Southern California Day off beach trip!!!

[KCmike]

Very nice pics of the beach, KC Mike. Thanks for sharing

Thanks GoofyDadude!

 

[Tasscrapper]

What time of the year does it typically ger warm enough to start swimming?

 

[mich311e]

We usually go to Huntington Beach during our Disney visits. It's a really nice beach. We went at the end of November and our kids went in and got wet. You can walk pretty far out on the beach.

Be sure to walk under the pier, you might be able to see some wildlife! We saw many octopi stuck to the columns.

The one time we stayed a night at the beach a night before heading to Anaheim we went to Sunset Beach which is a little bit north of Huntington. We stayed at the Travelodge right on the beach. The hotel is a bit dated but we liked the location and the empty beach. My husband and son walked the beach in the morning and saw dolphins swimming. (this was also in late November)

 

[mich311e]

What time of the year does it typically ger warm enough to start swimming?

I think it depends on the person. We are from Arizona and I can't recall a visit at the beach where we at least didn't get our legs wet. My son will go in year round. We go to San Diego at the beginning of June and it's still cold but my husband and son boogie board anyway.

 

[mickey+minnie91]

LOVE LOVE LOVE Huntington Beach. We always go there when were at Disneyland. If your going in early Aug they also have the US open of surfing going on. We usually eat breakfast at Rubys at the end of the pier. We like Freds as someone else posted. There is also a BJ's, IHOP,Starbucks, taco place and a bar. Towards the end of Main street away from pier there is another good mexican resturant. We also like Sandy's which is right along the walkway. Its also fun to rent bikes and ride along the coast. We do that often also. Cant go wrong with HB. The vibe there is awesome. The teens like to shop along Main street and the area near it. Often they also close down Main street and have a street fair with some vendors.
I hope you go down there. Its a great spot.

 

[Dot2Vegas]

I think it depends on the person. We are from Arizona and I can't recall a visit at the beach where we at least didn't get our legs wet. My son will go in year round. We go to San Diego at the beginning of June and it's still cold but my husband and son boogie board anyway.

We are from Nevada and do the same. Doesn't matter what time of year, we always dip our toes in at least! We went to Newport Beach in May and we were able to swim comfortably.

 

[rtfelt]

I don’t know if I would recommend Huntington for your group. It is a VERY wide beach meaning that it can be quite a hike from the parking lot to the water. It’s great if you like lots of sand, but if your parents are older that might be harder for them and with pre-schoolers it might be a pain, but it is the closest to DLR. It depends on what is more important to you distance or appropriateness of park for your group. If you’re willing to go a little further I would actually recommend with your little ones Corona Del Mar (it’s where I always went when my children were young). It is a small beach with close parking and even a playground. The waves are small and the sand is nice. It’s officially part of Newport Beach (south end) but you have to get to it separately and it is separated from the rest of Newport by water into the bay. Get there by going down I5 south to 55 south, take 73 south (this is a toll, but you will get off before a toll booth), exit McArthur Blvd, take that to Marguerite Ave (at PCH intersection), turn right. Follow that to the end at Ocean Blvd. Turn right on Ocean, the stay to left to go down hill on Iris Ave to the parking lot. If you want to avoid freeways take Harbor Blvd south all the way to Baker St. Turn left and continue to Bristol, turn right until Jamboree and turn right until PCH (1) turn left the go the Marguerite as in previous directions. It will likely take you at least 45 minutes by avoiding the freeways. Good luck with your decision.

 

[awdsmama]

I really wanted to take DS to Santa Monica to do the fun stuff at the pier but you guys are slowly making me consider Huntington Beach instead....

 

[mich311e]

I don’t know if I would recommend Huntington for your group. It is a VERY wide beach meaning that it can be quite a hike from the parking lot to the water.

There are parking lots RIGHT on the beach, on either side of the pier. It's $1.50 an hour to park.

http://www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/visitors/parking/beach_parking.pdf

I like Santa Monica as well, but since we are from AZ we save Santa Monica for our non-Disney trips. I like the boardwalk vibe but don't want to pay for rides when I've already got a ticket to Disneyland.

 

[Xenorye]

HB all the way.

 

[rtfelt]

I know there's parking right at the beach but what I am saying is the beach itself is wide. Some beaches are only 30 feet from parking lot to water. HB has parts that are 100 yards from parking lot to water. That's not an issue for me now with teenagers but when I had a handful of pre-schoolers and all their beach stuff that walk seemed very long.

 

[RetroCOTfan]

We're making our first trip to DLR, and my 13-yr-old wants to go to the beach while we're there. Based on what I've read on the DIS, I think Huntington Beach is going to be the best fit for us.

We weren't planning on renting a car, and really only want to go to the beach for a few hours on the afternoon of our arrival day. Is there an easy way to get to Huntington Beach without renting a car? Is a taxi a viable option? I know getting one at the hotel (Anaheim Marriot) wouldn't be a problem, but what about getting back?

There are 5 of us, including a 6-yr-old old who probably needs a car seat. Do taxis enforce that requirement?

TIA!


ETA: Never mind - After more digging I was able to find the info I need. Looks like renting a car for a day is our best bet. Thanks!

 

[CalvaryMike]

I really wanted to take DS to Santa Monica to do the fun stuff at the pier but you guys are slowly making me consider Huntington Beach instead....

Santa Monica is a different flavor. It's a beach atmosphere where you feel you need to be on guard. Orange County beaches don't feel have the same feeling. If you're going solely for the beach atmosphere, I'd say OC beaches. Santa Monica will give you more of a cultural experience.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Moved to our So Cal board...