Great Park — Attraction in Irvine

i'm not sure how the city of irvine is able to maintain the lawn at the park so well but for a moment i swore i was stepping on astroturf! i'm usually pretty reluctant to roll around on the ground but not at the great park. i was doing all sorts of yoga/tumbling/frolicking on the grass :)

the park is still pretty premature and underdeveloped. some highlights:

1. great park balloon: used to be free of charge before 4/2013 :( now it's $10/adult. i can't justify the spending. i tried going once when it was still free but it was too windy, so make sure you call ahead to see if the balloon is operating.
2. carousel: this one is still free, but i imagine they will start charging since they did for the balloon. fun for kids & families.
3. awesome lawn: luscious green lawn, like i said, thought it was astroturf. bring football, soccer balls, frisbees, kites! the lack of obstruction around the park calls for great kiting.
4. outdoor tables/chairs: if you work nearby it might be nice to bring your lunch to the park. i've seen a couple of people throw get-together/celebrations but it's not picnic seating, they're more like cafe tables.
5. large empty parking lot: for those learning how to drive.
6. safe: there are irvine police at the guard tower at the entrance of the park and they patrol frequently. so don't do anything i wouldn't do ;)

i think this park definitely needs a better playground, but the lawn area is semi-fenced and i was able to off leash my vermin chasing westie and not have to supervise him too much while we tossed the frisbee around. ...

Drove almost 2 hours, when we got there waited another 2 hours, and never even got to ride the hot air balloon, which is the main reason we went there.

The most frustrating part is that I went up to the counter at the Visitor Center twice and it never occurred to the man working there to put my name on the list because, apparently, the waiver you're supposed to fill out online is not the same as getting your name on the waitlist.

I heard another woman also complain "They never said anything."

So note that once you sign the waiver, each adult needs to sign one separately, and on top of that MAKE SURE they put you on the list! Like DON'T LEAVE the Visitor Center until you get a text officially saying you're on the list!

Also, I heard a woman working there say "It used to be free, but we started charging just yesterday." So now it's $10 per person.

I also heard her say to someone on the phone that they don't take reservations. Again, why the hell not? Clearly this is your most popular attraction. Wouldn't it make sense to streamline it so that there are time slots online that people can reserve in advance?

The few redeeming things about this place was that the carousel was free and so was the art gallery.

To the man behind the counter, did it never occur to you to say "Oh, wait, before you go, let me put you on the list"? Because of that one oversight you made, what should have been a great birthday celebration for my sister is now a tainted one. Try to be more competent...

This place is huge and super clean. I went here today with my dog, they allow dogs as long as they are on a leash and you clean after them.

There is so much to do in this park, I went to walk around the circumference of the #18 soccer field, they have multiple soccer fields and baseball fields.

I was just here for a little amount of time but I want to come back for sure! They have a lot of picnic table and the grass is so green, their landscaping is also in super tiptop shape, manicured to perfection, there were a lot of maintenance people when I went there around 9am today.

The playground looks so fun too!!! I definitely wanna play in it next time, there were no signs that says there's an age limit, maybe just on the baby playground but the bigger playground looks sooo sturdy and super fun for all family members.

I've been to the five point amphitheater for a Jason Mraz concert and that place is huge.

There is a visitor center it wasn't open when I passed by. They also have vending machines all over and even have signs where the snacks and restrooms are at.

The highlight for me is that you can ride the big orange balloon for free, I wasn't able to go because I have my pup with me, but I definitely want to ride it next time.

There is also a pretty carousel near the entrance of the orange balloon, it...