branv
<font color=blue>The safety feature in my parents
- Joined
- May 20, 2005
We (Me, DH and DS 3yo) are starting to plan a trip. We are WDW vets, but this is our first DL and SoCal trip. And I am so mixed up about how to plan this darn thing and what to do!
Details I know: We will probably travel the first week of May. Like, Thu 4/27 - Fri 5/5 or Mon 5/1 - Mon 5/8. We'll do 2-3 days at either the beginning or end of the trip to tour SoCal.
For certain we're doing 3 full days at DL, arriving Monday afternoon to Anaheim with Tu/Wed at DL and Thursday at DCA. I have reservations at the new Homewood Suites (Convention center).
It's what to do outside of DL that's a challenge.
I know we want some beach time. I know we don't want to do any other theme parks (as in, no Legoland etc) and we're not really interested in the SD Zoo. I know that sounds nuts, but DS is always disinterested at zoos (not even Animal Kingdom at WDW!). DH and I can take or leave them as well.
DS is a very active, impulsive threenager (read: kuhraaazy), so museums or tours are not the best option.
A friend told us we HAVE to go to San Diego, but if we don't do the zoo or downtown, I'm not sure if we should make that drive if there are similar other activities closer.
Another person told us just to do the local LA area beaches, but I'm not terribly keen on just the in-city beaches. Other beaches with tide pools and more natural areas are more appealing.
I can see that there are SO many great looking towns in SoCal, but I don't know which have more for families with young kids (And maybe hotels that *aren't* all $300+/night, EEEK!). Any recommendations on places to visit, and are they day trips from LA or overnight stays? For instance, for visiting places like Laguna Beach, can you easily get there from a hotel in Anaheim for a day trip, or is traffic so bad, it would be crazy to not stay the night elsewhere?
Also, I'd like to spend a day in LA area just to eyeball some "landmarks", even if we just take a drive through and maybe eat a meal or two. Tips?
There's just so much info out there, but I'm having trouble narrowing it. Plus everything I keep reading seems better for much older kids or no kids at all. Please help! I don't even know if we should do all day trips from one hotel or multiple hotels!
Final question: I keep reading about the horrors of traffic. If we end up staying somewhere an hour or so from LA and have a morning flight out of LAX, is it better to just stay the last night at a hotel near the airport?
Thanks so much for any recommendations you can make. Any and all tips are welcome, including best hotels and restaurants for kids!
Details I know: We will probably travel the first week of May. Like, Thu 4/27 - Fri 5/5 or Mon 5/1 - Mon 5/8. We'll do 2-3 days at either the beginning or end of the trip to tour SoCal.
For certain we're doing 3 full days at DL, arriving Monday afternoon to Anaheim with Tu/Wed at DL and Thursday at DCA. I have reservations at the new Homewood Suites (Convention center).
It's what to do outside of DL that's a challenge.
I know we want some beach time. I know we don't want to do any other theme parks (as in, no Legoland etc) and we're not really interested in the SD Zoo. I know that sounds nuts, but DS is always disinterested at zoos (not even Animal Kingdom at WDW!). DH and I can take or leave them as well.
DS is a very active, impulsive threenager (read: kuhraaazy), so museums or tours are not the best option.
A friend told us we HAVE to go to San Diego, but if we don't do the zoo or downtown, I'm not sure if we should make that drive if there are similar other activities closer.
Another person told us just to do the local LA area beaches, but I'm not terribly keen on just the in-city beaches. Other beaches with tide pools and more natural areas are more appealing.
I can see that there are SO many great looking towns in SoCal, but I don't know which have more for families with young kids (And maybe hotels that *aren't* all $300+/night, EEEK!). Any recommendations on places to visit, and are they day trips from LA or overnight stays? For instance, for visiting places like Laguna Beach, can you easily get there from a hotel in Anaheim for a day trip, or is traffic so bad, it would be crazy to not stay the night elsewhere?
Also, I'd like to spend a day in LA area just to eyeball some "landmarks", even if we just take a drive through and maybe eat a meal or two. Tips?
There's just so much info out there, but I'm having trouble narrowing it. Plus everything I keep reading seems better for much older kids or no kids at all. Please help! I don't even know if we should do all day trips from one hotel or multiple hotels!
Final question: I keep reading about the horrors of traffic. If we end up staying somewhere an hour or so from LA and have a morning flight out of LAX, is it better to just stay the last night at a hotel near the airport?
Thanks so much for any recommendations you can make. Any and all tips are welcome, including best hotels and restaurants for kids!