G&M Farms — Attraction in Livermore

I paid a visit there on 10/15/2023 and my impressions is not so good.

Exorbitant Credit Card Fees: To start, the 6% transaction fee applied to every credit card use is nothing short of a financial burden. It feels like an unnecessary and unfair expense.

Overpriced and Underwhelming Rides: While there are a handful of rides that might catch a child's interest, each ride token costs a steep $5, and the rides themselves last a mere five minutes. For $5, you get approximately 60 seconds of entertainment. This pricing is not justifiable when compared to larger, more renowned theme parks like Disneyland or Legoland. By they way pony ride costs 2 tokens which is $10 for about about 1min ride. Haha.... non-sense.

Pricey Pumpkins: The cost of each pumpkin you pick is a staggering $10. A quick trip to TJ or Costco will reveal the same pumpkins at half the price or even less. Unless your kids absolutely insist, it's best to avoid purchasing them here.

Subpar Restroom Facilities: The restroom situation is dire. The facilities resemble those commonly found at construction sites - far from what you'd expect at a place meant for recreation and family enjoyment.

Overall, a Single Star: I can't help but assign just one star to this experience. If you do decide to visit, brace yourself for high costs and prepare to pay double or even triple the usual rates (for instance, a simple black coffee is a staggering $4). Good luck;...

Our second time here, and kids had a blast. There's a good balance of free and paid fun activities. Listing the activities:

Pony ride. 2 tokens per ride. This used to cost less, and the ponies went around more before. I guess there are concerns with this ride, which is why the price is more, and the ponies are made to walk less. I'd be okay with this being scrapped altogether if that is the case. This ended up being a bit disappointing for the kids.

Corn box. Free. Kids had a blast here!

Hay maze. Free. Another fun maze activity for the kids.

Pedal carts. 1 token. Comes in little and big kid sizes, and was fun.

Train ride. 1 token. Family fun! Very enjoyable.

Hay ride. 1 token. Ride on a tractor trailer full of hay. Takes you through the corn maze and was fun!

Jump pillows. 1 token. Kids had fun on this one too. Kind of an outdoor rocking jump.

Each token costs $5 ($4 if you buy 5).

There were lots of pumpkins on display. Kids had fun lifting and playing with them. We spent around 3 hours here, and kids loved the place.

Parking is free, and there are lots...

I was torn between 3 and 4 stars, but since this place is such a draw for small children, I had to go with 3.

The reason is this: they only have portapotties as bathrooms and NO area to change diapers.

I tried to get my daughter who is potty training to use a portapotty, she refused - (logistics would have been a nightmare in any case) - and I think it traumatized her afterwards as there was an immediate set back on potty training. Had to rush out to the car bc her diaper ended up totally full and leaked all over her clothes.

Second time we went, we cut our time short bc I needed to get her back to the SUV (out in the boonies) to change her diaper.

I easily spent $100 on our first visit (rides, food, pumpkin purchases) - can they not use some profits to install some bathrooms or even some sort of makeshift changing area? They clearly invest a lot in Instagram photo spots, how about providing something actually useful...