California with young kids

[Amboo]

We're in the very early stages of planning a California trip and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. Hope some of the experts here can chime in and help me get started.

It will be my husband and I and our 2 young kids (4 and 1.5). Travel dates are late next May to early June. We'll be flying into San Diego on Monday and flying out of San Fransisco just over 2 weeks later (Tuesday). We're trying to be budget friendly this trip. We like seeing stuff, but also know we have to go at a slower pace because of the kids.

So far all we know is Disneyland is a priority (WDW regulars, but first time to DL). Other than that, we want 5ish days in SF as we'll be visiting friends.

So, what are some places we should consider going? How long should we stay in SD before going to DL? How long should we stay at DL? How many days/nights should we take driving up the coast? Where should we stop along the way?

Just looking for a starting point to get me on the right track. Especially if anyone has experience doing this trip with young kids. Thanks!

 

[Ndusmama]

Young kids in San Diego I suggest the zoo. My kids and I prefer the safari park in Escondido. I would not spend more than 2-3 days in San Diego. The beach in San Diego is another option. Do you know how long you will be at Disneyland? When I go with my girls (now that I don't live in California) we go for 2-3 days. My girls are 6 and 2. 3 days gives us time to see all the younger kid stuff and rider swap the big rides for adults. Be aware that baby swap at DL is different. The passes expire that day. Where at wdw they expire end of the month.
Now there are three ways to get to San Francisco. Two of them are really really boring and long drives for kids. Both go through the San Joaquin valley. The 5 goes on the left and the 99 goes on the right. both will get you to the Bay Area from Los Angeles in a long day. The 99 has more towns to potentially stop in or the 5 has more rest areas to stop at with antsy kids. Either is a long stretch of farm land and even with kids that stop constantly, I suggest just driving through. The other option is take a scenic route up the coast. If your kids get car sick maybe not as good of an option but well worth the drive at least once in your life. I would take two days just to stop along the way at places like Monterey to see the aquarium, or Santa Cruz to see the boardwalk.

 

[bcla]

If you can work out the logistics, I think Yosemite would be well worth it even if just for a half day. Late May to early June is typically peak snow melt, and the waterfalls can be spectacular.

 

[ahutton]

With kids that age I would add a day at Legoland to the agenda between San Diego and DL. At that age my kids LOVED it there, the rides were very little kid friendly and we had a blast as a family.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I like to map out my vacations so I can see what we're doing on the various days... Here's a suggestion to kind of build on

 

[heybets30]

There's a mom blogger runs a site called Nobackhome - google "nobackhome blog" (no spaces in nobackhome). She has IG and FB too She has GREAT tips for day trips in & around Southern California. We tried one of her suggestions of Duffy Electric Boat Rentals last week - AMAZING! I tried to follow her suggestions with kids at Joshua Tree - AWESOME (we just didn't get cell service, so I had to wing it from what i remembered). Love her recommendations for young kids!!!!! I say this as someone who has been visiting SoCal with young kids for 17 vacations over 10 years and always looking for new things to do!

 

[VandVsmama]

We're in the very early stages of planning a California trip and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. Hope some of the experts here can chime in and help me get started.

It will be my husband and I and our 2 young kids (4 and 1.5). Travel dates are late next May to early June. We'll be flying into San Diego on Monday and flying out of San Fransisco just over 2 weeks later (Tuesday). We're trying to be budget friendly this trip. We like seeing stuff, but also know we have to go at a slower pace because of the kids.

So far all we know is Disneyland is a priority (WDW regulars, but first time to DL). Other than that, we want 5ish days in SF as we'll be visiting friends.

So, what are some places we should consider going? How long should we stay in SD before going to DL? How long should we stay at DL? How many days/nights should we take driving up the coast? Where should we stop along the way?

Just looking for a starting point to get me on the right track. Especially if anyone has experience doing this trip with young kids. Thanks!

RE: Disneyland w/your kids:
I would recommend 4 days...go 2 days in a row and then take 1 day off as a break. Go to the beach that day. Or go to the Discovery Cube museum in Anaheim that's just 1 or 2 freeway exits south of Disneyland on I-5. There's a really cool Day 6 DIS Unplugged podcast about it that Nancy Johnson did some time last year.

Possible itinerary for San Diego & DL:
Mon - fly into San Diego, check into hotel, get settled.
Tues - go to San Diego Zoo
Wed - go to the beach. There are lots of great beach options in San Diego, but stay away from Imperial Beach.
Thurs - since you're on a budget-friendly trip and you're including Disneyland on this vacation, skip Legoland. Or pick San Diego Zoo, Legoland OR Sea World, but don't do all 3 and you can get away with just doing 1 of them. You could take the kids to the Birch Aquarium at UCSD (http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/). OR you could check out of your hotel on Thursday morning, drive to Long Beach, and go to the Aquarium of the Pacific (http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/). Then check into your hotel in Anaheim. The Birch Aquarium's admission tickets are cheaper than the aquarium at Legoland.

Fri - Disneyland
Saturday - Disneyland
Sunday - day off. Go to Newport Beach for part of the day or Crystal Cove (near Newport Beach). Early to bed for the kids.
Monday - Disneyland
Tuesday - Disneyland

What you should skip:
any Hollywood studio tours
going to see any Hollywood tourist attractions like the Chinese theater and the walk of fame. Totally overrated and your kids won't care.

Other fun stuff to do in So Cal:

• do 2-3 days at a beach
• take your kids to the tide pools at Cabrillo National Monument (it's in Point Loma/San Diego)
• go to Griffith Park in Los Angeles. There's a section of the park called Travel Town with trains and lots of fun stuff for little kids to explore.
• take your kids to the La Brea Tar Pits. Most kids really dig it and it's fun to do at least once in your lifetime.
• spend a day at your hotel in Anaheim and let the kids swim in the pool all afternoon.
• go to the California Sciences Center in LA and see the space shuttle. Good for a day trip
• go to the Santa Ana Zoo. http://www.santaanazoo.org/. $10/adult, $7/child on week days; $12/adult & $9/child on weekends
• take them for a couple of hours of jumping castle fun at Pump It Up and your toddler will sleep like a baby afterwards. https://www.pumpitupparty.com/lake-forest-ca/
• This website lists a ton of stuff to do in Orange County and includes a list of OC public parks that have splash pads open during summers (starting Memorial Day) --> http://www.sandytoesandpopsicles.com/orange-county/101-things-to-do-with-kids/

 

[ahutton]

I never remembered this when we needed it, but this was a reasonable way to see lots:
http://www.citypass.com/southern-ca..._lsDoqEPJVpRCXHfSBxtVzlO50YiDlpt9KBoCVkfw_wcB

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I lived in California for 16 years. When we would go to Disneyland it was for about 3 days. Maybe the first time we went there we stayed 4, but always found 3 sufficient. In San Diego, I'd say LEGOLAND and SeaWorld. They last time we were in San Diego was July 2015. Neither place super busy and I'd go as far to stay SeaWorld was pretty empty. Look into Costco for getting tickets, I think they even sell City Pass. Some stops we've enjoyed in the past were Santa Barbara and Solvang. I lived on the Central Coast, Monterey Peninsula, and it's beautiful there. In Monterey there's the Monterey Bay Museum and Cannery Row. In Pebble Beach drive on the Seventeen Mile Drive, see the Lone Cypress. A must do is go to the Lodge at Pebble Beach. Make sure you're there at sunset, have a drink (cocktail, hot chocolate) outside by the fire and listen/watch the bagpiper play. Carmel by the Sea has some of the best restaurant I've ever eaten at. Very cute town with lots of shops and one of the most beautiful beaches. Big Sur is another beautiful area. Didn't go to San Francisco very much. Alcatraz is very popular (must get tickets in advance) and riding trolley cars. Check into what plays are in town, just like Broadway. Oh, and there's also the Walt Disney Museum. Yosemite is also breathtaking, especially if the rain/season has been kind and the waterfalls are flowing. Keep in mind the traffic, especially along the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) and especially LA, San Francisco and San Jose/Silicon Valley area. It's a nightmare. Rush hour can start as early as 3:30 p.m., especially on Fridays. Have a wonderful trip.

 

[travelgirl06]

I would consider taking 2 days to drive from LA to SF. There is a lot of stuff along the way and doing it in one day is a long day in the car with 2 littles. A few options along the way are: Santa Barbara, Solvang, San Luis Obispo (great farmers market on Thursday evenings), Morro Bay (cool town, great seafood), Monterey (aquarium, cannery area), Santa Cruz (beaches, Boardwalk). There are kid friendly places in these areas/along the way and it will save you a long driving day with little time to stop and enjoy what's along the way.