Valleyfair Amusement Park boasts thrilling rides, entertaining reside exhibits, numerous carnival video games, and a full-sized water park. For a fun-filled day, observe these 15 suggestions for visiting the largest theme park in Minnesota. Study in regards to the scariest rides for thrill seekers, the most effective sights for younger children, what to eat, methods to discover reductions, and extra!
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1. Be ready to pay for parking.
Don’t be shocked when you should pay a every day parking payment along with your admission tickets. As a Cedar Honest property, Valleyfair’s entrance charges are extra inexpensive than these of a Disney or Common theme park. Nonetheless, parking isn’t precisely low cost, so chances are you’ll need to carpool if visiting with buddies to avoid wasting on bills.
Fortunately, Valleyfair gives a Park N Play possibility that features parking. This feature is sweet by means of June 30 in 2024.
2. Lower your expenses at Valleyfair.
Benefit from discounted Valleyfair Amusement Park ticket choices. While you join the Valleyfair e-newsletter and textual content notifications (by way of their cellular app or web site), chances are you’ll obtain particular gives on tickets plus bargains to be used within the park. Those that plan to go greater than as soon as will save much more by buying a season move.
It’s also possible to usually discover reductions by means of Groupon. Moreover, for a few years, native reductions have been supplied at native Cub grocery shops.
On a decent funds? Get tricks to get monetary savings on household trip, from inventive souvenirs to different lodging.
3. Make a experience plan.
Valleyfair Amusement Park gives an app with a map, experience descriptions, thrill ranges, rider top necessities, and Quick Lane eligibility. In years previous, experience wait occasions weren’t offered, however now you’ll be able to see how lengthy you’ll must queue up for every attraction, making navigating the park way more manageable.
Earlier than you arrive, assessment Valleyfair’s web site or app to determine which rides are most essential for all relations. Then attempt to group sights by space of the park and experience the large hitters first. As with most theme parks, your greatest guess to keep away from lengthy traces is to reach within the morning when Valleyfair first opens.
Sometimes, the newer and extra thrilling the experience, the longer the road. The green-colored metal curler coaster, Wild Factor, is arguably the scariest experience at Valleyfair, reaching as much as 74 miles (or 114 kilometers) per hour. One other widespread possibility for daredevils is the North Star, an excessive swing experience that spins atop a 230-foot (70-meter) tower.
4. Take pleasure in household rides for all ages collectively.
Valleyfair is dwelling to quite a few massive curler coasters, plus 17 rides and sights only for youngsters in Planet Snoopy. Nevertheless, it doesn’t supply many sights that the entire household can take pleasure in collectively. Fortunately, there are a handful that enchantment to all ages.
Conventional Theme Park Rides
Valleyfair gives a number of conventional amusement parks, similar to bumper automobiles, the carousel, and a Ferris wheel that enchantment to households. Search for these sprinkled all through the park.
Vintage Autos
Vintage Autos was considered one of my favourite rides from my Minnesota childhood. On this experience, youthful children drive their dad and mom in old style automobiles alongside a scenic path with a middle information rail to maintain automobiles on monitor.
Mad Mouse
For a mellow coaster expertise, children 44″+ can take off with dad and mom and greater siblings on Mad Mouse. It is a good experience to hit very first thing within the morning since automobiles match solely 4 folks every and it takes a very long time to load and off-load.
Minnesota River Valley Railroad
Minnesota River Valley Railroad has no top restrictions and chugs by means of the park. However plan to attend a very long time at stops on the entrance gate and Planet Snoopy.
Household Water Rides
After all, if you have to cool off on a sizzling day, you possibly can head to Soak Metropolis at Valleyfair. However there are additionally a few water rides inside the principle theme park for riders 46″+. Thunder Canyon water rapids experience is an effective alternative for households with children.
Followers of the Nineties film Little Massive League also needs to take a activate the Wave. It’s a brief experience with an enormous splash, which was featured within the Minnesota-based movie.
5. Plan to separate up.
If visiting this Twin Cities’ amusement park with a big group or with children of various ages, chances are you’ll need to break up up for some time. Select a selected time and place to fulfill up with older, accountable tweens and teenagers, and be certain everybody’s smartphone is charged in case you’ll be able to’t discover one another.
About half of the rides in Planet Snoopy might be ridden by youngsters alone whereas dad and mom and grandparents wave from the aspect. The opposite half require an grownup companion, relying on top limitations. Though mother and pop might love watching wee ones on Woodstock Whirlybirds and driving Snoopy’s Rocket Coaster with youthful children, older siblings will doubtless get bored shortly on this space of the park.
Nervous about shedding younger youngsters whereas exploring Valleyfair Theme Park? Observe these household security suggestions to stay collectively and study what to do when you ought to grow to be separated.
6. Know when to go to Valleyfair.
Valleyfair Amusement Park runs seasonally from spring in mid-Could by means of Labor Day annually with seasonal autumn hours. In summer time, the Soak Metropolis Water Park opens per week or two later and retains sliders cool on muggy Midwestern days.
Verify the Valleyfair calendar for particular occasions like Corn Fest and Latin Days. Count on a superb fireworks show if visiting this theme park on the Fourth of July. Within the fall, Valleyfair gives restricted hours on weekends just for ValleySCARE and Methods and Treats.
7. Have fun Halloween season at Valleyfair.
Valleyfair’s fall festivities are the Higher Midwest’s largest Halloween attraction. Through the day, anticipate not-so-scary choices at Methods and Treats, with a fancy dress contest, trick-or-treating, particular meals, and extra.
At night time, issues flip spooky at ValleyScare with a number of haunted mazes and reside exhibits just like the Sinister Circus. When you dare, wander by means of Scare Zones full of fog and creepy creatures, which encompass a number of the park’s most thrilling rides.
8. Spend money on Quick Lane.
When you have restricted time within the park and love thrill rides, then you definitely may need to put money into Quick Lane. I used to be fairly jealous after I watched Quick Lane holders saunter onto rides for which I’d been ready for practically an hour.
For a further (hefty!) payment, you’ll obtain a Quick Lane wristband that lets you bypass the common traces on widespread rides like Excessive Curler, Renegade, and Metal Venom curler coasters.
9. Plan a separate day at Soak Metropolis Waterpark.
Soak Metropolis Water Park admission is included together with your Valleyfair ticket fare. Nevertheless, with so many rides, video games, and exhibits, tackling each the theme park and the water park in at some point could be exhausting. When you do determine to do each Soak Metropolis and Valleyfair in at some point, you’ll be able to stow swimsuits and towels in rentable lockers close to the park’s fundamental entrance.
Sometimes, you should buy discounted two-day tickets to unfold out the enjoyable as an alternative. Then, your loved ones can deal with splashy leisure at some point and dry-land amusements on the opposite.
Cool off on sizzling days at Valleyfair’s Soak Metropolis Waterpark. Take pleasure in Breakers Bay Wave Pool, float alongside Ripple Rapids lazy river, and play on the Splash Station or Barefoot Seashore Splash Pad. Quite a few thrilling water slides preserve intrepid teenagers and grownups content material. Lounge chairs and life jackets can be found at no further cost for all ages.
10. Refill on Valleyfair meals.
In my expertise, Cedar Honest amusement park meals is underwhelming. (The exception to this rule is Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California!) With the announcement of a brand new govt chef and 4 new eateries in 2024, nevertheless, I’m hopeful that Valleyfair’s culinary choices are on the upswing.
Search for “up-north” delicacies at Fortunate Loon, serving roasts, salads, and breaded hen. In the meantime, Renegade Smokehouse guarantees slow-smoked meats and hearty sides to hungry parkgoers. Additionally, you’ll be able to depend on chain-brand quick meals choices like Caribou Espresso, Panda Categorical, Auntie Anne’s, and Subway within the park.
11. Pack a picnic.
You may’t deliver exterior meals for meals into the park. The picnic grounds at Valleyfair Amusement Park are just for catered occasions, so don’t get fooled by the Picnic Level indicators.
As a substitute, pack a picnic in a cooler with ice packs to depart in your automotive within the parking zone and go eat at a close-by park. Homeward Hills Park is simply 2 miles from Valleyfair, and Staring Lake Park is 2.5 miles away. These looking for vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free delicacies will discover eating choices however bringing your personal meals is at all times the most secure alternative for these with extreme meals allergy symptoms.
12. Convey bottled water.
Each visitor is allowed to deliver one sealed water bottle into Valleyfair. Refill stations are positioned all through the amusement park.
It’s essential to remain hydrated whereas strolling and enjoying within the solar all day. Plus, bringing your personal bottle to refill is best on your pocketbook and the atmosphere.
13. Get your picture taken on the Olde Time Picture Store.
You’ll desire a memento of your loved ones’s go to to Valleyfair Amusement Park. Pop into the Olde Time Picture Store for an old style {photograph} full with Wild West dress-up clothes and props.
My husband and I went to this theme park a number of months after we began courting and acquired considered one of these memento images taken. It’s nonetheless displayed on his dwelling workplace desk. This picture makes me blissful each time I have a look at it, remembering the enjoyable we had at Valleyfair all these years in the past!
14. Search for reside leisure.
Minnesota’s largest amusement park is understood for its curler coasters, kiddie rides, carnival video games, and water slides. However households may even take pleasure in reside leisure throughout a day at Valleyfair. Verify the cellular app for showtimes plus appearances by Peanuts Gang characters.
There are two fundamental phases to absorb a present: Peanuts Showplace in Planet Snoopy, that includes kid-friendly programming, and Loon Touchdown with rockin’ and poppin’ musical performances. You may also catch some singing and dancing spectacles as you stroll all through the park.
15. Schedule journey time.
Valleyfair Amusement Park is positioned in Shakopee, a suburb southeast of the Twin Cities. With out visitors delays, it should take you about half-hour to achieve the theme park by automotive from downtown Minneapolis. Add one other 10 minutes or so if coming from St. Paul. There’s loads to maintain your loved ones amused after you get there, so plan to remain for a whole day of play.
Discover Extra of the Midwest
Discover tons of enjoyable issues to do at Mall of America in Minnesota, just like the indoor Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park.
About 20 minutes from Valleyfair is Prince’s former dwelling and recording studio in Chanhassen. Study what it’s wish to tour Paisley Park.
Uncover Duluth with children, dwelling to Lake Superior and many family-friendly sights.
Check out kid-friendly actions in Branson, the reside leisure capital of the U.S.
Expertise Chicago with children, from free actions at Millenium Park to the Windy Metropolis’s well-known deep-dish pizza.
Save These Valleyfair Ideas
Planning to go to Valleyfair with children or with out? Make sure to save these theme park tricks to take advantage of your day. Go forward and observe Journey Mamas on Pinterest whilst you’re at it!
Have you ever ever visited a Cedar Honest Theme Park? Do you’ve gotten any questions or extra suggestions for visiting Valleyfair Amusement Park? Tell us within the feedback under!
A Notice from The Journey Mama: Valleyfair not too long ago offered my household of 4 with one-day media tickets. All opinions are mine, as at all times.