One of my favorite amusement parks when I was young was Marine World Africa USA. I remember when it was in Redwood City in the South Bay and when it moved to its current location in Vallejo.
A few years ago, I was there with my husband, an college friend and her (then) boyfriend (now husband). The fact that the park seemed to be moving away from its animal center base and was becoming a more “action ride” based park wit animals came up. We weren’t too happy about the idea.
I still have reservations. I’m not sure it is all that good for the animals to be around all that whooshing, clinking, clanging and screaming.
I bring this up, because the transformation has come so far that the park is changing its name. On Jan. 17, the park announced it was changing its name to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom with “thrills by land, sea and sky.”
Marine World Africa USA was, according to the press release, “America’s original combination wildlife park, oceanarium and theme park.”
The park will open for the season on March 24, 2007, with areas organized into three areas: Land, Sea and Sky. “Each area will offer something special for every guest, as the new Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is designed to foster both physical and emotional discovery in a dynamic, family-friendly environment,” according to the release.
“The name Six Flags Discovery Kingdom now reflects every aspect of what makes the park so unique,” said Six Flags President and CEO Mark Shapiro. “Throughout its history, Marine World offered guests a truly distinctive theme park environment, and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom will build and improve on that great tradition. Only at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom can guests ride world-class coasters, feed giraffes, interact with dolphins and watch a killer whale glide through the water, all in one location.”
For more information, visit www.sixflags.com/parks/discoverykingdom/index.asp.
