Condo Rentals? Where to Stay for SoCal Trip?

[MeandMrB]

Hi! I am planning to take my DS (who will be 8 at the time of the trip) to Disneyland in the last week of May 2013. We will also be visiting the San Diego Zoo, and I would like to spend a day at the beach (which beach?!) and he wants to see Hollywood and the sign...so... I'm trying to figure out where to book the hotel(s) for all of this? I've been to LAX and that's about as much as I know about SoCal so I'm not really sure where to begin. Ideally I would love to rent a condo where I could have a kitchen and travel to the destination of the day via rental car - thinking that a condo rental, like in Orlando, would be a decent savings vs. a hotel. Otherwise I was looking at the some of the good neighbor hotels near Disney, but then get lost from there - is it a better financial deal to book a moderate good neighbor hotel, or is there one 'centralized' area where we could stay, condo or hotel, and not have to deal with multiple rooms. (we'll visit DL for 3 days, was thinking a day for the beach, maybe half a day to tour Hollywood and the sign (do we need more?) then drive down to San Diego and finish out our stay there for about 3 days). Thanks for any tips! This trip seems so far away, I really can't wait to be there

 

[darlenesmommy]

I use homeaway.com for condo or home rentals. You could check the area and see which is better cost wise for you.

 

[luv2plan]

If you are going to go to San Diego for 3 days, I would get a hotel there. The zoo is like a 2 hr drive from Disneyland area.
I have 2 boys, have you looked at visiting Legoland? It is in Carlsbad. You could go there on the day you travel to SD. It's on the way on the I-5.
Also, you could maybe fly into LAX and out of SAN Diego, then you don't have to return to LA area.

Happy planning!

 

[smiles33]

I look at vrbo.com as we almost always rent condos. However, at DLR, we stayed at the HoJo because I wanted to be within walking distance. Plus, the Kids Suite has a microwave and mini-fridge, which was sufficient for our needs since we ate in the park most meals and just ate breakfast and 2 dinners outside the park.

I would definitely choose a second hotel/condo in San Diego, as it's too far to drive back and forth if you want more than 1 day in San Diego.