Anonymous wrote:Only 1-2 days at Disney. Don't stay at hotel beyond. Get hotel for 1-2 days near Santa Monica/Venice. Let kids to promenade, pier, Venice for one whole day (recommend Sunday if you can), lunch in Malibu if you can swing it. Then spend next day around Beverly a few hours then Hollywood are sight seeing. You could honestly drive to SD that day. If you could start in Santa Barbara it would be worth it then drive down PCH. If you have passports, may be fun to to Mexico for a day trip.

My husband's aunt and uncle have lived in San Diego for 30+ years. They used to go to Mexico quite a bit (back 20+ years ago). When we were there about 5-6 years ago on vacation, they told us "DO NOT GO TO MEXICO!" We weren't planning to go to Mexico anyway, but they were very clear! Their Mexican friends don't go to Mexico any more, either.

San Diego attractions for kids: The Zoo, Lego Land. I took my (then 6 yo) daughter there. I had 4 days of work, and 4 days of fun; wife & DD and 4 days of fun.

We did the Zoo, Lego Land, Sea World. Of that, Sea World was a waste.

Beaches are nice. La Jolla Cove is neat because you can walk out into tide pools and see living creatures.

I can not suggest hotels -- when I go for work, I usually stay at the Embassy Suites UTC, but that is because of proximity to the office.

Note that San Diego has an intense but relatively short duration rush hour.

If you have the flexibility, do not go in June. The weather is gloomy. They call it June Gloom. What is happening is , as the inland desert heats up, the air rises, creating airflow coming from the ocean, which is cool. That creates a marine layer which may or may not burn off. You will also get the Marine layer in July and August, but it will burn off by 9:00 AM.

I also like the Disneyland hotel vs the grand Californian. With little kids I prefer their pool. I wouldn't hotel hop and I'd def do two days. For me, I like that I don't need to drive at all and you can walk to downtown Disney. You can also upgrade at the Disneyland hotel and get access to the concierge floor for drinks and snacks.

The Grand Californian is currently under renovation and may be noisy during the day. I'm not sure if the pools will be reopened by summer. I'd stay at the Disneyland Hotel if you're set on staying on-site. And remember, the extra morning hour is only worth it if you use it - which in summer could mean being at the gates by 6:30 for a 7am early open.

Universal studios tour in LA might be fun for the kids. There really isn't anything to do in Beverley Hills except shop. The area around the Hollywood walk of fame is very touristy and not at all interesting. Definitely rent bikes and cruise along the shore from Santa Monica....and when you get to Venice go check out the canals. If the kids like lego there's Legoland on the way down to SD....it is small and can easily be done in half a day. If you like hiking go up to the Griffith Observatory...lots of trails and great views of the city & ocean. If the kids can put up with a museum go to the Getty. Go to Trejos tacos because Danny Trejo.

Only 1-2 days at Disney. Don't stay at hotel beyond. Get hotel for 1-2 days near Santa Monica/Venice. Let kids to promenade, pier, Venice for one whole day (recommend Sunday if you can), lunch in Malibu if you can swing it. Then spend next day around Beverly a few hours then Hollywood are sight seeing. You could honestly drive to SD that day. If you could start in Santa Barbara it would be worth it then drive down PCH. If you have passports, may be fun to to Mexico for a day trip.

If you want to see Beverly Hills, go see it! It is really beautiful and the landscaping and architecture is totally different than anything around here.

If you're interested in Hollywood, see if you can get on a studio tour.

In San Diego, your kids (and you) will probably like Legoland and the Zoo. I think the Del Coronado has a kids' club and it's very beautiful but also $$$$$.

Anonymous wrote:San Diego will be more fun for kids than LA. Do the beach, the wild animal park / zoo.

I agree. If I were OP, I wouldn't spend any time in LA, other than the night or two at Disney. If it were my family, we'd just be in SD. (But we're not "Disney" people. I get some people are... it's just not our thing.) There have been several threads on San Diego lately, including someone's recent spring break trip with a 5- or 6-year-old.

San Diego will be more fun for kids than LA. Do the beach, the wild animal park / zoo.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the stay vs. hotel hop ... depends on what else you want to do, and how much time would be eaten up driving. Grand Californian is insanely expensive for what it is ... but awesome if you are walking out the back door to the parks.

I want to be able to return to room with ease with baby or send DH back to room so being close to the room is important. Otherwise we would probably choose to be off site.

I have never been to Hollywood so I would like to check it out. I have also never been to Beverly Hills. I wonder if Beverly Hills will just be similar to the shopping area in Chevy Chase.

I'd stay at Grand Californian for the disney part of your trip, but if you actually want to do other stuff, esp. that in west LA, I'd consider changing after the Disney portion. There's no way I'd want to drive from Anaheim to Hollywood/Beverly Hills. Either begin your trip at Disney/Anaheim, then go to west LA and go South to SD, OR start with the West LA stuff, do Disney, and then SD.

Honestly, I don't know how interested your kids will be in Beverly Hills.

Anonymous wrote:On the stay vs. hotel hop ... depends on what else you want to do, and how much time would be eaten up driving. Grand Californian is insanely expensive for what it is ... but awesome if you are walking out the back door to the parks.

I want to be able to return to room with ease with baby or send DH back to room so being close to the room is important. Otherwise we would probably choose to be off site.

I have never been to Hollywood so I would like to check it out. I have also never been to Beverly Hills. I wonder if Beverly Hills will just be similar to the shopping area in Chevy Chase.

On the stay vs. hotel hop ... depends on what else you want to do, and how much time would be eaten up driving. Grand Californian is insanely expensive for what it is ... but awesome if you are walking out the back door to the parks.

Agreed on comment about smallness of Disneyland compared to WDW - but with small kids, that can be an attraction! Two days will let you revisit favorites, and offset crowds somewhat. Have a wonderful time!!

Cannot comment on San Diego, but for Disneyland, it is much, much smaller than WDW in Orlando and you can easily do the whole thing in one day. Make it 2 if you want to really take your time and relax about it, but it's very small.

PS have a great trip - sounds like a great plan!

We are planning a trip to LA/San Diego this summer for 7-10 days. Will be traveling with an infant and two elementary aged children.

Must see attractions in LA and San Diego?

How many days do you need for Disneyland? 2 days total enough - 1 day per park?

We plan to stay on site for early magic hours, most likely Grand Californian.

Would you hotel hop to someplace in LA or just stay at Grand Californian for the entire LA duration?

Can you recommend a San Diego resort with a good kids club? Strongly prefer suites but we can always get 2 adjoining rooms.