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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 6 Feb 21, 01:30 PM  
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beaky2808
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Advice for California trip please

So I always wanted to visit Disneyland California for my 30th this June. For two reasons this isn’t going to happen now, 1 being not sure about Covid and if it will be open by then, but also I will be 8 months pregnant so it’s a definite no!

So we then decided to look at next year instead and be there for my 31st. We’d have a 3 year old and an 11 month old with us (me and hubby).

Original thoughts were 5 days at Disneyland and then a weeks stay somewhere on the beach. But I have no idea where to start looking for beach resorts.

Also stressing about the flight time and travelling around with two very small ones.

I’m now so torn and considering postponing until the kids are older (not planning on having any more) so it’s easier and we could maybe travel up to San Diego and/or San Francisco in the same trip.

And considering a Florida trip instead as we went with my little girl at 10 months and had such an incredible trip ❤️

Could I have peoples thoughts? Am I making it out to be more difficult than it would be or are my thoughts justified?

Thank you so much!
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Old 6 Feb 21, 02:10 PM  
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cornishfrogboy
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I think the key point would be that you will have two very young children. Whilst both of mine visited WDW at 2 years old and it was really rewarding, we could get in and out really easily as and when their batteries ran down. The first one, we were on site and the second, we planned short days.

I am a huge fan of California and am eagerly anticipating my next visit in August. Having said that, I am no great fan of Disney and won’t even be doing it this time. Clearly with the ages of your family, your priorities will be different, apart from your liking of Disney.

Coastal California has a balmy, pleasant climate (whilst LA can get very muggy). Florida and its higher temperatures, you are doubtless well aware of. For that reason, Disney/California would seem in many ways a good option.

It is worth pointing out that with Disney a must, it is 95 miles or so from there to San Diego (An hour and a half without stops), a decent drive and one that covers Oceanside etc. It is over 400 miles to San Francisco (6 hours without stops and avoiding the fantastic PCH), a fantastic, but very long drive. With your children, I would not even consider it. It would have to be a regional flight, (possibly from Burbank or alternatively, LAX).

I think that you have to weigh up the two (and it would be one or other for me, rather than the beaches near LA). Both have plenty to keep you busy.

San Francisco.plusses.
Alcatraz ( not ideal for young children).
Golden gate (should really be cycled?)
Fishermen’s wharf (an unashamed tourist trap)
Cable cars (hard with two young children as they bang and rattle).
Iconic and great views.
BART into city (but not near to Fishermen’s where many choose to stay).

San Francisco minuses.
Probably an internal flight.
Very high Hotel prices
Very big hills to negotiate
Plenty of down and outs.
Very crowded and busy in the key areas.

San Diego area plusses.
Nice, easy drive.
A very, very relaxed and laid back atmosphere, seemingly with space to swing a cat.
If you like Top Gun, a must with Oceanside (Kelly McGillis house), Kansas City bar and grill, USS Midway, Seaport etc etc.
A trip down to the Mexican border at the coast (A bit of a walk).
Beautiful Coronado Beach.
A sheltered harbour and great boat trips
Beautiful Balboa park with a world class zoo, nice walks and numerous other attractions within.
Seaworld (be aware of a lack of shade compared with the Orlando one).

San Diego minuses.
Can’t think of any. I would live there tomorrow.

If you want a general feel of both and what you can see, then view the trip report in my signature. It is all in the one thread.
If you decide on San Diego, then I would most certainly make contact with ‘Aims’, who has a sticky at the top of the thread. Her advice as to your family group, where to stay etc would prove absolutely invaluable.. and she always seems more than glad to help.

Conclusion.
I would fly into LAX and get an UBER to Anaheim, concentrating on Disney and little else other than maybe a Hollywood tour, picking up a hire car on my last day.

I would drive to San Diego in the hire car, stopping at Oceanside to pick up a Gosandiego5 or even 7, seeing the Seaside, pier etc. I would possibly also stop at Scripps aquarium in La Jolla.

I would stay in the central San Diego area, possibly or possibly not ditching my car on arrival.. depending on my itinerary.

I would fly out of San Diego.

Hoping this helps you a little.
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Edited at 02:13 PM.
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Old 6 Feb 21, 02:20 PM  
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beaky2808
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This is incredibly helpful information - thank you so much for taking the time to reply!

LA would definitely only be Disney for us and leaning towards San Diego which sounds much better for younger children.

I’m still tempted to wait a few years for a Cali trip though and go to the Florida bubble where like you say, it’s much easier to return to base when needed.

Not looking at booking anything until later in the year when things are a bit clearer (hopefully! ) but given me some more food for thought so thanks again :-)
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Old 6 Feb 21, 02:25 PM  
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cornishfrogboy
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Don’t write it off just yet. With your family and what you have said, I would take the Disney/ San Diego ahead of an Orlando visit.

The downside of Orlando with young children is that it is so ‘full on’ with no respite. Everything involves being surrounded by people and there may still be Covid issues with that.

Whilst Disney Anaheim will doubtless have those issues, San Diego will not. You can thus have 4/5 days of action, followed by 9 or 10 of relaxation whilst still having more than enough to do.

SFO? .. not yet. Save that for years to come.
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Old 6 Feb 21, 02:38 PM  
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beaky2808
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Will definitely explore this option thank you :-)
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Old 6 Feb 21, 06:39 PM  
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llamala
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We stayed at the Hyatt at Newport Beach whilst in L A not too far from Disney. We had a car.The beach was lovely. The weather in June perfect. We did not do any other LA attractions as drove to LV. Took about 5 hours. Then a mini road trip taking in Grand Canyon, Pheonix and San Diego, we drove back up to LA for flight home. With kids your age I would look at DL and then maybe a cruise. Then SD
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Old 6 Feb 21, 06:43 PM  
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400ixl
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San Diego makes most sense with children of that age.

Relaxing city and you have things like the zoo and Lego land.

Weather is far better than Florida as well without the mugginess.
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Old 7 Feb 21, 10:28 AM  
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megaflyer
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June is not a great time weather wise) to visit San Diego - June Gloom so can be foggy and cold, cause as summer in San Fran can get very cold indeed. I used to fly in LAX and drive to San Diego every other week for a few years (when BA stopped flying direct to San Diego) so must have done that drive several hundred time - it can take a couple of hours but also can take 5 hours (especially on a Friday on reverse route which was tense when I had to get out of the office and head up to get my flight home to UK - squeaky bottom time a fair few times) but the PCH is a nice drive and if you hav time on your hands then take time and stop off enroute.

San Diego has huge amounts of homeless but that shouldn’t put you off visiting as they aren’t menacing. Its a very laid back city, although some area are holly, its walkable unlike LA (which I love but not sure I would want to bet there it’s young kids)

Edited at 02:40 PM.
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Old 7 Feb 21, 02:21 PM  
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beaky2808
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Thank you so much for your replies! Having done a bit of research last night we are leaning towards a Florida Disney trip next year and definitely doing Disneyland and San Diego when kids are still young enough to enjoy the things like the zoo and legoland but old enough so routine is a bit more flexible! Maybe leaving it a couple of years and going when they’re 6 and 4, something like that...you’ve all been so helpful so thank you!
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Old 13 Feb 21, 04:23 AM  
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daytonababe
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We last went to Vegas in Feb 2019 , my granddaughter was 6 months old.

We did 10’days in Vegas then 2 weeks between LA & Arizona

She’ll hopefully be going to Vegas again this year somewhere between now at 2.5 and 3 and maybe Disneyland for a few days


Never found the travelling a issue ( my own kids went as toddlers ) she’s flown to the East Coast several times and the west coast is only 2 hrs longer .

We do cover a lot of miles 3000ish in the car , but here ( pre covid ) we did a lot of long car journeys so she’s used to that .
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