Help please with Southern CA and DL

[DawnL]

Trying to put together a plan to visit DL and Southern CA for next June - 2 adults and 2 DD's (15 and 18). This will be our first trip to CA.

Thinking of:
2 nights in San Diego, Zoo is definitely in our plans for 1 day.
6 nights at DL, spending 3 days in the parks, but taking a break between each day and going to Catalina Island 1 day, Laguna Beach 1 day and Hollywood the other.

Do you think we are trying to fit too much in? Will it be easy to do these places as a day trip from DL? Do you think we should just spend 3 nights at DL and then move hotels to another area?

Thanks for your help!

 

[gracelrm]

We did DL & San Diego in June 06 and had a wonderful trip. We stayed on points at the Hotel Del Coronado. It was a wonderful resort. We did have a problem with our room (not the room type we reserved and paid points for), but that didn't ruin our trip. I would highly recommend staying there if you have extra points to burn. We did DL for four nights, but only did the parks, so I can't help you with the side trips. I did think three full park days was sufficient time. Enjoy planning your trip.

 

[Snookies]

Trying to put together a plan to visit DL and Southern CA for next June - 2 adults and 2 DD's (15 and 18). This will be our first trip to CA.

Thinking of:
2 nights in San Diego, Zoo is definitely in our plans for 1 day.
6 nights at DL, spending 3 days in the parks, but taking a break between each day and going to Catalina Island 1 day, Laguna Beach 1 day and Hollywood the other.

Do you think we are trying to fit too much in? Will it be easy to do these places as a day trip from DL? Do you think we should just spend 3 nights at DL and then move hotels to another area?

Thanks for your help!

We did a similar trip for DL's 50th. I don't think you're trying to do too much. I have the following suggestions:

1) You might consider a 3rd night in San Diego if you want to hit the beach there or if your family enjoys kayaking or surfing. If you do the latter, I highly recommend La Jolla Shores Beach as your base and the La Jolla Shores Hotel (it used to be called the Sea Lodge) as your place to stay. IMO, the latter is nothing fancy in terms of accomodations, but the location & view is simply outstanding. In past years, you could book a pretty good rate in early June. Once summer vacation season arrives, the rates have sky-rocketed.

2) When you go to the beach in LA, you may also want to consider Corona Del Mar State Beach in Newport Beach. I find it a pretty easy drive from DLR with good parking and facilities. Be aware, however, that it is a south-facing beach. The latter is SoCal speak for "the water is cold."

3) Be aware that the U.S. Open golf tournament will be played at Torrey Pines in La Jolla during the week of 6/9/08 - 6/15/08. If your dates fall in that week, rooms may be difficult to book and/or room rates may be significantly higher. I know that the La Jolla Shores Hotel is already excepting reservations for next year's U.S. Open week. Bottom line: I'd definitely book early for at least the San Diego portion of your trip.

 

[Deb & Bill]

In So Cal they have the terms May Gray and June Gloom. We were also there last year in June (early June) and it was very gray and the water was COLD in the ocean. Check over on the DL Board since they can give you lots of tips. We liked the San Diego Zoo, but didn't care that much for the Wildlife Park (it seemed like it wasn't finished or something).

 

[disneydenisel]

We are here in Carlsbad, CA, right now and the weather has been absolutely great all week. Sunny, some overcast, light winds. We've been to Legoland twice and to Seaworld today. I really want to go to DL, but we want to stay at the Grand Californian when we go there. I did wave when we drove by .

Carlsbad has some nice beaches in the area. It's probably an hour's drive from Anaheim and 45-60 minutes from Seaworld in San Diego. If you don't mind a bit of driving in some traffic, it's kind of a nice base to visit both San Diego and Anaheim and beaches.

 

[JimC]

Too little time for San Diego. Consider four nights...

Balboa Park - Great collection of museums and fabulous architecture. Right adjacent to the zoo. You can also pick up the Old Town Trolley Tour which is a great exposure to the San Diego area.

San Diego Zoo Tours - the bus tour is a great overview and the aerial tram ride gives you a very unique perspective

Wild Animal Park Activities - book in advance the four hour safari photo caravan tour and while there take the Journey into Africa tour. Both are quite interesting. The photo caravan is better than anything I have experienced in the US.

Disneyland, in contrast to WDW, is much smaller in scope -- with only two parks, Downtown Disney, and no water parks -- and really only requires three days for a thorough visit and maybe four for a thorough visit at a leisurely pace -- with a bit of time at the Resort Hotels thrown in for a change of pace. Of course, you can spend a full day at each of the non-Disney attractions (Universal Studios, Knott's Berry Farm, etc.), too.

 

[dwelty]

Deb & Bill are exactly right about June (at the beach) it can be cloudy and cold all day. I would only plan on one beach day that trip, just to say you have gone. I would stay at the Grand Californian if you can. It's by far the best Resort at DL. Universal is a great day trip, as is Catalina. Stay away from Knotts. It has gone way down hill since Ceader Fair bought them. (dirty and run down) I have lived is So Cal all my life so I know of what I speak. Good Luck!

 

[Deb & Bill]

...
San Diego Zoo Tours - the bus tour is a great overview and the aerial tram ride gives you a very unique perspective....

We did both of these and thought they were great. If I remember correctly, the ticket we purchased for the zoo included both of these.

DL is cram packed full of things to do that you will never see at WDW. It may be smaller, but it has so many more really cool attractions. And some of what you would think would be the same at WDW are just so much neater. For example, PoTC is much longer and better themed than the one at WDW. Haunted Mansion also is much better at DL. And California Adventure has so much to do also. Three days is pushing it. Four days is better. Don't miss Fantasmic at DL because it is so much better there. Only bad thing is that they don't have an arena to show it in and you have to find a place to sit/stand. And there is competition for all the good spots.

 

[dwelty]

We did both of these and thought they were great. If I remember correctly, the ticket we purchased for the zoo included both of these.

DL is cram packed full of things to do that you will never see at WDW. It may be smaller, but it has so many more really cool attractions. And some of what you would think would be the same at WDW are just so much neater. For example, PoTC is much longer and better themed than the one at WDW. Haunted Mansion also is much better at DL. And California Adventure has so much to do also. Three days is pushing it. Four days is better. Don't miss Fantasmic at DL because it is so much better there. Only bad thing is that they don't have an arena to show it in and you have to find a place to sit/stand. And there is competition for all the good spots.

Yep I agree with all of this. for Fantasmic, try to call ahead for premium viewing. This is a roped off area in front of Haunted Mansion. There are chairs there, and you have reserved seating. You also get a nice box of fancy Desserts (one per person) We did this on our first night and had enough desserts to last us for 4 days. (There are refrigerators in the rooms at GCH) If you are going for that once in a lifetime Disneyland trip it is worth the extra $$ Also, if you see the first show, they let you stay and watch the fireworks from there).