Oh Boy - Do I have Questions

[momoftwins]

Since we have never been to DL:

1. Is 4 days enough time to do DL and DCA. I understand that DCA isn't really for younger kids (We have 5 yr old twins), so without doing this commando style - is 4 days enough?

2. If we stay at the DL hotel, do they offer tours to Universal? Is it better to move offsite, then drive to Universal? What about Legoland? Does anyone know of a site that tells mileage between attractions? Would 3 days be enough?


3. We also want to go to San Diego for the zoo, trolley tours, Catalina Island. Is 3 days enough for this?

4. I also want to see LA - the touristy stuff. Mann's Theater, tours of the stars houses, maybe some shopping. Same question, do we get a hotel in LA or do we stay in Anaheim?
I would love to do the NBC Studio tour. Is 2 - 3 days enough for here?

As with Disneyworld, is it cheaper to get components of the trip separate or buy buy packages.

I found a thread the other day on one of these forums that talked about other attractions, but I cannot seem to find it. If anyone remembers, please post.

We would be going Dec 15 - 29 or so-coming from Massachusetts so I would appreciate any help.

 

[lminster]

Wow, you are planning an ambicious trip with 2 five year olds! In my opinion, 4 days should be enough at DL and DCA. However, if I were you I would plan to go their first because your dates of travel are going to be at a very busy time of the year.

I'm not sure if you are planning to rent a car. If you are, check out http://www.bnm.com/la.htm#cr for great rates.

I think it would be smart to move out of the DL area if you want to do some stuff in L.A. Traveling back and forth could be murder that time of year and you don't want to waste your time in traffic. I would recommend staying in Burbank which is centrally located and offers easy access (by car)to Universal Studios, Hollywood, Griffith Park, etc. I've stayed at the Annabelle Hotel which was nice and I could recommend it http://tc.globalist.net/view.php3?id=100 . It is right on Olive Ave about 2 blocks away from NBC studios. You can get free tickets to see some shows. Try http://www.tvtickets.com/default.htm , http://www.brawbit.com/LA/html/tickets.htm , http://www.tvtickets.com/overview.htm , http://www.freetvshows.com/schedule.htm and http://www.studioaudiences.com/index.shtml I don't know if they will be filming during the holidays, but it's worth a try.

There's lots to do, so pace yourself and have fun

 

[TigerBear]

The post you are looking for may be the second one on the board - its by MaryJo and entitled "Important: Other things to do....".

Your trip sounds great. I'm in the process of planning my first trip to DL, so I can't be of much help.

 

[Disney-Kim]

I am assuming you are flying in to LAX....I would suggest DL/DCA for your first few days because the earlier dates will be slower...closer to Christmas will be PACKED !!! (I am not one to talk we are going for Thanksgiving )
Then drive down to San Diego for your couple days there and stay there too...its about 2 hrs south of Anaheim. Then drive back up to Los Angeles where all the other stuff you want to do is located and do that stuff at the end of your trip. Remember that Universal will be very crowded around the holidays too.

PS......Catalina is near Los Angeles...not San Diego.......and when you are staying in Anaheim you can take a 25 minute drive over to Newport Beach and Huntington beach and South Coast Plaza (the best mall ever) if thats your fancy.

so I would rent your car at LAX...and stay at each area a few days in different hotels....we have stayed in Anaheim for 10 days before and did all the stuff you listed but we did day trips to each one......and it is definately doable...... If you buy annual passes to DL you could go in and out at your leisure........

well I am going on and on.....have fun.........I would love to help more if you need it.....we have been to DL many times.......

 

[momoftwins]

OMG - what a task! I am very much a planner, and there is so much to think about! I have gotten my maps from AAA so at least I have some ideas on distances.

I am just curious, how many of you do not spend Christmas at home? The kids are starting kindergarden in a few weeks and this would mean pulling them out for one week. I am not so much concerned about this, but not being at home over Christmas.

Are the amusement parks opened over Christmas Eve, Christmas day? What about the zoo and such. Thanks so much for your input.

 

[supercarrie]

We have always spent Christmas at home or with relatives at their homes. This is because my sister (7) has just now found out the truth about Santa, and before we didn't want to deal with trying to explain (she always questions us lol.) I think if we were to be gone, we would have told her to write a letter to Santa (with my parents or my help) explaining that we will be away from home and that could you please visit "fill in the blank."

DL and DCA will both be open for Christmas Eve and Day. However, it will be *VERY* crowded during that time as other people have said. The zoos and other places I am not so sure of, because it depends specifically on where you plan on going. The San Diego Zoo is open 365 days a year also. If you want to know more info, post away!

Your trip sounds like it will be so much fun! I have lived in southern CA my whole life, but I still am envious! Everywhere you have talked about going is a lot of fun!

 

[jlima]

If you want to stay in Anahein the whole time, I would recommend using the trasit system to get to L.A. You can catch an Amtrak train from Anaheim Stadium (about 3 miles from D-land) to LA's Union Station. There you can board the subway system which will dump you right to the center of Hollywood, or very close to Universal. It would be a half mile walk up a steep hill, or a short bus ride to the Park.

As for Sna Diego, consider the Zoo's Wild Animal Park in North County. And, with five year olds, don't forget about Lego Land.

 

[princessjoy]

Wow! You weren't kidding when you said lots of questions!!!
I think four days is a good amount of time to spend at DL and CA. Especially if you get the park hopper pass. You know, I KEEP hearing people say that CA isn't for kids. However, my 5 year old neice LOVED it!!! She said that she liked it BETTER then DL. She was tall enough for all the rides though (except Maliboomer). Check out the height restrictions on DL's website. I know that California Screamin' is 48 inches. Even if they aren't all enough for the "big" rides, theres still lots to do. "It's Tough to be a Bug" and Muppet Vision 3-D are a blast. Superstar Limo was cute and Paradise Pier has some fun kiddo rides. Theres also Redwood Creek Challenge Trail which kids of all ages (we had 5-35 year olds playing) have fun running around in it. Theres also fountains in Bountiful Valley Farm. Grizzly Peak and Soarin' Over California are 42 inches and 40 inches respectively....those rides can't be missed!!!!

Staying at an onsite hotel is always nice. Try booking a package through expedia.com. We found a GREAT deal there to stay at the Disneyland hotel. Including airfare from Seattle and 3 nights at the DL hotel is was $400 per person. Usually doing it piece by piece saves you the most money. Priceline.com is great for hotels. You can get a 3 star hotel for $40 a night. We've done that twice and we stayed at the West Coast Anaheim once (right across the street, if your up high facing DL you can see all the fireworks at night and you get a GREAT view of CA) and we also got the Hilton Inn and Suites (a little further away, but they had shuttles every 15-30 minutes). The Embassy Suites in Anaheim is nice as well, but its about a 10-15 minute shuttle ride. Oh yeah, the Hilton and Embassy Suites offer FREE (I love free stuff) breakfasts. Not just continental breakfast, but eggs, bacon, omlettes, etc. Plus they have free happy hours. I know TONS of hotels that have great airfares, hotel fares, etc. Feel free to email me anytime for more info. I LOVE to talk about DL. Its my favorite place on earth.

I don't know too much about San Diego and LA. San Diego is a few hours from Anaheim, so if your planning on going, you've got to rent a car. Sea World and the San Diego Zoo are a blast. We loved both of them when we went. You might want to think about getting a hotel down there if you want to spend a day or two there. Thats a lot of driving to do in a day with two kiddos.

I'm also putting all my pics from DL online, let me know if you want to see any of them.


GOOD LUCK in your trip planning!
inkbounc ~Joy~inkbounc