First trip to DL and California, would love suggestions...

[Fall1]

Thinking of doing our first DL trip! Maybe 3 nights in SAN Diego and 4 nights at DL.
This would be a 10th birthday gift for our twins/vacation of the year possibly next August. Where would you stay at or near DL?

Any tips or suggestions for SAN Diego?
Thanks so much!!

 

[ImDMous]

August will be HOT but has equal chances of being dry or humid, switches back and forth within the same week. Don't try to cram too much in, take time to just relax by a pool or at the beach. There are tons of great things to see in San Diego, really depends on what you're interested in.. beach, museums, animals, hiking, shopping, etc.

 

[WonkaKid]

If you can swing it, October might be a better month. It's cooler (literally and figuratively). It's not nearly as hot as August and the park is decorated for Halloween, which I love (my fav holiday). One night maybe you can even book the Halloween party. Might also be a nice surprise if on the twins' bday, you give them some smaller gifts and then periodically as you build towards the big reveal, they get little clues, perhaps like a treasure hunt. Just a thought. Hope it helps.

 

[smartlabelprint]

I highly suggest 4 full days at dlr.

 

[Abbey1]

There's so much to do in San Diego. We like to visit the San Diego zoo, Balboa Park, the beach, and we like shopping around La Jolla and visiting the beach there.

Any of the three Disney hotels on property are great, I think. We love the Disneyland Hotel for its atmosphere, but it is the farthest away from the park (but still very walkable). There are plenty of great off-property hotels too.

 

[BriannaRuth]

We did something very similar when our kids were about this same age. We spent 5 days in DL and 3 in San Diego. In San Diego we did Sea World, including the dolphin encounter where you swim with the dolphins and Dine with Shamu, which was pretty cool. The other thing we did was Old Town, which all of us enjoyed. They have great Mexican food in San Diego!

 

[JayDubs]

I just returned from a SoCal trip at the beginning of this month. I HIGHLY recommend taking a surfing lesson if this is not something your family has done before. I did a 2 hour lesson with Surf Diva Surf School in La Jolla, CA and it was the HIGHLIGHT of my trip! I had so much fun and the instructor was so good. You could do a group lesson as a family. That's my two cents. Even if you opt not to surf, the beach at La Jolla is wonderful.

JayDubs

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Since it looks like you're quite familiar with WDW, this thread will give you a good place to start with DLR planning: A DLR Guide for WDW Vets.

 

[SplashMo]

4 full days for sure. Park Hoppers. It is fine to stay off site. You do want to stay right across the street if you stay offsite. Walking between the parks is a very nice park hop. Be 30-45 minutes early each day. There is much less air conditioning in DL then WDW. Dress for the heat. Wear good shoes. Make reservations for a nice sit down (air conditioned) lunch for the first day. I would choose Blue Bayou in DL Park.

In DCA Smoke Jumpers Grill is CS and air conditioned. Many DCA restaurants have outdoor seating. In DL Redd Rockett's Pizza Port is CS and air conditioned.

If you have boys you will likely want to go to the lego store...

 

[wingednike]

Any tips or suggestions for SAN Diego?
Thanks so much!!

Try some carne asada fries while there. Also, depending on which part of San Diego you will be in, you can visit Julian (apple pie town) or Pala (casino or gem mine).