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Disneyland California and West Coast Trip Planning Disneyland California and West Coast Holiday Planning Questions, Suggestions and Tips.

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Old 16 Aug 22, 06:49 PM  
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#1
cherry_bomb
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Join Date: Aug 22
Thoughts on this itinerary? April 2023

Hi! I'm currently planning a trip for our family of four (kids will be 11 and 8) over Easter next year.

It will be 15 nights. Current thinking is:

Fly into San Diego
2 nights San Diego - zoo on the day in between
2 nights Oceanside (this probably doesn't seem like an obvious choice...I'm a keen triathlete and there's a triathlon I want to take part in here on this date!)
5 nights campervan trip
2 nights LA - Universal on the day in between
4 nights Disneyland
Fly home from LAX

Any thoughts or suggestions would be gratefully received. I haven't finalised an itinerary for the camping trip yet but am thinking up the coast to Big Sur and back, any campsite suggestions welcome.

I'm also thinking that we could manage using Uber apart from when we have the camper van. Otherwise we have to hire two separate cars for the start and end of the trip, or have a car sat unused and pay for parking while we have the campervan. We’re hoping to stay within walking distance to Disney so wouldn’t use it then either. Does that sound do-able?

Thanks!
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Old 16 Aug 22, 07:01 PM  
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landandword17
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Join Date: May 17
Oceanside to say Monterey up the coast and back to LA in 5 days is very, very tight. What size is the campervan? is it an RV? I wouldn't drive an RV up to Big Sur, it's tight, the locals in RVs have their car towed behind because you can't get down to a lot of the attractions in the RV so they park the RV and then use the car to get about. We stayed in ferwood in a cabin and they also have a campsite but to use it as an example if you want to go to the scenic beaches you can't walk to them so you'd have to drive the RV out again or try to park it up along the road during the day and only camp up at night.

Hope that doesn't sound very pessimistic. it's just my opinion and others may come along and say it's very doable but having driven down from SF to LA twice an RV seemed like a huge pain if you weren't one of the locals pulling their car along too.
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Old 16 Aug 22, 07:39 PM  
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cornishfrogboy
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Join Date: Nov 10
Location: Falmouth
I would cut at least one day from Disney and would use them in fabulous San Diego, where there is so much else to see..
USS Midway.
Topgun Bar
Harbour Cruise.
The rest of Balboa Park.
Coronado Beach.

I cannot comment on the RV bit, other than that the PCH can be very narrow.
The journey from Oceanside to Monterey is 6hrs 45 non stop according to basic research.. in a car .. and on the quicker, inland route as opposed to the PCH.

I am aware that RV hire can be very expensive indeed and with that in mind, I would look to a RAV4 or similar and several overnights in some great Hotels, such as in Solvang and the Madonna Inn. I reckon that you would save money.

I also struggle with the idea of doubling back (return journeys). I don’t do that if I can avoid it.

I would do this….

3 nights San Diego and pick up car. (Not RV).

2 nights Oceanside (and don’t forget to see Kelly McGillis house from Top Gun, as well as your triathlon.

3 nights Disney

1 Night Universal Hilton.

1 Night Solvang, to go Danish.

1 Night S L Obispo at the amazing Madonna Inn to see Pismo Pier at Sunset.

Drive the PCH to Monterey and 1 or 2 nights there.
Do a Whale watching trip
Possibly see the aquarium.

Drive to San Francisco for 3 nights, dumping car on arrival.
Do Love Tour.
Dylan’s ultimate tour
Alcatraz.
.
With this plan, you would have achieved all of your objectives, gained San Francisco, Got your Triathlon, Driven in Comfort, saved money by not having to hire an RV, saved on many hours of driving tight roads in an oversized vehicle.

Hoping that I haven’t deconstructed your plan too much.

My 2018 trip report and also my 2022 pretrip linked from my signature may be of assistance in research.

Edited at 07:00 AM.
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Old 17 Aug 22, 10:48 AM  
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cherry_bomb
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Thank you - this is very helpful and food for thought.

We were thinking of a smaller van rather than a huge RV. Even so, maybe we give the Big Sur a miss and just drive up to perhaps San Luis Obispo or Morro Bay. My husband and I did a road trip from San Francisco down the coast years ago, but headed inland before LA and went to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, so were keen to do more of southern California.

Honestly, I'd be happier in a car and motels, but the kids are desperate to experience a camper van!
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Old 17 Aug 22, 11:26 AM  
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cornishfrogboy
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Join Date: Nov 10
Location: Falmouth
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Originally Posted by cherry_bomb View Post
Thank you - this is very helpful and food for thought.

We were thinking of a smaller van rather than a huge RV. Even so, maybe we give the Big Sur a miss and just drive up to perhaps San Luis Obispo or Morro Bay. My husband and I did a road trip from San Francisco down the coast years ago, but headed inland before LA and went to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, so were keen to do more of southern California.

Honestly, I'd be happier in a car and motels, but the kids are desperate to experience a camper van!
This Oct, we are doing exactly as you did.. SFO- Monterey- SL Obispo, then inland Barstow- Vegas- G Canyon- Tucson- San Diego.

I will go a long way to avoid LA! 😀
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Index of all my Trip and Pretrip reports..https://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/sho...6#post15662196
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Old 17 Aug 22, 11:40 AM  
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daytonababe
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We do the West Coast yearly and have looked at RV’s many times but…

Whilst the initial hire cost isn’t too bad, Once you add on mileage packs, essentials pack (sleeping bags /pots /pans etc) fuel and site costs it always comes out so much more expensive than nice hotels and a SUV.

And that’s without the practicalities of having to take a massive vehicles into places that might not be suitable , Friends of ours actually took their RV back half way through their trip and got a SUV.

3 nights Disneyland would be plenty imo .

As for LA its not my favourite around Hollywood , but there’s still plenty to see and do.
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Old 17 Aug 22, 12:17 PM  
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jdouds
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Hi we would suggest forget the van, take car the whole time ,do Disney etc in middle and fly home from San Fran. cut a least 1 day of Disney . This then means no doubling back and affords more time on coast rd ,Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Fran
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