Itinerary Options

[Keyser]

We're considering at two different itinerary options for our visit to Southern California in August, and I'm looking for feedback on whether one or the other might be better for us. The biggest difference is that one gives us an extra day starting in San Diego before visiting Disneyland, and the other gives us an extra day after Disneyland. The days we're at DL also change (Monday vs. Thursday). I'm wondering if anyone sees any significant difference that I am missing between these two. Or, if there are any other suggestions, I'd love to hear those!

Option 1:

Thu. 8/9: Arrive LGB in evening; drive to San Diego
Fri. 8/10: Sea World or San Diego Zoo
Sat. 8/11: San Diego Zoo or Sea World (whichever skipped Fri.)
Sun. 8/12: Church in a.m., beach in afternoon, drive to Anaheim
Mon. 8/12: DLR (Calif. Adventure)
Tue. 8/13: DLR (Disneyland w/Magic Morning)
Wed. 8/14: DLR (both parks)
Thu. 8/15: ?? Something during day (La Brea, Beach, Water Park, Griffith Observatory, Universal??), drive to/stop in northern LA
Fri. 8/16: Long day trip to Sequoia Park
Sat. 8/17: Reagan Library, Malibu, Santa Monica
Sun. 8/18: Church, Cirque du Soliel in afternoon, look around Hollywood/Beverly Hills, Drive to Long Beach
Mon. 8/19: Depart from LGB
​

Option 2:

Thu. 8/9: Arrive LGB in evening; drive to San Diego
Fri. 8/10: Sea World or San Diego Zoo
Sat. 8/11: San Diego Zoo or Sea World (whichever skipped Fri.)
Sun. 8/12: Church in a.m., beach in afternoon
Mon. 8/12: ?? Something in morning/afternoon (San Diego harbor, Animal Park, Legoland, Water park??); drive to Anaheim
Tue. 8/13: DLR (Disneyland w/Magic Morning)
Wed. 8/14: DLR (Calif. Adventure)
Thu. 8/15: DLR (both parks)
Fri. 8/16: Santa Monica, Malibu, Reagan Library, stop in northern LA (Santa Clarita?)
Sat. 8/17: Long day trip to Sequoia Park
Sun. 8/18: Church, Cirque du Soliel in afternoon, look around Hollywood/Beverly Hills, Drive to Long Beach
Mon. 8/19: Depart from LGB
​

I know a lot comes down to how we would want to spend that extra day, but I'm curious if there are other considerations I might be missing. For other info, kids are 4 and 10, and we'll have the SoCal CityPass (so we'd have "free" Universal admission, but it seems like there's not that much there that my daughters would enjoy).

 

[dshimel]

I think you will find that the San Diego Zoo will not take a full day. It is a nice zoo, but 4 hours in a zoo, you've seen it. Can probably do it in 2-3 if you aren't going to read all the signs at all the animal cages.

I think I would do Sea World on Friday, then on Saturday, do the zoo at opening (animals are most active in the morning) then plan to do something else in the afternoon.

There are some nice museums in Balboa Park near the zoo. Maybe cross the bridge over to Coronado and do the beach out there. Maybe Ocean Beach. Doubt a 4 y/o will be much into the aircraft carrier USS Midway.


Friday, Saturday, much of Sunday is probably plenty for San Diego.


Bakersfield will probably have the cheaper hotels for the trip to Sequoia.


It is a couple hundred dollars, but I would consider staying the night in the lodge in Sequoia.
http://www.visitsequoia.com/lodging.aspx

Like the Grand Californian, except really in the woods in the mountains, and half the price of the GCH.




Let's see....
Thu. 8/9: Arrive LGB in evening; drive to San Diego
Fri. 8/10: Sea World
Sat. 8/11: San Diego Zoo 9am-ealry afternoon.

One or more of these:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...leet_Science_Center-San_Diego_California.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...San_Diego_de_Alcala-San_Diego_California.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...Diego_Museum_of_Art-San_Diego_California.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...ural_History_Museum-San_Diego_California.html

Sun. 8/12: Church in a.m., beach in afternoon, drive to Anaheim
Mon. 8/12: DLR (Calif. Adventure)
Tue. 8/13: DLR (Disneyland w/Magic Morning)
Wed. 8/14: DLR (both parks)

Thu. 8/15: If you are not doing Universal, you could easily do La Brea Tar Pits (2 hours), Hollywood(1-2 hours), Griffith Observatory, and drive to Bakersfield in a day.

Fri. 8/16: Drive to Sequoia Park, Giant Forest, Crystal Cave, hike to the falls from Lodgepole, do an evening ranger program and cook s'mores, stay the night in the lodge.

Sat. 8/17: 4 hour drive to: Reagan Library, Malibu, Santa Monica. The pier at sunset/in the evening can be quite pretty.

Sun. 8/18: Church, Cirque du Soliel in afternoon, look around Hollywood/Beverly Hills, Drive to Long Beach
Mon. 8/19: Depart from LGB

 

[Keyser]

Thanks for the reply---that was very helpful. I hadn't really considered the idea of spending a night up near Bakersfield and/or in the park itself (usually I'm trying to keep down the number of times we have to move hotels), but that might work really well for us, and kind of solve all our "problems". I appreciate the details on the individual activies, also.

We are the type who do read all the animal signs and stand and watch animals forever, so we'll probably be at the zoo most of the day . Normally I am one to walk faster than everyone around me, but at zoos, it's always other people walking past us. It's good to have some other options in case that doesn't end up filling our time, though - the science museum looks particularly good. Or maybe that would be the time to drive downtown (I don't think my girls would want to do the Midway tour, but I think they'd like to just see it and the other ships docked there). I remember from when I was there for business a few years ago that there were some real basic harbor tours - just go out on a boat for 45 minutes and return - maybe they'd enjoy that.

My biggest concern (from another thread in the Disneyland board) is that going to DL on Mon-Tue-Wed would be much worse than Tue-Wed-Thu. DL is not the only thing on the trip, but I'd hate to shoot ourselves in the foot by going on a much more crowded day if we could have easily avoided it.

 

[clutter]

Wow, you have a very similar itinerary to ours!!! We come in on tues 8/14 to LAX, go to San Diego on the weekend, hang out there for a bit longer, then do the trek to Sequoia, then continue up to Monteray Aquarium (looooooong trip that day), then a day in SF before flying home on the 27th.

We will do at least one day at the zoo, maybe more. But dd15 wants to work there someday (checking out a few schools along the way on this trip), so she has a vested interest in all things animal. Haven't decided about Sea World since we've gone to the Orlando one many times. I think I'll end up getting a zoo membership because I think it will cost less than the admissions to both parks. Plus, we'll be in SanDiego for a few days, so we can run back if we want.

 

[dshimel]

My biggest concern (from another thread in the Disneyland board) is that going to DL on Mon-Tue-Wed would be much worse than Tue-Wed-Thu.

The two weeks prior, that is very true as the socal APs are blocked on Wed-Thur those weeks. Sorry to tell you, but they are not blocked mon-thur that week you are there.

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/passes/blockout-dates/

You know... I would actually consider reworking the schedule a tad if I were you to try to hit Fri and Sat instead of the weekdays that week. Let me think about this some....

 

[Keyser]

I'm confused - it looks to me like they are blocked out the days we will be there (except for the Premium and Deluxe groups) - August 9-20 are the dates we are looking at (but clutter might be there the following week). Am I reading them wrong?