Lakeside Amusement Park in Denver
 

Can anyone tell me something about the area where Lakeside Amusement Park is located? Any decent lodging or restaurants nearby?

Jayne, It's been at least 5 years since I have been to Lakeside but it's not my favorite area. Are you interested in this location just to go to Lakeside or are you visiting someone? Honestly I would just suggest staying in downtown Denver unless you have other reasons for being close to Lakeside. It's approx. less than 10 miles from downtown. Lots of lodging options and restaurants downtown.

I am going to Lakeside and wanted to spend the night closeby. I didn't know if there were any good options right around there. We are heading out to the north the next day on our way to Yellowstone. If you have any suggestions for downtown or other lodging, that would be great. There are six of us so cost is a factor, but we don't have to go dirt cheap.

Thanks so much!

Jayne,

For 6 people, and considering that cost is a factor, check out Embassy Suites in downtown Denver. You could get one suite with 2 doubles and a pullout couch, plus have happy hour and breakfast for no added cost. I really wouldn't stay by Lakeside itself...

And if it ia an amusement park you want Elitch Gardens is downtown.

Thanks so much. I think Embassay Suites sounds like a good idea. I'm interested in Lakeside mostly for the historical flavor. On the way home, we would like to visit Water World. I read that the water is heated, but do you think we will freeze in June? (We'll be there around the 10th.)

It could be upwards of 100 degrees here in June. Probably not going to be too cold!

Wow-- 100? I am surprised! I'll definitley work that into the game plan, then!

You'll love Waterworld!!!!

Should I look for lodging in a different area when I come back throught to visit WaterWorld?

Hi Jayne1973. Lakeside does have a couple of historic coasters and I can imagine why you might want to see them if you are a coaster buff. I would agree however, that Lakeside can be a little rough around the edges. It could be characterized as a "low rent" 6 Flags, old, run down and not well maintained. Lots of gang activity in and around the park. Park has been owned by the same lady for years, and her attitude about upkeep is marginal, just what it takes to get by. If you are insistent to go, I wouldn't stay in that area, ever if there are any decent hotels, which there aren't. Unlike many large cities, there is no real "hotel district" in Denver. There are many fine family style hotels scattered throughout the city. Downtown traffic can be a challenge. Lots of one way streets turning onto one way streets, an urban railline that you have to watch out for, etc. There are some great hotels downtown, but I wouldn't stay there, unless you plan on doing something else there, like a Rockies game or something at the Pepsi Center. Check around for hotels and post the locations here for opinions about the neighborhoods.

Thanks so much for the information so we know what to expect.

We have pretty much decided on Lakeside-- we're not looking for a slick Six Flags experience... get too much of that here in the Dallas area. It's rather as you said, an interest the classic rides and coasters and the general old-timey feel.

Is the park north or south of downtown? We will be coming in from Lamar, Colorado and will get there early enough to have a nice dinner and head to the park after the major rides open at 6 p.m. Maybe we should try to stay towards the north side since that's the direction we will head out the next morning. Any suggestions on areas, hotels or restaurants? As you might have guessed, we really prefer local places and non-chains, especially when it comes to restaurants.

check the denver.org website - they have great deals on lodging downtown - including Embassy Suites AND it includes parking (which isn't cheap downtown) ! Great hotel too ! Have stayed there many times !

Lakeside is located at 46th Avenue and Sheridan Blvd, just south of the interesetion of I-70 and Sheridan. I-25 north to I-70 west to the Sheridan exit. Turn left onto Sheridan and Lakeside is first thing you will come to.

You might try staying in Westminster, which is northwest of where Lakeside is located - both are north of downtown Denver.
The Westin is a new hotel near a movie theater, an ice rink and several restaurants. There's Rock Bottom, a good brewpub that's a local chain, or a decent Thai place. It might be a little more than what you want to pay, though.

Westin Westminster
10600 Westminster Blvd
Westminster, CO 80020
Phone: 303-410-5000

I would second the comments on Lakeside as run down. Not sure I would feel very safe there at night or on the rides.
WaterWorld, though, is great fun.

Again, thanks for the input on Lakeside. Have any of you been there recently?

thyme:
Thanks for the hotel recommendation. I will check it out. The location sounds right. From what I'm hearing from the coaster/amusement park enthusiasts, I think I would regret not giving Lakeside a chance. But I definitely don't want to stay in the area.

Also wanted to thank all of you for your input regarding the park, directions, and hotel suggestions. This board is awesome!

I don't care much for lakeside (because it has always been kind of run-down) but I know people that only go there rather than Elitch's. Elitch's used to be great until they moved and were bought by Six Flags and now there isn't anything that's really unique about them now.

Jayne, not sure what your budget is or how nice of a hotel you want. I would pick one location to stay at to visit both Waterworld and Lakeside. It wouldn't be worth moving to another hotel for that short of a distance. I think if you stayed in Westminster you would have the least amount of drive. The Westin is a great choice but it might be close to $200 a night in June. The mileage from the Doubletree Westminster is about 4 miles to WaterWorld and apprx. 7 miles to Lakeside. Denver is a little more south and east of both of these, it will take a little bit longer to get to both but not by much if you stay there. I would primarily consider Westminster and downtown Denver though. The rest of the surrounding areas aren't really nice and you would mostly find old motels.

You might try PriceLine for your hotel--if everyone is recommending the Westin then bid on a 4* hotel in Westminster--that should be it. Look on Biddingfortravel.com to see if there is any info on Westminster. If not, you might bid on a downtown 4* and get a real deal.

Thanks for the suggestions on areas. I am actually stopping twice in Denver-- once on the way to Yellowstone (when we'll go to Lakeside) and once on the way home (WaterWorld.) So different hotels would be fine.

$200 per night is way too steep for us. $100 is more like it since this group is two generous ( :) )parents and four almost-adult children, and we'll need two rooms.

Jayne as I suggested earlier why don't you search for some hotels using hotels.com, expedia, travelocity, etc, in you price range and post the locations here for "expert" opinions on the neighborhoods. Denver can be a little quirky in my opinion on hotel locations. For example, there is a very nice La Quinta on I-70 west in Wheatridge, and there is a total rat hotel La Quinta near I-25 and Park Avenue (north of Coors Field) that I would only stay in if I had a death wish. Drug deals and shootings galore! If I were you I would drive 30 minutes for a better hotel than to pick a hotel just 'cuz it's close to Lakeside or Waterworld. Speaking of La Quinta I just check their website and there are 10 different locations around Denver, including the rat hole. Their published rates for June are around $70 - $85.00. There appears to be three in north Denver.

Thanks, jimcolorado, I will study the maps and check the websites and then post for ripoff as well as rathole alerts.

June can be cold too--50's and rainy. Even snow.

Sue

So, you think June may be out of the question for Waterworld? I read somewhere that the water is heated. Is that true?

Jayne-I noticed that people have been purchasing rooms at the Westin Westminster on Priceline for $67. You can look on biddingfortravel.com and see reviews, all of them seem to highly recommend this hotel.

Sounds like we are doing a similar trip this summer, we're going from Denver to Yellowstone and back again. We are also staying at the Westin, but using Starwood points for our two rooms. When I spoke with the reservation staff there, they did say there is a nice shopping area and restaurants nearby. For me, the Westin's "heavenly beds" are enough to convince us to stay there!!

The water is heated at Water World, I checked it out on their web site.

Thanks for the info on the Westin, Tasha. Guess I will have to do some bidding...

I have never used Priceline so I am a little nervous. I went to the biddingfortravel site and was a little overwhelemed with all the information. I still have a little time to research. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Jayne, the weather in June will be more like 70-80 degrees with the possibility of reaching higher. This week is slated for close to 80 degrees. Even though we just got snow, it would be pretty rare to see snow in June in the lower elevations. More than likely you will have good weather so I wouldn't count out Waterworld.

When bidding on PL you want to keep the "stars" high--don't bid on 2* or perhaps in this case, even a 3*. I don't know what the Westin is--probably 4*. So, if you bid on a 4* in Westminster it will pretty sure be the Westin--or at least its equivalent (but it is unlikely there is another 4* there--if you get my drift). So it is worth a try.

Spent many a fun Saturday night at Lakeside a few decades ago. Sorry to hear it's run down--though it was always somewhat edgy. Loved the Fun House--watching the girl's skirts fly into the air as they entered.

Rufus,

Although some posters don't like Lakeside these days, coaster and amusement park enthusiasts LOVE it. They go for the art deco style, the relaxed atmosphere, the vintage rides, inexpensive food and the nightime lights. Here are some of the comments I received from a member of a coaster newsgroup:
"Lakeside Amusement Park is loved dearly by the roller coaster and theme park enthusiast community because it's one of the very, very few "throwbacks" to a much earlier day. A day before the corporate parks with their 10$ parking, 40$ gate admission, 10$ burgers took over, basically....The park is famous worldwide for it's original art- deco neon architecture...

They strongly urged experiencing the park at night...
"there's really NO other park in the United States that looks and FEELS like Lakeside during this magic time. The rides are all safe, the roller coaster is a classic, offering a rough and tumble and exciting experience that the older rides had and a lot of the newer ones don't, along with THE most comfortable roller coaster trains (cars) ever made, the bumper cars are fun, they have old classic rides that are very, very rare like the "whip", and best of all, the prices are dirt cheap, even the food. But really, most of us who love the park go not for any single ride but for that experience that is lakeside at night... the calmness, the unhurried nature of a traditional theme park, the magnificent neon lighting, the cheap eats. It's a place you can take your kids (if you're a parent) and just wander around, without the constant pressure and marketing presence of the big theme parks. If you're going with friends, you just spend your time with your friends in a theme park, instead of going to a theme park and dealing with it with your friends (note the way I phrased that sentence...) It's a place where you don't have to rush. They don't have a million rides, they have atmosphere."

I am looking forward to it!

I used to work at waterworld as a kid. Just know that weather in CO is unpredictable. It could be anywhere between 50-100 degrees. There is usually breif afternoon thunderstorms in June, but with the drought of the last few years, they have been less frequent. You'll have to see what the weather is on the day you plan to go and decide if it is too cold for you. Water world is an incredible place though, and far outshines most other parks in the US.

koala,

I really, really want to do Waterworld, so I hope it's a HOT day when we are there... Should be around June 8. Do you remember the temperature they heated the water to?

Jayne-I never used Priceline until last year when I finally took the chance and got some fantastic rates for a resort in Maui. Since then, I have become much more comfortable and have used Priceline about 5 times. Biddingfortravel does seem overwhelming at first. It becomes more "required reading" for more difficult areas with lots of regions, like D.C. or NYC. Then you get into more tricky bidding.

However, for Westminster, just bid for a 4* in that region and try a bid of $67. It will tell you within a minute or so if you have won your bid. You can increase by a few dollars if your initial bid is not accepted. If you only want to go through the process once, just go with $70. That bid should work. I don't think there are any other 4* hotels in Westminster, but if there are I'm sure they are comparable to the Westin. Once you have won your bid, you can call the hotel directly to check on your reservation. That made me feel more comfortable, plus I added my room type request at that time.

As I recall, the pools at Waterworld were heated to around low to mid 80's. Their website has some informative info, check out the Q&A section for details.

Tasha,

Thanks so much for all the tips on Priceline. I will go looking around on the site to get a feel for it before I bid. I'd love to get such a good price for a nice hotel.

I think it will have to be pretty warm in Denver for me to enjoy Waterworld!

I think it was in the 80's today so your probably safe on that one.

Almost ready to go on my trip, and thanks to your suggestions, have checked areas and Priceline and decided Westminster would be a good area to spend the night. Biddingfortravel.com has lots of info on the Westin and also an Omni resort. But since there are six of us I'd like to go for something cheaper and get three rooms. Does anyone know anything about the LaQuinta at this address?
345 West 120th Avenue,Westminster
Any input would be very helpful!

Jayne
That La Quinta is very nice, probably one of the newer in Denver. Quite a ways from Lakeside however. Much closer to WaterWorld. Depending on time of day you will travel to Lakeside, you will be heading in to some real rush hour traffic, which in Denver seems to run from 6AM to 10 and 3PM til 6. Generally I think La Quinta is a much better bang for the buck. Westin is very nice, Omin also, but neither is good for average family on a budget, esp if you need three rooms.

Thanks, Jim. How far is this place from Lakeside? We might be able to avoid the rush hours. We would be coming into Denver from the east on 287 fairly early (probably by noon), checking into the hotel, etc. My plan was to head out to Lakeside for the evening (maybe 6 p.m.) and stay until about 10 p.m. It will be on a Monday. (Memorial Day)