Best SoCal Home Base

[PrincessDadx2]

Planning on coming to Southern Calfornia next year and staying for 8 or 9 nights. I will spend 5 nights in one room and then have flexibility for the other nights. Trying to figure out what the best place is to base out of.

Want to do:

DLR - 3 days
Legoland/Aquatica - 2 days
San Diego Zoo - 1 day
Maybe Universal if I get a City pass or Sea World

Is it easier to stay in Anaheim and commute down to Carlsbad or the reverse? Where would you rather spend 5 nights?

Depending on where I fly from I would finish near LAX or Sandiego for a flight home.

 

[nana50]

Staying Carlsbad is not a bad idea. That way you are halfway between Anaheim and downtown San Diego. I would do Anaheim the first few days, then a nice hotel in San Diego area for two nights, then up to L.A. if you do Universal. Universal is quite a drive from Anaheim let alone San Diego. You might want to do all your Anaheim/Los Angeles stuff together, then spend a few days in the San Diego area.

 

[mr.bungle]

If you have flexibility, I would stay more south after your DL time. I would also pick Sea World over Universal simply because you're going to do the zoo and Legoland. Universal is cool but in my opinion, it doesn't take a whole day.

I would recommend Humphry's Half Moon Inn in SD: http://halfmooninn.reachlocal.net/ It's not far from the Zoo or Sea World. Carlsbad is still about 30 miles from SD but SD has some cool stuff to do during your non park times. Balboa Park where to zoo is has some art museums and an automotive museum. Old town SD is neat also.

 

[PHXscuba]

If you are going to switch hotels, consider doing Legoland on your "travel day" since it is between DLR and SD. I think I'd stay near DLR for the Disneyland portion and in San Diego proper for beaches, zoo, Sea World, etc.

Legoland/Carlsbad isn't too far a drive from SD, but if you stay in Carlsbad the whole time, you will be "commuting" every day into San Diego or Anaheim except for a day or two at Legoland. I'd rather stay nearer most of the attractions and spend less time in the famous SoCal traffic.

PHXscuba