Belmont Park: San Diego's Fun Secret
Written: Apr 29 '02 (Updated Apr 29 '02)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: You can go for one or two rides and then swim at the beach.
Cons: Parking
The Bottom Line: Once you decide to go to the beach, this is a great break in the day or at the end of the day.
|
|
|
| naphtalia's Full Review: Belmont Park |
Belmont Park is a combination amusement park and shopping area located in the Mission Beach neighborhood of San Diego. It houses over 25 shops, rides, and restaurants. The best restaurant used to be the Red Onion where even the most sedate of locals would dance on the tables. Sadly, that is gone now, but there is still a lot of really good stuff here. The following, I hope, will give you a feel for the place.
Tickets for rides at Belmont Park are $1. Each ride takes from two to four tickets. You can also buy all day wristbands for $13.95 for people over 50" and for $8.95 for people under 50". You can also buy a bonus pack of 28 tickets for just $25. (Three free tickets.) So what do you spend the tickets on?
The Giant Dipper
I remember my first wooden roller coaster experience. I was at Coney Island and went with my cousin Larry. I was terrified. I screamed. I couldn't wait to go again! Although I love the modern swoops, loops and dives of the monster metal roller coasters today, for me there is something uniquely special to the feel of an old fashioned wooden coaster. San Diego has a great one.
Located at Belmont Park in the Mission Beach neighborhood of San Diego is The Giant Dipper. This is a historic roller coaster from 1925 has been retrofitted to meet all of today's stringent safety requirements. It is one of only two oceanrfront roller coasters still in operation on the west coast. Despite its retrofit, it has lost none of its charm. The Giant Dipper is 2,600 ft long. The roller coaster has a two trains made up of six four-person cars. The Giant Dipper has a height restriction. Riders must be at least 50" so please don't bring your little ones if they can't ride. (I remember going to Disneyland as a child and not being able to ride any of the "good stuff" by myself. Don't do that to your children.) A ride on the Giant Dipper takes 4 tickets.
The Carousel
San Diego has two terrific carousels. One is in Balboa Park near the zoo. The best one, however, is in Belmont Park. It is a reproduction of an antique carousel and has amazing attention to detail. The recreation was done from photos at the San Diego historic society. The inner panels of the carousel shows scenes of local history including scenes of Father Junipero Serra (personally, I think that subject is in poor taste, but the picture itself is very good), the Hotel del Coronado, and the Spirit of St. Louis - the plane Lucky Lindy flew to Paris was built in San Diego. This ride takes two tickets, though children under 2 can ride free with a paid chaperone. There is no height limit here.
The Vertical Plunge
This is not my favorite ride. The plunge takes riders up three stories before dropping them back to the ground. I don't dislike the experience, I just don't find it as thrilling as many do. The height limit here is only 44" so younger children can do this one with you. This ride takes three tickets.
Bumper Cars
I loved bumper cars when I was little and I still do. For me, no trip to Belmont Park is complete without smashing the daylights out of a friend on the bumper cars. Height limit here is 44". The ride takes 3 tickets.
The Tilt a Whirl
If there is any ride that I avoid, it's the tilt-a-whirl. The kids seem to love it, but it makes me feel ill. Basically, a ride that goes round in circles while tilting you back. Love that centrifigal force. BLEAH! Those under 48" must ride with a chaperone. This ride takes three tickets.
Crazy Submarine
You feel the sensation of going underwater and the rocking of the waves. The kids seem to love it. I think it's duller than dirt. Under 42" must ride with a chaperone, but you can shuttle the taller kids on by themselves. This ride requires two tickets.
Thunderboats
Boats on a track with a bell to ring. Everyone can ride the waves in his or her own boat. With no height restrictions, and at only two tickets, this is a great one for those who want to entertain the kids while sitting on the sidelines.
Sea Serpent
This is billed as "a wild circular ride, sure to bring out smiles on those from one to ninety. The only thing it brought out on me the one time I rode it was my lunch. Never again. Those under 42" will require a chaperone here. This ride requires two tickets.
Baja Buggies
This gives the kids a chance to ride in "dune buggies" in the Baja 500 race. Set up for the smallest anklebiters in your family, only those UNDER 56" may ride. This is another two ticket treat.
Also in Belmont Park is the Pirate's Cove, a terrific place for families with younger children. Besides the arcade which includes all the latest games and some old fashioned things like ski-ball and basketball and basketball toss....besides that, there is also a restaurant, The Captain's Galley which has some decent pizza. (Not great, but kiddie quality.) There are also here 7,000 square feet of tunnels, slides, and ball pits to play in. The cost here is $12.50 per child under twelve. With each child is admitted two parents as a chaperone for free.
The shopping at Belmont Park tends towards the tourist-y. It's overpriced with things that can generally be purchased elsewhere for less (except for the pure souvenir stuff.) If you're really interested in shopping, go to Fashion Valley or Horton Plaza for better deals. For a better selection of this sort of shopping, try SeaPort Village.
And, of course, the big attraction here is the Pacific Ocean. It's just beyond the park and after a ride or two, you can go spend the day playing in the waves. (Don't forget your sun screen!)
Parking can be a problem in this area (as it is in most beach areas.) Your best bet is mid-week during the day, though during the tourist season even this is iffy. You might want to consider taking a bus or grabbing a cab from your hotel. What you definitely want to do, however, is to make Belmont Park a part of your San Diego holiday plans.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
naphtalia
|
 - Top 100 |
|
Location: Somewhere in Southern California for Now
Reviews written: 1538
Trusted by: 450 members
About Me:
Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the_circus has left town.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.