Discover Card and Six Flags are working together to promote their partnership, and offer some great incentives for using your Discover Card at Six Flags locations across the country. I am also excited to announce our partnership with Discover Card and Six Flags this summer. For complete details, and a chance to win four (4) tickets to any of the Six Flags parks, please scroll to the bottom of this post.

When I was younger, and growing up so close to Cedar Point and their gut-wrenching roller coasters, I would force my body into the thrill and adventure of the biggest and wildest roller coasters that existed. Then I grew up and began to realize my body does not like to be punished by going into both positive and negatives Gs while soaring at speeds I normally drive down the freeway. So since my adult years, I pretty much venture away from amusement parks that only cater to the thrill seeking type, but that changed once we had kids.

While our boys are far to young to want to even get in the queue line of the big roller coasters, there is plenty for a family to experience at an amusement park. There are always shows, kid specific areas, train rides, enjoying the fair food, and just walking around to experience the theming and environment. Besides multiple trips to Disney Parks, which do not even consider to be in the same category as other parks, we have since taken the boys to Cedar Point, as well as visited Hershey Park, and at both parks had a fantastic experience keeping the boys entertained for the day.

What I learned is that there really is plenty to do at amusement parks without ever stepping foot on a roller coaster. More than ever, as we set out to explore new areas of the Country, Six Flags becomes a great day-filling option. So lets explore how the various Six Flags parks across the United States compare for entertaining the kids, when large thrill rides are not on the agenda. I was also curious about the trains at each park (who could have guessed?), so I list them as well.

InACents Tip #1: At all the Six Flags parks, children under 2 are free.

California

Discovery Kingdom (Vallego- Near San Francisco/Sacramento, CA): Six Flags Discovery Kingdom has three kids areas just for young fans, including Seaside Junction and Looney Tunes Seaport. 24 rides/attraction are listed as kid friendly, with another 10 rides as family rated.

Discover Kingdom also features the following train rides: Foghorn’s Seaport Railway and the Seaside Railway.

Magic Mountain/Hurricane Harbor (Los Angeles, CA): Six Flags Magic Mountain has more family friendly rides than any other theme park in Southern California! There are 10 kids rides and 15 family rated rides.

Magic Mountain features the following trains: FOGHORN LEGHORN’S Barn and Railway and Whistlestop Park.

Georgia

Over Georgia/White Water (Atlanta): Six Flags Georgia has put together a wonderful list of 45 Fun Things to Do with Kids, including 17 kids attractions and 9 family rides.

Choo-Choo Trains include the Dahlonega Mine Train and Six Flags Railroad.

Illinois

Great America & Hurricane Harbor (Chicago): Six Flags Great America has three kids areas just for young fans, including KIDZOPOLIS and Skull Island. Interspersed throughout the park are 13 kid rides and 25 family rides.

Train rides appear to be limited to the Six Flags Scenic Railway.

Maryland

Six Flags America (Baltimore/Washington D.C.): This park features two areas for kids, LOONEY TUNES MOVIE TOWN and Whistlestop Park. Kids can enjoy 19 rides and an additional 22 family rides.

Train rides include FOGHORN LEGHORN’S TINSEL TOWN TRAIN, Happy Junction (train parade), and Whistlestop Train.

Massachusetts

New England (Springfield): Six Flags New England has kids areas just for young fans, including Looney Tunes Movie Town and KIDZOPOLIS. Little ones are able to enjoy 16 rides, and their family can ride 17 additional rides.

No trains, means no go for us.

Missouri

St Louis (Missouri): Six Flags St. Louis has 22 great rides just for young fans. Pair that with an additional 20 family rides.

All aboard these choo-choo trains: Bugs Bunny National Park Train Station, Foghorn Leghorn National Park Railway, and Tommy G. Robertson Railroad.

New Jersey

Great Adventure, Wild Safari, & Hurricane Harbor (New Jersey): There are 3 kids areas within this park: Safari Kids, Bugs Bunny National Park, and Looney Tunes Seaport, including 20 kid rides and 19 family attractions.

Take the kids and ride the Foghorn Leghorn’s Stagecoach Express.

New York

The Great Escape (Lake George, NY): Kids rides appear to be limited 11 rides, but makes up for it with 29 family rated attractions.

Trains are limited to a Ranger Randy’s Railway and Storytown Train.

Texas

Fiesta Texas/Hurricane Harbor (San Antonio): Six Flags Fiesta Texas has over 20 great rides just for young fans, although only 16 are listed on the site. An additional 13 family rides are available.

Several train rides include Der Pilger Bahnhof, Foghorn Leghorn’s Barnyard Railway, and Whistle Stop.

Over Texas (Arlington TX): Six Flags Over Texas has over 30 great rides just for young fans, yet again only 11 are listed on the site. 22 Family rides are listed for those a little older.

Ride a 107-year-old Charles Jefferson Patton steam engine on the Texas Depot.

InACents Tip #2: If for any reason you are interested in either attending one of the parks more than once per season, or have the possibility of visiting a second or more parks in a season, I strongly recommend upgrading your ticket to a season pass. The difference in cost is only typically $5-15 more, making the saving realized within the second visit.

Discover Card and Six Flags Benefits

With all that being said, Discover Card (Facebook/Twitter) continues to offer some really great benefits to those attending Six Flags amusement parks.

• Instant 5% discount on all Six Flags online and in-park purchases, including admission tickets, food, merchandise, souvenirs and more.
• July through September 2012, 5% Cashback Bonus on all gas, theme park and movies on up to $1,500 in purchases.
• Expedited entrance into the park during the first two hours of operation each day.

Discover Card also often has exclusive deals on Six Flags tickets and packages via their Cashback bonus center.

In addition, Six Flags has a Read to Succeed program where kids can earn free tickets to Six Flags by simply reading. Registration is currently over, but look for it to possibly return later in the year.

Contest

Discover Card and Six Flags would like to offer one of our readers four (4) tickets to any Six Flags park of your choosing. Tickets are valid through December 2012.

Entering is easy.

1. Follow InACents on Twitter.
2. Tweet us with which park you would like to attend, and be sure to include #DiscoverSixFlagsContest @InACents @Discover and @SixFlags.

The contest will run until Wednesday, August 8, 2012 at noon EST. I will randomly select a winner from those that entered. If I do not hear from the winner within 24 hours, I will select another winner. Good luck and thank you to everyone for making InACents a success!

Discover Card graciously sponsored this post and provided the tickets possible for this contest.