please help an overwhelmed planner

[3angels]

Hi All, I really need some help/advice. My family{ my mom, sister and my sons 11,8,6,2 and myself} are going to California next week. We are staying in Anaheim and doing Disneyland but I also want to explore other areas. Here is my dilemma. What to do which day? Here are the things we want to do, Universal, explore los Angeles{ Hollywood, Griffith Park/Observatory, La Brea tar pits, Chinese Theater, walk of fame, etc..} . I also would love to go to Newport Beach or really just a beach that would be fun for the whole family. Need suggestions on what days to do what and if it is possible to do any of these things together in one day? For Universal should we do a Friday or Saturday? Should we do the beach A weekday or weekend and how early should we go to the beach? Is it best to do early morning or can we get To the beach midday say 2 or 3 pm? Is there a certain area of Newport beach that is better crowd wise or just better for the kids? I am sorry this is so many questions I am just having a really hard time. I hope you can help. Thank you. Tracy

 

[tracys2cents]

For Universal, traffic will be much easier on Saturday than on Friday. You can actually do Tar Pits, Universal, and Griffith Observatory all in one day if you're that kind of get-up-and-go people.

I would say leave Anaheim 8:30am, arrive Tar Pits 9:30am, spend an hour (unless you want to also see the fossil museum next door which is about $9pp and an extra hour or so).

So you're at Universal easily by noon, stay there until 8:00, then head to the Observatory which is maybe 15 minutes away. 8:15 to 10pm at the Observatory makes for a long day, but if you gotta squeeze everything in............

OOps, I guess I forgot the walk of fame. Well, it's on the way to Universal from the Tar pits. So, you'd better leave anaheim at 8am if you want to fit in the Chinese Theatre and Walk of Fame. You can see Hollywood Boulevard in about 90 minutes, including a stop at McDonalds or somewhere for lunch. It'll just cut an hour out of your Universal time, but 7 hours is fine for Universal.

 

[tracys2cents]

Crystal Cove State Park is the beach for you........just take the 57freeway down straight south from Anaheim area, and you'll hit the coast. Turn south (left) down route 1 coastal highway and you'll hit Crystal Cove in a few minutes. Afterwards you can dine in Newport Beach and shop around.

The beach is best on a weekday, definitely, but not too early because of all the early morning traffic. If you have a long long day at Disneyland, staying until closing or whatever, then the beach would be great for the next day, maybe leave your hotel around 10am. Crystal Cove isn't far....and you might want to return to your hotel by 4pm or so to avoid the 5pm traffic snarls.