Which day to hit the beach?

[Alex2kMommy]

We are leaving Thursday for 8 days in Disneyland! This is our first trip to DL, so we're not sure what to expect in terms of how tired we'll be or how tired/overstimulated the kids will be. DH is now re-thinking his Disneyland-only trip, and considering spending a quiet afternoon at one of the local beaches, and maybe someplace for dinner.

Can anyone give me a recommendation on:

1. Which day of the week to hit the beach? I was thinking a Saturday, since DL would likely be busiest that day, and we wouldn't hit traffic heading back to DL in the evening...? I think DH was thinking of doing this midway through our stay (which would be more like Monday), reasoning that we may be so exhausted by then that a quiet afternoon somewhere would be just the ticket.

2. Which beach would you recommend for small children (DS6 and DS2) and some peace and quiet? I just read through the info on the local beaches, and it sounded like they get pretty busy on the weekends, so maybe a Monday would be better.

3. Is there a nice family-friendly restaurant near the beach that you'd recommend? Preferably something with some low-fat items on the menu as well as items with kid appeal.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

[MagicalMomAZ]

We love the Orange County area & were just married there this June. We found out we loved it...AFTER a busy DL vacation 4 yrs ago.

Beach day is any day. We went every day of the week between 6/23-7/1 & it was never so crowded we couldn't deal. Lots of teens hang around the pier, but they were respectful.

Huntington we liked b/c the parking was a flat $10, no searching for meters. If you get close to the pier there can be a lot of traffic during rush hours but the snack bar is down there as well as Chimayo (can be pricey but has excellent food - picky kids will enjoy the mac & cheese!). If you like middle Eastern food there's a joint down Main St that has awesome gyros, watch out in the summer & weekends tho - lots of partiers & a few drinking establishments...on Main St I mean.

Newport is fun too....but the meters! Oy vay!! Lots of restaurants nearby, check out the hole in the wall Crab Cooker - it's pricey but AWESOME, lots of locals enjoy it so there can be a wait. Just share with the kids, the meal is huge & $7 ... my 8 yo could barely finish it.

Balboa - YAY!!! My kids had a blast at the fun zone (Parallel to coast on other side of hwy-Balboa Island has a site) - think mini mini Coney Island. Near the pier was great bathroom facilities, a swing set, & restaurants (we favor Newport Landing but the white tablecloths scared us - 2 yo did great tho!). Balboa bach parking is also $8/day so that makes it easy. You can go on a 45 minute boat tour, ride bumper cars, play the arcade, ride the carousel or get a slice of greasy pizza. We saw a seal last time!!! We're from AZ - it was exciting!

At both Huntington Pier AND Balboa Pier there is a Ruby's Diner at the end, we liked to get our order to go then bring it back to our spot on the beach.

We also rented bikes at Balboa then road to the end of Balboa Peninsula then back towards Newport Pier, we ate at the Crab Cooker then got a donut from a local shop - we had a blast!

Another place to visit, another hole in the wall is Newport Burgers, on the PCH on the East side of the rd on your way to Huntington Beach ... AWESOME corndogs AND burgers....YUM! It looks like it's been there for ages but it hit the right spot - way better than Burger King - Bleecchh!! My 2 yo wasn't eating his corndog, I wanted it sooo bad!

Can you tell I'm desperate for beach city atmosphere being caught in the desert? Hope this info helps! ....Remember to bring a few rolls of quarters for meters too!!

 

[hlbtimes2]

I would probably base your beach day on the Disneyland schedule. If you miss a Saturday are you going to miss fireworks or F!, with limited off season schedule? Are you giving up a day with extended hours in the park?

 

[Alex2kMommy]

MagicalMom, thanks for all the very helpful info on the beaches and eateries!

Linda, as always, you are full of good tips. I did mention to DH that there may be DL activities only on the weekend that we wouldn't want to miss, so I need to check on that.

We were planning to go just for the afternoon (rather than going back to the hotel for nap and swim), so we'd either have an early dinner near the beach or head back to Anaheim for food and evening activities.

If we did the beach on a weekday we'd be fighting traffic back to Anaheim? I guess we'll have to do some more thinking about when to go. I hate to miss the weekend-only activities at DL, but also hate to 'waste' a quiet weekday there as well. And I know we'd all love the beach, whenever it is we go...