where to stay off site? Where to visit besides DL?

[mhingher]

We're a family of 4 visiting the area for a week in August. We plan to get 3 day hoppers and stay off site. Any suggestions on where to stay? What other attractions to see? Is it worth getting a Southern California Pass and driving to the San Diego Zoo for a day? Or stay more local to Anaheim and get a pass for the ART? I booked the Staybridge Suites which is a mile from the parks, but we can get the ART right there. My other idea was the Courtyard Anaheim which is a little closer to the parks and has a nice waterpark area for the kids. But if we do rent a car it's $20/day to park, and it doesn't include breakfast like the Staybridge. Can anyone offer suggestions?

 

[cruisehopeful]

I haven't stayed at either of those places, but staying somewhere that includes breakfast is a good idea. I've stayed at Peacock Suites (timeshare), Embassy Suites and Homewood Suites. I like having a full hot breakfast and a kitchen or some kitchen items to help save a little with costs of eating out.

Since you are staying for a week and only going to DLR for 3 days, I think a trip down the San Diego Zoo is a good idea. You may want to look into use ART for Disneyland and only renting a car for the days when you need it.

Depending on ages of your kids and what you all like to do, you may want to visit Knott's Berry Farm for a day. They have a big waterpark, also. Universal Studios Hollywood is another idea for a day. The Harry Potter area will be open then. For something very different, you can drive to Los Angeles and see the La Brea Tar Pits. There is still tar bubbling up right there in the middle of the concrete jungle city.

There are lots of nice beaches in Southern California. A favorite of mine is Crystal Cove in Newport Beach. They have old cottages that they rent out on the beach and there is a nice restaurant on the beach and a hamburger/shake shack on the cliff overlooking the beach.

 

[smartlabelprint]

I bet the peacock is nice. We stayed at one in San Diego. We prefer BWPPark place inn. We don't get a car though. $10 fee. You can get a best western discount through Costcotravel.com.
We don't go anywhere else! We just love Disneyland too much.

I hated the San Diego zoo. It's tiny-poor animals are squished. The guide said the baby flamingos are pink because they add dye to the water.

 

[ADLFAN]

We loved hopping on the ART bus to go try Knotts Berry Farm for the day!

Knotts is another classic California theme park that Walt walked through for inspiration and ideas. I believe Knotts is where Walt got the idea to hide the bulk of the line so that guests wouldn't be deterred by a long line and skip the attraction! I believe he also studied traffic patterns and guest behavior to learn how he wanted to design his Disneyland. They have a nicely themed Wild West section and you can find very cool unique souvenirs throughout it, including a Horseshoe freshly stamped with your name by the blacksmith!

They have awesome crazy roller coasters, I highly recommend waiting for the front row of the horse race one! They also have a few legendary treats, including the boysenberry funnel cake, oh man it was so good I'm considering paying admission just to grab one on our next trip. Or maybe pay someone exiting to run back in for me...

It was more fun for us than Universal Studios was, with an atmosphere that was closer to Disneyland than Six Flags. Short lines, less crowds, and great employees who seemed to like their jobs. We also met Linus and Charlie Brown at the entrance!

We even snuck back into Disneyland after we got back from Knotts for the last few hours of entertainment there!

For what it's worth, we were deterred from San Diego by horrendous traffic, so the drive can get long.

Have fun planning!

 

[MN Disneyfan]

We enjoyed our trip down to the San Diego zoo the last time we were at Disneyland. The place is huge! Offsite we stayed at the Candy Cane Inn. It was super clean and had a nice continental breakfast. If you check out trip advisor you won't find many complaints about the place and its walking distance to DL. We did do Knotts Berry and maybe spent 3 hours there. We didn't care for it. The company that owns Knotts owns Valleyfair here in MN which is nicer and cleaner so we expected more from the place. This year when we go to DL we are planning on going to Universal. I haven't been there since I was young and Harry Potter opens in April.

 

[taniahappy]

Yes, the Zoo is a must! Wild Animal Park is a great option also...