Disneyland & Area
 

We are planning on taking our 5 year-old daughter to Disneyland in mid-Jan. We hope to go to Disney, Universal Theme Park and Legoland. Any suggestions on where to stay? Is this a nice time of year there, ie., weather? Thanks very much.

You didn't say where you are coming from or how much time you have to spend in the area so more information would be helpful. Going by what you have said, I would take her to Disneyland and California Adventure for several days (three or four) and skip the rest! I could list a million reasons why... but I'll spare you! Give some more information and I'm sure you'll get lots of great responses!

We are coming from the Toronto (Canada) area and planning to stay 4 days.

krystyna, Your price range will be very important in deciding where to stay. We have small children (4 and 2 when we went in February) and we were very happy tht we splurged to stay at Claifornia Adventure, which is right in the park. If you can, I would recommend this hotel or the Disneyland Hotel, because you are withing easy walking sistance and have easy access back to the hotel for nap/rest time! There are lots of other hotels near Disneyland which are much less expensive and that have shuttle service available. You request a free video at disneyland.com that shows the rides, restaurants and hotels in the park and we found it very helpful. My little guys knew exactly which rides they wanted to go on long before we got to the park! The weather at this time can be nice or not, but compared to Toronto, you'll be fine! Even if it rains, it will not be freezing and you'll have a pleasant visit in the 50's or low 60"s. When we went in February, my boys wore tee shirts with sweatshirts and jeans, they were fine. I'm not sure how much Universal Studios has for small children right now... have you looked at their website? If the weather is nice you might want to consider some time near the beach, riding bikes or just going for walks! Also try the mousesavers.com website, it will have many hints for you.

Theme parks are exhausting - lots of walking and standing in line. Don't try to do too much, You'll want a day of rest after one or two days at the parks.

The three places you've mentioned are rather spread out - how much time do you want to spend traveling? Don't forget to figure in the famous LA traffic. I think Disney is your best bet for 2-4 days. The San Diego Wild Animal Park (different from the zoo) is another great adventure. It's about a 90 minute drive south of Disney. A day at one of the beach towns is a nice change of pace, although it will be too cold to swim in the ocean. BTW, when looking at airplane tickets, check out John Wayne Airport for convenience.

I agree with the other posters, Just stick with disneyland. You will enjoy it much more if you don't rush. I don't care for california adventure especially for a 5 year old. One day at the beach would be fun. Stay at candycane inn for budget hotel, walking distance to disneyland and very nice with free breakfast. check tripadvisor.com for reviews have fun.

Disneyland and the nearby Knott's Berry Farm for a five year old. Legoland too, but it's a longer drive. I'd definitely skip Universal (and all that LA traffic), save it for when she's a teenager.

Be prepared for rain.

i'd do two days at disneyland and then one day i'd go to legoland and the wild animal park (if there's time). keep the third day open and flexible. could go to another amusement park and as mentioned, a day at one of the beach communities.
if you can afford it, the disneyland hotel is always impressive for a 5 year old. otherwise, there are several best western's in the area that are usally clean and offer free breakfast and shuttle to the park.
universal studio's is sort of a pain to get to when there's lots of traffic.

Make sure to carry jackets or sweatshirts. We were there in January, and while it got warm during the day, it was pretty cool at night.

For all four days, I would recommend staying at the Paradise Pier Hotel in Downtown Disney. You can easily walk to both Disney parks from the hotel. Also, Paradise Pier guests have a private entrance into Calif. adventure. I would also recommend getting the 2 park pass for 2 days. Although both parks will be considerably less congested after the holidays, you will still get very tired. It is nice to break up the day by relaxing in your hotel room for a few hours then going back in the evening. Also, Downtown Disney has some nice restuarants, albeit pricy for you to choose from. While I am not a big fan, my 6 year old LOVES Rainforest Cafe.

From Disney, you can travel to Legoland within 90 minutes easily. You need not stay in San Diego, unless there were other things you want to do (Sea World for exampe). Legoland will be a disappointment compared to both Disney parks but it does cater to a much younger crowd so your daughter will enjoy it nonetheless.

I agree witht the comments about skipping Universal. If you really want to visit another park, opt for Sea World and stay in Old Town San Diego for a night. Splurge and do the "Dinner With Shamu" experience. It really is worth it.

We just returned from a thanksgiving trip to d'land with our 3 year old. We spent about 2.5 days and are SO tired. I suggest the bulk of your trip be in one place so that you can go at a comfortable pace. It's nice to go back to your hotel and rest or sit in the hot tub or even go to an offsite restaurant for a change without feeling like you have to go go go because you're moving on to another location tomorrow.
The grand californian hotel was stunning and right on site. We stayed at a best western (orbitz $60) down the street and bought the shuttle passes. We constantly missed the shuttle because it doesn't stick to it's schedule and is too small and often full. I noticed that the Candy Cane had it's own shuttle.
Make sure you go into California Adventure if your daughter loves Bear, Stanley, or JoJo.

We stayed at the Candy Cane Inn last year and really enjoyed it. Flowers everywhere. The beds were comfy and the room had a mini-fridge. The pool area was pretty -- small, but big enough for a five-year-old to splash around in. There's also a coin-operated laundry room on the premises.

It is a bit of a trek to Disneyland -- maybe 1/2 mile? The gardens on either side of the sidewalk are nice, though. We took our six-year-old son and he didn't have a problem with walking. Guess it depends on the child.

I would suggest you get to Disneyland before it opens b/c the lines to enter can get long, however, Disney does a pretty good job getting people through.

We were there about four days, too. It really is pretty big, IMHO.

Have a great time! It's so much fun.

MarthaB

Coming all the way from Canada and with only 4 days, I'd consider just doing Disneyland and maybe Knott's Berry Farm for a change of pace. Then round things off with a day at the beach depending on the weather.

I'd definitely skip Universal studio because of it's out of the way location (to where you'll be) and I'm not sure it's aimed at kids so young as 5.

Stick with Disneyland and California Adventures parks, right next to each other. California Adventures is much less crowded than Disneyland and has some great fun for a 5 year-old. Spend a full day at Disneyland and a full day at California Adventures. (We have annual passes and go a lot. Have for years).

Disneyland is the best...better than any other theme park in California. but California Adventures has a lot of offer too...plus it's pleasant to be some place with fewer crowds for a change.

Best hotel: Disney's California Adventures. If that's too expensive for you, try the Candy Cane Inn which has it's very own free shuttle and is also within walking distance to Disneyl.

Skip Legoland unless you have time to see other sights as well while you're in San Diego...such as the Zoo and the Wild Animal Park. It's too far to drive just to see Legoland.