Help planning our trip to DL/San Diego

[brandi~momof3]

Hello all you wonderful and helpful Dis'ers. I am a WDW vet and am so excited to finally be able to make a trip to California and DL this summer.
We plan on flying into San Diego July 30, then doing SD zoo, Sea World, and a beach the 31, 1, and 2nd. The 3rd we plan to drive to DL. Then spend August 3rd-8th at the DLH. We are planning on spending 3 days visiting DL/CA and 1 day at Universal. The 8th we will fly home.
Does that sound like a good plan?
We plan on buying the So Cal city pass - is that a good idea?
Any hotel recommendations for San Diego?
Is the dining plan/vouchers worth it? It is very different from WDW's plan.
Any advice or recommendations you can give me are very welcomed!
TIA for any and all help

 

[KCmike]

Welcome to our favorite vacation ever!

We did the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego (Coronado Island) which is very expensive but very worth it. The pool, hot tub, views, and the beach are amazing. Most rate it the best beach for families in all of California. Many legends have stayed there including Marilyn Monroe when she filmed Some Like it Hot. You usually can get a free night stay when you book three days. Your kids will probably not want to go to any theme parks after they've been there. The island itself has a great feel to it, with many shops and eateries that are local and very tasty (ie. Beach n Diner and Village Pizzeria).

Now DL info:
DL is amazing. Small but so much fun.
Don't do the dining plan. The emphasis is not on food at DL.
3 days is fine for both parks but the more time you spend there the better especially if your days fall on the weekends.

Never done Universal in Hollywood so can't help you there. Socal city pass is well recommended by many. I believe that you have to do consecutive days once you start at DL.

So much to tell you but don't know where to start.

 

[oc_tony]

The So Cal City Pass is about a 30% savings over buying the park admissions separately. I've never purchased one, but it looks like a good deal if you were going to visit all of those parks anyway.

Most people do not do the "dining plan" here at DLR. Since we are locals, I only know about it from reading the boards, but the voucher system that is used seems to be disliked by most. Dining is much less involved here than at WDW (not that there aren't some great restaurants). It is a good idea to make ADRs 60 days out for some restaurants (such as Blue Bayou), but many can be made a few days in advance or even just walk up.

FWIW, when we go to WDW, we skip the dining plan and "pre-pay" our meals by loading up some Disney gift cards. Several DISers find this method an easy way to pay for food at DLR too, since they can put a little money toward the gift cards each week/month as their budget allows.

You'll find lots of helpful info in the stickys at the top of the DLR forum. There are even one especially for WDW vets who are making their first trip to DLR. Have fun planning!

 

[magicalfoursome]

Hello all you wonderful and helpful Dis'ers. I am a WDW vet and am so excited to finally be able to make a trip to California and DL this summer.
We plan on flying into San Diego July 30, then doing SD zoo, Sea World, and a beach the 31, 1, and 2nd. The 3rd we plan to drive to DL. Then spend August 3rd-8th at the DLH. We are planning on spending 3 days visiting DL/CA and 1 day at Universal. The 8th we will fly home.
Does that sound like a good plan?
We plan on buying the So Cal city pass - is that a good idea?
Any hotel recommendations for San Diego?
Is the dining plan/vouchers worth it? It is very different from WDW's plan.
Any advice or recommendations you can give me are very welcomed!
TIA for any and all help

So much in common!! I am also a WDW vet making my first trip to DL and San Diego from the east coast. My family comes home on July 30th-- just when your family's vacation starts! We have the same itinerary!! We are also starting out in San Diego for a few days. We are taking one day for the beach, another day for SW, and another for the SD Zoo. We are staying at the Glorietta Bay. It is across the street from the Hotel Del Coronado and I have heard really great things about it. We are then driving to DL and staying at the DLH. We are also spending 3 days at the parks and on our last day we are going to Universal! Great minds think alike!!! We have the same vacation planned just one week apart!!

 

[Monkey Monkey]

If you are looking to stay cheaply, you may want to look into staying at Hotel Circle in San Diego. There are many options in that area, and it's pretty centrally located, so SeaWorld and the zoo are each about a 10-minute drive.

There is also great shopping at Fashion Valley and Mission Valley malls.

You will have a great time!

 

[skiingfast]

Hello all you wonderful and helpful Dis'ers. I am a WDW vet and am so excited to finally be able to make a trip to California and DL this summer.
We plan on flying into San Diego July 30, then doing SD zoo, Sea World, and a beach the 31, 1, and 2nd. The 3rd we plan to drive to DL. Then spend August 3rd-8th at the DLH. We are planning on spending 3 days visiting DL/CA and 1 day at Universal. The 8th we will fly home.
Does that sound like a good plan?
We plan on buying the So Cal city pass - is that a good idea?
Any hotel recommendations for San Diego?
Is the dining plan/vouchers worth it? It is very different from WDW's plan.
Any advice or recommendations you can give me are very welcomed!
TIA for any and all help

As far as the plan 3 days on the beach may be a lot. Also the beaches in Socal get very busy on the weekend. Remember there is a huge population living 20 miles from the water and the beach is only a small strip of land for them to fit onto.

Also you can buy a 5 for 3 day price hopper online.

City Pass sounds good since you are doing Universal the Zoo and Seaworld.

There are a bunch of hotels in place called Hotel Circle near Mission Bay, they are nearly between Sea World and the Zoo. Also there is some about a mile away in Old Town. There are also a bunch right down town, they have fancier places there, Hilton, Omni, Kimpton... This is all inside a small circle, about a 3 miles diameter, and the airport is there too.

On the third you can get to DL pretty easy, its the weekend so traffic will move and it will just take an hour and a half so you could stop now and then or do a half day in the parks.

Also you should know that some people confuse the SD Zoo with the SD Wild Animal park. The park is a bit of a drive past the suburbs, but I would say that having been to 20 or so city zoos in the US they are the best. 1 and 2 or 2 and 1, you'll see how they inspired AK.

For Beaches, you might visit the cove in La Jolla easpecially if you have kids. I also like Pacific and Mission Beaches. Take a look at the Hotel Del cornado, the bridge over is toll one way.

Don't bother with the dining plan. If you are used to the WDW DP you will be dissapointed. The dining in the park is limited to counter service there are only a couple TS places and more in the 3 disney hotels if you are looking for that. Guests at DLR are usually just there for a day trip or weekend so the resturaunts are not set up for slow dining like WDW.

Universal is 35 miles away but if you are in traffic it will be a nightmare. Even that distance could take a couple hours. So plan accordingly or spend a night at a hotel closer to there.

 

[bumbershoot]

At the zoo....drink lots and lots of water! We went one September and omg so so so hot! And the zoo is huge. If we had it to do over again we would have bought the tram ticket thingie, just for a chance to not walk the WHOLE way.

If you're visiting all the places in the so cal citypass anyway, it's a really good deal!

 

[ahill004]

We are ALSO WDW vets doing our first so cal vacation! We are doing DL first (staying at teh GCH) and then San Diego staying at the Hotel Del Coronado! We cannot wait. It is a little different than what we usually do during the summer but DH really wanted to see southern california so here we come!

We will be there July 20th - 30th!

 

[disneydreamer74]

We did this trip 2 years ago and had a blast! We made the mistake of doing DLR first, San Diego second, I think you will enjoy your trip with DLR being last. It seemed that DLR had a higher energy and after leaving those parks, then going to Sea World..it was like ..Blah!! haha!!That being said..We stayed at the Dana on Mission Bay. I will never stay at another hotel in San Diego after having stayed there. It is the only hotel in walking distance of Sea World and is right on Mission Bay..in a word..Breathtaking. It is also quite affordable if you book your room on the hotel website.(word of caution: book the newer buildings..the older ones are kinda shabby) Hope you have a great trip!

 

[skiingfast]

At the zoo....drink lots and lots of water! We went one September and omg so so so hot! And the zoo is huge. If we had it to do over again we would have bought the tram ticket thingie, just for a chance to not walk the WHOLE way.

If you're visiting all the places in the so cal citypass anyway, it's a really good deal!

Do you mean the skyfari gondola that crosses the zoo,$4 each way?
Or the Tram/monorail cars or Journey into Africa tour at the Wild Animal park,$10/7 adult/child?

 

[erinbharris]

The membership does seem like a great deal, but I was told (and found it again online so I think it's true) that those memberships are only for residents of California.

Can anyone confirm this?

 

[carolinamama]

We're doing the same thing!! Five nights at the Grand Californian (but only 3 days at DLR), then two nights in the San Diego area.

A good friend of mine is a former Marine from Camp Pendleton and had a lot to tell me about San Diego. She HIGHLY recommended that we stay in La Jolla. We went with this advice after checking out the town. Plus, we'll be driving from La Jolla back to John Wayne for our return flight home, so we didn't want to be too far south.

The two hotels that I REALLY liked were The Lodge at Torrey Pines and the Estancia. We were going to do the Lodge before we did the 5-for-3 at the Grand Californian and spent more there than we had planned. In the end, though, we went with the Hilton Torrey Pines, which is right next to the Lodge and is on the golf course. At first, I was trying to stay away from chains, but this got good reviews at tripadvisor.com, and it was cheaper than the other two, which helped us get back on budget!! Not cheap, just cheaper.

A PP recommended Hotel Del Coronado. That was another one she absolutely RAVED about!

 

[sonnyjane]

Do you mean the skyfari gondola that crosses the zoo,$4 each way?
Or the Tram/monorail cars or Journey into Africa tour at the Wild Animal park,$10/7 adult/child?

I think bumbershoot probably means the bus tour at the zoo:

"Guided Bus Tour: Enjoy a 35-minute tour on a double-decked bus covering about 75 percent of the San Diego Zoo. Your bus tour ticket also includes use of the Express Bus, double- or single-decked buses with green signs on the sides that allow guests to hop on and off at five different stops throughout the Zoo. The Express buses pass by the stops every 20 minutes or less and provide transportation around the Zoo. Bus Tour tickets are included in the 1-Day Pass Admission price; they are not included in the General Admission price but may be purchased for $10 per adult, $7 per child ages 3–11. Members pay $8.50 per adult, $5 per child."

 

[sonnyjane]

The membership does seem like a great deal, but I was told (and found it again online so I think it's true) that those memberships are only for residents of California.

Can anyone confirm this?

Memberships are available to non-locals, but they cost considerably more. "Our Donor level Memberships, starting with the Curator's Club at $250, are available to residents both inside and outside the 90000-92999 Zip Code region. You may purchase membership for children living outside Zip codes 90000-92999 as long as their membership is purchased in conjunction with an adult membership." For locals it is only $79.

(I work at the zoo )

 

[erinbharris]

Thanks sonnyjane, so then I'm right in thinking that we should just pay admission costs and not go for a membership like the one person suggested? Do coupons ever come out? I found a $4 one, is that as good as I'm going to find?

We're going to the zoo one day only...any tips or hints you could provide would be much appreciated. Will be there August 1 or 2.

Thanks!

 

[sonnyjane]

Thanks sonnyjane, so then I'm right in thinking that we should just pay admission costs and not go for a membership like the one person suggested? Do coupons ever come out? I found a $4 one, is that as good as I'm going to find?

We're going to the zoo one day only...any tips or hints you could provide would be much appreciated. Will be there August 1 or 2.

Thanks!

Yes, right now it looks like $4.00 is the best deal, but maybe closer to your trip something may come along, but that's a pretty typical discount. If you don't want to do the bus tour or anything, a "Best Value" ticket is probably your best bet as opposed to the one-day admission ticket.

One full day is plenty for the zoo I'd say. Definitely get a map and don't be afraid to ask employees for directions to your favorite animals. Our zoo is awesome, but it is very large and has tons of winding pathways that make it easy to get lost! They have a cute children's zoo that has a petting area and they also have two shows: a mixed species show with a sea lion, wolf, and a few other animals, and a bird show. I am a trainer in the bird show and we have two shows a day. Right now they are at 12 and 2 but during the summer we will have different hours that haven't been determined yet. We will also have a night show, as the zoo is open at night in the summer. Some of the most popular exhibits are the new (well, one year old) Elephant Odyssey exhibit, the brand new Polar Bear Plunge exhibit, and the pandas, so don't miss those! The food at the zoo is actually pretty good with lots of choices, but it is expensive, so budget accordingly! You are not allowed to bring in outside food or drinks other than water, but you are allowed to leave the zoo and come back as long as you get your hand stamped. Parking at the zoo is free Let me know if you think of any other questions!

 

[8timesblessed]

We are doing the S. CA city pass and found Costco to be the cheapest price. I ordered online and got them fast and paid $239 for adults and I think $209 for kids. We are going to upgrade our 3 day park hopper to a 5 or 6 day at the gates. We are doing Disney first for a week and then staying in Carlsbad and doing all the San Diego stuff, beach and Legoland.

 

[skiingfast]

Memberships are available to non-locals, but they cost considerably more. "Our Donor level Memberships, starting with the Curator's Club at $250, are available to residents both inside and outside the 90000-92999 Zip Code region. You may purchase membership for children living outside Zip codes 90000-92999 as long as their membership is purchased in conjunction with an adult membership." For locals it is only $79.

(I work at the zoo )

Sorry to have suggested this. I now remember that I recieved the zoonooz? in the mail but it was my granparents that had the membership I went on thier guest tickets.

 

[Koda]

I have a question about SoCa City Pass. I thought that when I looked into it, I read that you have to use the DLR days first. Since we are starting in San Diego, I thought we wouldn't be able to take advantage of the City Pass...am I wrong?

 

[erinbharris]

Thank you, I appreciate your help...and do have more questions! I do think we'll go with the one-day ticket rather than best value because I'm pretty sure we'll do the bus. I think walking the whole thing might be much for our kids (age 4 and 7) if it is hot out (and I'm guessing that it will be...first few days of August).

So...the zoo is open in the evenings in the summer? Do you know what time it is usually open in the morning and closed in the evening? We're trying to fit in the Old Town Trolley tour and I wonder if we go to the zoo right for opening and then leave to do the trolley tour and have lunch (say around noon) and then come back to the zoo (say around 5) if that would be an option?

I think we'll wait on buying tickets until closer to...the $4 ticket I found doesn't expire until December (I think, I had better check on that) so if something else doesn't come out then we'll just use those coupons.

As for what we're going to try to see...the kids each get to pick 3 things that they really want to see and we'll hit those 6 places first. We do that everywhere we go and it eliminates trying to decide once we're there, and means the kids get their own choices. I'm sure they will pick all the places you mentioned...my daughter's only choice so far is giraffes but I have yet to look and see if there are even giraffes there? I'm hoping there are and that they aren't only at the WAP.

Thanks again!

Yes, right now it looks like $4.00 is the best deal, but maybe closer to your trip something may come along, but that's a pretty typical discount. If you don't want to do the bus tour or anything, a "Best Value" ticket is probably your best bet as opposed to the one-day admission ticket.

One full day is plenty for the zoo I'd say. Definitely get a map and don't be afraid to ask employees for directions to your favorite animals. Our zoo is awesome, but it is very large and has tons of winding pathways that make it easy to get lost! They have a cute children's zoo that has a petting area and they also have two shows: a mixed species show with a sea lion, wolf, and a few other animals, and a bird show. I am a trainer in the bird show and we have two shows a day. Right now they are at 12 and 2 but during the summer we will have different hours that haven't been determined yet. We will also have a night show, as the zoo is open at night in the summer. Some of the most popular exhibits are the new (well, one year old) Elephant Odyssey exhibit, the brand new Polar Bear Plunge exhibit, and the pandas, so don't miss those! The food at the zoo is actually pretty good with lots of choices, but it is expensive, so budget accordingly! You are not allowed to bring in outside food or drinks other than water, but you are allowed to leave the zoo and come back as long as you get your hand stamped. Parking at the zoo is free Let me know if you think of any other questions!