Disclosure: We were invited to attend a media preview. All opinions are our own.
We love Irvine Park Railroad's annual Pumpkin Patch and have been going since our youngest son was 5 months old. We just recently discovered they also host other holiday activities like this Easter Eggstravaganza thanks to Mary.
TRAIN RIDES
One of the biggest hits at the park is their train ride. My kids' two favorite rides at Irvine Park Railroad is the train and the pony ride. Since there was a short line for the train, we took full advantage and jumped on the train first. All passengers over 12 months must have a ticket to ride the train. Tickets are $5 each or you can buy 15 tickets for $60 which will save you $15.
PONY RIDE
Our second activity was the pony ride which doesn't take tickets, so you'll have to pay with cash (Note: they don't accept credit cards). Each ride is $5. On this ride, the pony takes the kids around the oval track three times. For younger kids, parents must walk around the track with their child. Older kids can ride by themselves as a staff members trot them around the track.
COOKIE DECORATING
After this event, we took the kids over to decorate cookies. The cookie decorating station cost 1 ticket per child. These cookies were HUGE! They were given a large cookie where they were allowed to choose one color of icing for their first layer. It really didn't matter which color they picked, because once you sat down to decorate the cookies, there were even more colors to pick from! On top of that, they had all types of sprinkles they can dust or dump (in our case) on their little creations. (Tip: make sure you have wet naps/baby wipes or napkins because the icing does get all over their little fingers.)
INFLATABLE HOUSE TIP
Every kid loves to do a little jumping in the jump house; every kid but my kids. Maybe it was a bad idea to show them the cookie station first, because my kids sat on the sidelines enjoying their cookie while our friend's kids jumped in one of their 3 jump houses.
MEETING THE EASTER BUNNY!
My daughter has never seen or sat on the Easter bunny's lap before so she opted out. (Maybe if the bunny had a white beard and said "Merry Christmas" that might have changed her position), but my son and my friends daughter decided to meet the bunny and take a photo together.
OTHER ACTIVITIES:
Unfortunately, we couldn't attend the egg hunt because we had other plans later in the afternoon. However, they had egg hunts going ever hour on the hour. They were broken up by age groups, and they only allow 55 kids per hunt. (TIP: make sure you bring your own Easter egg basket or bag, they don't provide one for the kids, but they do have some for purchase). This event is also 1 ticket ($5), and requires you to register your child for the specific time slot. Be sure to arrive early to do this as your desired time may not be available.
Other activities include:
My kids had a blast! If you and your family have the energy (with more daylight this time of year), you can visit the rest of Irvine Regional Park. They have playgrounds, walking trails, bike rentals, paddle boating, ponds where you can feed ducks, and the OC Zoo.
- Face painting (2 tickets),
- Carnival games (1 ticket),
- Hay ride (1 ticket), and
- Picture stands (free).
My kids had a blast! If you and your family have the energy (with more daylight this time of year), you can visit the rest of Irvine Regional Park. They have playgrounds, walking trails, bike rentals, paddle boating, ponds where you can feed ducks, and the OC Zoo.
STROLLERS & PICNIC:
There's plenty of room to maneuver with any type of stroller (even the extra wide/bulky double-stroller.) Since there are no pumpkins blocking the way during this event, bringing your stroller is a good idea if you have little ones. While you're at it, pack some snacks or a lunch for the family, there are picnic tables around the area so you can sit down and have lunch or snacks, then continue with all their activities.
PARKING:
Because we've been coming to the Pumpkin Patch the past 6 years, we have an idea on what to expect when it comes to the parking. They charge $5.00 for parking just to enter the park. So if you're there for the Eggstravaganza event or if you're there to visit the park, it's the same price. We aim to arrive at the park around 10 am to avoid the lines at the gate and to find close parking.
Last year at the pumpkin patch, we had a rather large group. To accommodate all families, we met up at the park around 12 pm. That was a huge mistake, the line of cars backed up past Jamboree & E Santiago Canyon Road. (TIP: If you have to go later in the day when the line is typically longer, I would suggest coming in from E. Santiago Canyon. Lines were shorter than coming from Jamboree).
If you can make it earlier in the day, there's really no line, and chances are you will get close parking. (TIP: The parking lot is dirt and gravel so make sure your windows are rolled up so you're not breathing in any dust. Also, the area where you'll spend most of your time is either going to be dirt, hay or grass so make sure you wear comfortable shoes.)
Irvine Park Railroad is located inside Irvine Regional Park at 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, California. For more information, please visit a previous post here.
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A review by Dustin Doi. Dustin blogs at FirstCapitalBusinessFinance.com. Dustin is from Mission Viejo, and he loves spending time with his wife and kids. He enjoys taking them fishing, Disneyland, dining out, movies, and exploring new things. Photos by Dustin Doi.
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