If you’re headed to the beach, you might want to schedule a detour to some of the new family-friendly stops between Los Angeles and San Diego this summer—from the “Wizarding World of Harry Potter” that just opened at Universal Studios Hollywood to a high-tech Ninjago ride that debuted in May at Legoland California Resort. Here are four summer vacation spots worth considering.
Harry Potter’s Hollywood home
Mickey Mouse has a little more tourism competition in Southern California, and his name is Harry Potter. In early April, “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” opened at Universal Studios Hollywood, and fans of author J.K. Rowlings’ magical world have been flocking. The new theme park offers an outdoor roller coaster, a high-tech 3-D ride and an impressively detailed Hogwarts castle.
Those who have loved the books and movies can wander through the snow-capped roofs and bustling cobblestone streets of Hogsmeade, sit in a cabin of the Hogwarts Express and explore the rooms and halls of the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
In the heart of Hogwarts castle is “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey,” a ride that takes guests sporting 3-D goggles into a high-flying Quidditch match and through some of the movies’ biggest adventures. At “Flight of the Hippogriff,” Universal Studios Hollywood’s first outdoor coaster, guests wind through the Care of Magical Creatures grounds, through Hagrid’s pumpkin patch and past his cottage before climbing aboard two-seat wicker baskets for a “training flight.”
You can also shop and eat like Potter and his friends. At the Three Broomsticks tavern, order a shepherd’s pie or fish and chips and wash it down with a Butterbeer. At Ollivanders shop, where the wand chooses the wizard, you’ll find all types of magic wands, including pricier ones that trigger interactive window displays throughout the park.
While Potter is getting the most attention these days, Universal Studios Hollywood still features movie-set tours, character appearances and many more amusement-park rides, including “Despicable Me,” “Transformers” and “Jurassic Park” themes.
If you go: 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, Calif. $90 and up daily; $119 annual pass. universalstudioshollywood.com.
MLB All-Star Fanfest
San Diego is hosting this year’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which means baseball fans of all ages can find even more fun in the seaside city leading up to the Tuesday, July 12 game in Petco Park. The MLB’s All-Star Fanfest is Friday, July 8 through Tuesday, July 12 at the San Diego Convention Center.
This attraction is like a baseball theme park, complete with baseball-skills clinics, batting cages, exhibits from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, autograph sessions with MLB players and more. There’s also Soul Pose All-Star Yoga on Saturday, July 9 at Waterfront Park and a 5K Color Run on Sunday, July 10, where participants are doused in a different colored powder each kilometer.
If you go: July 8-12. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday-Monday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. San Diego Convention Center, 111 W. Harbor Drive. $35; $30 ages 3-12; free ages 2 and younger. allstargame.com.
Great Wolf Lodge
The newest Great Wolf Lodge opened this spring in Garden Grove, Calif., just a few miles from Disneyland. This Midwest-based attraction combines an indoor water park with a family-friendly resort. Great Wolf caters to families with cabin-themed rooms that have bunk beds for kids. If the waterpark isn’t enough, there are nightly activities, including story times, games, an arcade and character appearances. There’s even an ice-cream themed Scooops Kid Spa offering manicures, pedicures and more.
The 84-degree waterpark inside the resort boasts waterslides, interactive pools and high-thrill rides like the six-story Howlin’ Tornado and the body-surfing Wolf Rider Wipeout. There’s also a wave pool and lazy river. Another lodge opens later this year in Colorado Springs.
If you go: Great Wolf Lodge, 12681 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove, Calif. $300 and up/night. 888-960-9653 or greatwolf.com/southern-california.
New Ninjago ride at Legoland California Resort
Aimed at kids ages 2-12 and their families, Legoland in Carlsbad, Calif., is a great way to test drive the whole concept of theme parks with the younger set. The fact that it’s nestled in a cute beach town just north of San Diego makes it even better—although hotel rooms can fill up quickly, and bargains can be fleeting.
Legoland unveiled its newest attraction in May: Ninjago World. The Ninjago ride features 4-D effects—such as smoke, heat and wind—and hand-gesture technology that lets riders act like ninja warriors. With their own hand movements, riders can blast through animated fireballs, lightning, shockwaves and ice. Riders collect points for their training and battle efforts, and scores are displayed at the end of the quest.
If you haven’t been to Legoland California Resort in awhile, owner Merlin Entertainments seems to be continually updating. A Lego Friends area includes an all-ages carousel, splash pad and stage for live performances. The Legoland hotel on site also recently unveiled rooms with a pink-and-purple Lego Friends theme, in addition to rooms with pirate, castle and Egyptian adventure décor.
Rides and activities at this theme park range from all-ages playgrounds to roller coasters for preschoolers to tweens. There’s also a waterpark and SeaLife Aquarium on site, and lots of hands-on building opportunities with Legos—including some Lego-stocked areas where kids play happily while parents wait in ride queues.
If you go: One Legoland Drive, Carlsbad, Calif. $93 per day; $87 ages 3-12; free ages 2 and younger; $149 annual pass. 760-918-5346 or legoland.com/california