First Day in Anaheim needs to be filled, which beach is better?

[Elizabethsmessykitchen]

My itenerary has changed and iam not going to Universal Studios as planned for my first full day, so which is better Huntington Beach, Newport Beach or Laguna Beach?
May 5th is the day im looking to be occupied, my arrival day the 4th, i will be going to go from LAX AP to Santa Monica Pier and walk to Venice Beach from about 10ish am on.
Never been to any Disneyland or the U.S.A, i do have 5 day park hopper tickets and staying on Katella.
approx how much is an Uber from DL to Little Blue Boy Motel?
is that just rediculous? to get ubers to and from Katella like that? i mean in the afternoon or night cause iam old and tired! hahahahaha
any Saftey issues i should worry about? Iam a Solo Female tripper.
Thanks so much!

 

[Lisa24jks]

I'm sure others will have better beach advice, I'm not a big fan of Huntington Beach. It's very corporate and VERY crowded. I guess it really depends on what you do there, if you're just enjoying the views or you want to do beach activities, etc.

Your hotel is relatively close to the parks, so a rideshare will likely cost about $7 - $11 each way, in my experience. (Before tip.) There are definitely busier times of day (i.e. right after fireworks) for getting a rideshare, but I've never had a problem getting one myself. There are TONS of drivers who pretty much do the resort loop and I've never had too long of a wait. The Harbor drop-off/pick-up area will be crowded, at almost every time of day, but it's still a fairly easy process, IMO.

I've done many trips as a solo female traveler, and never had any issues with that as well. Just follow normal safety precautions (i.e., make sure you're getting in to the right Uber!) and you'll be fine. Same if you're going to walk the neighborhood. Harbor and Katella stay busy with pedestrian traffic because of the parks, so just stay aware of your surroundings and you'll likely be fine.

 

[Mrnickylu]

Huntington is the one we always got to for actually going in the water. It's warmer and a really long beach so you have space to yourself if you want it. Laguna is the most beautiful and has the best restaurants.

 

[Tinkaboo]

We took Ubers almost every night back to the Hyatt, the drivers just circle the area making those little $10 trips all night long.

if you are Ubering to Laguna, could be higher price and be prepared for long ride. It’s not an easy place to get to from Anaheim.

 

[foolish_mortals]

So all of these are cities that have multiple beaches. I agree with the others that it depends on what you want to do at the beach.

Views and shopping Huntington Beach. It’s 10 miles of beach so there is a lot of places
https://www.surfcityusa.com/things-to-do/beaches/

I agree that Laguna Beach is out of the way but has some of the nicest beaches and variety. Personally my favorite but it is a pain to get to from Anaheim.
https://www.visitlagunabeach.com/things-to-do/beaches/

Newport Beach is just okay (I am biased) people go mostly for the Wedge, the Harbor, or Crystal Cove Cottages
https://www.visitnewportbeach.com/things-to-do/beaches-and-parks/

In terms of filling time and convenience, I would choose a beach in Huntington Beach. Since it will most likely be cloudy anyway you could walk through shops. I also think their Farmers Market is on Fridays near the pier.

 

[Elizabethsmessykitchen]

We took Ubers almost every night back to the Hyatt, the drivers just circle the area making those little $10 trips all night long.

if you are Ubering to Laguna, could be higher price and be prepared for long ride. It’s not an easy place to get to from Anaheim.

Thank you so much

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Laguna Beach is about 25 miles away from Disneyland (about 30-40 minutes without traffic) but it’s by far the most beautiful beach in southern Californian. The city of Laguna Beach is also very unique with many art galleries and lots of great shops and restaurants. It’s worth the drive in my opinion.

 

[evilmommie]

As a local, my vote is Laguna Beach. Stunning…great restaurants, cute downtown area, fun artist community.

 

[DLgal]

For the actual beach (like, the sand and water), Newport Beach/Corona del Mar. For a beach town, with shopping and dining, Laguna Beach. Definitely NOT Huntington Beach.

 

[Aurora0427]

My itenerary has changed and iam not going to Universal Studios as planned for my first full day, so which is better Huntington Beach, Newport Beach or Laguna Beach?
May 5th is the day im looking to be occupied, my arrival day the 4th, i will be going to go from LAX AP to Santa Monica Pier and walk to Venice Beach from about 10ish am on.
Never been to any Disneyland or the U.S.A, i do have 5 day park hopper tickets and staying on Katella.
approx how much is an Uber from DL to Little Blue Boy Motel?
is that just rediculous? to get ubers to and from Katella like that? i mean in the afternoon or night cause iam old and tired! hahahahaha
any Saftey issues i should worry about? Iam a Solo Female tripper.
Thanks so much!

We are Coastal locals and have explored all the beaches…. Laguna Beach hands down has the most beautiful unique beaches in Orange County. Newport is so overrated! Our favorite beaches in Laguna are Aliso Beach- plenty of parking, a flat entrance, and Lost Pier Cafe is there for restrooms, food, and drinks. They also do bonfires. Treasure Island Beach at The Montage is also beautiful. We’ve showered off and then eaten at Mosaic at the hotel after being on the beach. Beautiful archways, tide pools and you can walk to a “secret” beach at low tide.

Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point is also wonderful, and they have a great restaurant on the beach that’s casual and walk up- it just reopened after being renovated this summer.

 

[marcar12]

I am curious about these beaches as well. My question is which one is most convenient when it comes to parking? (I am not the OP, so I hope this isn't hijacking at all.) But we are interested in spending a day at one of these beaches as well, and being able to find parking for our rental car is a major factor for us.

 

[DLgal]

I am curious about these beaches as well. My question is which one is most convenient when it comes to parking? (I am not the OP, so I hope this isn't hijacking at all.) But we are interested in spending a day at one of these beaches as well, and being able to find parking for our rental car is a major factor for us.

Corona del Mar. It has a large (pay) lot. You have to arrive pretty early, before 10am, in the summer.

 

[Aurora0427]

As a local, my vote is Laguna Beach. Stunning…great restaurants, cute downtown area, fun artist community.

Same. Laguna is paradise!!!

 

[Elizabethsmessykitchen]

Huntington is the one we always got to for actually going in the water. It's warmer and a really long beach so you have space to yourself if you want it. Laguna is the most beautiful and has the best restaurants.

Which restaurants do you suggest, besides the Cliff?

 

[SLThomas318]

bringing back an old thread, but looking to do a little beach day while staying at Disneyland... def. like the looks of corona del mar... we weren't planning on having a car so is it reasonable to uber/lyft from Disneyland hotel to that area? Any other transportation ideas?

 

[Pluto468]

bringing back an old thread, but looking to do a little beach day while staying at Disneyland... def. like the looks of corona del mar... we weren't planning on having a car so is it reasonable to uber/lyft from Disneyland hotel to that area? Any other transportation ideas?

Uber is going to be the simplest unless you wanted to book a car service, which would be more expensive.

 

[China Expat]

I am curious about these beaches as well. My question is which one is most convenient when it comes to parking? (I am not the OP, so I hope this isn't hijacking at all.) But we are interested in spending a day at one of these beaches as well, and being able to find parking for our rental car is a major factor for us.

HUntington has ten miles of parkng!

 

[DizMe]

Not really sure why Huntington Beach got so many thumbs down on this thread. I think it's a great place to go from DLR and a pretty iconic California location. I love the beaches there, and the pier and downtown are a lot of fun. We have rented a house there during the summer multiple times and my daughters all love it (though it can get loud late at night in the summer). A lot of the downtown beach area homes have been turned into huge houses, many of them vacation rentals. That makes me sad because my grandma lived there and had one of the little beach cottages that is now a Tuscan villa, and I barely recognize the area now with all the 3-story non-beachy homes. But, times change, property values skyrocket...and full disclaimer: we've rented a few of those places, which was actually awesome.

Laguna is beautiful, but the vibe is different. It's the place to go if you want to feel like you're part of the designer-label crowd or just want to see the gorgeous scenery and don't mind the drive. The downtown is very cute and walkable. Incredible beauty.

My least favorite for a quick visit is Newport, but mainly because I don't like the harbor and I find the beach part a lot less desirable than Huntington. We've stayed there a couple of times and it was fun. We rode our bikes, explored the piers, took the ferry, visited the Wedge, etc. But Newport, IMO, is a better place to spend a few days or more than a few hours. The beach itself is not my favorite. Crystal Cove is a great nearby beach and very lovely with the historic cottages, but again, if you are mainly looking for the California beach experience with swimming and pier and cute town, I'd personally go with Huntington.

 

[StarlitNight05]

For a moment I got excited reading through this thread when I saw DLgal's post. Then I saw the date and realized it was from last year... Still hope she is doing okay. Her words of wisdom are missed here!

 

[DizMe]

For a moment I got excited reading through this thread when I saw DLgal's post. Then I saw the date and realized it was from last year... Still hope she is doing okay. Her words of wisdom are missed here!

Same! It made me send a PM just in case she is still lurking, but I've not gotten a reply.