Newport Beach

[Spartangirl]

My DH and I are taking a trip down the CA coast this summer (12 days). 3 of our days will be spent at Disneyland. We were thinking about taking a day trip to Newport Beach (from Anaheim). How far is the beach from Disneyland? Any opinions on Newport Beach? Are there any good restaurants near the beach? We're up for anything! Thanks in advance! :thumbsup2

[VegasMike21]

Newport Beach is 19 miles from Disneyland. And there's more then 40 restaurants to choose from, so you'll have no problem finding a nice restaurant.

[Another Voice]

Newport has a very good beach if all you want to do is spend the day on the sand. For couples, however, drive a few more mintues down the coast to Laguna Beach - it's a more interesting beach town filled with restaurants, galleries and shops.

[Zoom]

When you go to Newport Beach, you might want to take a ferry and visit Catalina island. NB is really nice, for me its one of those upscale beach cities. I also like Laguna Beach.

[missstcroix]

Newport is a great beach, but I agree...Laguna is awesome. There is a little shopping area high on a cliff...lots of artwork and stuff like that...at the end is a cafe that sits directly on the cliff...a GREAT place for couples.

[Spartangirl]

Thank you all for the great tips so far! I appreciate all of the helpful information! I really think Newport Beach will be worth a day trip.....however, we may have to visit Laguna now too. :goodvibes

I haven't been to Disneyland/surrounding areas since I was a child, so all of this information is new to me. Please keep the helpful information and/or comments coming. Thanks again! :)

[VegasMike21]

I haven't been to Disneyland/surrounding areas since I was a child, so all of this information is new to me. Please keep the helpful information and/or comments coming. Thanks again! :)

Haven't been to Disneyland in like 10 years, I heard a lot has changed around the surrounding area. Looking foward to going next month.

[Ron from Michigan]

Hello fellow Michigander. My Wife and I just returned Sunday from 9 days in SC. We spent 6 nights next to Disneyland, 2 nights in Santa Barbara and 1 night in Newport Beach. If the traffic is with you it only takes about 20-25 minutes to get to NB. We had such a great time there. We walked both Newport & Balboa piers. Walked and drove around and saw some of the great homes on Balboa Island. Two places that we ate at and really liked were the Crab Cooker right before the Newport pier and Ruby's Diner on the Balboa Pier. Both were excellent places to eat. Have fun. If you have any questions PM or post here and I will try to answer you. We stayed at Candy Cane Inn next to Disney and Holiday Inn Express in Costa Mesa just 5 minutes away from the Newport Pier.

[PocahontasLookALike]

Oh dear...next to Disney, Newport Beach is one of my absolute favorite places to visit. And it is just a hop skip and jump away from DL and totally worth the SHORT drive.

I love the Crab Cooker, but the Rockin' Baja Lobster is my FAVE! There are tons of cool places to shop and eat in NB. Such a cool little beach town.

[Spartangirl]

Hello fellow Michigander. My Wife and I just returned Sunday from 9 days in SC. We spent 6 nights next to Disneyland, 2 nights in Santa Barbara and 1 night in Newport Beach. If the traffic is with you it only takes about 20-25 minutes to get to NB. We had such a great time there. We walked both Newport & Balboa piers. Walked and drove around and saw some of the great homes on Balboa Island. Two places that we ate at and really liked were the Crab Cooker right before the Newport pier and Ruby's Diner on the Balboa Pier. Both were excellent places to eat. Have fun. If you have any questions PM or post here and I will try to answer you. We stayed at Candy Cane Inn next to Disney and Holiday Inn Express in Costa Mesa just 5 minutes away from the Newport Pier.

Thanks for all of the great info! :goodvibes We too, are booked at the Candy Cane Inn. What is it like? I've read some pretty positive reviews. We decided that we're only going to do a day trip to Newport Beach since it's so close....20-25 minutes doesn't seem too bad.

[Spartangirl]

Oh dear...next to Disney, Newport Beach is one of my absolute favorite places to visit. And it is just a hop skip and jump away from DL and totally worth the SHORT drive.

I love the Crab Cooker, but the Rockin' Baja Lobster is my FAVE! There are tons of cool places to shop and eat in NB. Such a cool little beach town.


I'm really excited to visit Newport now! :thumbsup2 I love the beach and I love to shop!

[Ron from Michigan]

Hello Spartengirl,

We really liked the Candy Cane Inn. The rooms were fantastic, refrig., safe, coffee pot in the room. The hotel is really very beautiful. We will stay here whenever we visit Disneyland again. It's only a 10 minute walk to the parks too. The have breakfast each morning also. Just normal hotel food, cereal, bagels etc. You will really enjoy Newport Beach.

[Claire L]

I love the Crab Cooker, Such a cool little beach town.


We had a great meal here in 2003 and the little streets of Balboa Island are very very pretty.

Claire ;)

[Spartangirl]

Ron - Thank you for the info. on the Candy Cane Inn....and, we are really looking forward to Newport Beach! :goodvibes

Claire - Thanks for your response. We may have to try the Crab Cooker....it seems that many people have enjoyed it and had a positive experience there. :thumbsup2

[Handbag Lady]

We live an hour from Newport Beach but we just spent the weekend there on Memorial weekend.

We managed to get the Hyatt Newporter for $110/night on Priceline. Maybe this would be worth one night to stay and enjoy both beach cities of Newport and Laguna? Laguna hands-down wins for shopping, but Newport is much more relaxing. Do walk around Balboa Island as it is full of lovely little homes that you can stroll around and you can take the ferry for $1 or $1.50 (okay the sign says $1.50, but we were charged $1) for a nice ride on the harbor. They also have harbor tours over by they ferris wheel that are quite reasonable.

The Hyatt also has nine-hole golfing and it overlooks the back bay. And the golf technician doesn't laugh at you if it is your first time golfing and you end up laughing hysterically even though your husband is trying to play "right."

Do not go to Bandera for your dining pleasures. We tried this nice-looking restaurant and we were both disappointed. The filet mignon seemed to be stewed in meat tenderizer! :confused3

Two words: Fashion Island

Our favorite restaurants in that area are: The Tommy Bahama Cafe and Wilma's Patio.

[Spartangirl]

Handbag Lady -

Thanks for your great tips! I think we may check into a harbor tour, or at least take a ferry out along the harbor.

I appreciate your advice on golfing....Through your writing I thought you were describing my DH and I....I don't know if we'll be doing this....My husband is a good golfer and I "try" real hard. :lmao:

I checked out Fashion Island on the web and we will definitely be making a stop there! :thumbsup2

[SunDevilDaddy]

Maybe this has already been answered and if so I apologize for asking it again, BUT...

Between Newport and Huntington which beach is better for small kids? I have heard that Huntington has rougher surf and Newport is more gentle.. is this true? We have a DS6 and DD5 and will be going with the grandparents as well. Long story short, my Dad grew up on the coast (and although he hasn't lived near the ocean for 40 years) he thinks it would be "cool" to teach the kids to body surf or boogie board. So needless to say... I'm looking for the calmest waters I can find to let him attempt this.

Also if we were to leave from Newport beach on a Wednesday evening about the time of rush hour, how long can I expect it to take to find our way back to DLR?

Thanks for the help!

[Handbag Lady]

You are very welcome, Spartangirl!

My husband brought the camera along while we golfed, you know, to take pictures of us and the view...he later showed me the video he snuck of me (our digital camera does both) trying to actually hit that little white ball. Most women would have burned the entire camera, but it was so funny and I was SO not in my element that it is hysterical and it would be a shame to all things comedic if I destroyed it. :happytv:

I am a Hojo's girl, but many dear friends swear by Candy Cane, so you are in good hands. Oh, and the parking for the golf at the Hyatt is free if you turn right as you enter the resort area. They even have spaces marked off for golfers next to the valet parking area.

SunDevilDaddy: I would pick Laguna Beach, right at the spot where their little boardwalk is, across from the downtown artsy area. I know it is a little North of Newport...but not only is the surf calmer, but because it is a busy spot for kids, they always have a lifeguard on duty every time I've been there. You can easily take your dad and the kids off to the left or right and be out of water traffic for their lessons. I learned at that age, so I bet they will cherish the memory! After the lessons, take them to the Candy Baron up the street! Fabulous candy choices!

As to traffic: I would simply avoid the freeways and shimmy over to Harbor Blvd and take it back to DL. Taking the freeway from Newport to DL is odd as it is, so at least you know you'll be on the straightest track. The 22 almost aways is on the evening traffic report, so I've avoid it like the plague. I would imagine if you get lucky with the lights, you should be back within a half-hour to 45 minutes.

[SunDevilDaddy]

Thank you very much! I will attempt to direct the troops to Laguna beach!

[ladylee]

DH and I love the area you are talking about. We spent several vacations there before we married, took our honeymoon there and took our second trip to the area with our kids last year. Newport Beach is great!!!! Visit the peir and the Fun Zone. Take the ferry over to the island and stroll through the shops. We love to eat at both the Crab Cooker and Ruby's. Do dinner at the Crab Cooker and have breakfast at Ruby's. There are many different locations for Rubys-you can look the up on the web. The original on the pier is great. We love the cinnamon roll french toast-very rich so order one to share and some eggs to give you a protien boost. We really enjoy Laguana also so try to squeeze in both. If you decide to stay in the area for the night we stay at the Cozy Inn in Costa Mesa-reasonable and VERY clean. But I agree with you that it is close enough to just drive back to the Disneyland area. We just got back from Disney world, but you are making me wish for another vacation

[Spartangirl]

DH and I love the area you are talking about. We spent several vacations there before we married, took our honeymoon there and took our second trip to the area with our kids last year. Newport Beach is great!!!! Visit the peir and the Fun Zone. Take the ferry over to the island and stroll through the shops. We love to eat at both the Crab Cooker and Ruby's. Do dinner at the Crab Cooker and have breakfast at Ruby's. There are many different locations for Rubys-you can look the up on the web. The original on the pier is great. We love the cinnamon roll french toast-very rich so order one to share and some eggs to give you a protien boost. We really enjoy Laguana also so try to squeeze in both. If you decide to stay in the area for the night we stay at the Cozy Inn in Costa Mesa-reasonable and VERY clean. But I agree with you that it is close enough to just drive back to the Disneyland area. We just got back from Disney world, but you are making me wish for another vacation

Ladylee - Thanks for your response! I'm really excited to see Newport Beach and to walk down the pier. :thumbsup2 I think we may just end up staying in the Disneyland area. We're thinking about going to Disneyland for a couple of days, hitting Newport Beach for a day (to relax), and then going back for one last day at Disneyland.

What is the Fun Zone?

[ladylee]

The Fun Zone is just a small area in Newport. There is an old Ferris Wheel, a Dark Scary ride, a carosel and a game room. Dh and I like to go there at night. We usually walk the beach there for a while either in the day or evening to watch the waves, go across the ferry for shopping during the day, come back and do the Fun Zone in the evening just for a place to be outside in the evening to watch people. There are a few tourist shops a Pizza place I belive Pete's Pizza. It is nothing really exciting, but a lot of good memories for us. They even have boats that go out from there in the am to take people on fishing tours.

[Spartangirl]

The Fun Zone is just a small area in Newport. There is an old Ferris Wheel, a Dark Scary ride, a carosel and a game room. Dh and I like to go there at night. We usually walk the beach there for a while either in the day or evening to watch the waves, go across the ferry for shopping during the day, come back and do the Fun Zone in the evening just for a place to be outside in the evening to watch people. There are a few tourist shops a Pizza place I belive Pete's Pizza. It is nothing really exciting, but a lot of good memories for us. They even have boats that go out from there in the am to take people on fishing tours.

Thanks for the info. We may have to check it out...:goodvibes

[CanadianPaco]

Hello fellow Michigander. My Wife and I just returned Sunday from 9 days in SC. We spent 6 nights next to Disneyland, 2 nights in Santa Barbara and 1 night in Newport Beach. If the traffic is with you it only takes about 20-25 minutes to get to NB. We had such a great time there. We walked both Newport & Balboa piers. Walked and drove around and saw some of the great homes on Balboa Island. Two places that we ate at and really liked were the Crab Cooker right before the Newport pier and Ruby's Diner on the Balboa Pier. Both were excellent places to eat. Have fun. If you have any questions PM or post here and I will try to answer you. We stayed at Candy Cane Inn next to Disney and Holiday Inn Express in Costa Mesa just 5 minutes away from the Newport Pier.

We are thinking of staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Costa Mesa. What was your experience like there? Would you recommend it? :)

[ladylee]

We stay at the Cozy Inn in Costa Mesa. 75 a night last year and VERY clean . I have seen them remove all the moveable furniture out of the room to vacum. Its the only place we have stayed in several trips there.

[Ron from Michigan]

Hello CanadianPaco, Yes the Newport Beach HIE was very nice and clean. We enjoyed our stay there. You will be only minutes away from the Newport pier. If you stay there try the Crab Cooker for lunch or dinner, it's only a few minutes away from you. :)

[can]

Such great info from all! Am going 7/29 with DD15. Will be her first trip to DL (after 11 trips to WDW) and my first trip back to DL in almost 35 years. I am just as excited as she is.

One of my major decisions has been to rent a car, take a bus tour thru LA/Hollywood, the traffic, etc. I think I have decided to take the SuperShuttle from LAX to CCI and rent a car thru Alamo in Downtown Disney. This will avoid some long car rental lines and airport taxes. This was I think we will have the best of both worlds. Will avoid the drive from CCI to LAX, but will have the car to do a little extra exploring. Am hoping that our 5 days will be enough time to do DL and Newport Beach even Laguna Beach.

I have learned a wealth of info by just reading other's posts and questions and it has been such a big help in planning this trip!

[mrs.beast]

fashion island is amazing. it is one of my favorite things of so ca. my hubby's family had a condo in newport when he was growing up and he has so many fond memories of the pier and Rubys (in fact it was the first place he took me on our first trip to so ca) also, balboa island is fun. my inlaw rent a house there every year and love it. it is so fun to just walk around the island and look at the houses and people watch.
my favorite is still fashion island though :thumbsup2

[Spartangirl]

Such great info from all! Am going 7/29 with DD15. Will be her first trip to DL (after 11 trips to WDW) and my first trip back to DL in almost 35 years. I am just as excited as she is.

One of my major decisions has been to rent a car, take a bus tour thru LA/Hollywood, the traffic, etc. I think I have decided to take the SuperShuttle from LAX to CCI and rent a car thru Alamo in Downtown Disney. This will avoid some long car rental lines and airport taxes. This was I think we will have the best of both worlds. Will avoid the drive from CCI to LAX, but will have the car to do a little extra exploring. Am hoping that our 5 days will be enough time to do DL and Newport Beach even Laguna Beach.

I have learned a wealth of info by just reading other's posts and questions and it has been such a big help in planning this trip!

5 days should be great! My DH and I just returned from our vacation. After exploring LA/Hollywood, we spent 3 days in Disneyland and a full day at Newport Beach. By the way, the CCI is wonderful....the grounds are spectacular!

fashion island is amazing. it is one of my favorite things of so ca. my hubby's family had a condo in newport when he was growing up and he has so many fond memories of the pier and Rubys (in fact it was the first place he took me on our first trip to so ca) also, balboa island is fun. my inlaw rent a house there every year and love it. it is so fun to just walk around the island and look at the houses and people watch.
my favorite is still fashion island though :thumbsup2

We loved Fashion Island. What a beautiful shopping complex! :thumbsup2 Newport was wonderful...we are considering going back in the future to stay for a week.

[mermaidtheresa]

Hello fellow Michigander. My Wife and I just returned Sunday from 9 days in SC. We spent 6 nights next to Disneyland, 2 nights in Santa Barbara and 1 night in Newport Beach. If the traffic is with you it only takes about 20-25 minutes to get to NB. We had such a great time there. We walked both Newport & Balboa piers. Walked and drove around and saw some of the great homes on Balboa Island. Two places that we ate at and really liked were the Crab Cooker right before the Newport pier and Ruby's Diner on the Balboa Pier. Both were excellent places to eat. Have fun. If you have any questions PM or post here and I will try to answer you. We stayed at Candy Cane Inn next to Disney and Holiday Inn Express in Costa Mesa just 5 minutes away from the Newport Pier.

Where did you stay in Santa Barbara and did you have a good experience with it?
Heading there soon... thanks!

[emmababy]

I grew up in Newport Beach, and all this talk is stirring up memories. Fashion Island is a great place to shop. Corona Del Mar beach is great, balboa too. Make sure to have an In-N-Out burger at least once during your stay!! I can't wait until the kiddies are old enough to go to Disneyland/Newport Beach for vacation.

[frankyP4lover]

The restaurants are amazing there. SPend more than a day there and stay the night. Go to Muldoons for some good irish food and the Kitsch bar for cocktails at night.

[damo]

We just got back and stayed at the Island Hotel across from Fashion Island. Pricey, but beautiful. We'd stay there again in a heartbeat!!!