kristyp13

Thinking of Disneyland around September 8, and have a few questions. Wanting to go when it's not too crowded (of course). Are most area &/or regional schools back in session by then? I'm in mid-Missouri and schools here start back in late August.

Also would like to visit a beach close to Anaheim. Will the water be freezing cold in Sept? I'm from Missouri so I'm not used to or expecting bath-water warm.

Thanks!

rjw_lgb_ca

I think schools will be back in session by then, so you should be OK. Still, half the fun is enjoying it with some people around you, so if the weather is nice (and especially on a weekend) you'll have company.

This is technically the "north" Pacific, so the water will be very cool. Not frigid, but cool. Anaheim is well inland, but Huntington Beach and Newport Beach are close, and Seal Beach is a quick jump on the CA-22 from the Disneyland area. If you want to go a bit farther south and get a really unique California beach community, head to Laguna Beach.

Chele60

A lot of the schools in Orange County are now year round, so there is often no "summer season" for school children. This is especially true in Anaheim, which does have year round schools.

September 8 would the week most schoold that do have a summer break will be going back. But then, it's not the locals that you need to be concerned about - it's the people from out of state, and they are gone by then.

Plenty of beaches along the Orange County coast. I prefer the southern beaches, personally. Pretty much anything south of Newport Beach. Just more beautiful for me and more of what Southern California used to look like. (Though that is fading fast, it seems)

September is actually one of the warmest months in California, on average. By then the water temps have come way up as well. Though with the year we've been having lately, it's anybody's guess. Coming from the midwest, you will probably find the water comfortable if a bit cool. By September, all one needs do is get in the water for a few minutes and it's fine.

DB

Disneyland is at Harbor & Katella, and if you take Harbor Blvd. south it runs into Newport Blvd., which goes to Newport Beach. Another popular beach would be to take Katella west to Beach Blvd and follow Beach Blvd south to Huntington Beach. These surface street routes have a LOT of signals and will take ~30-45 min. if it's NOT a weekend (a warm sunny weekend and traffic could be really bad).

September is historically the warmest month for SoCal ocean water, and it will probably be ~70-72 degrees -- never a problem for me!

EmilySD

Just one more comment on the weather, although it is one of the hotter months, there is virtually no humididty, rain or afternoon thundershowers to be concerned with.
September is the perfect time to visit So. CA. Have a wonderful vacation!!

kristyp13

Thanks for the positive replies. I'm still working on my husband about this trip. He thinks Disneyland is for kids and people who ride roller coasters, etc., which we do not. But I still think we would enjoy it.

Surfergirl

The roller coasters at Disneyland are pretty wimpy compared to Magic Mountain or other Southern California theme parks (like Knotts). You will really enjoy it -- even if the whole time is spent walking up and down Main Street (which we've done before) and going on the river ride over to Tom Sawyer's Island, or the canoe rides. The Haunted Mansion is pretty cool too, although we have bets as to whether the ride will stop mid-stream, as it so often does. In fact, now that I think about it, most of the rides are NOT roller coaster rides.

In L.A. school starts the Tuesday after Labor Day, so crowds will NOT be an issue.

Regarding the weather, September IS the warmest month of the year here, so it will be warm, pleasant, and great beach (and water) weather.

singing_gal

California Adevnture sounds like it would meet your needs. An amusement park more geared for adults and fewer roller coasters. Universal Studios might be another idea for you. Disneyland is mostly rides, but as pointed out before, they are fairly tame rides and enjoyable for those faint of heart.

Balboa Island is a fun beach area to visit.