Go Los Angeles Card vs Southern California CityPass – Difference
Both CityPASS and Go Card offer passes that allow visitors to save while touring Los Angeles and the surrounding. Go Card implies the Go Los Angeles Card and CityPASS is the Southern California CityPASS. If you plant on visiting various theme parks within L.A., San Diego, and Anaheim, you should consider the latter.
When it comes to discounted travel, there is a Southern California CityPASS that visitors touring L.A. can utilize to visit attractions near the city at discounted prices. Go Los Angeles Card is another pass that offers discounted prices for visiting attractions in Los Angeles. What you would want to know is that Southern California CityPASS is used for a number of cities in the southern part of the state including San Diego and Anaheim. If you are just visiting L.A., you may not find the Southern California CityPASS very convenient for you. However, if you would love to tour a couple of attractions located in different cities, especially those that feature in the CityPASS, you can consider using it. Otherwise, the most preferred choice for visitor touring L.A. is the Go Los Angeles Card. Before you decide which Pass to use for your Los Angeles visit, you may want to learn something about these passes.
Go Los Angeles Card – Benefits
A preferred choice for optimal savings and flexibility by visitors touring Los Angeles is the Go Los Angeles Card. It allows visitors to save up to 50 percent off admission fees to over 33 leading attractions in L.A. including Universal Studios Hollywood. The Go Los Angeles Card is valid for 1 to 7 days from the time you first activate it. It can be printed or you could present it as a mobile voucher. The Pass allows you to get additional discounts as well as special offers on dining, shopping, and other activities. You can skip the queues at attractions thus saving you time. You can purchase a 3, 5, or 7-day Go Los Angeles Card depending on how many attractions you wish to visit and the amount of time you intend to spend in L.A.
How It Works
The Go Los Angeles Card is the only multi-attraction discount L.A. Pass that gives the holder an opportunity to sample over 30 top attractions. There is a long list of attractions you can choose and you should understand that, based on what attractions you plan to visit, you could save more or less. You really need to know how much you are saving before you decide on the Pass deal. It is also likely that you will get more discount when you purchase the admission ahead of time. The Pass takes you to about 35 attractions in addition to one premium attraction for the one low price. The price of the Pass depends on the days it is valid. What you need to do is decide the number of days and create your itinerary. When you show your Pass at the gate you pay nothing. The Pass becomes activated when you visit the first attraction.
A very crucial thing that differentiates the Go Los Angeles Card from the Southern California card is that you don’t have to use the former on consecutive days. A three-day Pass, for example can be used over a period of two weeks (which is the maximum period you have at hand to use the pass once activated). You can spread your touring days to suit your trip plan and schedule. There is also a “Build Your Own” Pass option which can allow you to save up to 20 percent or more when you buy two or more admissions to attractions. Visitors building their own Pass can choose from more than 42 attractions, which include harbor cruises, tours, museums, and zoos and parks.
Attractions You Can Visit with Go Los Angeles Card
A Go Los Angeles Card will give you access to these top attractions:
Universal Studios Hollywood
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
- Knott’s Berry Farm
- Madame Tussauds Hollywood
- Hollywood Movie Star Homes Tour
- Six Flags Magic Mountain
- Pacific Park – Santa Monica Pier
- Aquarium of the Pacific
- LEGOLAND California
- Starline Tours: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour (Yellow Loop)
- OUE Skyspace Observation Deck
- Hollywood Behind-the-Scenes Tour organized by Red Line Tours
- Dolby Theater Guided Tour
- Knott’s Soak City Water Park
- Hollywood Museum
- TCL Chinese Theatres Guided Tour
- Queen Mary
- Santa Monica Pier Aquarium
- Knott’s Soak City Water Park
- Whale Watching in San Pedro or Long Beach
- LA Zoo and Botanical Gardens
- Sony Pictures Studio Tour
- Harbor Breeze Whale Watching Tour at Long Beach
- Santa Monica Pier Aquarium
- K1 Speed Indoor Karting
- Huntington Library and Gardens
- GRAMMY Museum
- Harbor Cruise in San Pedro or Long Beach
- Hollywood Hike by Bikes & Hikes
- Battleship IOWA Museum
- Bikes & Hikes -LA Self-guided Movie Star Homes Bike Tour
- Harbor Cruise in Long Beach or San Pedro
- Natural History Museum of LA
- Whale Watching & Dolphin Cruises – Newport Landing
- California Science Center IMAX Movie
- Perry’s Beach Cafe and Rentals – Roller-Skates or Mountain Bike (All Day)
- Starline Tours: Malibu Celebrity Homes Tour
- La Brea Tar Pits and Museum
Go Los Angeles Card – Price
The prices for the Go LA Card are as follows:
- A 1-day Card costs adults (13 year and above) $85 and children (3 to 12 years) $69
- A 2-day Pass costs adults $129 and children $105
- A 3-day Pass costs adults $205 and children $179
- A 5-day Pass costs adults $269 and children $239
- A 7-day Pass is priced at $315 for adults and $239 for children.
How to Save Money with the Go Los Angeles Card
Go Los Angeles Card can save you money when you visit the biggest attractions in L.A., however, it may not be a choice for everyone. The attractions it covers may be spread over in long distances between each other. Some of them are actually outside L.A. as far as San Diego. Again, you notice that the Pass doesn’t include Disneyland, but it does almost feature every other major attraction you would wish to visit when in L.A. or the surroundings. That being said, it is easy to be confused over the choice you have because of the many attractions listed.
If you want to save money, you can visit these top attractions:
- Universal Studios Hollywood – $110.00
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood Tickets – $65.00
- Madame Tussauds Hollywood Tickets – $30.95
- Aquarium of the Pacific – $29.95
- Whale Watch By Newport Landing Tickets – $39.50
- Knott’s Berry Farm Ticket – $75.00
- LEGOLAND California – $99.00
- OUE Skyspace LA Ticket – $25.00
Universal Studios Hollywood
The Universal Studios Hollywood is a premium attraction accessible by Go Los Angeles Card holders who purchase it for 3, 5, or 7-day period. This Studio is an ideal choice for people who would want to see what happens behind the scenes. Visitors can explore real life films sets as they occur in the Studio. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a place to visit if you love Harry Potter movies. The regular price of Universal Studios Hollywood is $110.00, so with the Pass, you will be saving great.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
This is another interesting attraction for those who love shows and movies. The Warner Bros, Studio Tour Hollywood will take you behind the scenes to explore some of your favorite movies and shows. During a guided tour, it is likely that you may come along some active filming taking place within the 110 acre blacklot. You also have an opportunity to tour the Picture Car Vault, Prop Department, and the Archive. The regular ticket costs $65.
Madame Tussauds Hollywood
If you would love to see your preferred celebrities in the form of wax, then Madame Tussauds Hollywood is the place to be. The wax museum brings you the wax form of over 100 different actors and singers in various rooms. It is an ideal attraction for children and adults and it only takes a few hours to tour. The regular price goes for $30.95
Aquarium of the Pacific
This attraction is situated on the Long Beach and allows you to sample wildlife from various parts of the world including Baja, Tropical Pacific, and Northern Pacific. The Aquarium of the Pacific is a great spot for children and adults. Visiting the attraction will get you face-to-face with ocean creatures, birds, and other wildlife. The regular ticket costs you $29.95
Knott’s Berry Farm
Another interesting spot is the Knott’s Berry Farm, which is the first theme park in America. It offers fun to the family with the various rides, shopping options, and dining choices. The marketplace within the attraction is a great way to discover boysenberry treats. A ticket will go for $75.00
OUE Skyspace LA
Regarded as the tallest open-air viewing or observation deck within Southern California, this attraction will provide you a great view of Los Angeles some 1000-feet above ground. You can view the Gabriel Mountains as well as the Pacific Ocean when you tower this observation deck. There are interactive features found within the 54th floor and you would want to ensure you check them out. There you will see a digital topography wall featuring Los Angeles.
LEGOLAND California
There are over 60 rides in LEGOLAND California Resort in addition to shows and attractions. Visitors can sample the LEGO Star Wars and the Force Awakens Miniland Model Display that has a 16-foot Finalizer model designed of LEGO bricks. Other things that visitors can explore when in LEGOLAND California are battle pirates, conquer dragons, and ancient treasures. The resort also hosts the SEA LIFE Aquarium, which is a LEGOLAND Water Park. Another feature that offer racer-water slides is the Summer enjoy Surfers’ Cove.
LEGOLAND opens daily at times of Spring break, certain holidays, and summer time, so you want to ensure that it is open before visiting. During the other times of the year, LEGOLAND remains closed on Wednesdays and Tuesdays. The regular pricing for this attraction is $99.00
Whale Watch by Newport Landing
For those who love sea life, Whale Watch By Newport Landing is an ideal attraction that should be in their list of Go Los Angeles Card. Visitors can enjoy the view of whales and dolphins from a 65-ft double deck ship. This is an exciting experience for families visiting LA, they can watch a 90-ft blue whale or see the playful dolphins. This attraction has a regular price of $39.50
How to save money with Go Los Angeles Card
Visiting these attractions can save you quite some good chuck of money off admission fees at the gate. For visitors touring Los Angeles, they can consider visiting theme parks and having studio tours and some other big features because this is where much of the money-saving opportunity is found with your Go Los Angeles Card. It is also good for you if you are able to get the card at a discounted price, it saves you more. However, what you will realize is that you cannot see too many of the attractions on a limited timeframe. For example, a visit to a major theme park would require you about a full day of sightseeing.
The pricing of the Go Los Angeles is designed in such a way that you get the most when you visit one major attraction like a theme park in a day or two secondary attractions like the studio tours in a day. This is how you will get good value for the Pass. When you check the regular pricing, you find that the big ticket items save you more if you can plan your trip properly.
Another thing is to ensure that you choose attractions that are not too far from each other because that could possibly mean you have drive very long. You can schedule full day tours at the Universal Studios Hollywood, Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Knott’s Soak City, or LEGOLAND California. For half-day tours, you can go for Warner Bros. VIP Studio Tour and Sony Pictures Studio Tour.
You can also consider general tours like the Hop-on Hop-off Yellow Route and Malibu Celebrity Homes Tour since they are relatively expensive in their regular prices. Other major attractions you can tour if you still have time are the Whale Watch by Newport Landing and Madame Tussaud’s Hollywood, which are averagely priced in their regular fees.
The best way to look at this aspect of saving money with Go Los Angeles Card is to forgo the cheaper attractions. Since the Go LA Card doesn’t feature the Disneyland, you can spread your visits in such a way that you have a day or more reserved for attractions like this which don’t feature in the Pass. This is possible because you have up to 2 weeks for you to use the Pass.
Since the operating hours for the respective attractions may change without notice, ensure that you check them out, especially if you’re touring Los Angeles over the holiday period. Universal Studios Hollywood isn’t included in the 1 and 2-day Go Los Angeles Cards.
In a nutshell, because Los Angeles is vastly spread out, it is unlikely that you can jam together attractions to save money. Probably if you were visiting London, Paris, or New York City, you could visit 3 or more attraction on the same day, however, this may not happen with Los Angeles. It could ruin your trip if you tried that in Los Angeles. So pick just a few attractions that are high ticket items and you will save money.
Is the Go Los Angeles Card worth the price?
Because it may appear to you that purchasing a pass will save you a lot of money; that may not always be the case. You really need to know how you can optimize the savings and get the most of the Pass. Just because you have an attraction featuring on a Pass, it may not necessarily mean you will be interested in touring it. So, you need to research every attraction and see whether it is of interest to you or not. In order to save much on the prices for touring the attractions, you need to visit several of them. Check the individual admission cost for every attraction and check which attractions you want to visit, the close they are to each other, the more convenient and savings you may make.
From the list, you can now secure yourself a price-saving deal by purchasing the Pass of your choice. Remember that sometimes, it’s not possible to make visits to all the enlisted attractions because they may be closed by the time or day you want to visit or they may only have limited hours of visit. Others may be located too far meaning you cannot reach them all by public transit or a car hire.
Another important thing to know is that when you purchase a Pass online from one of the attractions’ portal or website, special rules may apply. Let’s take for example, if you have the Go Card being offered for sale on an attraction like Universal Studios Hollywood, and you buy it from the Universal Studios’ website, you may get a special feature included to the card. For instance, you may have a day free at Universal.
Yet, still important is that if you get your Go Card from another website other than the Go Card site, for example, you get it from Universal Studios, usually you aren’t issued a Pass but a voucher, which you have to exchange it for the actual Pass. What this means is that if you have purchased the Card from say, Universal Studios online, you have to first go to Universal Studios where they will issue you with your Pass. In this case, if you itinerary demands that you first go to another attraction before visiting Universal Studios, then it makes it inappropriate to purchase the Pass through Hollywood’s Universal Studios.
Lastly, when you compare the cost of having a Pass and paying for respective individual attractions, you need to remember that there are coupons that can also allow you to save money. Look for coupons first before you compare the regular admission fees to the cost of a Pass. This way, you will get a clear picture of how much you are likely to save. In most cases, the such programs seem to work best when you tour most of the attractions in the booklet and the optional ones. The high-ticket attractions also seem to save more.
Southern California CityPASS – An alternative to Go Los Angeles Card
Another option for a Go Los Angeles Card is the Southern California CityPASS, which although not specifically designed for LA, it gives you the chance to visit some attractions near the city. This multi-attraction Pass includes Disneyland, an attraction that isn’t featured in the Go Los Angeles Card.
The Southern California CityPASS bundles up admission to the famous Disneyland in addition to two other top attractions, plus a choice between San Diego Zoo Safari Park and San Diego Zoo. You can consider this CityPASS if you plan to tour multiple attractions located in Southern California including LEGOLAND California, Disneyland, and Sea World San Diego.
Upon activating the Southern California CityPASS, you have 14 days to use it. The CityPASS saves about $150 or more when you visit all the featured three attraction plus the option attraction. The regular prices for the three attractions would cost $529 for adults and $507 for children. However, with the Southern California CityPASS, the price would be $411 for adults and $373 for children aged 3 to 9 years. Note that the first day of use in 2018 should be before or on 31 December 2018. The price may change thereafter, so you want to check it out to see if it has changed.
In the event that you want to visit both the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and the San Diego Zoo, you will have admission to one then take advantage of the 10 percent off admission given to the other. Remember that Southern California CityPASS doesn’t give a choice of an attraction within Los Angeles to visit because the attractions are spread out to other cities like San Diego and Anaheim. Getting to Anaheim where Disneyland is located from Los Angeles is about 30 miles and getting to LEGOLAND California is a 30-minutes drive north of San Diego or one-hour drive south of Anaheim.
Go Los Angeles Card- Picture
Go San Diego Card -Picture
Southern California CityPASS -Picture
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