Newport Beach

[Spartangirl]

DH and I love the area you are talking about. We spent several vacations there before we married, took our honeymoon there and took our second trip to the area with our kids last year. Newport Beach is great!!!! Visit the peir and the Fun Zone. Take the ferry over to the island and stroll through the shops. We love to eat at both the Crab Cooker and Ruby's. Do dinner at the Crab Cooker and have breakfast at Ruby's. There are many different locations for Rubys-you can look the up on the web. The original on the pier is great. We love the cinnamon roll french toast-very rich so order one to share and some eggs to give you a protien boost. We really enjoy Laguana also so try to squeeze in both. If you decide to stay in the area for the night we stay at the Cozy Inn in Costa Mesa-reasonable and VERY clean. But I agree with you that it is close enough to just drive back to the Disneyland area. We just got back from Disney world, but you are making me wish for another vacation

Ladylee - Thanks for your response! I'm really excited to see Newport Beach and to walk down the pier. I think we may just end up staying in the Disneyland area. We're thinking about going to Disneyland for a couple of days, hitting Newport Beach for a day (to relax), and then going back for one last day at Disneyland.

What is the Fun Zone?

 

[ladylee]

The Fun Zone is just a small area in Newport. There is an old Ferris Wheel, a Dark Scary ride, a carosel and a game room. Dh and I like to go there at night. We usually walk the beach there for a while either in the day or evening to watch the waves, go across the ferry for shopping during the day, come back and do the Fun Zone in the evening just for a place to be outside in the evening to watch people. There are a few tourist shops a Pizza place I belive Pete's Pizza. It is nothing really exciting, but a lot of good memories for us. They even have boats that go out from there in the am to take people on fishing tours.

 

[Spartangirl]

The Fun Zone is just a small area in Newport. There is an old Ferris Wheel, a Dark Scary ride, a carosel and a game room. Dh and I like to go there at night. We usually walk the beach there for a while either in the day or evening to watch the waves, go across the ferry for shopping during the day, come back and do the Fun Zone in the evening just for a place to be outside in the evening to watch people. There are a few tourist shops a Pizza place I belive Pete's Pizza. It is nothing really exciting, but a lot of good memories for us. They even have boats that go out from there in the am to take people on fishing tours.

Thanks for the info. We may have to check it out...

 

[CanadianPaco]

Hello fellow Michigander. My Wife and I just returned Sunday from 9 days in SC. We spent 6 nights next to Disneyland, 2 nights in Santa Barbara and 1 night in Newport Beach. If the traffic is with you it only takes about 20-25 minutes to get to NB. We had such a great time there. We walked both Newport & Balboa piers. Walked and drove around and saw some of the great homes on Balboa Island. Two places that we ate at and really liked were the Crab Cooker right before the Newport pier and Ruby's Diner on the Balboa Pier. Both were excellent places to eat. Have fun. If you have any questions PM or post here and I will try to answer you. We stayed at Candy Cane Inn next to Disney and Holiday Inn Express in Costa Mesa just 5 minutes away from the Newport Pier.

We are thinking of staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Costa Mesa. What was your experience like there? Would you recommend it?

 

[ladylee]

We stay at the Cozy Inn in Costa Mesa. 75 a night last year and VERY clean . I have seen them remove all the moveable furniture out of the room to vacum. Its the only place we have stayed in several trips there.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Hello CanadianPaco, Yes the Newport Beach HIE was very nice and clean. We enjoyed our stay there. You will be only minutes away from the Newport pier. If you stay there try the Crab Cooker for lunch or dinner, it's only a few minutes away from you.

 

[can]

Such great info from all! Am going 7/29 with DD15. Will be her first trip to DL (after 11 trips to WDW) and my first trip back to DL in almost 35 years. I am just as excited as she is.

One of my major decisions has been to rent a car, take a bus tour thru LA/Hollywood, the traffic, etc. I think I have decided to take the SuperShuttle from LAX to CCI and rent a car thru Alamo in Downtown Disney. This will avoid some long car rental lines and airport taxes. This was I think we will have the best of both worlds. Will avoid the drive from CCI to LAX, but will have the car to do a little extra exploring. Am hoping that our 5 days will be enough time to do DL and Newport Beach even Laguna Beach.

I have learned a wealth of info by just reading other's posts and questions and it has been such a big help in planning this trip!

 

[mrs.beast]

fashion island is amazing. it is one of my favorite things of so ca. my hubby's family had a condo in newport when he was growing up and he has so many fond memories of the pier and Rubys (in fact it was the first place he took me on our first trip to so ca) also, balboa island is fun. my inlaw rent a house there every year and love it. it is so fun to just walk around the island and look at the houses and people watch.
my favorite is still fashion island though

 

[Spartangirl]

Such great info from all! Am going 7/29 with DD15. Will be her first trip to DL (after 11 trips to WDW) and my first trip back to DL in almost 35 years. I am just as excited as she is.

One of my major decisions has been to rent a car, take a bus tour thru LA/Hollywood, the traffic, etc. I think I have decided to take the SuperShuttle from LAX to CCI and rent a car thru Alamo in Downtown Disney. This will avoid some long car rental lines and airport taxes. This was I think we will have the best of both worlds. Will avoid the drive from CCI to LAX, but will have the car to do a little extra exploring. Am hoping that our 5 days will be enough time to do DL and Newport Beach even Laguna Beach.

I have learned a wealth of info by just reading other's posts and questions and it has been such a big help in planning this trip!

5 days should be great! My DH and I just returned from our vacation. After exploring LA/Hollywood, we spent 3 days in Disneyland and a full day at Newport Beach. By the way, the CCI is wonderful....the grounds are spectacular!

fashion island is amazing. it is one of my favorite things of so ca. my hubby's family had a condo in newport when he was growing up and he has so many fond memories of the pier and Rubys (in fact it was the first place he took me on our first trip to so ca) also, balboa island is fun. my inlaw rent a house there every year and love it. it is so fun to just walk around the island and look at the houses and people watch.
my favorite is still fashion island though

We loved Fashion Island. What a beautiful shopping complex! Newport was wonderful...we are considering going back in the future to stay for a week.

 

[mermaidtheresa]

Hello fellow Michigander. My Wife and I just returned Sunday from 9 days in SC. We spent 6 nights next to Disneyland, 2 nights in Santa Barbara and 1 night in Newport Beach. If the traffic is with you it only takes about 20-25 minutes to get to NB. We had such a great time there. We walked both Newport & Balboa piers. Walked and drove around and saw some of the great homes on Balboa Island. Two places that we ate at and really liked were the Crab Cooker right before the Newport pier and Ruby's Diner on the Balboa Pier. Both were excellent places to eat. Have fun. If you have any questions PM or post here and I will try to answer you. We stayed at Candy Cane Inn next to Disney and Holiday Inn Express in Costa Mesa just 5 minutes away from the Newport Pier.

Where did you stay in Santa Barbara and did you have a good experience with it?
Heading there soon... thanks!

 

[emmababy]

I grew up in Newport Beach, and all this talk is stirring up memories. Fashion Island is a great place to shop. Corona Del Mar beach is great, balboa too. Make sure to have an In-N-Out burger at least once during your stay!! I can't wait until the kiddies are old enough to go to Disneyland/Newport Beach for vacation.

 

[frankyP4lover]

The restaurants are amazing there. SPend more than a day there and stay the night. Go to Muldoons for some good irish food and the Kitsch bar for cocktails at night.

 

[damo]

We just got back and stayed at the Island Hotel across from Fashion Island. Pricey, but beautiful. We'd stay there again in a heartbeat!!!