Theme park thrills come in many different forms. For some, the excitement levels spike during a photo op with a favorite character. For others, it’s all about riding a roller coaster that takes your breath away. And for a certain type of guest, the biggest rush of adrenaline comes when they realize they can walk right onto a ride—without standing in line.
While you can often minimize wait times by visiting a theme park on weekdays or during the quieter seasons, most California theme parks also have programs that guarantee some sort of front-of-line access on any day. Typically, you buy these passes as an add-on when you purchase your admission tickets online.
While these programs admittedly add a little cost to your theme park visit, they can also add plenty of value, especially if your priority is covering a lot of ground and experiencing the most popular rides. For families, minimizing the waits that can try the patience of little kids (and their parents) can also be priceless.
Here’s how to skip the lines at ten California theme parks, listed south to north:
Sesame Place San Diego: Magic Queue
Located about seven miles from downtown San Diego, this Chula Vista theme park offers a mix of water park fun, classic rides, and live shows starring the characters from Sesame Street. Its Magic Queue system, which works with an issued ticket or wristband, offers a few different options (and prices, based on the particular date of your visit): one-time priority access to each of the dry rides ($19.99–$79.99 per person) or unlimited access to both dry and wet rides ($29.99–$99.99). Purchase the upgrade when you buy your ticket or add it using the Sesame Place Mobile App).
SeaWorld San Diego: Quick Queue & Reserved Seating
You have a few different line-skipping options at the San Diego theme park, which come in the form of either a printed ticket or a bar code on your phone. Starting at $39.99 extra per person, a Quick Queue pass gives you unlimited front-of-the-line access and reserved seating to Arctic Rescue. Or you can pay $9.99 for a reserved seat at La Viva Musica live show.
You could also get the combo: For rates starting at $29.99 per person, Quick Queue Premiere lets you skip the lines on those four rides plus get reserved seating. (Note that these are starting prices, and can be higher, depending on the day). You can also buy single-ride Quick Queue Junior passes for select younger-kid rides starting at $4.99 each.
LEGOLAND California: Reserve ’N’ Ride
The Carlsbad theme park uses a line-skipping reservation system that works through your phone or a device available at a kiosk inside the park. Choose from three levels of line-skipping speed: Express (starting from $35 per person), Deluxe (starting from $55), and Ultimate (starting from $100). Then, book your ride times at about a dozen of the most popular rides, including Emmett’s Flying Adventure Ride, The Dragon, and LEGO CITY: Deep Sea Adventure. Note that there are a limited number of Reserve ’N’ Ride passes available each day at the San Diego County park, sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
Disneyland Resort: Genie+ and Lightning Lanes
The new system for skipping lines at the Anaheim parks, which replaces the former Fastpass system, starts at $30 per person (prices vary by date) as an add-on to your admission ticket.
Start by downloading the free Disneyland Resort App to your phone, which includes the free “Genie” service where you can see wait times for rides, order food, or map out an itinerary for your day. Paying for Genie+ (note the “+”) lets you also use the app to reserve one turn in the no-wait Lightning Lanes at each of the 19 participating rides, including Haunted Mansion, Incredicoaster, and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
With or without Genie+, you can also use the app to purchase up to two individual Lightning Lane passes each day of your visit to the iconic parks, which can be used at three rides: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Radiator Springs Racers, and Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure. Prices for these à la carte passes range from $7–$25 per person.
Knott’s Berry Farm: Fast Lane
The Buena Park theme park has a pretty simple system: Pay from $74 extra per ticket for a wristband that gives you unlimited front-of-line access on a variety of rides, including HangTime, Calico River Rapids, and GhostRider. Check the calendar when you book: Fast Lane passes are only available on certain days—typically the busiest ones—and the Orange County park only sells a limited number of passes per day.
Universal Studios Hollywood: Universal Express
Buy an Express ticket when you book your visit to the Los Angeles theme park and you’ll get to skip the line one time for each ride, attraction, or seated show. The additional cost for a one-day Universal Express ticket at the movie-and-TV-themed park starts at $100 extra per person, but varies depending on the date.
Six Flags Magic Mountain: Flash Passes
Use your smart phone or a park-issued device to skip the line at this Santa Clarita park that’s known for its intense coasters. Select your ride and timeframe, and you’ll get an alert when it’s your turn. Choose from three levels: Standard ($70, for wait times reduced by 25 percent), Premium ($95, waits reduced by 50 percent), or Ultimate ($170, with which the park promises “immediate” entry). The Flash Pass is good for unlimited turns on 20 rides.
Gilroy Gardens: Fast Lane
Pay $35 extra per ticket for a wristband that sends you to the front of the line at 20 rides all day long within the Gilroy amusement park. The little-kid-friendly park also offers a group deal: If you’re buying at least three wristbands, the price goes down to $25 per person.
California’s Great America: Fast Lane
Buy a wristband that starts at $59 extra per person, and you can skip the line, for unlimited turns, on 18 popular rides at the Santa Clara theme park, including RailBlazer, Patriot, and Gold Striker. Note that the Silicon Valley theme park only sells a limited number of Fast Lane passes per day, and only on select days. (Passes tend not to be available on off-season weekdays when lines would be shorter anyway.)
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom: Flash Passes
Using your smart phone or a park-issued device, book ride reservations at seven rides at this Vallejo theme park, then you’ll get an alert when it’s time to show up. Choose from three levels: Standard ($50), Premium ($70, waits reduced by half), or Ultimate ($115, which allows “immediate” entry). Flash Passes are good for unlimited turns on more than a dozen popular rides, including The Joker, The Flash: Vertical Velocity, and Wonder Woman: Lasso of Truth. Also offered at the Bay Area park is the Flash Pass Junior Premium (starting at $25), for half the wait time to board certain kid- and family-friendly attractions, and the Flash Pass Junior Ultimate (starting at $35), for immediate access.