This is the most thrilling attraction at Gilroy Gardens. We did have to wait almost an hour for it…read more(we went during holiday season), but since we're not locals it was a must to try at least once. It is themed after the mines, and you ride on a mine cart. When you're in the queue you can see pictures and some historical snippets, but not much to look at in general. The ride itself isn't super fast and doesn't go very high so the drops don't feel anything more than someone quickly going down a hill in a car. So when they say thrilling that may mean thrilling for kids, but as someone said, this is a great trainer coaster. Fun, but not something I'd wait over 30 minutes for. It is neat that it goes through the trees here and it's the only ride that has it's own separate check in on Yelp? I know Disney has separate check ins for everything, so maybe it is time to change that LOL.

The website boasts this "thrilling mine coaster speeds you through dips and turns surrounded by…read morenearly 600 trees!" Built in 2001 by DH Morgan Mfg, it's billed as the only "thrill ride" in Gilroy Gardens, although their wobbly Sky Trail Monorail ride makes my adrenaline rush because it feels like it's going to fall. The track is 2,139 feet with a top speed of 32 mph. The highest of the two lift-hills is 38 feet, which is about 7 yawning grandpas end to end. Basically, the smooth dips and turns of this two-lift steel coaster disguised as an abandoned cinnabar (mercury) mine train that is a very basic but enjoyable ride that's thrilling for someone barely reaching the height requirement (42" to ride with an adult, 48" to ride alone). It's a good training coaster. The cool thing is that they'll often let you stand by the exit wall for a chance at a second ride if they anticipate that the next train won't fill up. Think "Big Thunder" but not that big. Think "Small Thunder" but not that thunderous. Think "light rain", or "hummingbirds spitting on you".

Better upkept than Six Flags Vallejo…read more Quite enjoyable to walk around. Helpers/kids were quite polite and excited to be working here. The park is kept pretty clean too. The water park seems fun and crowded on a Sunday: will come back to check it out. Lots of parking spots yet also very crowded and crazy parking lot. The ride times on the app are way longer tha mm the actual wait times. They were mostly 15-30 mins wait: not bad at all. Will come again. Drinks, Starbucks, snacks are 10% off if you have a Gold Pass. Of course Starbucks are more expensive at CGA than outside, which would be common.

Great America has been around for years! I used to come here as a teenager and absolutely loved the…read moreroller coasters and games!! It feels crazy being able to come back now with the family I created! My son and my partner had so much fun exploring Great America together! My son is 4 years old, and I absolutely love how diverse the park is when it comes to rides. They have everything from a younger kids section to roller coasters for the bigger kids and adults! The water section was actually new to me! Every time I've come to Great America, I've never used this specific section, but it was so much fun! There were lots of waterfalls, slides, and different areas for the kids to enjoy. I would definitely say check this place out whether you're looking for a fun date night or even a family day!

Luiz helped us out at the register super cool dude thank you for the experience bosss. he even…read morefound us to give our hat back

Re: Security Officer August…read more My husband needs a hip replacement and shoulder surgery, he decided to  surprise me and take me to the  Santa Cruz beach boardwalk for the day.  Unfortunately he started experiencing excruciating pain, and having a difficult time walking. We decided to leave. We seen August #0-51 and asked him is there  anyway  to get a wheelchair? He got on the radio and requested a wheelchair. I have a bad back so it's difficult for me to help my husband. August took it upon himself to offer to push my husband to our car.  We can't express our gratitude to August for going above and beyond to help out a couple of seniors.  Please recognize Austin for a job well done Mr. & Mrs Acosta

We celebrated my son's 3rd birthday at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, and it was absolutely amazing! I…read moretruly have no complaints about the experience. The entire birthday party process was seamless from beginning to end. They provide a designated party area, you can order food directly through them, and their team brings everything out, sets things up, and handles the cleanup afterward. As a parent hosting a kids' birthday party, having so much taken care of for you makes a HUGE difference. I also felt the pricing was very reasonable for everything that was included. We added Danny the Dragon as our entertainment, and my son LOVED it! Danny interacted with the kids, played games with them, and made the celebration feel extra special. There was so much for the kids to do between the birthday activities, rides, playgrounds, and animals. My only regret was choosing the 1:30 PM party time instead of the earlier 10:30 AM option. If I could do it again, I would absolutely choose the morning time and make a full day of it. There is simply too much to see and do! Between enjoying the party itself, riding the rides, and seeing all of the animals, we ran out of time and didn't get to experience everything. We'll definitely be going back to finish what we missed! 100% recommend Happy Hollow for a child's birthday party. It was fun for the kids, easy for the adults, reasonably priced, and incredibly well organized. Such a wonderful place to celebrate a little one!

Very entertaining park for children while still lively and interesting for parents at the zoo…read more There was plenty of available parking, but it was a bit pricey. It was $10 for any amount of time, and a staff member consistently warned visitors entering about potential fines. Before the ticket booth, there were bronze sculptures of animals and funnily shaped characters. Notably, those in the sun were covered up, most likely to protect children from burns in the intense heat. There wasn't much of a crowd despite my weekend visit, and everyone was swift and friendly. We paid $22 per adult for entry. I highly recommend coming near opening, as the animals were being fed and were incredibly active. When I swung by some of the exhibits later in the day, many of them weren't out and about since there wasn't any food tempting them. One complaint would be how inaccurate the map was. While it depicted specific pathways, turns, and connections, it was nothing like that in reality. It was difficult to keep track of which animals we had seen as the exhibits were oriented differently throughout the park. Rides had specific hours when they were open, so if your child has a specific ride in mind, I would double-check the day's schedule. Otherwise, there were constant shows distributed throughout the day. The center of the park was perfect for picnics, as the grass was well maintained and there was some shade from the larger trees. Unfortunately, the jaguar was unavailable during my visit, but the other animals made up for it. I adored the capybaras and their intense munching on lettuce and carrots. My favorite had to be the fennec foxes as they pranced around in the sun. Not the largest zoo, but it was a fun supplement to the rides and amusement park. The animal exhibits alone were enough to keep me entertained, while the rides, shows, and picnic areas gave children plenty to do. I just wished the parking and admission were a bit cheaper.

My husband brought us here. We loved our time. So great that…read morethey sold cold water !!! We enjoyed the train ride so nice and we were the only ones since we came in a week day! I'm looking forward to coming back and bringing more family. Great photos and the ride is definitely worth the price.

Came here on a Saturday morning around 11am. Tickets for train and carousel is $5 per person and…read morefree for kids 2 and under. The train ride is less than 10 minutes with no cover so we brought our hats. It's a quick ride and you pass by the parking lot and a park. My girls enjoyed it. After we played by the nearby park. There is a bathroom close to the train ticket booth and lots of tables to enjoy a snack or even lunch. They were just starting the grill to cook the food for lunch but our girls were hungry so we left to get food elsewhere.

Quality animatronics. Good replay value. Just the right amount of corny. Super nice cast members…read more(thanks Jasmine and Sophia!) Highly recommend

Very fun and friendly employees! Everyone there such a fun character, especially the pirate. The…read moreride is a lot more elaborate than I expected, can't believe I've just been walking over it all this time! Definitely worth checking out.

This was our third time staying at the Vision Quest Ranch. We absolutely loved our stay once again…read more The staff was helpful, knowledgeable, and welcoming. Danielle booked my last minute stay and assisted me in choosing crunch time as my add on. She also was one of the staff that brought an opossum around for our evening visit. An opossum is a common animal but I learned so much and thoroughly enjoyed the brief encounter. The evening was beautiful sitting on the porch listening to the animals. ( bring ear plugs if nighttime sounds disturb you) The extremely comfortable bed had a heating pad to perfectly warm the chilly evening. The stay includes a wonderful continental breakfast, a feeding of the camels, and entrance into the small but very well cared for zoo. I look forward to returning already!

This was a wonderful experience that we will always remember. For the price the accommodations…read morecould be a bit nicer (horrible mattress, low quality sheets/towels) but it was a fun experience. We were in the Cat House and hearing the cats like they were right outside was pretty cool. They can noisy at night so bring earplugs! We were also pretty chilly with no additional blankets due to the heather not keeping up (and this was in June). Overall, I'd recommend staying here at least 1 night for this unique experience!