Itinerary doubts

Tinkermom · 27 Jan 19, 12:12 PM

So I’m absolutely going around in circles and close to divorcing my husband as he’s zero help.
Can I please ask people’s opinions on my crazy disorganised plans.
It’s worth noting we arrive memorial weekend and there’s also grad nights further along in our holiday, we’ve been told memorial weekend is better than grad nights that can be crazy.

Plan 1.
Arrive LAX go straight to Anaheim, 3nights
Drive San Diego 3 nights
1 night Palm Springs
2 nights LA.

Plan 2
Arrive LAX two nights LA
Drive San Diego 4 nights
Drive Anaheim 3 nights

Plan 3
Arrive LAX Anaheim 3 nights
Drive San Diego 4 nights
2 nights LA

Why I’m having such an nightmare I’ve no idea. But unlike Florida and Our East coast trips which we’ve done numerous times we’ve only done the west coast a couple of times so out of my comfort zone and this is a much shorter stay than before but the flights were so cheap it would have been rude not to book a quickie

Any advice would be great. We’ve picked our hotels so all sorted with them

**cornishfrogboy** · 27 Jan 19, 03:06 PM

I like options 2&3 equally, because I am no great fan of the LA area, but love the relaxed vibe of SD.

I actually think that any of the 3 options are well thought out, rather than crazy or disorganised in that the SD part is in the middle. Like you, I count Annaheim as seperate from LA, despite their close proximity according to a map. The reality is rather different when you try to drive it. The drive between SD and Long Beach is rather nice with La Jolla and Oceanside as easy short diversions.

Tinkermom · 27 Jan 19, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

I like options 2&3 equally, because I am no great fan of the LA area, but love the relaxed vibe of SD.

I actually think that any of the 3 options are well thought out, rather than crazy or disorganised in that the SD part is in the middle. Like you, I count Annaheim as seperate from LA, despite their close proximity according to a map. The reality is rather different when you try to drive it. The drive between SD and Long Beach is rather nice with La Jolla and Oceanside as easy short diversions.

Thank you for your feedback and I agree with you I like those two best. But my son (he has autism and researches everything to an inch of its life) really wants to do the tramway hence the Palm Springs option but my concern it’s too much. Oh heck starting to wish I’d just booked NYC for a week.

**cornishfrogboy** · 27 Jan 19, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by Tinkermom

Thank you for your feedback and I agree with you I like those two best. But my son (he has autism and researches everything to an inch of its life) really wants to do the tramway hence the Palm Springs option but my concern it’s too much. Oh heck starting to wish I’d just booked NYC for a week.

I have visited NY and will again in July. I would swap my Boston- NY- Dayton OH- Orlando with you in a heartbeat.

jdouds · 27 Jan 19, 04:27 PM

Hi on all your ideas you have 5 night LA area , on such a short trip this is the last place I would spend time. 2 days Disney maybe but that's it.

400ixl · 27 Jan 19, 07:03 PM

LA is a great place to be.

However I would do Anaheim, then San Diego and finish in LA. You could use that last day to do the coastal side and be near the airport.

KarenG · 27 Jan 19, 07:21 PM

I would discount plan 1 - too much travelling in a short period for me.

I’d go plan 3 over plan 2 - get the hectic frantic element out of the way first, taking advantage of jet lag with early mornings! Then relative chill / slower pace of San Diego, finishing in LA (minimising travel to airport on your way home).

red cuillen · 28 Jan 19, 04:46 PM

Oh dear, all 3 options look fine to me. Palm Springs tramway is brilliant, as are the views from the vistas along the mountain trail,

but it will be (hopefully) a 2-3 hour drive both days there and back. Have you checked a youtube vid of the actual ride - with sound, people love to scream when you go over the pylons, and it is quite a confined space?
Agreed disney will be mad for both weekends, though I imagine it will be worse in the evening.
What are your plans for LA itself? Griffiths Park has nice views over LA, (just not as high as the tramway!) You won't need much time for the walk of fame, and can be combined with cruising down Sunset Boulevard etc. Warner Bro studio tour is half a day. Universal is one day, but similar to Orlando so not high on our bucket list. As you have discovered, there are endless possibilities in California.

Tinkermom · 28 Jan 19, 05:43 PM

Originally Posted by red cuillen

Oh dear, all 3 options look fine to me. Palm Springs tramway is brilliant, as are the views from the vistas along the mountain trail,

but it will be (hopefully) a 2-3 hour drive both days there and back. Have you checked a youtube vid of the actual ride - with sound, people love to scream when you go over the pylons, and it is quite a confined space?
Agreed disney will be mad for both weekends, though I imagine it will be worse in the evening.
What are your plans for LA itself? Griffiths Park has nice views over LA, (just not as high as the tramway!) You won't need much time for the walk of fame, and can be combined with cruising down Sunset Boulevard etc. Warner Bro studio tour is half a day. Universal is one day, but similar to Orlando so not high on our bucket list. As you have discovered, there are endless possibilities in California.

We’ve decided to give Palm Springs a miss (we’ve done it before children and feel the drive is just too much) so are going with Anaheim, San Diego and LA at the end. Again we’ve done LA before we had children so we know what to expect, only planning on a quick stroll down the walk of fame, and Universal and a bit of pool time too. We spent 6 weeks travelling around California but it feels like a life time ago and with children things are always so different

Olympiad · 28 Jan 19, 05:53 PM

If you want to include Palm Springs then go with Plan 1. The distances are not huge ( a shade over 2 hours timed right) and as it's your only one night stopover it's not too much moving around. An early start from SD and you can be there mid morning. Ideally you'd want to visit Joshua Tree National Park as well but that would be too much in one day I think.

Where are you planning on staying in LA as that might influence where you finish up (and hence need to get to LAX from)? If you're the northern side of the city up near Universal or Burbank then personally I'd finish up at Anaheim. If the beach areas then up as far as Santa Monica gives fairly swift access to LAX.

27 Jan 19, 12:12 PM	#1
	27 Jan 19, 12:12 PM Tinkermom Apprentice Imagineer
Tinkermom Apprentice Imagineer Join Date: Aug 14	Itinerary doubts So I’m absolutely going around in circles and close to divorcing my husband as he’s zero help. Can I please ask people’s opinions on my crazy disorganised plans. It’s worth noting we arrive memorial weekend and there’s also grad nights further along in our holiday, we’ve been told memorial weekend is better than grad nights that can be crazy. Plan 1. Arrive LAX go straight to Anaheim, 3nights Drive San Diego 3 nights 1 night Palm Springs 2 nights LA. Plan 2 Arrive LAX two nights LA Drive San Diego 4 nights Drive Anaheim 3 nights Plan 3 Arrive LAX Anaheim 3 nights Drive San Diego 4 nights 2 nights LA Why I’m having such an nightmare I’ve no idea. But unlike Florida and Our East coast trips which we’ve done numerous times we’ve only done the west coast a couple of times so out of my comfort zone and this is a much shorter stay than before but the flights were so cheap it would have been rude not to book a quickie Any advice would be great. We’ve picked our hotels so all sorted with them __________________ Dreams are forever - Tinkerbell

27 Jan 19, 07:03 PM	#6
	27 Jan 19, 07:03 PM 400ixl Imagineer
400ixl Imagineer Join Date: Mar 12	LA is a great place to be. However I would do Anaheim, then San Diego and finish in LA. You could use that last day to do the coastal side and be near the airport.

28 Jan 19, 05:53 PM	#10
	28 Jan 19, 05:53 PM Olympiad slightly serious Dibber
Olympiad slightly serious Dibber Join Date: Jan 14	If you want to include Palm Springs then go with Plan 1. The distances are not huge ( a shade over 2 hours timed right) and as it's your only one night stopover it's not too much moving around. An early start from SD and you can be there mid morning. Ideally you'd want to visit Joshua Tree National Park as well but that would be too much in one day I think. Where are you planning on staying in LA as that might influence where you finish up (and hence need to get to LAX from)? If you're the northern side of the city up near Universal or Burbank then personally I'd finish up at Anaheim. If the beach areas then up as far as Santa Monica gives fairly swift access to LAX.