2 days is plenty. You could do Malibu beach, Hollywood, and Warner brothers studio tour in one long day.

We are in the car on our way home from the airport after a week in LA and San Diego. My kids are about the same age as yours - 14 and 15. They love rides and Disney but 2 full days with park hoppers was more than enough to go on all the headliner rides plus the smaller ones in Fantasyland, and do shopping. If your kids love theme parks, I would also consider Universal Hollywood using the VIP tour. The VIP tour was amazing and an excellent value. Way way cheaper than the similar option at Disney.

Rent a car for a day trip to one of the beaches, bearing in mind that the water is freezing and not really swimmable.

Out of your options, I would pick 4 days with park hoppers. We usually do 5 days/park hoppers.

I like Disboards and the Anaheim forum on Tripadvisor for Disneyland. You would get very different answers than you will get here.

We like catching the parades/shows and seeing different lands at sunset just for the views. Carsland and Galaxy's Edge are beautiful at sunset as the ligths come on. Park hopping has come in handy if a ride is down and your plans can change easier. It's a quick walk into the other park, not like Disneyworld.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don’t even need to pay extra for park hopper. Just do Disneyland one day and CA Adv the next day and that will be sufficient unless your kids are REALLY into Disney. My 12yo was totally fine with a full (7:30a-9ishp) day at Disney and more like a half day at DCA.

I grew up in Orange county and I agree.

I've never ubered or taken public transportation to the beach in California though. Where will you be staying? Is there a reason why you can't rent a car?

+2

Also, once the sun starts to set it actually gets a but chilly (I was glad I had a sweatshirt). Just fyi.

2 days, max. Honestly since you just did Disney last year, unless you are super into stuff you can pick highlights and do both parks in one day. CA is not a full day by any means.

Unless your kids are super into Disney, that's a lot of Disney at those ages. LA and SoCal has a lot else to offer as PPs have recommended.

Rent a car and go up to Ojai. We rode horses there and it was lovely.

Anonymous wrote:You don’t even need to pay extra for park hopper. Just do Disneyland one day and CA Adv the next day and that will be sufficient unless your kids are REALLY into Disney. My 12yo was totally fine with a full (7:30a-9ishp) day at Disney and more like a half day at DCA.

I grew up in Orange county and I agree.

I've never ubered or taken public transportation to the beach in California though. Where will you be staying? Is there a reason why you can't rent a car?

Oh my, Disneyland is much smaller than Disney World! Not 4 days! You really only need one day in each park. In fact, we finished Disneyland CA adventure in a half a day so were able to ride some things more than once. I would actually suggest a day up in Hollywood going to Warner Bros. studios. My teens loved it!

You don’t even need to pay extra for park hopper. Just do Disneyland one day and CA Adv the next day and that will be sufficient unless your kids are REALLY into Disney. My 12yo was totally fine with a full (7:30a-9ishp) day at Disney and more like a half day at DCA.

Last time I was at Disneyland in fall 2021 we had a really, really good meal at Cafe Orleans. Blue Bayou, which is inside the Pirates of Caribbean ride, is good too. Also be sure to get a Dole Whip by the Jungle Cruise.

Definitely no more than 3 days - 2 is probably enough. There are only 2 parks, and California Adventure is only fun if you like roller coasters (and it does have some good coasters!) Definitely try to get to the beach one day if the weather is good. You could also go into LA proper.

ALSO, are there any pricey/high demand restaurants/experiences suitable for teens that you would book now?

We are going to Disneyland at the end of July. DH will be in a conference, so it will be me plus 2 teen girls (ages 13 and 15) for most of the time. We did Disneyworld last year, and so however crazy/busy/hot it is, I'm look forward to (hopefully) a more laid-back or at least manageable experience.

Which would you choose:

1. 4 days in DL with park hopper.

2. 3 days in DL with park hopper PLUS one beach day (to somewhere we can Uber or take public transport).