trip planning question

[sdrsdd]

I am a huge planner and I know I am planning way ahead...so bear with me! We would like to take a trip to California in the summer 2009. We have 3 children who will be 7,5, & 16 months old. This is what I am thinking now.
2-3 days at DisneyLand (is that enough time? We did a full week at Disney World, but I know DisneyLand is much smaller!)
2 Days at LegoLand
1-2 days at Sea World
1 day at the San Diego Zoo
How does this sound to families who have actually made this trip before?

 

[VAN]

It's been a while since I was there, but I would plan on the following (provided you are there when it opens and spend the full day):

2 days Disneyland/California Adventure
1 day Sea World
1 day San Diego Zoo
Legoland??

If you have any other days available, you may just want to use them to catch up on sleep and/or lay low by the pool/beach.

Also fun is going down to Hollywood and taking one or two of the tours that start at the Chinese Theatre. We had a whole bunch of family in varying ages from baby to teens and everyone really enjoyed it. Also Griffith Park Observatory is you get over that way.

 

[noryglory]

Your kids are too little for Hollywood, I'd skip that sort of tour until they are older. (I can see a large family with teens-babies enjoying it, but since the bulk of your family is young, I'd save it.)

It will be crowded in the summer, I'd plan on 3-4 days at the Disney parks depending on how rushed you want it to feel or not (and with littler kids with more needs I'd give yourself more time--if you take long breaks in the afternoon for naps and swimming that will help you make the most of the hours you do have in the parks--get up early and stay up late even with littles--my 5 yo could make it to midnight, due to the adrenaline!!!)...

We are always able to bang out Seaworld and Legoland in one day each. I wouldn't waste my extra days there. I'd take a day off parks and do other stuff like beach, pool, smaller activities, rather than spend another day (and the $$ there). If you were going to give yourself two days in one place I would make it Legoland, I think if you schedule your day properly at Seaworld you can see all the shows and everything else in between during their operating hours.

We haven't taken our young kids to the zoo yet because 1. we have a zoo in Portland (of course nowhere near the size and variance as the SD zoo) but 2. see number 1...the zoo is hilly and huge and can be very tiring for a little family. Lots of people go and love it, I think we'll do it sometime after the kids are bigger. But given the choice between Hollywood and the zoo, I'd pick the zoo.

 

[DLR29]

I would definitely set aside 3 days for DL/DCA. Summer is a bit crowded and you'll want to experience most attractions and shows.

Legoland I haven't been to, but I would probably only plan for one day. Seaworld and San Diego Zoo might take 3 combined days in the summer because they're both very big and crowded.