When I heard the historic Giant Dipper at Belmont Park was going to be celebrating its 90th anniversary, I just had to make a trip to visit. As a native San Diegan, I remember exploring Belmont Park and going on the rides with all my friends when I was younger. Now as an adult, it was a new experience entirely. I walked to the ticket booth and saw they offered individual tickets for $1 apiece, 45 tickets for $40, or an unlimited ride wristband for $28.95 ($17.95 for under 48 inches). I thought the best deal was the unlimited ride wristband. The rides are open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays; I was going to enjoy myself for the entire day. As I looked over the rides they had, I noticed a few new additions to the park – Zip Line, Leap of Faith, Rock Wall, and the LazerMaze. It was too hard to stay away from these new adventures. As I began to walk through the park, I immediately saw the famous Giant Dipper roller coaster and knew that that would be a perfect start. This historical wooden roller coaster was built in 1925, and restored in 1990, has provided joy to a number of riders throughout its years. As I took my seat, I knew it wasn’t going to be a wild ride; this coaster has a special charm and character to it that is unlike any other. The Giant Dipper passed through a dark tunnel before making its way up the first incline. Once at the top, I knew it was a matter of seconds until my stomach would drop from that first hill. From there, it was full speed through all the hills and turns for the 1 minute and 45 second duration of the ride. Finally, we made it back to the beginning and all I wanted to do was ride it again.
After another ride on the Giant Dipper, I made my way to the Liberty Carousel, which brought me feelings of nostalgia. Next, I went on the Crazy Submarine and the Tilt-A-Whirl, both classic Belmont Park rides. After that, I went on the Beach Blaster where I had one of the most thrilling experiences of the day. This machine took me swinging 60 feet in the air, swinging 120 degrees like a pendulum. Once I had gone on most of the attractions, I decided to take a little break and explore the arcade. It has classic vintage games such as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong mixed with more modern arcade games as well. After a fun arcade break, I just had to check out some of the new attractions. I headed over to the new Zip Line first ($10 per person for two zips). I suited up and made my way up the stairs to my decent. This adrenaline filled adventure was definitely one for the books. Then I went for the Sky Climb Rock Wall ($6 per person) where I had to choose a rock wall based on difficulty. I opted for the medium difficulty and climbed 30 feet to the top. Right next to the Rock Wall was the Speedwall ($6 per person), where you can race a friend in some friendly competition. Though I was too scared to take the Leap of Faith, the newest free-falling attraction, it is one to get your adrenaline pumping. Last, I tested my skills in the LazerMaze ($3 per person or $10 unlimited play). This is a “Mission Impossible”-style timed course and has players ducking, diving, and rolling to navigate the obstacles as quickly as possible to complete the objective without breaking the laser. Even though I did not go on a few of the rides (I was a little too big), I saw that the little kids who did enjoyed themselves very much. Full of fun and adventure, Belmont Park is a great way to spend the day and I’m sure to be coming back this summer. Bianca Weinstein is the social media reporter for sdnews.com. This spring and summer, she will be exploring places on the coast and trying out fun things to do for locals and visitors. Contact her at [email protected]. Belmont Park Where: 3146 Mission Blvd, Mission Beach
Hours: The rides are open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays. Contact: (858) 228-9283 or belmontpark.com