Itinerary Help, please : )

[mmtwinmama]

Hi - we've been to WDW many times, but this is our first DL/Southern Cal trip. Our dates are Thursday, June 24th (landing in Orange County 3pm) - Sunday, July 4th (leaving Orange County 8am). We are renting a car, staying for six nights at HOJO's June 24 - June 30, then heading to Carlsbad for four nights at Homewood Suites June 30 - July 4. We have the So.Cal pass. Does this itinerary look ok? The only *definite* is the Yankees/Dodgers game because we have tickets. Any suggestions?

Party is Me, hubby, and our twin boys (8).

June 24 - Arrive, check in... no plan (coming from CT so I'm sure we'll eat and sleep)
Fri June 25 - Disney (possible dinner Celebration BBQ)
Sat June 26 - Universal Studios
Sun June 27 - Goofy's kitchen breakfast. Yankee/Dodger game at 1:10. Maybe DTD at night
Mon June 28 - Disney
Tues June 29 - Disney
Wed June 30 - check out... leisurely head to Carlsbad and check in
Thur July 1 - LegoLand
Fri July 2 - SD Zoo
Sat July 3 - Sea World
Sun July 4 - home

I know it's very busy... I'm up in the air about Wed June 30... was thinking maybe we could do Sea World that day?

Thank you in advance.
Carla

 

[HydroGuy]

You know it will be busy? You do know about the AP crowds? See "Understanding AP Blockouts and Impact on Crowds" http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2365983

At a minimum you would be better off IMO doing Sat Jun 26 at DLR and not USH. Do USH on one of the days the AP holders are not blocked.

I would also advise not doing SW on a weekend. It tends to draw a lot more crowds. So I would recommend flipping SDZoo and SWSD and do SW on Friday. Better yet do SW on Wed like you are thinking.

Hopefully you found this thread already - "A DLR Guide for WDW Vets" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

Have a great trip!

 

[mmtwinmama]

Great info, Hydroguy, thank you!! Yes, I figure it will be busy, but hubby is a teacher so we're stuck with going then. Plus we planned around the Yankee/Dodger series. Our boys and I are Yankee fans and hubby is a Dodger fan... should be fun.

Now I was trying to avoid traveling to USH on a weekday... hearing the traffic problems. With that said, do you think it would be best during the week? And will Sat the 26th at DLR be less crowded than on one of the weekdays. So much to consider.

Lastly, which would be better to go to on our Wed June 30 travel day? SD Zoo or SW?

Thank you so much. This info is making me feel better about our itinerary.

 

[specialks]

Surprisingly, SeaWorld had a nice amount of stuff to do. I don't know if you should try to cram it in on a travel day. I liked the zoo but it wasn't a repeat for us -- we have a nice zoo in Seattle so maybe I am just spoiled.

Also, if you do decide you aren't too tired and would like to do something when you arrive the afternoon/night of the 24th you could walk into Downtown Disney for dinner and to see the atmosphere. It will be busy so you could consider making dinner reservations then cancel them when you arrive if you are too tired to go.

 

[HydroGuy]

Great info, Hydroguy, thank you!! Yes, I figure it will be busy, but hubby is a teacher so we're stuck with going then. Plus we planned around the Yankee/Dodger series. Our boys and I are Yankee fans and hubby is a Dodger fan... should be fun.

What I was trying to find out is if you thought it would be busy because of geenral summer crowds or whether you knew it would be extra busy because of World of Color, Nightastic and the AP holders. It sounds like you did not know about the AP holders and blockouts. Read the link I gave and the post #2 which talks about what happened in June 2009 for more info.

Now I was trying to avoid traveling to USH on a weekday... hearing the traffic problems. With that said, do you think it would be best during the week? And will Sat the 26th at DLR be less crowded than on one of the weekdays. So much to consider.

I think the better trade-off is to do DLR on Saturday and USH on a weekday. Even with the traffic. The weekdays of the week of June 27 will be insanely crowded because they are not AP blockout days. Those would be better days to be at USH. USH is only 40 miles away from DLR. Will there be more traffic on weekdays? Yes. So you will need to leave early. But you will avoid some big crowds at DLR. Plus you will have less crowds at USH because it is a weekday.

Lastly, which would be better to go to on our Wed June 30 travel day? SD Zoo or SW?

Thank you so much. This info is making me feel better about our itinerary.

The zoo would be better on the travel day as it does not have rides and hence long lines. SW has a few rides and they do not manage them anywhere as well as DLR in my experience. So the lines get extra long. SW strengths are shows and exhibits, not rides. Plus it has a fabulous location in SD.

I would do SW on a weekday. Trying to do that on a travel day would not be a good idea.

 

[mmtwinmama]

Thank you again for all of the info. I've been reading the links and now think I have a better handle on things. I also read all of your FP info too which was helpful. I have used tourguidemike for our WDW trips and loved it so not having something like that was making me worry. But I feel much better now.
Here is my new itinerary. Do you see any other issues?
June 24, Thurs - fly in from CT around 3pm. Get rent a car at John Wayne airport and check into HOJO - Maybe dinner at DTD

June 25, Fri - DLR
June 26, Sat - DLR
June 27, Sun - Yankee Dodger Game 1pm
June 28, Mon - USH
June 29, Tues - DLR
June 30, Wed - SD Zoo - checking out of HOJO, checking into Homewood Suites - Carlsbad
July 1 Thur - LegoLand
July 2 Fri - SeaWorld
July 3 Sat - leaving open... maybe back to Legoland
July 4 - home

 

[HydroGuy]

Thank you again for all of the info. I've been reading the links and now think I have a better handle on things. I also read all of your FP info too which was helpful. I have used tourguidemike for our WDW trips and loved it so not having something like that was making me worry. But I feel much better now.
Here is my new itinerary. Do you see any other issues?
June 24, Thurs - fly in from CT around 3pm. Get rent a car at John Wayne airport and check into HOJO - Maybe dinner at DTD

June 25, Fri - DLR
June 26, Sat - DLR
June 27, Sun - Yankee Dodger Game 1pm
June 28, Mon - USH
June 29, Tues - DLR
June 30, Wed - SD Zoo - checking out of HOJO, checking into Homewood Suites - Carlsbad
July 1 Thur - LegoLand
July 2 Fri - SeaWorld
July 3 Sat - leaving open... maybe back to Legoland
July 4 - home

I think it all looks much better now and will make for a better trip. I used to live in SD and we vacation for a week most summers in Carlsbad/Oceanside. This year it will be early August. Being that you will be in Carlsbad, don't you want to go to the beach at least one day?

So a little more fine tuning - on your check-in day do you really want to drive all the way down to SD to the zoo and then back to Carlsbad? I would say if anything Wed should be either the LegoLand day (since it is right there in Carlsbad) or a beach day.

Finally be aware that traveling down to SW on Friday will have lots of traffic on I-5 in the morning. When I recommended SW on a weekday that was good , but I forgot you would have to drive from Carlsbad. The traffic is really, really bad. It will be hard for you to get there for SW opening without leaving really early. The distance is 30-40 miles. Maybe you should leave extra, extra early and plan to eat breakfast near SW? Don't know. I would leave at least 90 minutes early if it was me and just be ready to sit in traffic. Finally, the drive back to Carlsbad will also have lots of traffic if you do it 5-7PM. So try to hang around SW until later in the evening before going back.

 

[mmtwinmama]

I was up in the air about the beach, but I think we'll be able to fit it in. Seeing as the Zoo doesnt have the ride lines to worry about, maybe I'll plan the Zoo for Sat 7/3. Legoland on our Wed June 30 travel day, SW on Thursday 7/1 with the beach on Friday 7/2. I'm liking it like this thinking that with the beach day in between thinking that we will be getting up early to get to SW on Thursday.... and we will stay beyond 7 before heading back to Carlsbad.

How will driving be on Wed June 30 to Legoland from Anaheim? LL hours that day are 10am - 6pm. I'd like to take advantage of the entire day there.

 

[DLR29]

A couple things to consider about the San Diego Zoo.

While there are not that many "lines" like at DLR, USH, etc. If you plan on doing the bus tours or the aerial skyfari, there can sometimes be sizeable lines for those. Also, the line to see the pandas gets pretty long, but they do keep it moving relatively quickly. A couple years ago our family went in late December and the line to see the pandas was probably 20 min. The bus line was probably 30 and the skyfari tram was probably 15. Midsummer might be about the same or less.

Also, the zoo is SO big that I cannot imagine going on a travel day because you will certainly miss out on a lot of it. Walking the zoo is so tiring because of the size and the hills. I would definitely plan the whole day for the zoo.

 

[HydroGuy]

How will driving be on Wed June 30 to Legoland from Anaheim? LL hours that day are 10am - 6pm. I'd like to take advantage of the entire day there.

Traffic can be heavy coming out of Orange County to SD. It is hard to say. If it was me I would allow 90 minutes at that time of day. If you really, really want to be sure to make it by 10AM then allow 2 hours.