2009 shaping up as a low-key year for California theme parks

Disneyland sets the pace for theme parks in California. And with the Happiest Place on Earth taking a breather on major new attractions in 2009, the rest of the state’s amusement parks are following suit, opting for smaller fare this year over multimillion-dollar additions.

The lone exception: Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia adds the $11-million Terminator Salvation, a 2,850-foot-long wooden roller coaster which opens Memorial Day weekend with movie tie-in visual effects and a loading station fly-through. (Watch POV video)

A roundup of 2009 additions at California amusement and theme parks:

* Disneyland rehabbed the “It’s a Small World” boat ride in February, adding 29 Disney characters and a new “Spirit of America” scene to the mix. The Anaheim theme park also debuted the Celebrate parade in March and bundled a series of nighttime shows under the Summer Nightastic banner (running from June 12 through August 23).

* Across the way at Disney’s Construction Adventure, the five-year-long $1.1-billion overhaul has begun in earnest, with the Ferris wheel getting a new Mickey Mouse theme (opens in May).

* Universal Studios Hollywood brings “Creature From the Black Lagoon” to the stage in July as a campy Broadway-style musical (I kid you not) with special effects, dance choreography and romance (still not kidding).

* Legoland California unveiled a new “Bob the Builder” 4-D movie in March. The 30-foot-tall Dune Raiders racing slides opens at the Carlsbad kiddie park in time for the Fourth of July weekend.

* Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park offers absolutely nothing new of note for 2009. Here’s hoping they’re saving up for next year.

* In May, the San Diego Zoo opens the $45-million Elephant Odyssey exhibit, a 2.5-acre pachyderm playground that brings together the zoo’s three elephants with four from its sister Wild Animal Park into a single herd.

* In April, the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park unveiled the $3-million Flightline attraction, a two-thirds-of-a-mile-long zip line where riders soar over rhinos, giraffes and deer.

* Up north in Vallejo, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom opened Odin’s Temple of the Tiger, an exhibit and show featuring the park’s 11 tigers.

* In Santa Clara, California’s Great America postponed a planned wooden coaster, settling for the All Wheels Extreme BMX and skateboarding stunt show.

* Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier adds five new kiddie rides, including teacups, bumper cars and a plane ride.

* Belmont Park in San Diego adds two new attractions: Magical Mystery mirror maze and the Vault laser tag.

* Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk presents “Cirque Magnifique” on the beach bandstand every Sunday through Thursday in July and August.

Find the latest amusement and theme park news at the Los Angeles Times Funland blog: www.latimes.com/funland. Follow Funland on Twitter.

— Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times staff writer

[Image: Universal Studios Hollywood]

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This entry was posted on Monday, May 4, 2009 at 8:03 am by Brady MacDonald and is filed under California, California’s Great America, Disney's California Adventure, Disneyland, Family & Kids, Knott's, Legoland, Los Angeles, Magic Mountain, Northern California, Orange County, San Diego, San Diego Wild Animal Park, San Diego Zoo, San Francisco, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, SeaWorld San DIego, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Summer, Theme Parks, Universal Studios Hollywood. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.