By Charly SHELTON

It has been over a year since anyone has been on a ride at a theme park. The COVID-19 shutdown really hit home for many SoCal residents when Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Knott’s Berry Farm, SeaWorld, LEGOland, and Six Flags Magic Mountain closed due to the virus. Especially Disneyland, a cultural icon that helps set the standard for everything else. But now, after a year without much public fun, the theme parks are reopening. Many of them are already open, as the guidelines allowed theme parks to operate at limited capacity as of April 1. Let’s take a quick look at some of the reopenings and what to expect from each park.

Last week, we started with Disneyland and Universal. Now, let’s jump to Knott’s Berry Farm, SeaWorld, LEGOland, and Six Flags Magic Mountain.

One note for visitors – as of this writing masks are still required in all parks, at all times, social distancing is still in effect and only California residents are allowed into the parks, with proof of residency required. Some parks are allowing out-of-state visitors if they provide a shot record or negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours before the visit, but this varies from park to park. Also, all parks are requiring reservations to visit. For single-day tickets, the reservation is sometimes bundled in. But for annual passes, SoCal bundle deals, non-date-specific passes, tickets previously purchased before the reopening, or parks (like Disneyland) that separate their ticket and reservation bookings, they must be made separately. Always purchase tickets and make reservations online before the day of your visit and be sure to read each park’s specific guidelines.

Knott’s Berry Farm – Knott’s is the one park that has been consistently open through most of the pandemic. Shortly after the shutdown canceled plans for the Boysenberry Festival, Knott’s came back in a new way to keep the food fest alive. Taste of Calico, Taste of Knott’s, Taste of Fall-o-Ween, Taste of Merry Farm and Taste of Boysenberry Festival were seasonal food festivals held within the theme park that offered food and shopping under the guidelines for outdoor malls rather than theme parks. No rides were operating during the food festivals, but guests were still welcomed in for the food that made the park famous. And on May 21, the theme park will reopen fully to guests and debut its newest ride – Knott’s Beary Tales: Return to the Fair – a reimagining of the classic Beary Tales ride that was housed in the same show building decades ago.

SeaWorld – SeaWorld is back up and running with limited menus in the restaurants and some rides not operating at this time. But the vast majority of the park is in full vigor once again, especially on weekends. This weekend is the last hurrah for the ongoing Seven Seas Food Festival, which started during the pandemic and has expanded by offering rides and more indoor exhibits. And word to the wise: the annual passes are a fantastic value, especially the ones that include free parking. If you plan to go more than one time in 12 months, it is worth getting a pass. And you can come back for the opening of their new dive coaster, The Emperor, expected sometime this summer.

LEGOland – LEGOland has reopened with select rides. Like many other theme parks, it bundles its ticket and hotel stays for either of the on-site LEGO themed hotels and it seems a good value for the price if you’re looking for a kid-friendly vacation that’s not too far away from home. LEGOland has a theme park, a water park and an aquarium all on-property, so there’s plenty to do over the course of a couple of days. Note that guests 2 and older must wear face masks at all times, even while in the water park, except while actively swimming or eating.

Six Flags Magic Mountain – Magic Mountain was the first theme park to open fully under the new guidelines. Whereas other parks took a few days to get precautionary measures in place or do preview days, Magic Mountain just full–on opened as soon as it was legally allowed. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it felt a little fast compared to all the other parks. However, its health and safety policies and procedures do seem very thorough and comprehensive, so no issues are expected. Its ticketing system is time-sensitive, so entry into the park is separated in 15-minute increments. This means that, depending on your selection, you may not be entering at opening. Be sure to look for a date and time of entry that will fit your schedule.