What to pair with DL trip?

[Version 6]

Yes, the microbreweries in San Diego are fantastic and very kid friendly (most of them even have kids menus).

 

[disneychrista]

Depends what you like to do. My next trip to Disneyland will also include afternoons exploring the area breweries for beer tastings.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... Should we skip Universal? Is it any better than Orlando?

Our family would say the Orlando Universal is way better, especially if you are Harry Potter fans, so maybe save that for another trip and hit SD like others above stated.

USO is 100% theme park vs. USH which is primarily a working studio with a theme park (very different). So for those who experienced USO first and expect USH to be the same, there can be disappointment in store. USH is pretty much a one day park and can be very fun if expectations are realistic. The studio takes priority, which can be a con for those who want a bigger theme park experience, but can be a pro if you get to see something being filmed or get to see/meet celebrities on the studio lot or at City Walk.

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

Depends what you like to do. My next trip to Disneyland will also include afternoons exploring the area breweries for beer tastings.

Oh, will you do a TR?!? We base the majority of our trips around craft beer and/or wine! (Even in WDW, we look ahead for the best beer menus!).

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

USO is 100% theme park vs. USH which is primarily a working studio with a theme park (very different). So for those who experienced USO first and expect USH to be the same, there can be disappointment in store. USH is pretty much a one day park and can be very fun if expectations are realistic. The studio takes priority, which can be a con for those who want a bigger theme park experience, but can be a pro if you get to see something being filmed or get to see/meet celebrities on the studio lot or at City Walk.

That is what I thought. I think the two of us would love the studio part but it would bore our daughter. The only part of USO I really like (or love, I should say), is the Harry Potter part. I wasn't a huge fan of most rides.

 

[disneychrista]

We base the majority of our trips around craft beer and/or wine!

Me too. Anytime I go anywhere I find breweries to have lunch & dinner.

 

[Version 6]

Oh, will you do a TR?!? We base the majority of our trips around craft beer and/or wine! (Even in WDW, we look ahead for the best beer menus!).

Then you will LOVE San Diego. Kid friendly microbreweries with good beer and good food.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I'm going to move this to the California sub-forum. Check the stickies on the forum as well as the Southern California one...

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I'd recommend 3-4 days at Disneyland and focus on other Southern California experiences.

Going down to San Diego - Legoland is great for your child's age, and has an aquarium attached. On the northern part of San Diego is La Jolla, and there is a Children's Beach there that was taken over by the sea lions and their pups. That would be a fun little side tour.

In LA we have the Science Center that was already mentioned. There are a lot of exhibits that are hands-on, and would be interesting for your whole family. I'm not sure where you are from (sorry if I missed it), but Newport Beach and Huntington Beach are great. Huntington Beach has fire pits. Crystal Cove, as mentioned above has a more natural beach that's not combed, and is fun to explore. The movie Beaches was partly filmed there - house at south end (left of Beachcombers - should still be green. Huntington Library or Arboretum are fun to explore, and you also have the Reagan Library, which is really interesting. I always recommend the La Brea Tarpits, and a very short drive away is the Grove and Farmers Market for a bite to eat.

Check the stickies at the top for links to some of these sites, and on the Southern California sub-forum there are more links.

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

I'd recommend 3-4 days at Disneyland and focus on other Southern California experiences.

Going down to San Diego - Legoland is great for your child's age, and has an aquarium attached. On the northern part of San Diego is La Jolla, and there is a Children's Beach there that was taken over by the sea lions and their pups. That would be a fun little side tour.

In LA we have the Science Center that was already mentioned. There are a lot of exhibits that are hands-on, and would be interesting for your whole family. I'm not sure where you are from (sorry if I missed it), but Newport Beach and Huntington Beach are great. Huntington Beach has fire pits. Crystal Cove, as mentioned above has a more natural beach that's not combed, and is fun to explore. The movie Beaches was partly filmed there - house at south end (left of Beachcombers - should still be green. Huntington Library or Arboretum are fun to explore, and you also have the Reagan Library, which is really interesting. I always recommend the La Brea Tarpits, and a very short drive away is the Grove and Farmers Market for a bite to eat.

Check the stickies at the top for links to some of these sites, and on the Southern California sub-forum there are more links.

Thanks for moving to the other forum - that makes sense, I'll take a look around there

I'll look into Legoland more. I pictured it as being for older kids for some reason. We live about an hour from downtown Toronto, and near many other large cities, so in non-covid times, we have access to some pretty amazing stuff for kids that is largely indoors. I think we'd probably stick to more outdoor things as we plan to go in April/May (2022) so we will just be in our slightly warmer, but rainy weather, here. I do love farmers markets so I'll check that one out. Thank you!

 

[ktlm]

My DD is 14 and we have done the DL and something else trip every year since she was 4. We usually go to the San Diego area because we have friends there, but last year we did the Universal/Hollywood/Observatory etc. direction. Either direction there are lots of fun things to do, but for a 5 year old, I would say definitely the San Diego area. It is much more laid back and easier to navigate than the other direction. There are a lot of nice beaches the San Diego direction and also lots of things to do. Our favorite when DD was younger (and probably still today) was the San Diego Safari Park. We prefer that to the zoo, although the zoo is great too if you have time for both. Coronado Island is a fun place to wander around. Legoland is definitely more for the littles--- we went there once when she was 4 or 5 and that was it. She was the right age for it then, and she had fun on that trip, but there isn't a lot for the adults there. DH was extremely bored and had no interest in going back at all. DD liked it-- but she is a Disney kid--- and she never asked to go back to Legoland. I think that unless you have a kid that is extremely into Legos, it is definitely more for little kids than older kids. Universal is more for older. We have been to both Universal in Orlando and in California - and as said above-- USH has the much smaller theme park. The studio lot tour is fun. We like both Universals. The Warner Brothers studio tour is great- we really enjoyed it. Those are all things my DD loved at an older age. Probably not so much for a 5 year old. I would go south with that age. Ce My DH is a beer snob and loves craft beers--- there are a ton of places in the San Diego area. Also, when you are at California Adventure- there is the Karl Strauss beer truck on the wharf. My DH loved that DL/CA is compact enough that he could disappear and go over there from pretty much anywhere. I specifically recall a time when DD wanted to ride Small World again and DH went to the Beer Truck in CA and was walking back down Main Street on the DL side on his way back to meet us by the time we got off the ride.

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

Legoland is definitely more for the littles--- we went there once when she was 4 or 5 and that was it. She was the right age for it then, and she had fun on that trip, but there isn't a lot for the adults there. DH was extremely bored and had no interest in going back at all. DD liked it-- but she is a Disney kid--- and she never asked to go back to Legoland. I think that unless you have a kid that is extremely into Legos, it is definitely more for little kids than older kids.

Thanks for this! I took a look at the website (I had looked into one in Denmark when I thought we were going this summer - ugh) and I think we will skip it. I think we'd all rather have an extra day in Disney or do something non theme park, as I cannot mention any of us being impressed after that - especially as my daughter is VERY girly. I really like the idea of just hanging out at Coronado, as well!

I know this is far away but it brings me joy to plan this - especially considering the current circumstances!

 

[Douglas Dubh]

Knott's Berry Farm would definitely be better than Universal for a five year old, unless it's changed a lot from when I took my kids there 20 years ago. Sea World and the SD zoo would be better than Universal as well. You can do the Hollywood and Los Angeles stuff when she's older.

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

Another question - If we plan to go to SD should we skip OC beaches? To make things a little more simple and relaxed I'm wondering if we should just do Anaheim for DL (and might use a tour company to do a daytrip to LA) and head to San Diego. We plan to do 9-10 nights - the first day, depending on when we land, will probably be quiet as it will be our daughter's longest flight. Our daughter will be 5 and we plan to go in April (2022) - unless things get a lot better quickly than we may try for November of this year.

 

[bcla]

Another question - If we plan to go to SD should we skip OC beaches? To make things a little more simple and relaxed I'm wondering if we should just do Anaheim for DL (and might use a tour company to do a daytrip to LA) and head to San Diego. We plan to do 9-10 nights - the first day, depending on when we land, will probably be quiet as it will be our daughter's longest flight. Our daughter will be 5 and we plan to go in April (2022) - unless things get a lot better quickly than we may try for November of this year.

I know it's a bit old, but maybe a trip to Yosemite. April might be prime waterfall season. It could be a decent two day trip.

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

I know it's a bit old, but maybe a trip to Yosemite. April might be prime waterfall season. It could be a decent two day trip.

Thanks for the suggestion! I don't think we want to drive that far with a 5 year old this time - and it's cheaper for us to fly from LA or SD. We want to do a SF and parks trip when she's a bit older!

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

Hi Again!
We are starting to think about 2022 more seriously (as we can, at this point). We think our best option for a 'big trip' is planning for California in late Fall (sometime between Oct and early Dec) of 2022. I'm hoping children will be vaccinated and things will be 'normal' again.

The max we can go for is 10 nights that time of year, and we'd probably want to spend 5 of those in Disney. With that in mind, where would you recommend we spend the other 5? As a reminder, we are coming from Toronto and will be bringing our daughter who will be 5.5 years at that time. I imagine this won't be our only trip to Southern California - this will be our first.

Because of the weather, I'm wondering if we should stick more to LA area, and leave beaches for a warmer visit? When I originally posted this question I imagined we would be staying 14 nights. I like to slow travel (i.e. not switching hotels a lot/driving a lot), even more so now that I have a child.

TIA!

 

[hlrubin507]

Hi Again!
We are starting to think about 2022 more seriously (as we can, at this point). We think our best option for a 'big trip' is planning for California in late Fall (sometime between Oct and early Dec) of 2022. I'm hoping children will be vaccinated and things will be 'normal' again.

The max we can go for is 10 nights that time of year, and we'd probably want to spend 5 of those in Disney. With that in mind, where would you recommend we spend the other 5? As a reminder, we are coming from Toronto and will be bringing our daughter who will be 5.5 years at that time. I imagine this won't be our only trip to Southern California - this will be our first.

Because of the weather, I'm wondering if we should stick more to LA area, and leave beaches for a warmer visit? When I originally posted this question I imagined we would be staying 14 nights. I like to slow travel (i.e. not switching hotels a lot/driving a lot), even more so now that I have a child.

TIA!

Depends if you go in October or December! In October the beaches are still awesome, by December, it has cooled off and (hopefully) started to rain. That said, sometimes you get lucky with the weather. We once did the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club (in San Diego) in February and while it wasn't a beach-focused vacation, it was still sunny and the kids still splashed around in the cold water. That resort also has a heated pool.

If I were you, with a 5-year old, I would do 4-5 nights near Disneyland and spread your time over a leisurely-paced 4 park days, and/or do a 3-park ticket and, if you go in October, attend a Halloween Party one of the days (in lieu of an all-day park day). Oogie Boogie's Bash at DCA is back, and it is a ton of fun for kids and adults alike. I would do the other 5 days in San Diego, and hit up the zoo, maybe Sea World if you are into that, the beaches if the weather is good and if not all the cool places in Balboa Park -- and as you mentioned all the microbreweries.

I would advise skipping LA unless you are really wanting to do the Hollywood attractions. Stick with Orange County and San Diego and you will be so happy with the more relaxed pace of your trip. As mentioned above, Knotts Berry Farm would be another fun stop in the Anaheim area. My girls also love Nickel Nickel (15 min from Disneyland) which is a fun, no frills arcade, and if you are into it, you could consider the Great Wolf Lodge for one night between SD and Disney, depending on how much you want to do over the course of your trip.

Also I would pass on Universal Hollywood with a 5-year old, and personally, Legoland does not do it for me so I would pass on that as well. Both are big ticket days, tiring, and if it were me I would skip them. Do Universal Hollywood on a trip to explore LA when your daughter is older.

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

Depends if you go in October or December! In October the beaches are still awesome, by December, it has cooled off and (hopefully) started to rain. That said, sometimes you get lucky with the weather. We once did the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club (in San Diego) in February and while it wasn't a beach-focused vacation, it was still sunny and the kids still splashed around in the cold water. That resort also has a heated pool.

If I were you, with a 5-year old, I would do 4-5 nights near Disneyland and spread your time over a leisurely-paced 4 park days, and/or do a 3-park ticket and, if you go in October, attend a Halloween Party one of the days (in lieu of an all-day park day). Oogie Boogie's Bash at DCA is back, and it is a ton of fun for kids and adults alike. I would do the other 5 days in San Diego, and hit up the zoo, maybe Sea World if you are into that, the beaches if the weather is good and if not all the cool places in Balboa Park -- and as you mentioned all the microbreweries.

I would advise skipping LA unless you are really wanting to do the Hollywood attractions. Stick with Orange County and San Diego and you will be so happy with the more relaxed pace of your trip. As mentioned above, Knotts Berry Farm would be another fun stop in the Anaheim area. My girls also love Nickel Nickel (15 min from Disneyland) which is a fun, no frills arcade, and if you are into it, you could consider the Great Wolf Lodge for one night between SD and Disney, depending on how much you want to do over the course of your trip.

Also I would pass on Universal Hollywood with a 5-year old, and personally, Legoland does not do it for me so I would pass on that as well. Both are big ticket days, tiring, and if it were me I would skip them. Do Universal Hollywood on a trip to explore LA when your daughter is older.

Thanks so much! This is really helpful. SD seemed like the obvious recommendation in the previous responses - I wasn't sure if that would change with a shorter amount of time. It sounds like with a younger child that is best, and it's an area we have been interested in for awhile. I also saw there is a tour company that does a half day Hollywood trip from Anaheim, so we could look into that.

I think we will pass on Universal, I liked it in Florida, but can't imagine our daughter loving it at this age, and legoland is a hard pass for me. We have a GWL locally, although we have yet to go (and it is still closed due to our pandemic rules).

Balboa looks amazing - and the microbreweries is something for the parents!

 

[sagejenn47]

I think San Diego is even better in some ways in October, since it will be cooler walking around the parks. Balboa Park has a lot to explore even outside of the Zoo.

I also wanted to share that in October 2021 kids are free at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, so that might be another reason to consider an October trip!