright red dinosaur, made completely from LEGO’s! You may think that Legoland is just a place full of LEGO’s, but it’s not. There are many rides, shows, and attractions as said before. There is even a Legoland water park!

Overall there are many other parks around Disneyland. Disneyland is the love of my life, but experiencing other parks in California, believe it or not, help you understand more about different places. You could also take this opportunity as a learning experience because there is great history behind all of these parks, and all you have to do is pay attention.