Southern California Discover Kids museum or ???

[JoRo]

Hi

We will be at DL for 5 days and thought about doing to the discover kids museum ?

Our kids are 5 & 7

Knotts camp snoopy is undercontruction, the mine and log rides are closed
Legoland - we have been told this is not worth the trip for one day?????
Disneyland - big thunder, splash, nemo closed - lots of pool time
Universal - not really something the kids would enjoy at this point.

So that has led me to search and we pass by the discover kids museum on the freeway and thought that would be fun, we thought about the medeval or pirate dinners. Our goal is just something fun...any other ideas?

Thanks
Lisa

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Do you mean the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana? That is a great museum, and there is plenty that your children could enjoy there. My kids have been to that museum several times over the years and loved each visit. I would certainly recommend it as an activity if you are looking for a non-Disney park activity to do one day for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours (depending on the interest level of your kids).

I wouldn't write off Legoland so quickly though. My kids loved Legoland, especially at the current ages of your children. It is pricy, so I would recommend looking for discounted tickets. Legoland can definitely be an all-day activity, especially if your kids enjoy Legos. The drive is about an hour if you avoid rush-hour times. Our strategy for a 10 AM opening time usually was to leave Anaheim though around 8 or 8:30 AM, and even then we didn't usually hit too bad traffic. The return trip was always trickier. I certainly wouldn't end a Disney trip with a Legoland trip; I admit that would be a bit of a letdown. But it can be a fun change of pace for younger kids during the middle of a Disney trip. As an adult, this is a park that you go to with more of the philosophy that you are doing it more for the kids' enjoyment, but I have always enjoyed looking at the amazing Lego constructs, and there are a couple of rides that are fun for adults too.

 

[PHXscuba]

Your kids are great ages for both Legoland and the Discovery Science Center. If you have a local science center membership (or would use one at a center close to you), you can get in free at Discovery. List of museums that have exchange privileges here.

Another option if the weather is good would be to go to Long Beach and see the Aquarium of the Pacific and possibly a Harbor Cruise.

PHXscuba

 

[bcla]

California Science Center in Exposition Park. It's actually free to enter. However, their star attraction is the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which has a nominal "reservation fee". Otherwise one can enter freely without a ticket. It's a good museum. It's got small sections for various sciences, a small aquarium section, aerospace, etc. I wouldn't say it's necessarily "world class" in every section (save the Space Shuttle) but it's pretty good, it's free, and they've got all of it in one place.

http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/
http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/GenInfo/PlanningYourVisit/Hours/endeavour/endeavour.php

It's a $2 reservation fee for Endeavour where one receives a timed ticket. It's included for anyone purchasing an IMAX movie ticket. There are additional online reservation fees. We came on a Monday and got our reservation there. There's also a $10 parking fee. It's in Exposition Park in Los Angeles near the Memorial Coliseum and the LA Sports Arena. You can see the Olympic Torch there.