Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in the California Bay Area has transformed their Holiday in the Park Lights! experience into a new Holiday in the Park Drive-Thru Experience that adheres to state and local restrictions. In this new experience, guests experience the sights and sounds that the park has to offer from the safety of their own vehicle.
Before you go, guests need to visit sixflags.com to make a reservation and purchase tickets if necessary. The price of admission fluctuates based on the day with prices starting at $19.99 per person, but annual passes are also accepted. Tickets are not available for purchase at the park and the check-in experience involves a quick scan of your reservation and passes from your car window.
Your magical holiday experience starts at the main entrance underneath one of the park’s signature roller coasters. One of the ways you can enhance your experience is by purchasing snack packs and merchandise bundles in advance. A Six Flags team member safely delivers them to your car for guests to enjoy during their experience. The snack bundle includes hot cocoa in a souvenir mug, a bag of popcorn, holiday cinnamon rolls and cookies. Snack packs are available in quantities of 2 and 4.
One of the merchandise bundles includes two face masks, a cozy sweater blanket with the Holiday in the Park logo, an ornament, and paper glasses that make all of the lights look like gingerbread men. It all came in a holiday drawstring tote bag.
This drive-thru experience allows you to take your car inside the park into areas typically only frequented by guests on foot. The speed limit is 3 miles per hour and the signs ask that you not stop on the route, but there are lots of sights to enjoy.
In order to drive into the park, guests are directed through some backstage areas that have been decorated with oversized holiday decor that kickstart the merriment. Guests are also asked to turn their lights to parking mode so they don’t drown out the holiday lights.
One of the first highlights is driving around the main entrance Christmas Tree. If it’s not too cold, I recommend keeping your windows down and your radio off so you can enjoy the music pumped through the park.
After the Christmas Tree, you’ll proceed down Candy Cane Lane.
You won’t see any live animals while driving through the park, but several winter displays have been set up that feature the park's animal stars.
We went to the first night of Holiday in the Park Lights! before the experience changed and we were surprised by how many new additions were added to the decor. From lights in trees to giant decorations, there’s a lot more to see even if you’ve already been to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom this holiday season.
There’s still snow in the park, courtesy of Jack Frost, but this time you get to drive though it.
Another fun opportunity we didn’t expect to see was driving by JB’s Sports Bar and Grille where the doors were open with a light-up table set for a big family dinner inside.
All of the animals in the park have been very good this year and are feeling extra festive.
The decorating team has done a great job of not letting any areas of the drive-thru feel untouched.
Perhaps the most impressive addition is holiday lights on one of the roller coasters, Boomerang.
You get to drive right under it!
Towards the end of the experience, you get to see Santa Claus in his sleigh as he shouts “Happy Holidays” on your way out.
These alligators are also one of the last things you see before you exit the park.
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom has a sense of humor!
Before you leave, you’ll drive through some more backstage areas where more lights await and team members line up to wave goodnight.
They’ve really gone out of their way to theme and decorate areas guests normally don’t see that are part of the drive-thru experience.
We had a lot of fun during our Six Flags Holiday in the Park Drive-Thru Experience at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.
Click here to visit the official website to learn more about this limited-time experience running nightly through January 3rd.