DL Area Beaches

[JustAKid]

We'll be renting a car for one day while at DL because we're pretty sure that we'll need a break from DL during our stay. I was wondering what beaches are in the area that have something to do/see? Is there a place where we can rent bikes? Or that has calmer/safer water for swimming? Museums? Something along those lines. We won't be able to just SIT all day but we'd like this day to be pretty budget friendly, so that boat trip to Catalina is out!

 

[lorasmom]

Newport or Laguna Beaches would be good for a day trip.

Newport is generally busier, had a boardwalk that you can walk, two piers, shops, and TONS of beach space.

Laguna is a bit more laid back, great tidepooling if you go during low tide, a cute "downtown" area with shops that you can walk through. Smaller beach than Newport.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Although Newport is busier, we've gone and rented bikes. We rode to the ferry & took it for $1 (could be more now) to Balboa Island - it was fun. They also rent boogie boards, etc. I haven't gone to Laguna Beach, so I can't speak for the things they offer there.

 

[MagicalMomAZ]

I 2nd the Balboa Island trip - it's mainly residential & there's some shops on the main drag but it's so quaint - it's fun just to walk around. The FunZone is located where you take the ferry over. ALSO - you can rent bike near Balboa pier & parking is all day price there (instead of metered)...likewise at Huntington. I'll always love that area. If you get there early you can go down to the wedge on the peninsula & watch fisherman or surfers. We saw a kid catch a stingray once!

If you go North towards Long Beach you will find a cool aquarium - CANNOT remember the actual name.. LB isn't my favorite but the aquarium was fun for the kids.

Want to add - I don't recommend Laguna - VERY touristy. And not much of a beach bc it's on a cliff basically. BUT since Summer is over there may be less of a crowd. We were there in July.

 

[PHXscuba]

The aquarium in Long Beach is called the Aquarium of the Pacific. Not too pricy, but not what I'd call a "budget day."

I love the beach (grew up there, but most of the Southern Calif. stretch of the Pacific wouldn't qualify as "calm water" for swimming, unless you're on a bay, like inisde Newport Harbor. But then the water gets pretty gross.

A trip to Newport Beach down the Balboa peninsula would probably be something your family would enjoy. You can go to the beach for a little, visit the Fun Zone (bungee trampoline, ferris wheel, carousel, arcade, etc.), maybe ride the ferry over to Balboa Island (not much to do on the island but gawk at expensive houses, but it's nice to walk around). One local treat to try is a Balboa Bar, basically a slab of ice cream dipped in choclate and rolled in nuts or sprinkles. Mmmm...

PHXscuba

 

[pixarmom]

I may be too late, but the Newport peninsula (and Balboa Island) are great choices! The Newport beaches are the best. Ruby's on the Newport Pier has always been a favorite. The fun zone is kid-friendly, and then take the ferry over to Balboa Island. You can walk along the bay to Marine Avenue, where you'll find shops, restaurants and the best frozen bananas ever at "Dad's." Laguna is beautiful - better views than Newport from the cliffs - but neither the beach nor the shopping district in Laguna are particularly great for our kids.

 

[HydroGuy]

Another vote for Newport Beach.

 

[Leggyb]

I absolutely LOVE Newport Beach. I went with my In-Laws last month and half the group wanted to go to the beach for the day, the other half wanted to go shopping. We compromised and spent half the day at Fashion Island (HUGE MALL) and half the day at Newport! You will have a blast.

My advice: unload near 31st street. There's an Alberton's right there and also a rental shop where you can rent bikes, boogie boards etc.

Watch out for Parking and read the signs. You will get a ticket if you park in a street sweeping zone on a street sweeping day. Good luck!

 

[JustAKid]

I may be too late, but the Newport peninsula (and Balboa Island) are great choices! The Newport beaches are the best. Ruby's on the Newport Pier has always been a favorite. The fun zone is kid-friendly, and then take the ferry over to Balboa Island. You can walk along the bay to Marine Avenue, where you'll find shops, restaurants and the best frozen bananas ever at "Dad's." Laguna is beautiful - better views than Newport from the cliffs - but neither the beach nor the shopping district in Laguna are particularly great for our kids.

Nope! Not too late. Our trip isn't until 2010 We decided to do a Dolphin Watching tour in Dana Point, and then drive along the coast, hitting Newport on the way back. No Balboa Island but I think it'll still be good times.

My advice: unload near 31st street. There's an Alberton's right there and also a rental shop where you can rent bikes, boogie boards etc.

Watch out for Parking and read the signs. You will get a ticket if you park in a street sweeping zone on a street sweeping day. Good luck!

AWESOME tip, thanks so much!

 

[pixarmom]

I'd suggest the beach at 15th Street - the 15th Street Surf shop is a great locally owned store that rents bikes, boogie boards, etc. and it's located right on 15th between Fry's Market (mini mart with beach toys, etc.) and the Stuft Surfer (burgers, ice cream, breakfast.) The beach there is nice and clean, and it's between the Newport Pier (on 20th Street) and the Balboa Pier (that's where you'll find Ruby's - I was typing too fast in my earlier post - the Fun Zone and the ferry to Balboa Island.) You'll also see a public parking lot and rentals at the base of the Balboa Pier. We've always thought 15th street to the Balboa Pier is best for families. Our kids like the playground right on the beach around 13th street -it's for the elementary school, but entirely unfenced and everyone uses it during the summer. (And I loved playing there as a little kid, too!)

If you're looking for extremely calm water, there is a public beach on the bay side at 10th street.

For those traveling without kids, 20th Street (and up) has lots of bars, restaurants, etc. And either way, if you're around 20th Street, the Crab Cooker restaurant is great for everyone (as long as they like fish!) Just be sure to get there early before the dinner rush!

Hope you enjoy Newport as much as we do!

 

[deejdigsdis]

All this talk of Newport beach sounds fun for our "down" day. How far away is it from Disneyland?

 

[JustAKid]

I'd suggest the beach at 15th Street - the 15th Street Surf shop is a great locally owned store that rents bikes, boogie boards, etc. and it's located right on 15th between Fry's Market (mini mart with beach toys, etc.) and the Stuft Surfer (burgers, ice cream, breakfast.) The beach there is nice and clean, and it's between the Newport Pier (on 20th Street) and the Balboa Pier (that's where you'll find Ruby's - I was typing too fast in my earlier post - the Fun Zone and the ferry to Balboa Island.) You'll also see a public parking lot and rentals at the base of the Balboa Pier. We've always thought 15th street to the Balboa Pier is best for families. Our kids like the playground right on the beach around 13th street -it's for the elementary school, but entirely unfenced and everyone uses it during the summer. (And I loved playing there as a little kid, too!)

If you're looking for extremely calm water, there is a public beach on the bay side at 10th street.

For those traveling without kids, 20th Street (and up) has lots of bars, restaurants, etc. And either way, if you're around 20th Street, the Crab Cooker restaurant is great for everyone (as long as they like fish!) Just be sure to get there early before the dinner rush!

Hope you enjoy Newport as much as we do!

WOW!!!! This information is SO great. Thank you SO much. The playground will be awesome after driving and being stuck on a boat for a few hours. I can't WAIT to rent bikes, are there a lot of paths to ride on? Seriously AWESOME info.

All this talk of Newport beach sounds fun for our "down" day. How far away is it from Disneyland?

Exactly! It's our "down" day. Even if we end up going back to Disney at night for a show or something, it'll be nice to take a break. We're doing it smack dab in the middle of our vacation. From what I can tell by looking at a map, Newport Beach is about 15-20 miles from Disneyland. I think someone said it's about a 30 minute drive? Don't quote me on it though.

 

[laura&fam]

Laguna is a bit more laid back, great tidepooling if you go during low tide, a cute "downtown" area with shops that you can walk through. Smaller beach than Newport.

Is there any other tidepool type areas nearby? DH and I want to swim, the kiddos are more play on the beach types, but we all love looking for critters in the tidepools.

Also does anyone know where I can find tide information?

 

[pixarmom]

I'm so happy to be talking about Newport, so this is a treat for me!

As for biking, the ocean side of the peninsula has a long sidewalk right along the sand - it separates the sand from the homes on the beach - and it's miles long. It's a busy sidewalk on summer weekends - our kids love that for lemonade stands, but not as much for biking. During the week or off season, it's always been fine as long as we ride single file and stay on the right side. The bay side is more quiet, but bikes are not allowed on that side. We do take a stroller or wagon on that side, and the older boys use their razor scooters there. If you grab a map and navigate the quiet streets past the Balboa Pier, you'll end up at the wedge - the waves are huge there (it's right where the bay meets the ocean) and it's fun to watch the surfers and climb around the rocks.

I don't have much information about tidepools, but I've vacationed in Newport for over 35 years, and I can tell you a little about critters! As a child, my brother loved the sand crabs. They are tiny harmless critters, and when the water from a wave washes away, you'll see little bubbles on the surface of the sand. He would dig and dig really fast and catch them, and then let them go. He loved doing this around 4 or 5pm in the summer, when the sun is going down and the tide is actually higher.

We now have three generations on our trips, and many different interests. Newport is great for digging up those sand crabs, finding shells, boogie boarding, "jumping waves," just sitting and reading, playing in the sand (lots of sandcastles!), skimboarding, walking along the beach (either on the sand or sidewalk), throwing the frisbee, playing volleyball (nets near 15th street and the Balboa pier), making a campfire (fire pits on the right side the Balboa pier, near the parking lot!) The littlest ones can play in the "bubbles" the water creates right at the edge of the shore and jump over the "waves" as they roll in long after crashing. And that's just the beach!

The Fun Zone has seen better days, but we still like it. Balboa Island is far more charming - for anyone considering Balboa Island, you can access it by either the ferry (cars, bikes and pedestrians) or by a bridge (also for cars, bikes and pedestrians) on the other side of the island.

 

[JustAKid]

As for biking, the ocean side of the peninsula has a long sidewalk right along the sand - it separates the sand from the homes on the beach - and it's miles long. It's a busy sidewalk on summer weekends - our kids love that for lemonade stands, but not as much for biking. During the week or off season, it's always been fine as long as we ride single file and stay on the right side. The bay side is more quiet, but bikes are not allowed on that side. We do take a stroller or wagon on that side, and the older boys use their razor scooters there. If you grab a map and navigate the quiet streets past the Balboa Pier, you'll end up at the wedge - the waves are huge there (it's right where the bay meets the ocean) and it's fun to watch the surfers and climb around the rocks.

How cool! I am really excited about watching surfers. Don't tell anyone, as this is very non-disney of me but...I like to watch people doing sports fall!! I am SO unatheletic that it watching them make a boo-boo reminds me that they aren't super-human!!!

Newport is great for digging up those sand crabs, finding shells, boogie boarding, "jumping waves," just sitting and reading, playing in the sand (lots of sandcastles!), skimboarding, walking along the beach (either on the sand or sidewalk), throwing the frisbee, playing volleyball (nets near 15th street and the Balboa pier), making a campfire (fire pits on the right side the Balboa pier, near the parking lot!) The littlest ones can play in the "bubbles" the water creates right at the edge of the shore and jump over the "waves" as they roll in long after crashing. And that's just the beach!

How about water temperature? Is it okay for the kids? We're from Oregon, and the COAST (I emphasize the word coast because it's not a beach for us, you won't see any people in bikini's here!) is absolutely freezing. Although they would love to have a chance to play in the surf, I forbid it. I have to literally force myself to stand in the ankle deep water until my feet are numb to be able to walk along the shoreline without shoes on! Its so cold it hurts.

 

[deejdigsdis]

How cool! I am really excited about watching surfers. Don't tell anyone, as this is very non-disney of me but...I like to watch people doing sports fall!! I am SO unatheletic that it watching them make a boo-boo reminds me that they aren't super-human!!!



How about water temperature? Is it okay for the kids? We're from Oregon, and the COAST (I emphasize the word coast because it's not a beach for us, you won't see any people in bikini's here!) is absolutely freezing. Although they would love to have a chance to play in the surf, I forbid it. I have to literally force myself to stand in the ankle deep water until my feet are numb to be able to walk along the shoreline without shoes on! Its so cold it hurts.

Ahhh, you brought back some good memories for me of the OTHER Newport beach. We used to camp along the coast for 1 -2 weeks every summer -- 1 week if we had Disneyland plans, 2 weeks if we didn't. Let's not forget the wind and rain... It's so beautiful though, with all the rocks and lighthouses. Much more interesting than the not-so-pretty side of the state where I grew up.

Anyway, thanks for your helpful info pixarmom. We were thinking Huntington Beach, but now I'm leaning toward Newport.

 

[JustAKid]

Ahhh, you brought back some good memories for me of the OTHER Newport beach. We used to camp along the coast for 1 -2 weeks every summer -- 1 week if we had Disneyland plans, 2 weeks if we didn't. Let's not forget the wind and rain... It's so beautiful though, with all the rocks and lighthouses. Much more interesting than the not-so-pretty side of the state where I grew up.

Anyway, thanks for your helpful info pixarmom. We were thinking Huntington Beach, but now I'm leaning toward Newport.

You know what is ridiculous? We ALWAYS go to the Lincoln City/Newport area (we live in Salem) and I didn't even make the connect. Maybe our Newport is the, pun intended, POLAR opposite of the So Cal Newport. Mwahahahaha.

 

[samsmainla]

Anyway, thanks for your helpful info pixarmom. We were thinking Huntington Beach, but now I'm leaning toward Newport.

We love Huntington beach, and always stop there on our trips. Then in March we though lets try out Newport, since I had always heard good things.
Well, we are off in a couple weeks and I can't wait to head back to Newport.......Love it so much!
You can visit both though, since they are about 10 min away from each other.

 

[HydroGuy]

All this talk of Newport beach sounds fun for our "down" day. How far away is it from Disneyland?

NB is 15 miles or so from DLR. But depending on time of day that could be 20 minutes or 45.

 

[pixarmom]

Hi again!

Responding to the question about water temperature - which I understand is a very relative thing! From June through August, we're all in the water. But "in the water" means babies have their toes in the water and toddlers are running in and out by the shore. I always brace myself and run in - it's not warm, but if you're moving around and the sun is shining, it's very refreshing! On the other hand, two of our boys would tell you it's not cold and they are in the water for hours.