Hotel help- Orange county

[cgh]

The week before we visit Disneyland, I would like to stay somewhere else and do other activities while my husband is at a conference. I definitely don't want to visit Disney without him, as it will be our son's first visit (2) We'll be staying at the DLH the following week.

Some activities I'm thinking of (open to suggestions with a 2 1/2 year old)) are knott's berry farm, children's museums, the beach, hiking/nature oriented things, the aquarium in long beach.

I suspect DS's schedule will be off and he'll wake around 5 (which I"ll strive to get pushed back until 6 a.m.). He also naps 1-3/4. (which I hope to be 12-2)

Some places I was thinking of are:

Hilton Waterfront (huntington beach, across from the beach)
Embassy Suites, Irvine
Homewood Suites Garden Grove (right by Disney)

It doesn't have to be Hilton-but a suite is preferred. I'd like it the quality of the above, optimally with breakfast included.

Thoughts on activities, locations, or hotels? Do you think staying at Homewood Suites (which generally I love) so close to Disney would be a bad idea? (ie. will my son see people with Mickey Mouse and really need to see Mickey right then and there?

Thanks for your help!

Oh, and bonus if there is laundry- and does anyone know if DLH has laundry facilitiies? We'll be gone for 11 days so doing laundry will be pretty essential with a little boy who is very good at getting dirty!

 

[skiingfast]

I'm wouldn't exactly recommend Knott's. A handful of things to do there, but lots of rollercoasters that you won't do.

I'd suggect taking a trip down to SD to the Zoo, he might like taking Amtrak down there, and it's a short cab ride from the SD station.


For hotels, near Disney will probably be fine. It will mean so much more when he is in the park. You might try pricelining a 4 star in Anaheim, if that is where the convention is.

 

[endy]

The Discovery Center in Santa Ana would be a fun place. We were there 3 years ago and were pretty impressed with all there was to do.
It's easy to find too. Not many places with a huge moving cube in their yard and it's right off a major highway.