Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Reviews 4

BR

Bruce

To say have we come here is an understatement.  Although this park isnt as enormous or extravagant as a lot of other theme parks (Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, Universal Studios Hollywood) what it has going for them is that it sits on the beach!  You can enjoy part of the day on the rides and get a tan in the afternoon!   From the Santa Cruz Pier, you can take in the sights of the beach and ocean or settle down and dine at one of several restaurants that serve seafood.  The majority of the time, the weather conditions down in and around Santa Cruz is gorgeous, but be prepared to bring a sweater for inclement weather.   Parking during the week isnt problematic and unlike other theme parks where youre in for a walk after you have parked, here the parking is across the street.  However, "weekend parking" can get to be a challenge so get here early or anticipate a short walk.   And for the more adventurous, The Santa Cruz, Big Trees & Pacific Railway stops in the middle of Beach Street in front of the park!  A lot of the rides here are designed for the little ones but there are rides for older kids as well rides for the "thrill seekers!" "In my opinion," I would purchase an "Unlimited Rides Wristband" (unlimited rides wristbands $30.00, unlimited rides + 2 attractions, $37.00 and a 50 ticket strip, $43.00) so youre not shelling out the big bucks which can add up very quickly. For first timers to this park, I recommend you take the "Sky Rider" first which is a "tram-like basket" that seats four comfortably and travels from one end to the other.  This will give you a general idea of everything below the park and to better plan out your strategy. With fantastic views of the park, pier and beach, these were some of our favorite rides; Giant Dipper (Wooden Roller Coaster) Undertow (Steel Spinning Wild Mouse Coaster), Haunted Castle (Haunted Mansion Ride), Fireball (Revolution Ride), Merry Go-Round (Carousel), Tsunami (Himalaya), Sky Glider (Chairlift), and the Cave Train (Train/Dark Ride), just to name a few.   Of course we purchased the "Unlimited Wrist Bands" because we rode these rides several times during our visit.  At the conclusion of our day, we had supper along the coast to end this wonderful day. TIPS * Bring your money, ATMs will gouge in fees. * Bring your suntan lotion. * Like Hawaii, do like the locals, and bring your Sandals. * If you plan on staying for the evening, bug spray. * If you have followed me, always bring a jacket or sweater!

LA

Lauren Millar

My friends and I were attempting to organize a friendly meet-up here at the Boardwalk. We enjoy dressing up in mascots and we have a community that shares these mutual interests. The Boardwalk seemed like a very plausible option and we aimed to have this meet on April 1st. Around March 10th I sent an email requesting to have our group have our meet there. Two weeks passed by with no contact back despite having "we will get back to you shortly" displayed at the bottom of the form. I decided to call the actual front desk and I had asked if they even got my email, they redirected me to Brigid Fuller who was in charge of hosting guests events. Brigid did not answer so I called the front desk back and they told me to leave a message and that Brigid would call me back ASAP. Another week passed by and at that point I had not received any calls from the Boardwalk to discuss the meet-up. My other friend, who was trying to organize this meet with me, actually went to the Boardwalk with her father to sort this out. The Boardwalk manager simply gave them Brigids card and "shooed" them off without actually discussing anything to my friend and her father. My friends father called shortly after and Brigid did not answer, he called again the next day; no answer. This continued for about 4 days, she finally answered on the 4th day. Keep in mind that he called on business days, so there is no excuse for not answering. Brigid and my friends father discussed the meet, she said it was a possibility and said that she would call him back in a day or so about renting a room for us. That was March 23rd. Brigid did not contact us until today, TWO DAYS before the scheduled event only to tell us that we were not allowed to come. All in all, the boardwalk has an inexcusably poor customer service that desperately needs to be worked on. There is an extreme lack of professionalism and scheduling. If you are planning to use the Boardwalk for a birthday party, a friendly meet-up, or anything of the likes; do not do it. Your time will be entirely wasted, find a place that actually cares about their jobs.

FR

Frances Celentano

I love this place but there is inconsistencies with the ride operators. Just tried to ride the undertow, a ride I rode on Wednesday wearing same jacket with same bag over my shoulder no issues. Today I get all the way through the line and was made to get off ride. My bag was securely over my shoulder and underneath my zipped up jacket, I also wore it on the giant Dipper which is a lot more jumpy I had no issues with the bag. When I was told the bag needs to go in the locker I asked where are the signs. She pointed out a small sign that had an arrow and lockers in big letters, the rest were in little letters. Im at the beach and amusement park so to me that means lockers for clothes so I wouldnt particularly continue reading. I Get off the ride and try to leave but the chain was up and I was having a difficult time getting off the attendant just stares at me until I asked her are you going to let me out. The rest of my party continues on the ride and as I am waiting I noticed another operator standing near the entrance where are the seat tester and the entrance to the line are located. If she standing there watching wouldnt that be the opportune time to let people know they need to store in the locker instead of waiting till they get all the way through the line. I have no problem following the rules, its just frustrating when its not clearly marked, my items were clearly secured on my body, and The Operators arent consistent. This is a great ride, I enjoyed it very much so not being able to ride on it was very disappointing.

JA

Jason Hussein

Santa Cruz beach boardwalk is one of the most famous places in the Bay area. You have so many traveling to this location just to come see the boardwalk and all its glory. You have rides, arcades, mystery houses, pineapple dole whip, beaches, food, snacks and so much more. It is a great place but make sure you are comfortable with crowds because there are so much people here. The rides are okay price but what I would recommend is coming here at 5PM because the rides are so much cheaper here and youll have less crowds. Another thing is that the parking is really bad for here. You most likely will have to pay for parking which is a pain but hey, youll be right in front of the boardwalk! The best part of the boardwalk when all the rides lights up at night, it has a entirely different beautiful feel to it! Photographers be weary the security will tell you to stop taking pictures if you are using flash or any other equipment like a light ring. Even though in nowhere does it state that personal photography is not welcomed. Apparently people complained that we were too "distracting". This is not a good way to treat any customers especially for couple people not bothering anyone and minding their own business. For this reason I have to knock it one star because it felt really bad making a trip all the way out here just to be told we couldnt take photos. It is great if you are just here to enjoy but photography is an entirely different thing, you got be careful because of the beach boardcomplainers