The kids are out of school and it's time to head for some good family fun. They want to head to a theme park, but which one will give your family the most bang for their buck? That all depends on taste.

Six Flags Marine World is probably the most popular park in our area. It has both thrill rides - like the 4,000-foot long twisting roller coaster Medusa and the rocketing forward and backward V2: Vertical Velocity - and an animal park complete with dolphin show. With six roller coasters, more than 20 other rides, a complete kiddie park and extras like rock climbing and go-carts, Six Flags Marine World will entertain most families for the entire day.

Six Flags Marine World is located off I-80 in Vallejo. The park is open weekends March through October and weekdays during summer and other select times during the season. Most summer days, park hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., but call or check the schedule online. During the summer months, the park is open until 9 p.m. on Saturdays.

General admission is $49.99 for a one-day ticket (you can usually find a $10 off coupon, however) or $69.99 for a 2006 pass to Six Flags parks. For more information, visit www.sixflags.com /parks/marineworld or call (707) 643-6722.

Paramount's Great America is smaller than Six Flags and a little further from Sacramento. Located in Santa Clara, Great Adventures boasts six roller coasters, but only about three other thrill rides, including the brand new Survivor: The Ride. Great America does have about a dozen family rides, a complete water park, kiddie park and a number of live shows, including School of Rock, which is a lot of fun for the whole family.

Great America's season is similar to Marine World, but the water park - Boomerang Bay - is only open May to September, weather permitting. Most days the park opens at 10 a.m. and closes between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., depending on the day.

General admission is $49.99 for a one-day ticket (currently offering the whole season for that price with a WOW card) or $67.50 for a 2006 VIP season pass to the park that includes Great America and Bonefonte Gardens. For more information visit www1.paramountparks.com/ greatamerica or call (408) 988-1776 ext. 8858.

Sunsplash, located in Roseville, takes the least amount of planning (and gas). A water park that includes a wave pool, tube slides and body slides, Sunsplash is THE destination on a hot summer day. Despite the spring and fall heat, however, Sunsplash is only open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. It can get very crowded on the weekends with long lines snaking up the stairs.

Sunsplash allows up to four riders on Stormrider, while most rides are for single or double riders. A lazy river runs continuously around the park and there are plenty of water play areas for the little ones.

General admission is $22.99 or $89.99 for a season pass. For more information, visit roseville.golfland.com or call 784-1273.

Universal Studios is more of an education in Hollywood than a theme park, but it has its share of thrills. Divided by a series of escalators into upper and lower sections, the lower level contains most of the thrill rides. Revenge of The Mummy: The Ride and Jurassic Park: The Ride are by far the best. Though not really roller coasters, The Mummy and Jurassic Park take visitors through a series of special effects driven areas as well as around twists and turns.

Visitors expecting the twisted speed of Six Flags will probably be disappointed with Universal Studios, but visitors intrigued by Hollywood may find the live shows and tours extremely entertaining. One tip - don't let the Waterworld show fool you, unlike the movie it was based on, Waterworld is one of the best shows in the park.

Universal Studios is open everyday, except Thanksgiving and Christmas, opening at 10 a.m. most days (some days it opens at 9 a.m.). The park closes between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., depending on the day and season.

General admission is $59, but you can currently buy one day and get the rest of the year free. They also have special VIP tickets and front of the line tickets, as well as park hopper packages with other area attractions, including Disneyland. Universal also offers an all you can drink pass for $4.95 and an all you can eat pass for $9.95 (kids less than 48 inches tall) to $19.95 (adults). For more information, visit www.universalstudioshollywood.com or call (800) 864-8377.

Disneyland, the mother of all theme parks, has been entertaining families for 50 years. The Holy Grail of theme park lovers, Disney's talent is not thrills, but presentation. Other than, perhaps, the Tower of Terror, visitors to Disneyland's main park is won't find death defying works of steel. Instead, visitors are greeted with nostalgia and a high-caliber animatronics in detailed scenery.

Disneyland's main park is divided into eight lands and contains several roller coasters, including Big Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain, classics like Pirate's of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion and plenty of kiddie rides. Jam-packed with attractions (and people), Disneyland can be more than a bit crowded on a busy day. Visitors who don't care for parades can sometimes find shorter lines during the major parades, though getting around the routes can be a challenge.

Across the pathway, Disney's California Adventure Park contains more of a variety of rides to appeal to older kids and teens. Separated into four lands, California Adventure Park contains some of the best rides from Disneyworld, like A Bug's Life and Tower of Terrors, as well as some distinctively California attractions like a boardwalk complete with roller coaster and ferris wheel and the beautiful Soarin' Over California attraction.

Disneyland parks are open every day of the year, including Christmas and Thanksgiving. Disneyland Park opens between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. most days, while the California park opens at 10 a.m. The parks close between 10 p.m. and midnight during peak times and as early as 7 p.m. during non-peak times.

A single park ticket is $59, but park hopper packages start at $79 for a single day to $210 for a 5-day park hopper pass. With a park hopper you can go back and forth from Disneyland Park to Disney's California Adventure Park, which is across the walkway. An annual pass starts at $229. For more information, visit disneyland.disney.go.com or call (714) 781-4565.

There are plenty of other parks in California, from Knott's Berry Farm to Legoland to additional Six Flags locations. A great Web site to check them all out at is themeparks.about.com/cs/usparks/a/CAparks.htm, which has links to most of the major theme parks in the state.

Apparently, many of the theme parks are trying to solve the No. 1 complaint of visitors - long lines. At Disneyland, Fastpass allows visitors to get a pass to return to a shorter line later in the day. The Fastpasses are only available on the major rides, like Star Tours, Space Mountain and the Indiana Jones Adventure, and visitors can only have one at a time. Though complex, this system can save visitors a lot of time at no additional charge. At Six Flags, a Fast Lane pass, which includes seven line-jumping passes, can be purchased for $14.99. Universal sells a premium park ticket that allows visitors to jump to the front and receive star treatment for about $30 more.

All parks have height restrictions for the major rides, though Disney has less. If the kids are counting on going on all the rides, it is always best to measure before you go. Though those less than 48 inches tall often get price breaks on admission, it is not worth it if your youngster is expecting to ride the big rides.