Disney in Calafornia

[Mailman]

Having visted Florida for the last three years running - We have decided to visit elsewhere but staying within the US.

Has anyone latley been to Calafornia and if so I would appreciate any info you could give

Thanks

[danny]

were off on our second visit to california this year.the 2 disney parks in anaheim are much smaller than the florida versions,but still great fun. i think universal is better than its florida counterpart,although there is no islands of adventure !! knotts berry farm is also a good park,and six flags magic mountain is a must if your a roller coaster fan. there is so much to do in california,san diego is a lovely place, with the world famous zoo and seaworld there.there are lovely beaches ,and many many more things to go and see.totally a differant feel from florida, although we do love florida were going back to california this year for a change .

[ju_itfc]

Haven't been for a few years now but the California parks are well worth a visit. Disney just seems more manageable in California as both parks are smaller, and obviously you don't get the humidity either. Also Downtown Disney is actually attached to the parks, so you can take advantage of that as well rather than having to get buses or drive to it.

I would tend to agree with the Universal comment above. The behind the scenes tour at Universal Hollywood is immense, an absolute must. Although one major downside is that because it is built within the hills, there is a lot of leg work up and down escalators to get to all areas of the park....and there is no IOA as well!!!! :(

As for Six Flags Magic Mountain, it so has the potential to be the best theme park in the world but is let down with maintenance issues on rides (when we went 4 or 5 were down all day) and cleanliness issues. Certainly coming from Disney or Universal you will notice a big difference.

Plenty more to do in CA as others have mentioned. Santa Monica is well worth a visit, I still have San Diego to do though.....

[rnoon]

We went a couple of years ago and had a great time. LA itself is a bit of a dump but Anaheim was great as was Universal & Knotts Berry Farm, we didn't get to go to 6 flags as we went when it was closed, not that we realised this until we drove into the very empty parking lot..doh!! We also went to an Ice Hockey game and saw the Mighty Ducks which was excellent, we had great seats where they brought the food and drinks to you.

We were there for 3 weeks so we also did Las Vegas and San Diego both of which I would definitely reccommend, especially San Diego as this was wonderful (it's right at the top of my "foreign places I would like to live" list)

[I love walmart]

This thread has reminded me of Six Flags theme park. We went a few years ago and the rollercoasters are amazing, Superman the escape was my fave. But the scariest thing there was the local teenagers who descened on the place in mass. I decided not to pull them up on their queue jumping after noting the 'metal detectors' on the way in to the park. :erm:


Just noticed, I got a whole ear! Woohoo

[Meeko1970]

We've been to California several times and DH loves it more than Florida. The Disney Parks are great, with a few different rides in California Ad. Park. I prefer Universal in Florida because they make more of each attraction I think. Knotts Berry Farm is really good and definitely wortha visit. Six Flags is great if you like Roller Coasters but the heat always gets to me when I'm there and its the only park I come out of feeling absolutely frazzled and sick. I'm sure its a mixture of the heat and the amount of times you get turned upside down in one day!!

San Diego is really nice although we don't like the roads around there - we always seem to get lost. The zoo is fab and these Sea World and Legoland, as well as beaches and shopping.

Vegas is fantastic with loads to do. It really opens your eyes to a whole new experience.

For a change we also enjoy San Francisco with lots of sightseeing and shopping. If you have any specific questions - just ask away. :)

[Jools]

Hi and welcome to the Dibb :wavey:

I really enjoyed the Disney parks in California. They are directly opposite each other and park hopping really couldn't be easier. I preferred MK in California to the one in Orlando or Paris.

There are some photos in our California trip report liked into my signature.

[carnivalgirl]

we went in 2004. Really enjoyed both Disney Theme parks but much prefer Florida

[DonaldDuck82]

I went in April last year, and had a blast. Disney in Anaheim is so much more compact with the 2 parks opposire each other and Downtown Disney lust next to them.

Both parks have a lot of rides in common, but there are a couple that you get in Disneyland, that you don't get in Florida.

In the Magic Kingdom, called Disneyland Park, the train ride there is actually more than just a way to get from a to b, there are giant diorama's which make the journey a bit more interesting, they have Roger Rabbitt, Mr Toad, Indiana Jones (whch is amazing), Alice in Wonderland, The Matterhorn, and a couple more. Toon Town in Disneyland is out of this world. It's actually a WHOLE town.
Many rides are also better in DL e.g Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain. And Fantasmic there, although a pain in the butt to get a good space for, it better too. The only thing i found really disappointing about DL was the castle. It's a bit blink and you'd miss it although it was all decorated for the 50th when we went.

Onto California Adventure. This is a strange park. It is unlike any other Disney park, sometime doesn't even feel like one. Attractions here you cannot get in WDW are Monsters Inc. Mike and Sulley to the rescue, Aladdin The Show (which is great) Grizzly River Rapids, Flik's Funfair, California Screamin' I could go on. This is a good park, despite lack of many GREAT rides, although they have just announced that $1.5bln is to be invested in making this park GREAT. The parade in CA is Fantastic and you can still view the old favourite Main Street Electrical Parade here too. And be sure to check out Paradise Pier at night. It's Gorgeous.

Universal is a short bus ride or car journey away. It's good. Not as many attractions as Florida, but still good. The tram tour is excellent, incorporating movie sets, (we saw Ghost Whisperer and Norbit being filmed) and TV Show Sets, (we drove down Wysteria Lane from Desperate Housewives), but it also includes 'rides' such as Jaws and Earthquake into the mix. This is a ONE day only park. It's not hard to do in a day.

Universal Citywalk is Great here.

LA is manky, but tour it, simply to say you have.

I recommend visiting Santa Monica, Fashion Island and Balboa Beach. Avoid Newport at ALL costs. Stuck up rich snobs.

I know I've ranted a bit, but i hope this helps.