PHOTO TR: Six Flags Discovery Kingdom 5/20/07

Ok so this is my first Photo TR "TPR Style" so bear with me here. I'd proudly display my rookie stripe, if I had one.

 

Went to SFDK in Vallejo, CA (little ways north of San Francisco in case you don't know precisely where Vallejo's at) with a friend and two kids. Park opened at 10:30am, we arrive about an hour later. Nice weather for Vallejo. Sunny & warm but not overly so. Park didn't seem like it was overly crowded, but we only rode 1 coaster and a couple flat rides the entire day. Sounds bizarre but today was very bizarre for Six Flags. I had to remind myself that I still was at a Six Flags park because I didn't see any of the general indicators, aside from some sadness in Medusa's queue.

 

This is all pictured below but just to quickly outline things - I was amazed by all the positive changes since I was last at Marine World/Discovery Kingdom a year ago.

 

First off, the park was pretty darn clean. No trash or overflowing trash cans that I saw.

 

Second, the new themeing looked good with all the new signage AND BGM loops! To keep with the whole jungle discovery motif, many places in the park played junglish BGM. So that was a nice surprise - not only did Six Flags create new themes with 'Land', 'Sky', and 'Sea', they also had some BGM created. Good on them I say.

 

Third, it seemed like all their animal exhibits seemed 100x better than last year. Last year a lot of cages were dirty, underwater viewing windows were dirty & spotty & you could barely see anything through them, and the animal habitats themselves looked neglected. Then the animal shows themselves seemed like a total joke. We didn't go to any shows, but we saw that the shows were all pretty full so there had to have been some improvement there. The animals just seemed happier too. Guess a clean cage and better maintenance means happier critters.

 

Last note to make was the clientele. Apparently this park has done a great job of creating the pro-family environment because that's what we saw just about everywhere. Lots of families and almost none of the typical 24/7 PDAs, gang banger-type that is usually found at Six Flags parks. Saw a lot of families with kids having a fun time. Maybe that was because we spent 95% of our time looking at animals instead of stuck in the coaster queues, but I found just having those animals to enjoy as well as having a nice compliment of coasters to ride combined with lots of new themeing made for a whole lot better day at a Six Flags park than I've gotten used to living 5 minutes away from Magic Mountain.

 

Overall park experience - I give a 9/10. Now for the pictures!

 

(And just to show how much of a rookie I am with this, I attached the pictures in reverse order because that's how the 'preview' showed they would come up even though there's a note that says 'attach pictures in the order you want them posted in'. If someone on the TPR staff could reverse them all for me, that would be most appreciated )

Colorful new entrance marquee with no sign of 45th Anniversary anything. Good way to start...

They still make you park a ways away from the entrance, but it makes for a nice picture of the skyline across the little lake.

The former Zonga footprint is still an empty slab. The very first casuality of PTS back in the day...

Folks having fun on Medusa!

I think the trams were simply repainted, but they look MUCH better this year...

Discovery Kingdom - home of purple Giraffes!

Hmmm apparently killer whales are larger than elephants...

New signage on the roof of the entrance building. No more Marine World here...

Weeeeeeeeeee!

More new signage. Nifty eh? Much more in second installment of pics.

Here's some aminals...first a random goat!

I have a growth on my arm, isn't it funny?

Giraffee taunting the humans looking back at them. His mother sure never taught him any manners!

Hot Giraffe tongue action!

Lazy lionness...

"Hey Lionness! Only awesome cats swim in pools!"

"I even do water exercises so I don't become a lazy, bloated lionness!"

"Oh, leave me alone..."

"That's right, you can't handle my awesomeness."

Creepy lookin' bat...

Cute little baby cougar, maybe a new friend for KidTums? Everyone all together now... 'Awwwwwww'

Elephant bows for the crowd, such a considerate elephant. Much better behaved than that giraffe!

They took out the park's only DDR machine for this! Booooooo!!

Yes this park has a Boomerang, and still painted blue for those nostalgic KBF fans out there. Trains looked repainted, might have been new but I sure didn't ride it to find out.

These people are in such pain at that point...

All Vekoma's should have these right across from their exits!!!

Roar was broken when we actually tried to ride it. =(

Kiddie coaster shot for Robb to enjoy.

Ben & Jerry's for Robb to REALLY enjoy.

Most interactive walrus EVER!

Seriously! He would follow your every move and seemed to enjoy petting motions made on the window glass. I'm also told he enjoys candlelit meals and long walks on the beach.

If you tried to walk away, he would bang his face on the display glass so you'd come back! I've never seen such behavior from a walrus before, it was just bizarre.

Fun for ages 1-7 maybe...

Not much going on...

Looks like future site of a load/unload station for a little track that circles the park's Shark exhibit.

Speaking of, thar be sharks in thar!!

To dark for the camera on non-flash mode...

Whack-a-Pirate! Best midway game EVER! (Vented a lot of frustration that had been built up since Disneyland's TSI was altered to become 'Pirate's Lair')

Closing with some coaster shots! Finally! Here's the new V2 Code Red...

Not so much roar going on, but still makes for a pretty picture.

mmmm woodie goodness...

Dive Loop for all you Dive Loop fans out there! Look for a second installment of pictures hopefully coming later today. It's getting waaay too late to continue this tonight. =D

V2 Code Red I'm gonna have to remember that one. Its great, and delicious. *Goes off to find a Baja mix V2*

Great photos, I really love the way the park has been rethemed. Definately a unique Six Flags park.

Great pics. That walrus is so CUTE! I want to hug him. The other animals were cute, too.

Here's some more pics that won't be in backwards order this time!

Farwell SFDK. If only more Six Flags parks such as *cough* Magic Mountain *cough* could follow your lead here. Hope you all enjoyed the pics! =D

One last shot of the new signage.

Green Lantern and Wonder Woman as park characters??? Wow.

Not a surprise to find Bugs in a Six Flags park

Dolphin doing his best Robb imitation

Foghorn Leghorn too?? This is too much!

Penguin!!!

Lazy mom & pup...

Seal/Sea Lion traffic HONK!

Am I seal or a sea lion? Get it right or I'm totally going to eat that granola bar in your shirt pocket!

They have a penguin named Pong who apparently likes to chase bubbles. Yep, still at a Six Flags park

They even have a drop-off service? This is Six Flags right??

Merch...

Marvin the Martian a park character?!

Few other advertisements around in the park. I didn't mind at all because it's about time a Six Flags park had something to offer worth advertising about, y'know?

Even the directional signs are themed!

OMGZ you caught me in front of Roar I feel so special now....

Orcas ARE bigger than elephants...

 

Great photographs!

Thanks!

 

-- PMM

Haven't been to my home park yet this season, and it's great to hear they've been making lots of improvements. Sounds like SF will be hanging in there for quite a while. However - I'll say this again - would it be asking too much to hope for a coaster that's less than 6 years old? Any major ride that's less than 6 years old? I'd take a B&M dive machine over new signage any day...

 

Love the walruses, though. They do in fact play with us humans...as you can see from the training sessions. My favorite behavior is when one of them swims up, spits up his food against the glass, sucks it back in, then spits it out again. Big practical joker.

Awwww... Beautiful pictures Matt! I wish I could have gone with you. I really miss my old homepark, and the weekly stop at In And Out on the way home.

 

I hope to see you at SFMM or Knott's soon. Good to hear from you.

wow! What fabulous photos - I particularly like the animals. I could spend hours cuddling the walrus, giraffes, big cats, and especially the elephant - SO CUTE!

 

I'm hoping-hoping-hoping I can get out to northern California later this year (July) to visit this park. It really looks fantastic.

 

Thanks for sharing..

 

Cameron.

Orcas ARE bigger than elephants...

 

Great photographs!

Hmmm.

 

Orca: 6 tonnes, 8 feet tall, 31 feet long

Elephant: 7-10 tonnes, 10 feet tall, 30 feet long

 

So they're pretty similar in size. But elephants are bigger!!!

Well I guess at Six Flags anything goes, right? Hmm...maybe someone should go take a poll of the employees there and ask if an Elephant is larger than an Orca. That is, if you can stand explaining what an Orca is 30,000 times.

 

Glad to see you're all enjoying the pics folks! Like I said this is basically my first ever TPR PTR (chuckle) and the first time to a park for my new Canon Powershot S800. So any feedback along either lines is always most appreciated.

 

This camera is going to Tokyo Disney Resort this weekend. Hoping to have some great pictures from there to share with everyone soon!

 

-- PMM