Southern California

Four of the ten parks this site covers sit within about a hundred miles of Los Angeles, and they are operated by four different companies. Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia is the region's coaster capital and the reason most enthusiasts fly in. Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park is the oldest of the four and the home of America's original big haunt. Legoland California in Carlsbad is a first-coasters park for under-tens. SeaWorld San Diego rounds it out with a small, modern thrill lineup built around a waterfront.

The practical thing to understand is that nothing is shared. No multi-park ticket covers two of these parks, no line-skip product works across companies, and the pass ecosystems are separate. A Southern California coaster trip is two to four separate transactions, and the order you visit in should follow crowd logic — Magic Mountain on a weekday, Knott's on a weekday unless it is Scary Farm season, Legoland any morning, SeaWorld whenever the marine schedule suits you.

Traffic is the fourth park. Valencia, Buena Park, Carlsbad and Mission Bay are one to two hours apart on the freeways depending on when you drive, and the difference between a 7am start and a 9am start is often a full hour of I-5 or I-405. Plan the drives, not just the parks.