On day one of our family vacation in San Diego, we visited an old school amusement park located in Mission Beach: Belmont Park. Here we share all the details on our adventure.
In Belmont Park you will find entertainment for kids of all ages, including a good selection of rides for little kids. Some rides have height restrictions. My girls are 5 and 3, their height is 40′ and 48′ and these are the rides they were able to enjoy.
Liberty Carrousel:
We started off our adventure in the Liberty Carrousel. It’s an antique reproduction of a traditional carousel with a special decorative touch: A series of 12 paintings recalling the city’s history. This has no height requirement.
Tilt-A-Whirl:
After the carrousel, we stopped at the Tilt-A-Whirl which consists of seven ice cream shaped units that rotate on individual tracks. The units are mounted on a large cable-driven turntable, which also rotates. I’m gonna tell you a secret between you and me: I was the only one who got dizzy in this ride. The girls were fine. LOL
Crazy Submarine:
Then we headed to a replica Mini-Submarine attached to two large mechanical arms that rotate the ride clockwise and counter-clockwise through the air, reaching a maximum height of twenty feet. Bonus points for the full size mural backdrop depicting an underwater scene. This was one of my girl’s favorites. And yes, the submarine is yellow!
Speedway:
After our trip, underwater the girls were ready for some NASCAR fun. Speedway is a ride especially designed for younger kids. It consists of two-seat cars that ride in an oval. The girls liked it so much that they repeated it a couple of times.
Zero Gravity:
When the girls were done with the cars we enjoyed a ride that is fun for kids and adults. This ride moves in an up and down and circle motion, guests are pulled up to the top of the tower and drop back down to a safe level. This was my favorite! I screamed like crazy though!
Belmont Express:
After such adrenaline, we needed a break so we got ready to enjoy a leisure train ride through the midway where we were able to see the whole park. We had a great view of the caboose!
Overdrive Bumper Cars:
Last but not least, these cars brought back childhood memories for my husband and I. The cars allow for two people, each of my girls were able to ride with either my husband or me. Overall this was the ride that all four of us enjoyed the most as a family as we chased and bumped each other’s cars.
I liked the number of rides and games available or young kids. If you have older kids there a whole lot of other options including laser tag, zip-lining, rock climbing, and more.
There’s also a wide variety of comfort food such as ice cream, burgers, and coffee. We were hot so we decided to try the ice cream at Sweet Shoppe. It was delicious and great for sharing since the servings are huge! They provide additional bowls so it’s easy to split and share.
Entrance at the Belmont Park is free, you pay per ride. Since we purchased the Go San Diego card we had all the rides covered. Public parking is available just steps away from the park.
While walking around the park we found little shops where you can buy small or huge souvenirs. We also found cut-outs for great photo ops.
Once we were done at the park, and since the weather was perfect, we walked to the beach to enjoy some salty water and sun. It is a memory I will treasure forever since it was Gigi’s first time at the beach ever.
This marked a great start for our family vacation! For more on our San Diego experience check our blog post about Legoland!
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Seems like a good place for kids and kids at heart during weekends. My kids will definitely enjoy the place!
Looks like you all had a great time. I love amusement parks. I cant wait to take my little guy when he is older.
I love knowing about different amusement parks..! Thisnone looks so great, thanks for sharing..!
I was in San Diego exactly a year ago to attend my bestfriends’s wedding. Such a lovely place.
Looks like you guys had lots of fun!
Reading this makes me feel like I’m in san diego. Very detailed. I’m looking forward to more travel blogs from your family.
Amusement parks bring out my inner child, there is so much to see and do. My family enjoys them. Looks like you guys had a great time.
I would love to go there one day, I’ve never been to San Diego…It would be a nice family vacation for sure.
Lovely pictures. I love San Diego beaches. In fact I have a blog post in my website. The kid is adorable.
That’s a great vacation, all sunny and I am sure your kids enjoyed it a lot. Love the color bursting in your photos.
this must be so fun. wish i could visit there too it looks like a great adventire and an enjoyable one
Looks like you really had fun! That is a good place for family vacation!
Now that was so fun for you and your family! The weather was so good for some fun time with family! Anyway, I’m still afraid of any rides that move me in a circular motion or up and down. Maybe I should face my fears too and visit a park, right?