Trip Report for Belmont Park
7/17/04
Crowds/Weather: Crowded/Hot

Park Rating
Mike: 3 out of 5
Mike’s Park Comments: Belmot Park is a micro park in a great beach location.

The star attraction, the Big Dipper, is indeed a reason to make the trip to San Diego. It’s not the layout or the cars or the airtime that make this a destination attraction – it’s the pure romance of the whole experience.

Parking in this area in the summer on a weekend was pure hell. Unlike Santa Cruz, there are no private lots willing to overcharge you if you decide to give up on public parking. And there were no available spaces. As late in the afternoon as 4pm, hundreds of cars (mine included) jostled, howled, idled and pushed for the 1 or 2 spaces that would open up every 10 minutes or so. The only way to get a space? Drive like a gigantic asshole. And after 30 minutes of white knuckled defeat, I began driving like a pushy, self-centered asshole and had a parking spot 10 minutes later.

I love going to small, regional parks on weekends. Unlike the corporate parks, I like seeing these places filled to or even bursting their own capacity, and it was just as I like it with Belmont Park.. Except for the parking, that is… If going, I suggest avoiding the summer weekends because of the parking, unless there’s a bus.

As for the park, there’s not a lot to do after the coaster, especially if you’re not a beach person. Regardless, this is a really sweet, really cool park.

Clarisse: 3 out of 5
Clarisse’s Park Comments: Belmont Park is a beach side park in San Diego. Unfortunately it has no dedicated parking lot, this means that there is very heavy competition for parking. There is a very beachy vibe to the park and its surrounding eateries and retail stores. Since the beach is adjacent to the park, the park is mostly full of beach goers.

Belmont park is a very small park with one coaster and a few other flat rides. When you visit, make sure to visit the museum by the ticket booth. This tiny museum/gift shop has pictures of the coaster along the ages. It has information in the history of the coaster along with a scale replica of the coaster made of toothpicks or matchsticks.

Giant Dipper

Mike: 4.5 out of 5
Comments: Giant Dipper makes up for being not the best wood coaster in the world by having a great beach location, a rich and interesting history, and being located in a park where people obviously love the coaster - everyone screams in the tunnel, and kids race each other to reride. If it were in the back of a Six Flags park I’d probably give this coaster a 4. But the ability to go up this life hill on a hot summer night, hearing the water and seeing the small park lights below me – that creates an atmosphere that can’t even be quantified in points.

Clarisse: 4.2 out of 5
Comments: The Giant Dipper is a classic old wood coaster. It’s violent and jarring and features a spectacularly spine crushing drop. It also lifts you out of your seat with spine lengthening airtime. As the coaster leaves the station it goes through a tunnel, and the screaming that goes on in the tunnel helps psych you up for the ride. The Giant Dipper is nicely situated with views of the bay and ocean. Riders can also see the sand under the coaster which is pretty cool (even though the rest of the park is paved).

Chaos

Mike: 2.75 out of 5
Comments: Our first and only Chaos. Requisite points for turning me upside down.

Clarisse: N/A out of 5
Comments: 2 riders are placed in a free flipping cage that’s attached to a spinning disk. This disk then is raised and lowered on one side, changing the angle of rotation,. Depending on what angle the disk is, and how high the car is, the more the riders’ cage will flip. so basically this ride will turn you upside down and spins you dizzy. This is fun for some while it makes others ill. I liked it.