Rethinking our daily schedule....need advice

[kwally]

We are coming Friday March 5 and don't fly into LAX until 11:30am, so won't get to parks until mid afternoon and leave first thing Wednesday March 10, so we have 4 full days and one half day. This is our first trip and I have planned on going to Sea World and Legoland also for a day, and hitting the parks when we get back if there is time. Now I am rethinking, will we have enough time to do and see everything with 2 1/2 days at the parks, one day at SW and one day at LL? My kids are 7, 5, 2....should I cancel SW or LL, or will we be good? Appreciate any advice!

Also, we are going to WDW next year on a big family trip, so we will get to experience Disney again.

 

[Nala83]

Don't plan on getting much done on Friday. Friday afternoons and evening tend to be crowded- plus you'll be tired from traveling. You will not see everything with only two full days in the park. Your kids will need breaks (and you'll probably need breaks too.)

I think you need at least 3 days if you really want to see everything (and even that might be pushing it with little ones). Either hit the highlights and plan to come another time, or give up one of your non-Disney days.

 

[Peace.love.mickey]

I think it depends on what kind of people you are...Up early? Tire easily? Parks all Day?

Personally, I think it can be done, but I also think it is A LOT to pack in! I love to relax and enjoy the parks....plus driving back and forth from SW and Legoland is a lot too!

 

[SeansMom]

Your kids are a great age for legoland. I think you could easily fit it in. However, perhaps you could skip SW and see it's equivalent as a break from Disneyworld. It will be a bit of a drive, so that's something to consider. Whatever you decide, enjoy, and take lots of breaks for your little ones.

 

[PoohBearFriends]

With that age kids, you will probably want breaks.

They will also want to ride their favorite rides again and again.

If you want to be relaxed stay at DLR only.

If you don't mind being on the go drive down the few hours to LL and SW. I guess it depends on your style and how much your kids can take without a break.

 

[SnowWhite09]

We absolutely loved SeaWorld, but 2.5 days in at Disneyland definitely will not be enough time to see everything with 3 small children. Perhaps if you are going to WDW next year you could focus on those things that are at Disneyland, but not at WDW.

Have a great trip!

 

[DisneyMax74]

In my opinion I would say skip Sea World. While it is a fairly cool place I would never chose a day at SW over a day at Disney. And I do mean never. I havent been to LegoLand but I have heard its fun but I also heard it wasnt near what Disneyland is either.

If you have just been dying to go to SW then maybe you should. Otherwise I would spend that day at Disney.

Maybe chose one park in San Diego to do because the drive down along the pacific coast is beautiful for a large portion of it. It also depends on where you are staying, are you staying in Anaheim the whole time and driving down each day or are you staying a night or two in the San Diego area? If you are staying in Anaheim the whole time I would not recomend driving down and back twice with kids if you dont have to.

 

[Eeee-va]

We arrived at the parks on a busy/summer Friday evening and I insisted to myself that it was just a "bonus" day, not a scheduled part-day in the parks. That way, I would not have been disappointed if we didn't get much done. Especially with flying, I wouldn't make any hard and fast plans about when you are going to get there and what you are going to do on Friday. Having some ideas (including fireworks if you were going to see them) is great, but a very detailed itinerary could lead to disappointment. So I prefer to think of that day as a bonus.

(By that reckoning, though, if I were in your shoes I would say that you're kind of only going to the Disneyland Resort parks for 2 days--it's not too likely that you will be able to do "everything" in 2, or even 2.5, days. If your priority is doing Sea World, Legoland, AND the Disneyland Resort, that's fine, but it will take away from Disneyland time and probably make things more rushed there.)

I don't have any children but for myself, I'd rather be in Disneyland than anywhere else! But it might be worth it for your family to go to one of the other parks on Sunday or maybe Saturday--you know them better than I do.

I don't know your numbers but there's a good chance that it's also cheaper to go to DLR for an extra day than to drive down to San Diego to visit Sea World or Legoland.

I think Sunday (until late evening) may be busier in the Disneyland Resort than Saturday. Weekdays (Friday evening doesn't count) are generally less crowded than weekends--the park hours will likely be shorter but with the age of your kids, I'm thinking an 8 PM (or so) close time isn't an awful thing.

Oh, and Legoland appears to be closed the Tuesday of your trip, if you didn't know that. There's an aquarium there, though--I don't know anything about it except that it exists, but I guess it could give you a little taste of water-life if that's what you were after. I'd do Legoland over Sea World just because Sea World seems common to me (there is certainly one in Orlando ).

Have a great time!

 

[kwally]

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I have been so on the fence. We have pumped the kids up so much about Disney but also wanted to try to hit as much as possible that I think they might not get the whole Disney experience if we try to do too much. My little guy is not going to be 3 until March and still naps, so we might need that extra day at Disney so we can take a break and still see everything. Now to talk to the kiddos and let them decide if we do SW or LL! I have a feeling it will be a draw!

 

[IBLarsen]

I would choose to do Legoland in San Diego, becuase you can do Sea World when you go to Florida. I believe Sea World is very very close to WDW. There is no Legoland in FL. That way you can see everything over the next two trips.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

My vote is for Legoland ~ your kids will have fun there and it is closer to DLR than Sea World is. Maybe try for fireworks and/or Fantasmic Fri. evening + a couple rides, Sat. @ DLR *use your MM assuming you have one on Sat.*, Sun @ Legoland (*I'd stay in Anaheim the whole time just drive to Carlsbad (where LL is) Sun. morning and drive back to Ana in the evening) and then DLR all day Mon. & Tues.

 

[Belle Ella]

If it were me we would probably do all days at Disneyland, just to get the most out of the experience. But I think you could reasonably add in either Legoland or Sea World and be fine, but doing both would be pushing it. If it had been my family growing up we weould have done Sea World and skipped Legoland simply because it didn't appeal to us and both my sister and I loved marine animals a lot more than anything we would have seen at Legoland, but that was just us. PP's brought up a good point that you could skip Sea World in San Diego and go in Orlando possibly when you got to WDW.

 

[bumbershoot]

..."will we have enough time to do and see everything with 2 1/2 days at the parks, one day at SW and one day at LL"

No, I don't think so.

I'd do 4 days in the parks. Leave San Diego for another trip where you're actually staying in San Diego. LL in Carlsbad is actually a bit of a drive from Seaworld, which is practically IN downtown SD. Seriously; my SIL works at the 'corkscrew' building (visible in Soarin', I wave "to her" every time we ride Soarin'), and she would take long lunches and meet my brother at SW to see the Pets Rule show. It's that close.

There is no Legoland in FL.

Not now, but there will be!



OP, I'd start your first day there in DCA. Go into bug's land! Have a nice light day focused on the little rides in there, then see the other sites around DCA. I know I know, everyone thinks they want to see the castle/matterhorn first, but when you're entered on the later side, I don't like going to DL first.

Bug's Land, avoiding "it's tough to be a bug", is the ultimate in kid-friendly and relaxed and low-key. No scary witches or queens of hearts or dark lines or any of that. Just fun.

DS loves the Zephyr in DCA, so if that's open, it's a nice way to spin around and see the park. Once everyone is acclimated, check out the wait time for TSMM. If it's under 40 minutes, after making sure everyone is fed, watered, and pottied, we've found that wait to be doable even with a kidlet. And the ride is fun, so in retrospect the wait becomes worth it.


Then on your first full day, that's when you hit DL and see the matterhorn and castle and all that.

 

[Eeee-va]

Fantasmic! will not be running in DL during your visit since the Rivers of America are drained. (You can see it at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, though it's not exactly the same show...depending on your family, the stadium-style seating in Orlando might be a big plus though. )

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

We are coming Friday March 5 and don't fly into LAX until 11:30am, so won't get to parks until mid afternoon and leave first thing Wednesday March 10, so we have 4 full days and one half day. This is our first trip and I have planned on going to Sea World and Legoland also for a day, and hitting the parks when we get back if there is time. Now I am rethinking, will we have enough time to do and see everything with 2 1/2 days at the parks, one day at SW and one day at LL? My kids are 7, 5, 2....should I cancel SW or LL, or will we be good? Appreciate any advice!

Also, we are going to WDW next year on a big family trip, so we will get to experience Disney again.

I don't think 2.5 days in DL is enough especially for a first trip. Your kids age is probably just right for LL, but skip San Diego.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

Fantasmic! will not be running in DL during your visit since the Rivers of America are drained.

That's right ~ bummer.