March 2006 Trip to So-Cal... thoughts/suggestions?

[singingpixie]

Hey everyone! I'm an east-coaster with grandparents who live in San Diego. I visited them a lot as a kid (almost every year till middle school), but over the past years (I'm almost 21 now) I haven't made it out there. I'm thinking seriously about going out there for our spring break (Sat March 11th-Sun March 19th) next year, and bringing my boyfriend out to meet them. Most of the trip would be in San Diego, but I think we can take two days and visit Disneyland. It'd be DBF's first trip to any disney park, I've been to disneyland several times as a child (last time I was 14 and it was a half-day), and disneyworld twice- once for a week with my family when I was 10, and one day in the MK about a year and a half ago. Here's the plan, but feel free to make suggestions! I think we'll do disneyland on the wednesday-thursday of that week, driving up early in the AM (hopefully my grandparents would loan us one of their cars), dropping our stuff/car off at the hotel (thinking about the HoJo very seriously), and heading right to Disneyland Park. I'd like to spend most of the day there, taking a break if we need it to go get settled into our room at check-in time, and/or checking out DCA for a couple hours before returning to Disneyland in the evening. All of this depends on park hours, of course, but after looking at last years hours it looks like this would be the week they start to get a little longer in anticipation of easter crowds. The next day we would start at DCA, do what we want, and then head back to Disneyland to finish the trip, driving back to my grandparents' after closing. I anticipate wanting to spend a lot more time at disneyland than DCA both because of size and sentimental attachment. I know that these will be two busy and exhausting days, but I think we'll be able to see most of what we'd want to see in two days since it's not the busiest season and we're both healthy young adults without things like strollers and little bladders slowing us down. I figure we'll do a lot of counter service since money is an issue, but I'm debating doing a character lunch over in DCA (Ariel's Grotto? I think that's what it's called), I"m really not sure if we should or not- I know it would be a better use of time if we do want character pictures, but I'm not sure how into it he'd be and I could go either way. Any thoughts? Also, for the rest of our trip- I'm planning on Sea World and the Zoo, possibly the wild animal park or the desert (I hear that that's a great time of year to see wildflowers and such, but it doesn't seem like we could do both the desert and the WAP) any thoughts on which to pick? Also, at least one of those three choices would probably have to be on a weekend. which would be best? I'm also interested in recommendations of partial-day activities in san diego. we'll probably go on a whale watch since it's good season and I've always wanted to do that. what about old town, the mission, the maritime museum, balboa park, etc? Any suggestions would be much appreciated! Thanks so much! -Meg

 

[batraylover]

In my honest opinion (I live in San Diego) it is not neccessary to do both the zoo and the wild animal park. If you like to see more animals, do the zoo, as the enclosures at the wild animal park are so large that sometimes you only get to see the elephants, rhino's, giraffes, and local wildlife like deer, bunnies, etc. The wild animal park also has shorter park hours, and can be very uncomfortable to walk around at (it gets very hot there in the summer months especially). When we are baking at 85 here, they are baking at close to 102-105. I like the zoo, it has something for everyone. The only problem I have with the zoo is that everything is so spread out. For instance to get to the polar bears, you walk and walk and walk up hill, we got up there and they were sleeping...it didn't do much for the 5 year old in our group who was quite dissappointed. I am finally thinking about getting a zoo pass this year, I have had them in the pass. Now that I learned they are tax deductible and all you get for the price, I cannot see why not.

Balboa park is great if you like museums. If you just like breathtaking scenery and shopping I would say head over to Coronado, you can take a ride over to the island on a ferry or other boat, enjoy a day of breathtaking scenery and good shopping. They have great ice cream too.

I have heard the maritime museum is good, but I personally have never been. I have received a lot of really cool souvenirs from people who have been though.

Old Town is pretty much under fire right now, they just shut down most of it, for a major renovation. They closed a lot of local favorites like Bazaar Del Mundo and such. They plan on re-opening some of those local favorites at Seaport Village, but in my honest opinion, it just won't be the same.

Mission Beach with it's wonderful beach, arcades, rollercoaster, and boardwalk atmosphere might be something fun to consider on your trip as well.

Sea World is excellent! I had season passes up until they built Journey to Atlantis, I had issues with it before it was built, that I still have, so I refuse to give them anymore money, but that's just my personal opinion. You will be able to spend an entire day at Sea World there is so much to see and do. Make sure you make it over to Discovery Cove and pet the dolphins, and that you hit Forbidden Reef which was always my favorite and pet the bat rays. Wild Arctic and Shipwreck Rapids are worth doing too. But on off season days, Shipwreck Rapids isn't always running, you do get soaking wet, and on hot days the lines can be outrageous up to 3 hours long.

La Jolla is also a very beautiful area, they have an aquarium, all though after so many years of going to Sea World on a daily, every-other day basis, I was less than impressed with the aquarium in La Jolla, just not a lot to see and do there. You can also go tide-pooling in La Jolla which is a lot of fun, enjoy a day at the beach, or a game of golf.

There is just so much to see and do in San Diego, I think us locals take it all for granted sometimes. Any questions, feel free to PM me.