Disneyland and a National Park

[MHall44]

Hi Everyone!

I'm new here so please let me know if I am posting this in the incorrect place.

I am planning a Disneyland trip for this Summer. A little background. In the summer of 2023, I took my two teenage daughters to the grand canyon for a a few days and then drove to Disneyland. Being a DVC owner (boardwalk) from the East coast, they had rarely been to Disneyland. All three of us loved that vacation and the park. I decided to buy some DVC points at the Disneyland Hotel this Summer and my plan is to do something similar to the '23 trip every two years with them. It's particularly special to me, as a single dad, because this new tradition is something that's just ours.

So... to make an already too long of a story shorter, I figured I'd come here to ask for some advice. What National Park should I pair Disneyland with this Summer? Can someone give me their thoughts on coupling it with Yosemite? Sequoia? Kings Canyon? etc... I was even thinking of flying to Denver, doing the Rockies and then flying to LA. Just trying to figure out logistics of it all.Honestly though, I'd rather rent a car from whatever park and drive to Anaheim so that we can see more of the West.

Any advice or thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Mike

 

[China Expat]

Yosemite will be your closest park; you could drive way up the coast to the redwoods

 

[DizMe]

I love your plan!!! I second a visit to Yosemite, as it's spectacular in a very unique way. It does take some planning if you want to stay in the Yosemite valley (which I HIGHLY recommend), because it's a very popular place with not that many accommodations and reservations can be difficult to come by. But wow, it's really a bucket list place IMO. I didn't see it until I was an adult and it blew me away.

I personally wouldn't try to do too much in one trip. I like your plan of seeing different parks on different visits, as California is a huge state with much to offer. You could do the redwoods in Northern California, take the spectacular drive down the central coast (Big Sur area), etc. I don't know as much about the Southern California places to visit.

But for your first trip, I'd recommend Yosemite. You can camp or try for a hotel, but be sure to start early for finding a reservation. Here's a link https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/lodging.htm

 

[irlandaise]

Hi, @MHall44. That sounds like a great idea!

You would certainly see some gorgeous areas if you flew to Denver and did some parks in Colorado before continuing on to California.

In California, the closest national park to Anaheim (I'm not counting national monuments and other NPS properties) is Joshua Tree NP. It's a fascinating place for sure.

https://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm

Over on the eastern border of southern California you'd have Death Valley NP, very well known for its stark beauty--and record-setting summer temperatures.

https://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm

If you were to drive north more along the center of the state, you'd first come to Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP, as you've mentioned. Very pretty area of the Sierra Nevada.

https://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm

And then, of course, further north is Yosemite NP. I'm a Bay Area native so Yosemite was my first national park and is still my favorite. As others have mentioned, it's crazy busy in the summer. Likely there will be a reservation system again next summer, so keep an eye on the NPS website for information about that. If you have a lodging reservation in the park, that will get you in without a separate entrance reservation, so start thinking about room reservations now. I strongly recommend that you spend a few nights there so you have time to visit Glacier Point and Tuolumne Meadows as well as Yosemite Valley.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm

Coming from southern California, during the summer you have the option of driving up Hwy 395 through the Eastern Sierra (a stop at the Manzanar National Historic Site would be memorable: https://www.nps.gov/manz/index.htm) and entering Yosemite from the east. That road is usually open from about Memorial Day till November, but it depends on the snowpack. Last year it didn't open until late July! So that's something to consider when making plans.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/seasonal.htm

After Yosemite, it would be an easy drive to the Bay Area to get a flight home from SFO or Oakland. Or, of course, you could reverse that itinerary and do Disneyland last.

Please keep us posted on your exciting plans!

 

[Bruno33]

Channel Islands could be a good option!

Here’s some info about it from another recent thread:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/channel-islands.3952725/

 

[ter-moo]

I love all the above posters' ideas, and second the notion that if you DO plan to do Yosemite, make sure to reserve lodging/campsites WELL ahead!

I'm going to throw in another suggestion that would be plausible: Do some of the Utah parks (Zion, Moab or Arches.) Zion is about a 6-hour drive from Disneyland and could be doable with your itinerary.

 

[irlandaise]

I'm going to throw in another suggestion that would be plausible: Do some of the Utah parks (Zion, Moab or Arches.) Zion is about a 6-hour drive from Disneyland and could be doable with your itinerary.

The north rim of the Grand Canyon is also in that area. I agree that it's an area well worth visiting.

 

[Dr. G]

Colorado Rockies are gorgeous but you'd be looking at a long drive to Anaheim. There are amazing Parks in Southern Utah as well: Zions, Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef. We loved Yosemite in CA. You could easily spend more than one day in any of these parks.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Zion is a great choice and an easier drive than Yosemite. I did a trip where we spent a couple of days in Zion then drove further on to Bryce. I would recommend that over going to the Grand Canyon. You will need to drive through Las Vegas - so maybe fly there first, do the NPs, then come back to Vegas and do the short-hop flight to SNA. Also worth seeing is Red Rocks above Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam. Both are easy drives from Las Vegas and don't take all day. There are hotels in Vegas, Springdale (Zion) and Bryce so you won't need to camp. I actually prefer staying in Dinosaur over Springdale. Springdale has a lot of expensive sit-down restaurants, Dinosaur is far less expensive. Our last Zion trip we stayed in Springdale then found ourselves driving to Dinosaur every night anyway.

Yosemite is great and a true bucket-list, BUT... It also gets crowded. You'll need reservations for sure. Sequoia is the less crowded, more spread out version of Yosemite. There's not a lot of lodging in either - so if you are not planning on camping that could be an issue. Yosemite camping in the valley is extremely difficult to get, especially during the summer.

 

[irlandaise]

Colorado Rockies are gorgeous but you'd be looking at a long drive to Anaheim.

Mike said that he and his daughters would fly from Colorado to California if they did the Rockies.

There are amazing Parks in Southern Utah as well: Zions, Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef.

Indeed, that whole area is so beautiful.

We loved Yosemite in CA. You could easily spend more than one day in any of these parks.

You definitely need more than one day in Yosemite. Many of the parks in southern Utah can be done as day trips from a base location. About 20 years ago, some friends and I stayed for a week at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary near Kanab and did day trips to Bryce, Zion, and the North Rim.

 

[RockyMtnMouse]

I posted on the other thread too. We're a big national park family (19 parks in 4 years).

Last March we flew into Burbank and drove up to Ventura. Next day we took the boat to Channel Islands (Santa Cruz specifically). Spent the day on the island doing a 5 mile hike (Potato Harbor). Kids loved the boat ride (which you book months in advance). We did Universal the next day. Then did a day trip to Joshua Tree. Next time we want to fly into Vegas and do Death Valley. After a few Disney days we'll head up to Pinnacles and fly out of San Jose.

Out of all the NPs we've done Yosemite is my favorite, followed closely by Zion. My kids did not enjoy Joshua Tree (it's our least liked park). If you decide to get crazy, we did drive from Denver to California in 2021. Best trip ever. We live near Rocky so we skipped it. But we did Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, Grand Canyon, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Yosemite. You've done Grand Canyon so that kid of trip may not appeal. Plus, it would need to be a really long trip.

If you did Rocky, it's about 90 min from DIA. And make sure you secure a timed entry (Bear Lake corridor is our favorite).

 

[NVDISFamily]

If you don't require an official NP, there are a lot of options in the area. Nothing wrong with a NP, but just recommending you consider some of the other good options north or south of the resort in the area. Within a very short drive you can have a fun day at the Newport Dunes area. One of my favoirte beaches in So. Cal, San Clemente, etc. Or head north up to the central coast and all that that offers.

For NP options, others have already given some good options. Yosemite is awesome. Zion and the north rim of the Grand Canyon is magical

 

[longboard55]

Yosemite is fantastic but Sequoia is a much shorter and easier drive and impressive

 

[TwingleMum]

Hey don't forget Alcatraz! Cool little side trip. My kids loved the book "Al Capone does my shirts". If they haven't read it , it's a fun read. And not too far.

 

[Chili327]

Hey don't forget Alcatraz! Cool little side trip. My kids loved the book "Al Capone does my shirts". If they haven't read it , it's a fun read. And not too far.

And if you're going there, add on Disney Family Museum.