An amazing family afternoon!…read more I would definitely recommend OC Zoo located in Irvine Regional park. Easy to park, very economical, only 2.00 per adult to enter. Wonderful wildlife including a Puma, Jaguar, Tortoise, Goats, bears and my favorite the tiniest falcon! Shout out to Gillian, the docent of the falcon. Amazing on her presentation of the falcon. Very knowledgeable, a true GEM of the zoo!

Let's get down to the nitty gritty…read more.. This is a great zoo. I'm not throwing and shade. However, if you are traveling from far away, or even out of state/ country, this zoo may not be your cup of tea. Here's why. They don't have a huge variety of animals here. If you are wanting to see all the animals, then you should go to the San Diego Zoo. That zoo reigns supreme of all Zoo's for Souther California. The Orange County Zoo is nice, and great. However, they don't have a huge variety of animals here. They also have lots of disabled animals. If you are looking to see healthy animals, again the San Diego Zoo is your place. Now cost wise, this zoo is way cheaper than the San Diego Zoo. That is something to consider. I think all zoos are wonderful because they house and care for animals. I do think it is worth knowing what you want to see at the zoo and then decide which one will fit your needs. That being said, The Orange County Zoo is a great zoo. It is clean and you will see some animals for a very cheap price. If you don't mind seeing animals who are being rehabilitated, this is a good zoo.

I've taken my child to this park quite a few times already. I like how it is somehow "isolated"…read morefrom the city although it's close to the city. The park charges $5 for all day parking. Plenty of parking, the park itself is huge and lot of activities to do. We recently went for the easter activities. They had Easter egg hunt (which you have to pay for and limit is 10 eggs per child), bounce houses, train rides, and other activities. They a photo with the bunny ($20 per pose which includes 1 printed copy). On a regular day, you can visit the OC zoo, go biking, fishing, picnic or just simply hang out. Overall, I would recommend this park for all family weekend!

Tourist trap The…read moretrain station, area and train itself is well decorated. The ride is smooth and the employees were friendly. The price for one loop was expensive and only lasted a few minutes. It may be a good one-time visit for toddlers and small children but not worth going again. The young one did not like the ride as much as the pony ride. She found the train announcer/tour guide to talk too much and not allow kids to enjoy the views.

Very pleasant experience overall. Sofia, Cheyenne and the rest of the staff were patient and very…read moreattentive. Our ride was short, an hour, but enjoyable. Clifford was a little feisty but we got along great in the end. I would recommend this for a gentle, relaxing walk within irvine Regional Park.

Another negative review. This place has a number of them now. Disappointing customer service. These…read morepeople have no consideration. Outdated website. Never answers phone calls, and slow email replies. They will snake you for your deposit even if you cancel months ahead of time. They want to act like they are so busy but can't open the website for cancellation. Consider Norco or Laguna Niguel for your horse riding experience

I cannot recommend this place enough! I recently hosted my daughter's birthday party here, and the…read moreentire experience was phenomenal. What stood out the most was the exceptional customer service from the owners, Mike and Mercedes. Their origin story really resonated with me--Mike started this business out of a true passion for art and community, and that dedication completely shines through in how they treat their guests. From the moment we first reached out to inquire all the way through the planning process, Mike was incredibly accommodating and responsive. The venue itself is awesome. It's a really cool, beautifully decorated space that instantly makes you feel creative. They offer a wide selection of projects to choose from, and the team gives you fantastic attention and guidance throughout the entire event. We had a wonderful experience and I am already planning to come back to host future events here. If you are looking for a great venue and unique experience with amazing owners, this is it!

I'm terrible at art but have fun creating something I can bring home, and had a joyful time with my…read morefriends. There were 6 of us in our group, 3 decided to work on cavas and 3 on making mugs. We all had a very good time, and found it was surprisingly relaxing when we focused on art! Our assistant, Rayn, was super nice and helpful, she tirelessly getting us refills of colors we needed and answered our many dumb questions.

Kids had so much fun. The obstacle course was fun and challenging. My kids played tag and a great…read moreway to spend for my daughter's 9th birthday. Last year she wasn't tall enough for the obstacle course so this year was awesome she got to go on it. Me and my 9 year old went paddle boarding and my 11 year old did kayaking so we raced around the lagoon. That was fun way to try without having to be in the ocean.

The Adventure Lagoon felt incredibly misleading…read more I was planning to take my kids to the beautiful Splash Park at Castaic Lake, but my son told me Adventure Lagoon was a better deal because it advertised $35 for the day. When I arrived, the employee asked, "Do they want the water park too?" I replied, "That's why we're here." She then told me it was an additional $10 per person. What wasn't made clear is that the $10 only covers one hour. After getting inside, I learned you have to keep paying for every additional hour. For comparison: Castaic Splash Park 2 kids = $70 total Parent = free Adventure Lagoon (calculation based on 3 hours - though I chose this place to come for 4 hours since it was advertised as same price for all day) 2 kids admission = $70 Water park fees = $60 Parent admission = $35 Total = $165 So instead of spending the day at a beautiful lake surrounded by nature, we paid more than double to be at a small water park surrounded by warehouses. The website prominently advertises the day rate and has a big "BOOK NOW" button, but the hourly water park fees are not made clear upfront; you have to literally scroll below the pricing and "Book Now" to see them. See here - https://www.theadventurelagoon.com/pricing I don't mind paying. I do mind feeling misled. Unfortunately, they lost us as customers for life.

My group recently played Edeline and Cloud Escapes' newest room, Kapow Comics. We also had the…read moreopportunity to experience 49 Boxes earlier this year, a unique pop-up event that left a lasting impression. One thing Cloud Escapes does differently from many traditional escape rooms is that they let the story drive the puzzles. Their rooms tend to be very experience-focused, with each puzzle moving the narrative forward. That was especially true in Edeline, where the story felt like the heart of the room. Kapow Comics takes a slightly different approach. While it still has a strong theme, it leans more heavily into the puzzles themselves! The game starts the moment you arrive at the door. Be ready to pay attention from the very beginning. As for 49 Boxes, it's not really an escape room at all. It's a collaborative puzzle experience created by members of the magic community. There are six tables, and depending on where you're seated, you'll encounter a completely different set of mystery boxes. The tables work together to open the collective 49 boxes and ultimately solve one final reveal. It was such a clever concept, and I loved how it encouraged collaboration between complete strangers. Cloud Escapes continues to experiment with different styles of immersive puzzle experiences, and I appreciate that they're willing to take creative risks rather than sticking to the same formula. This escape room company is a must go!

I recently played Edeline and The 49 Boxes here…read more Edeline is a story driven escape room. This experience is heavily based in storytelling and lighter on puzzles. It's not your typical California style Escape Room. It's interesting and unique and a little bit scary. The 49 Boxes is not an escape room at all actually, it is an experience that pops up on Saturdays in the lobby of Cloud. This is created by members of the Magician community and also heavily focuses on storytelling as well as Magic and puzzles. This is a public experience where you form community while experiencing the magic of the evening. You work together to open boxes that lead to one final box that will finally be opened after all these years. It's an incredible night, but definitely not an escape room. It is not an experience where you puzzle hard and fast either it is a community building, shared experience among the guests to create memories and wonder.

*Be aware of Rattle snakes out on the deeper walking trails during this season*…read moreThis is a fantastic park for families, parties, and individuals who love walking their dogs. Heads up, entrance fee/parking is $3 on weekdays and $5 on weekends. There is so much to see and do here! Snack Bar, Pony rides, a train that travels around the inner part of the park, horseback riding lessons (3rd party company), picnic areas, bike rentals, and giant wheel floating tricycles on the pond! To walk their inner perimeter pathways, where all the trees are, it's about a mile out and a mile back. If you have kids, they will love looking for the ground squirrels or wild peacocks, the train, ponies and more! There is so much wide open grassy space close to parking. There are several parking lots scattered all throughout the park. So you are always close to your care and nature. This last week, I walked a dog every day there and 3 outs of the 5 days, i encountered a rattle snake, not a big deal and it is after all...nature! Theirs was out on the more extensive hiking and walking trails beyond the main area. During spring and summer, it is good to carry a stick to help deter the snakes. I also would not use headphones out on the trails for this reason. Stay alert, and you will stay safe. If you have any concerns, always check in with a park ranger! It can get crowded on the weekends, specifically afternoons when a lot of parties and family gatherings are happening.

Visited Irvine Regional Park on a Monday and was honestly impressed by how expansive and family…read morefriendly it is. Right at the entrance, there's a small $3 parking fee if you go on a weekday collected by a park ranger who was very friendly and helpful. If you go on the weekends, parking fee is $5 and larger vehicles such as an RV or bus may be higher. Once you drive in, you quickly realize how massive the park is. There are multiple parking lots throughout, and you kind of have to explore a bit to find the perfect spot. Some areas have BBQ grills, others have playgrounds for kids, and there are plenty of open grassy fields as well as shaded areas filled with trees. The park really has something for everyone. There are hiking trails, wide paths for walking, and even a small zoo. Inside the zoo, there's a petting area that's perfect for little kids, which adds to the overall family friendly vibe. I also appreciated the upkeep of the park. I notice several lots has trash cans and restrooms, and the restrooms I went into were stocked with toilet paper, which is always a plus. With Easter season going on, there were also special activities happening, making the park feel even more lively. I mainly came to get some steps in and enjoy nature, and it was the perfect place to do just that. Whether you're coming with family, kids, or just looking for a peaceful outdoor walk, this spot checks all the boxes.

Paddle boat rental, 22 bucks for 30mins which I thought was more than enough time. Shaded area are…read moreon the edge for the lake. Overall a cool experience but once is enough. There isnt much of a view once you get around.

Love going to Irvine Park with my little one, especially during their Halloween pumpkin patch. I do…read morewish to have a few more things at the pumpkin patch for kids under three. My son loves the train rides, going to the little zoo, he always wants to try to ride the ponies but for some reason they close at 3:00 even during the summer and we never seem to make it.