We are going Disneyland/CA trip!!!

[metta4]

Hi everyone! I am sooo excited to be here!

It has been almost 6 yrs since I have planned a Disney vacation and then it was 2 trips within 3 months to Disney World. Our oldest was 3 then and our middle sone was 18 months. Now there are 3 boys...almost 9, 7 and almost 5.

Well this year my mom wants to surprise her 3 grandkids and DH and myself and take us to CA for a week! in July! I have never been to CA!

We plan on breaking the trip down as follows..at least for now..
day 1 (sat)- arrive in San Diego...dinner time
day 2 (sun)- San Diego Zoo
day 3 (mon)- 2nd day at zoo? or sea world or beaches
day 4 (tues)-legoland
day 5 (wed) - drive to anneheim and relax at pool..etc
day 6 (thurs)- disney
day 7 (fri) disney
day 8 (sat) - drive back to san diego and fly home...

No in the perfect world this would be a longer trip but my parents are picking up the tab and my mom is coming too!

I know there are tons of resources on this board and think I have lots of reading to do b/t now and then!

My dad is working with a travel agent re the hotel etc but knowing how I love a good deal he has put me on the job too in order to see how to get the best deals. We have airline already. Needing hotel (2 rooms - one for us and one for my mom) food and park ticket options. We will be renting a car. I have looked at HoJo's so far for hotels and seem to like it. Will need to offer my dad other options though too. One thing to note is that my mom has difficulty walking long distances due to medical issues. She most likely will only come with us part of the day. As a result we will likely drive to the park in the am. I want her to keep the waling reserved for the parks and not walking hotel to park. Also i hope to look into a scooter for her in the park if that is an option or not. She doesn't want to slow us down but I also dont' want her to miss out on some of this with her grandkids.

I welcome any insight or information you have!

Off to read other posts and soak in all the information here! Thank you!

 

[skiingfast]

I would keep one day for the Zoo and the beach or Sea World is a good option for the second day.

I'd aim for three days at DL because there is a lot to do there. Understandably not many DLR visitors can go for more than a day or two but it's quite worth it when you want to experience it all.

If you make the second day SW and the third day a drive to Anaheim and DL day look into citypass. It may save a bit unless you can, and it's possible, find deals for the ticket components sererate.

http://www.citypass.com/southern-california

You can rent scooters at DLR and at some hotels nearby. There is also scooter delivery service.

 

[DLR29]

Just a tip about walking:

If you are staying at HoJos (or a farther away hotel), driving to the parks would be a) time-consuming and b) more of a hassle. The thing is that the parking garage at DLR is SO far away from the parks. You would have to park, then walk to the tram, take the tram, then walk from the tram stop to the park, and it turns out to be about the same amount of walking but with more waiting (waiting to pay for parking, waiting to find a spot, waiting for the tram)

The best option for grandma would be buying an ART (Anaheim Resort Transit http://www.rideart.org/index.php?loc=1 ) pass. It's 4 dollars per adult per day and 1 dollar for the kids. If I did my math correctly, that comes out to be just a tiny bit more than the parking fee. There is a stop directly outside of HoJo. It takes you straight to where all the other shuttles drop people off. You don't have to deal with the mess of DLR's parking structures You can also get the pass for just grandma for 4 dollars and the rest of the family can walk, just to save a couple bucks. The walk really isn't that bad, at least for the first day.

One more note, the ART passes are cheaper "per day" if you buy the 3 day pass.

 

[CrazyDuck]

Day 4 seems like a wast of valuable time! Suggestion.... On Day 4, Check out of the hotel early, Drive to Legoland, after Legoland drive to Amaheim and check in to hotel!

Day 2... Don't do the Zoo again... Go to Sea World or Wild Animal Park!

 

[metta4]

Day 4 seems like a wast of valuable time! Suggestion.... On Day 4, Check out of the hotel early, Drive to Legoland, after Legoland drive to Amaheim and check in to hotel!

Day 2... Don't do the Zoo again... Go to Sea World or Wild Animal Park!

oh yeah..screwed the post up. We are doing legoland! Totally left that out. I will change the first to to reflect

here is the right info

We plan on breaking the trip down as follows..at least for now..
day 1 (sat)- arrive in San Diego...dinner time
day 2 (sun)- San Diego Zoo
day 3 (mon)- 2nd day at zoo? or sea world or beaches
day 4 (tues)-legoland
day 5 (wed) - drive to anneheim and relax at pool..etc
day 6 (thurs)- disney
day 7 (fri) disney
day 8 (sat) - drive back to san diego and fly home


I do have a follow up question for you..if you know..is it smart to check out of San Diego on day 3 do our stuff and then drive Carlsbard for Legoland that night to check in. Go to Legoland on day 4 and then either stay in Carlsbad another night or leave in am?

 

[metta4]

Just a tip about walking:

If you are staying at HoJos (or a farther away hotel), driving to the parks would be a) time-consuming and b) more of a hassle. The thing is that the parking garage at DLR is SO far away from the parks. You would have to park, then walk to the tram, take the tram, then walk from the tram stop to the park, and it turns out to be about the same amount of walking but with more waiting (waiting to pay for parking, waiting to find a spot, waiting for the tram)

The best option for grandma would be buying an ART (Anaheim Resort Transit http://www.rideart.org/index.php?loc=1 ) pass. It's 4 dollars per adult per day and 1 dollar for the kids. If I did my math correctly, that comes out to be just a tiny bit more than the parking fee. There is a stop directly outside of HoJo. It takes you straight to where all the other shuttles drop people off. You don't have to deal with the mess of DLR's parking structures You can also get the pass for just grandma for 4 dollars and the rest of the family can walk, just to save a couple bucks. The walk really isn't that bad, at least for the first day.

One more note, the ART passes are cheaper "per day" if you buy the 3 day pass.

thank you for sharing about the ART. That would be a great option for my mom. Is it a pretty fast and effecient way to get her to the park. then she can come and go as she wants.

 

[metta4]

I would keep one day for the Zoo and the beach or Sea World is a good option for the second day.

I'd aim for three days at DL because there is a lot to do there. Understandably not many DLR visitors can go for more than a day or two but it's quite worth it when you want to experience it all.

If you make the second day SW and the third day a drive to Anaheim and DL day look into citypass. It may save a bit unless you can, and it's possible, find deals for the ticket components sererate.

http://www.citypass.com/southern-california

You can rent scooters at DLR and at some hotels nearby. There is also scooter delivery service.

really is there enough to do to spend 3 days at DL. I don't know how much my kids will be into Cal. Adventure as they are pretty young and the oldest doesn't like much other then simple rides. I think we could swing 2.5 days...may look at 3...thanks!

 

[CrazyDuck]

I do have a follow up question for you..if you know..is it smart to check out of San Diego on day 3 do our stuff and then drive Carlsbard for Legoland that night to check in. Go to Legoland on day 4 and then either stay in Carlsbad another night or leave in am?

I would do Legoland on the way to Anaheim... it is about halfway to DL. Checkout from your hotel in SD, stick your bags in the car... drive 1 hour to Legoland, Do Legoland, then drive the 1 hour from Legoland to Anaheim and check into the hotel. That way you are not spending 2 hours straight driving from San Diego... You are also not checking into a 3rd hotel in Carlsbad...

Yes there is enough to do at DL for 3 days... We can do 6 days and still not do everything!

 

[DLR29]

really is there enough to do to spend 3 days at DL. I don't know how much my kids will be into Cal. Adventure as they are pretty young and the oldest doesn't like much other then simple rides. I think we could swing 2.5 days...may look at 3...thanks!

CA does not = only for older kids. I can name a bunch of things that younger kids (and older kids) love at DCA:
-Toy Story Midway Mania (you'll want to ride multiple times, it's that fun!)
-Animation Building (including Turtle Talk, toy story zoetrope, "which character are you most like, and more. Totally hands-on kind of stuff)
-Monster's Inc.
-Redwood Creek Challenge Trail (great outdoor playground for kids to run around)
-Ariel's Undersea Adventure (will be brand new this summer! Won't want to miss it!)
-Jumpin Jellyfish/Golden Zephyr (very mild)
-World of Color

And then maybe:
-Soarin (very gentle)
-Grizzly River Run (if it's warm, especially in July, and they want to get wet)
-Mickey's Fun Wheel/Silly Symphony Swings
-Mission Tortilla Factory/Boudin Bakery (show you how tortillas/bread is made + free samples at end)
-Playhouse Disney/Disney Jr. (depending on if they like Disney channel stuff)
-MuppetVision 3D (not scary like It's Tough to be a Bug, but still the 3D may be different and thus not enjoyable, although now that tons of movies are coming out in 3D it may not be that unique anymore)
-King Triton's Carousel (eh, just another carousel, but if your kids like that...)

Yup...lots to do

 

[Maddie2]

First of all, Congratulations!! Your boys are the PERFECT age for this! Our boys were 9 and 6 for our first Disney adventure - SO fun! I would highly suggest a beach day for your bunch. All the parks, etc are great, but the beach is a great place for little boys just to run around, play in the sand, etc. I know MN has 10,000 lakes, but there's nothing like the ocean.

I agree with the pp's that there is definitely enough to do to fill 3 DL days. DCA also has the Bug's Life area, which has 4-5 rides that would be just right for your guys. And, since you are planning for July, the crowd levels will be higher, which means you get less done each day. If your hotel is near enough, you may want to go back for a swim midday too. I would think 2 days in DL and 1 day in DCA (though it's easy enough to jump back & forth).

 

[Lorinda]

Seems to me you could cut lego land out completely! Isn't it geared more toward preschool age?

 

[skiingfast]

I would do Legoland on the way to Anaheim... it is about halfway to DL. Checkout from your hotel in SD, stick your bags in the car... drive 1 hour to Legoland, Do Legoland, then drive the 1 hour from Legoland to Anaheim and check into the hotel. That way you are not spending 2 hours straight driving from San Diego... You are also not checking into a 3rd hotel in Carlsbad...

This is a fairly good idea. Legoland somtimes has fairly short hours. So you can leave SD when traffic lightens. However it closes when traffic is thick. So you might want to catch dinner and then get up to Anaheim.

There are hotels near LL but not a huge selection. So you might want to see how the prices are in Anaheim, SD and Carlbad or Oceanside and if anything looks like a good fit for you to help decide where to stay.

 

[skiingfast]

Seems to me you could cut lego land out completely! Isn't it geared more toward preschool age?

Legoland has developed more attractions toward higher ages. I think the kids area great ages for the parks. In a few years the will be past it.

 

[Cagirl767]

I'd say definitely do LL before the boys are too old.

One thing, in July at DLR, crowds will be heavy and relying on the ART may be a bit frustrating due to full buses. I'd recommend your alternative hotels to your dad as being ones that have their own shuttles such as Hilton, Candy Cane Inn, Sheraton Anaheim, Homewood Suites (free hot breakfast daily and free light dinner Mon-Thurs and has 2 room suites possibly cheaper than 2 separate rooms). This could aleviate a lot of potential wait time for your mom and kids. Although in July, the Hojo's has a *great* pirate pool area your boys will love love love! Also remember the DLR on site hotels - no ART required.

Taking the boys to the beach one day in the middle would be fun and leisurely, visiting tide pools would be a big hit! You may need sort of a break midway to catch your breaths and gear up for long hot days at Disneyland.

You're going to have a great time!

 

[CMHusband]

you wont need two days at the zoo, but Sea World is really great.

 

[MAH4546]

You don't need a day to drive the 60 miles between Legoland and Disneyland. Even with traffic, it won't take more than 90 minutes.

I'd spend a day in Los Angeles and take in the sights there, Santa Monica and Hollywood.

Also, no reason to fly out of San Diego. Fly out of Orange County, Long Beach or LAX.

 

[metta4]

You don't need a day to drive the 60 miles between Legoland and Disneyland. Even with traffic, it won't take more than 90 minutes.

I'd spend a day in Los Angeles and take in the sights there, Santa Monica and Hollywood.

Also, no reason to fly out of San Diego. Fly out of Orange County, Long Beach or LAX.

thanks for the ideas! I already have the flights booked so changing in that respect can't happen. My mom is really setting the focus of the trip on the kids. If it were DH and I we would take in LA. Maybe another time. thanks!

 

[metta4]

I'd say definitely do LL before the boys are too old.

One thing, in July at DLR, crowds will be heavy and relying on the ART may be a bit frustrating due to full buses. I'd recommend your alternative hotels to your dad as being ones that have their own shuttles such as Hilton, Candy Cane Inn, Sheraton Anaheim, Homewood Suites (free hot breakfast daily and free light dinner Mon-Thurs and has 2 room suites possibly cheaper than 2 separate rooms). This could aleviate a lot of potential wait time for your mom and kids. Although in July, the Hojo's has a *great* pirate pool area your boys will love love love! Also remember the DLR on site hotels - no ART required.

Taking the boys to the beach one day in the middle would be fun and leisurely, visiting tide pools would be a big hit! You may need sort of a break midway to catch your breaths and gear up for long hot days at Disneyland.

You're going to have a great time!

thanks for the info about the hotels. So staying further out would like be better for transportation for my mom? Homewood sounds interesting. Thanks!

 

[dawgs4disney]

I would also agree with the above post to check out the morning you do legoland and then drive on to Anaheim that afternoon. Although legoland was fun, it all started looking alike after several hours. We did not spend as long there as we would at a Disney park.

 

[Cagirl767]

Not that staying farther out would be necessarily better, it just depends on what your needs are. Staying farther out usually requires ART unless you drive to the park, and ART can be crowded in July, so in that case - I'd recommend a hotel with their own shuttle to avoid the ART crowds. And since I'm always looking for a good deal like you, we like the extended stay hotels that have free breakfast and dinner and those are usually farther out, although there is one on Harbor at the pedestrian crosswalk, I think it may be Park Place Inn that has the complementary light dinner?

Homewood, Embassy Suites, the Residence Inns aren't really walking distance but you can get a 2 room suite, so I thought I'd throw that in too.