Six Flags America in Bowie, Maryland debuted last year for the grand opening of the new Holiday in the Park and has returned for a second year to spread holiday cheer! What better way to celebrate the season than sharing laughter and joy with family making fond memories and traditions to last a life time.
HOLIDAY IN THE PARK HIGHLIGHTS
Taking the family to Six Flags decked out in lights and décor is the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit. Once again our family had a spectacular time and I would like to share our adventure at Holiday in the Park where Six Flags is transformed into a magical winter wonderland.
In order to make the most of your day it’s helpful to know that the park is divided into ten different sections that form a loop around the Park. Holiday in the Park features Main Street, Retro Christmas USA, Candy Cane Lane, Silent Night, Holiday Magic, Silver bells, Snowflake Avenue, Whimsical Wonderland, Merry Masquerade and North Pole.
As soon as you enter the park you are led down Main Street where you can meet your favorite characters and get pictures in front of a beautiful 27 foot Christmas tree. We entered the park right when it opened and were able to get hugs and take advantage of the photo opportunities without any long line. Main Street is also where you will find The Grand Theatre, Flying Carousel, souvenir stores and treat shops such as Cold Stone, Liberty Funnel Cakes and The Confectionary. These sweet treats are located in the perfect place to grab a treat on the way home!
My favorite section to visit each year is Silent Night. The display Reflections of the Season is breath taking and features one of the most beautiful manger scenes I have ever set eyes on. It is truly remarkable; especially at night when the scene is a glow. This is a great section for rides that promote family bonding. Everyone can go on a classic Carousel ride or squeeze into a four passenger classic car and enjoy The Great Race!
Silent night leads to a Whimsical Wonderland; a section with tons of rides for young children. The rides in this section include: Loney Tunes Prop Warehouse (fully enclosed playhouse), Sylvester’s Bounce and Drop, Elmer’s Around the World (hot air balloon ride), Foghorn Leghorn Tinsel Town Train, Taz’s Film Works (mini flying swings), The Giant Chase (mini coaster), Pepe Le Pew’s Tea Party, Yosemite Sam’s Hollywood Flight School (flying airplanes) and Looney Tunes Stage (outdoor stage) featuring a Holiday Dance Party. This is probably the section we spent the most time in. My five year olds favorite ride is the miniature roller coaster and mostly because it reminds him of the Glacier Gulch scene from Polar Express!
Next, we made our way through the Merry Masquerade and Retro Christmas USA which featured rides for older children, teenagers and adults. This section highlights four different thrill/roller coaster rides: The Wild One, Voo Doo Drop, Ragin Cajan and Bourbon Street Fireball. There is also Zydeco Zinger (360 degree Trolley car ride), French Quarter Flyers and a present pick game. In Retro Christmas USA is where my boys favorite ride is. They love The Cocoa Mixer. It made my heart smile to see the kids having the time of their life getting dizzy spinning in a giant tea cup all while listening to the song Hot Chocolate in the background. Yet again another favorite because of being such huge Polar Express fans!
Holiday Magic, Snowflake Avenue and Silver Bells are best to view at night. Holiday Magic features a Holiday Express Train which is only open for meet and greet. I still think this attraction should be open as an actual ride for Holiday in the Park! Our favorite part about this section is the Holiday Magic Light Show; where you can cozy up by the fire and watch a magical lights display. Snowflake Avenue highlights the popular roller coaster ride Apocalypse: The Last Stand; while Silver Bells features the classic coaster The Roar. Don’t miss out on Mistletoe Moment and the 40 foot tall Silver Bells Tree that is simply stunning.
Candy Cane Lane is another section perfect for families to play together. You can ride the peppermint swirl or watch Christmas Crashers in the stunt arena. Candy Cane Lane leads you to the North Pole where you will find Santa at his workshop. I highly recommend waiting in line to meet Santa. The workshop is really neat, you are greeted by Mrs. Claus, walk through the workshop and end tour by visiting Santa himself! There are photo packages available for this attraction too. While in North Pole you can ride Reindeer’s Flight (an inverted roller coaster), Holiday Round Up (scrambler), Claus’s Crazy Cars (bumper cars.) I highly recommend getting dinner at Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen. You can watch Winter Rock while munching on a holiday feast. The turkey leg was amazing!
HOLIDAY IN THE PARK SHOWS & ENTERTAINMENT
Between this year and last year we have seen all of the shows. The show featured on the grand stage is Home for the Holidays; a salute to the armed forces with a heartwarming musical that delves into the meaning of love, family and sacrifice during the Holiday season. This show is indoors and is a great way to stay entertained while staying warm. Both my children sat still for most of the performance; however, got wiggly towards the end. Due to length and genre this show is ideal for older school aged children and beyond. Another in door show is Rockin’ The North Pole; showcases classic and modern songs where you can rock out to holiday tunes. Since there weren’t any children’s shows indoors; I wish this one would have featured songs for the kids like, “All I Want for Christmas is a Hippopotamus” instead of songs such as “Santa Baby.”
Have Yourself A Looney Tunes Christmas is a fun show show perfect for little ones! Join Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird, Sylvester, Speedy Gonzalez and the Tasmanian Devil to celebrate Christmas. Another great family show is Christmas Crashers is a lot of fun to watch and perfect for all ages. This hilarious show features amazing stunts that are sure to blow you away. The only downfall is both these shows are out doors.
SHOW TIMES
Christmas Crashers (Candylane, Stunt Arena)- 4:00 PM, 6:15 PM & 8:30 PM
Rockin’ The North Pole (North Pole, Mrs. Claus Kitchen)- 3:45 PM, 7:15 PM & 8:30 PM
Home For The Holidays (Main Street, Grand Theatre)- 3:30 PM, 5:30 PM & 7:00 PM
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony (Main Street, Christmas Tree)- 5:00 PM
Have Yourself A Looney Tunes Christmas (Whimsical Wonderland, Looney Stage)- 2:45 PM & 6:00 PM
Let It Snow (Retro Christmas, Showtime Theater)- 3:00 PM & 6:30 PM
TIPS
- Dress very warm…coat, scarf, gloves and hat are a must! I even packed those little Hot Hands warming packs; every kept one in each pocket to stay extra toasty.
- Take lots of pictures so you can treasure the memories and fun you had.
- Be sure to enjoy the park with all your senses… I love that each section of the park has a theme that plays on different senses…from sight (twinkling lights) and sound (themed music) to smell they are all covered! Candy Cane Lane smells like peppermint, Main Street has a fragrance of evergreen and Retro Christmas is sweetened with the aroma of hot chocolate! The foods and rides even follow the theme so you can delight in the holidays. Not to mention you can walk through snow flurries when you first walk into the park.
- Arrive early to a show to get a good seat, for most of the shows an attendent will close the gate or door and guests are not allowed late enterance into the show.
- Johnny Rockets is a great place to get dinner because you can enjoy indoor dining, and get a kid friendly kids meals for under $9 comes with choice of chicken nuggets or corn dogs, a fruit cup, juice box and treat! I included a photo of the kids meal because the boys that it came in a fun box.
- I highly recommend surprising your kid with tickets to six flags for the holidays they would be ecstatic!
- Purchase your tickets online to save time and money.
- Don’t forget it costs $20 for parking.
INFORMATION
Dates: Open weekends and select days November 18, 2017 through January 2, 2018.
Address: 13710 Central Ave, Bowie, MD 20721
Website: Holiday In The Park Link
Price: Admission starts at $42.99 (One Day Admission) and $58.99 (2018 Season Passes include 2017 Christmas Town Admission)
FACEBOOK GIVEAWAY
- One lucky winner will be randomly drawn to win a family of four admission to Six Flags 2017 Holiday In The Park.
- Must be a Playful Parent fan to win.
- Please LIKE and SHARE the post to help spread the word by tagging friends or sharing on your personal page.
- COMMENT your favorite holiday tradition.
- This giveaway is not Facebook affiliated.
- Contest closes December 3, 2017 at 3PM.
THANK YOU
Thank you Six Flags America for inviting The Playful Parent to come out to your park for the day to explore Holiday In The Park in order to write an article and offer a giveaway to local families.
***The playful parent doesn’t receive payment for featuring attractions. All opinions are my own; I like to share my experiences so that parents have resources on fun family outings. Discounted or complimentary tickets are an advantage but not a requirement for article features.***
1 Pingback