Micah3

I sure could use some help. On Dec 29th, our family (I'm the gramma, grampa, daughter, son in law and 3 kids (11, 8 and 5) are going to Disneyland. This will be a surprise christmas present for the kids and a retirement holiday for gma and gpa (we're both retiring at the end of the yr). We have tentatively booked Candy Cane Inn for 5 nights for Disneyland but plan on staying around California for 10 days or so. My daughter said she'd like to 'see the sights' I think that means Hollywood, Venice, Beverly Hills, Legoland, etc.) Is there an itinerary that anyone would care to suggest. We're also wondering where we would stay to make this all work. Thanks!

MomDDTravel

Hi Micah- sounds like a wonderful trip! Congrats on your upcoming retirement. I know your grandchildren at those ages will adore Disney.

A few thoughts/questions.

Where are you flying in and out of? I assume you have a car?

I prefer to recommend DL hotels if it is at all within the budget, Paradise Pier can be reasonable - you do get early entry into the parks with that on certain days.

You will want to get into the parks AT opening - that is a very busy time of the year and lines can be very long as the day wears on.

San Diego is a wonderful place to spend the additional nights in California (imo) If you can fly into John Wayne (SNA) and out of San Diego that would be ideal.

You can go to the Zoo, Sea world, Lego Land, Balboa Park, the Midway in San Diego.

5 nights at DL might actually be too many. I LOVE Disney (we live in Orange County and have annual passes) but that is a lot of days. I think 3 full days in the parks is more than enough. JMO of course.

I would stay 4 nights in Anaheim and move to San Diego for the additional time.

If you want to go to LA and see Hollywood, Beverly Hills etc - you can do that one day from Anaheim. I think one day is more than enough. We have taken the train from Irvine (there is one in Anaheim (I go to school right next to DL and a woman I go with takes the train and than rides her bike to the school), up to LA and "seen" all the sites that way. Our church Jr. High does it every year with the girls.

Weather can be VERY iffy that time of the year - not sure again where you flying from - but it can be rainy, cold, or beautiful - and that can change 24 hours to the next.

Erin74

I think you should split your trip into two parts, the first being theme parks and the second being sightseeing. Legoland is an hour south of Anaheim/Disneyland and the Hollywood/L.A. sights are an hour north. I'd recommend staying in Anaheim for your first couple of nights, doing Disneyland and Legoland, and then booking a hotel further north so that you can be in a more convenient location to explore the L.A. sights. Here's an idea:

Day 1- Arrive, get settled
Day 2- Disneyland

(Because theme parks two days in a row with kids will be exhausting for everyone, I'd suggest giving yourself a day in between to relax a little and see some local scenery)

Day 3- I recommend an afternoon in Laguna Beach-- it'll be too cold to swim but the town is adorable and has gorgeous scenery all year round.
Day 4- Legoland
Day 5- Drive to L.A., get settled.

People are going to recommend that you stay in different areas of L.A. Since I have kids and also live in L.A., here's my suggestion: stay in the center of town. Downtown isn't really kid friendly and is a little far from the Hollywood sights. Santa Monica is lovely but expensive and, again, a little far from the Hollywood sights. You don't want to spend your whole trip stuck in traffic. I'd suggest the West Hollywood/ Beverly Hills area to be really central. There are many affordable hotels in the area, and you'll have quick access to parks, shopping areas and places where the kids can run around in addition to the Hollywood sights.

Day 6- Hollywood (Walk of Fame, Chinese Theatre, all that touristy stuff. I also recommend taking a Starline double-decker bus tour, which is a good way to see a lot without doing a lot of driving.)

Day 7- Getty Center/ Beaches (Head west for a day, check out the lovely Getty Center and then pop down to the Santa Monica Pier/ Third Street Promenade. The kids will love the carnival games & Ferris wheel on the Pier.)

Day 8- Beverly Hills area (Walk around the shopping areas near Beverly Drive/ Rodeo Drive, go over to The Grove and see the old Farmer's Market), maybe the Tar Pits if your kids are interested.

Day 9- This is where I'd normally recommend touring the Warner Bros. studios, but they don't allow kids under age 8. The adults will love it if you want to split up. You could always take the kids to Universal Studios if you can stand another theme park.

Day 10- Depart

I wouldn't bother with Venice, personally. It'll be too cold to swim and is really just a grungy tourist trap. You'll have seen much nicer beaches in Laguna and Santa Monica. If you really want another beach day, you could drive up into Malibu or down into Manhattan Beach. Manhattan Beach has great shops and restaurants. Malibu has pretty coastline and scenery.

There is some cool stuff to see in downtown L.A., so if you have an extra day you could check out Angel's Flight, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels and Disney Hall. You can tour Disney Hall-- don't know how exciting it is for little ones.

You might also consider going out to the L.A. Zoo, which isn't as amazing as the San Diego Zoo, but is nice enough. If any of the kids are into trains, check out Travel Town, which is right behind the Zoo in Griffith Park.

tinabina

Hi Micah,

Disneyland is magical at Christmas time. Fun! Fun!
I grew up near DL and now live in San Diego, so here is my two-cents:

Day 1-3
Disneyland and California Adventure Parks. It will be crowded, so having at least 2 full days will be important(plus they offer "hopper" tickets that allow you access to both parks). Try and stay at a Disney hotel, so you can have early access to the parks. You can really pack a lot of rides into the first 3 hours of the day....then break for lunch at the hotel and head back out. Thus, avoiding the theme-park exhaustion.
Day 4 Drive to Carlsbad and relax at the beach areas.
Day 5 Legoland
Day 6-10 San Diego
1 day at the beach (La Jolla Shores) and see the seals at the children's pool.
1 day at the Zoo (Take the bus tour first and don't miss the Sea Lion show, have everyone choose 1or2 animals and chart a route through the Zoo, as walking can wear you out)
1 day: at Balboa Park and Old Town (have lunch at the Old town Mexican Cafe where the ladies make homemade tortillas in the window)
1 day: Half day Whale Watching boat trip (winter is when they migrate) and then tidepools at Cabrillo Monument. *OR* Tour the USS Midway and have lunch at Seaport Village and ride the carousel.

Fly home. whew!! That will make you wish you were back at work relaxing!!
No, I am just kidding. This schedule actually has lots of down time at the beach or in the pool at the hotel. Plus, places like Old Town and Balboa Park are more slow paced and relaxing.
You may have noticed that I skipped L.A. entirely. I just think San Diego is a more kid friendly destination. Even before we lived here, we preferred the atmosphere.
Have a great time!!
Tina

MomDDTravel

What Tina said