Hey there, Park Journey readers!

Happy January! For many of you, that means you're in the middle of long stretch of cold weather and closed amusement parks. Don't worry, we have your fix to hold you over. 

Last weekend I ventured north of San Francisco for a fun day-trip filled with coasters and beer! Come with us as we make a quick stop at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and make our first ever visit to Sonoma TrainTown Railroad!

​Written by Andrew Cunningham

We started our day with a quick stop at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. They are open year round, so January and February offer great alternatives to visiting in the midst of the summer crowds. 

Every major coaster was running today except for the boomerang (yes, even V2!). Joker was about a 3 train wait (one train operation), while the rest of the park was walk-on. I'd say it was a very stress-free visit!

Above you can see the ride closures for the day (it was a bit chilly, so naturally the water rides are going to be down). 

Also something to note- the park was in the middle of some minor construction for a "members-only" entrance. Hopefully this will cut down on the time it takes for passholders to get through the front gates on those really crowded days! 

I was able to take my first ride on Wonder Woman: Lasso of Truth, the parks new-for-2017 ride. I am not a fan of heights, and this things went highhhhhh. It's safe to say I was sufficiently terrified. 

And that's all we have from Six Flags! 

No noticeable construction has occurred for their new-for-2018 Skywarp, Harley Quinn: Crazy Coaster. We'll make sure to check back as things start to get going on that!

Now to venture into the heart of Wine Country!

About a 30 minute drive northwest of Discovery Kingdom sits Sonoma Traintown Railroad, a charming family park that, yes, does include a coaster credit!

TrainTown has been on my radar to visit for a while now. Aside from their beatufil landscaping and eclectic collection of classic amusement rides, the park famously boasts an elaborate miniature train as its marque attraction. 

Admission to the park is free. The train ride costs 6.75 a go, while all the attractions are 2.75 each. For us, a ride on the train plus coaster ran us a whopping $9.50. 

The train ride takes you over bridges, through tight tunnels, past various frontier scenes, and into the park's heavily wooded areas. The trip is about four miles long and lasts about 20 minutes. It was really fun and unique!

For our hardcore amusement nerd readers, I would most liken it to a lengthier, more elaborate version of Knoebel's Pioneer Train.

Towards the end of your ride, the train stops at a miniature town called Lakeview, which includes a petting zoo, a fort-themed playground, and a few exhibits. This area is removed from the rest of the park and is only accessible by the train. 

Riders get about 10 minutes to stretch their legs and interact with the animals before it's time to jump back on the train and head back to the main park. I met a very friendly alpaca!

Aside from the train, the park has a carousel, ferris wheel, scrambler, some classic flyers, and the coaster. The rides area is situated around a small pond that the train also travels over and around. 

The coaster is manufactured by Miler and is dubbed Mine Train. The ride is set back in a wooden area and is a bit larger than your standard Miller kiddie credit. I didn't feel too dirty riding this one

​;-) 

To wrap up our day, we made the quick drive up to Petaluma to visit Lagunitas Brewing Company. We highly suggest visiting if you're a beer fan and find yourself in the area. They sport an amazing outdoor space, great limited release selections, and tasty locally grown food. 

Overall, we had a great day! If you ever visit Discovery Kingdom and find yourself with extra time, make sure to take the drive over to Sonoma TrainTown and Lagunitas. As a bonus, if you're heading back to San Francisco, the return drive will bring you across the Golden Gate Bridge!

Anyways, thanks for reading! Happy January and may your off-season be short!

​If you are interested in running and theme parks, this is the place for you. Below is a run-down or all races from RunDisney to Cedar Fair and everything in-between. Be sure to check out the updates below, we try to update this a few times a year. 

Be sure to check out our original runDisney article to see some of our thoughts on the race series. Reviews of individual races are also listed below. 

The information below is current as of February 12, 2018

Disney Races are listed in date order, starting in January. We'll update these dates as they become available. 

If you have a Disneyland or Walt Disney World Annual Pass, are a member of DVC or go through a variety of Travel Partners you can get early registration. Go to the RunDisney Home Page to learn more. 

RunDisney has made some enhancements to their races, you can read all about them here. Be sure to check out the highlights below: 

• Digital Event Guides
• "Metal" medals for all races 

Note: ALL RunDisney races on the West Coast have been cancelled until further notice, reportedly due to Star Wars Land construction. You can read more of our thoughts on this here. ​

*In order to participate in the runDisney Kessel Run Challenge, runners must be registered for either the Star Wars First Order Challenge OR Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon PLUS the runDisney Kessel Run Challenge. The Star Wars First Order Challenge and Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon are subject to a separate registration fee, eligibility requirements and capacity limits.

​Summer 2018
​
Registration Begins Spring 2018

January 9-13, 2019

2019 Registration Begins on April 
​

Tip: The Dopey Challenge, Half Marathon, 5k and 10k sell out VERY soon so be sure to register as soon as it opens. 

​February 22-25, 2018

2018 Races SOLD OUT
​
Princess Half Marathon Updates: 
2014 Princess Half Marathon
2016 Princess Half Marathon

April 19-22, 2018

Registration Now Open

Star Wars Half Marathon - The Dark Side Updates: 
2016 Star Wars Half Marathon - The Dark Side 
​2017 Star Wars Half Marathon - The Dark Side ​

November 1-4, 2018
​
2018 Registration begins on March 13 (Noon Eastern) ​

​So what if you don't live near a Disney park or a runDisney race is out of your budget or you just refuse to pay that much? Never fear, because other theme parks have actually caught on and are now offering races of their own.

We have unfortunately received word that The Coaster Run has been Cancelled for 2018

The Coaster Run Updates: 
​2014 Knott's Coaster Run
2015 Knott's Coaster Run

May 19, 2018
​
Registration Now Open

Registration includes one voucher to purchase a $25 + tax Busch Gardens Tampa Bay admission, valid for one visit through Labor Day, September 3, 2018. Participants also receive a dri-fit (uni-sex) race shirt, finisher’s medal, race bib with timing chip, and light refreshments at the finish line.

General Registration = $25 (before April 15) 
Employee Registration = $15

No 2018 Date announced 
​

​Various Dates (See below)
Registration now open

April 21, 2018

Registration now open

Dream Big 5k Updates: 
2014 Dream Big 5k ​

Brick Dash = $35
Kids Fun Run = $25
Virtual 5k = $35

If there are any races missing from this list or you are hosting a theme park race you'd like us to feature please send us an email or comment below

​Related Updates: 

• Full Run-Down of Attractions coming to Six Flags in 2018
• Cedar Fair Announces New Attractions for 2018 Season
• ​​SeaWorld Orlando Announces Infinity Falls for Summer 2018
• Legoland California Announces New Ride and Hotel Set To Open in 2018
• HalloweenTime 2017 at the Disneyland Resort

If you enjoyed this update please share with your friends and make sure you "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter and Instagram. 

If you have any comments, please share them below. ​