Family planning trip from Vancouver, BC to Anaheim, CA
Feb 13th, 2011, 12:04 PM
#1
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Family planning trip from Vancouver, BC to Anaheim, CA
Hi there,
I am new to this site but I am looking for some travel trips. We are planning a road trip from Vancouver to Disneyland with our 3 kids, 10,7 and 4. There are so many places that I want to see on the trip down or back. I would like to spend 3 days getting there, I think? As the kids will just want to get to DL. Plan is to spend 5 days in the Parks and then make our way home. On the way home I would like to see all the great family stops in California and wherever else. On my list is Long Beach, Universal Studios, Sea World, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, San Francisco. These are just off the top of my head. I want to go to the beach 2 times, and I was thinking SB and LB for that. What are some family friendly things to do in SF? If we are seeing the beaches in SB & LB is there a need to go tot he beach in SD? What key stops am I missing? With the stops, how long should I plan for the trip home?
I know, lots of questions but any/all help appreciated!
Cheers,
Joy
I am new to this site but I am looking for some travel trips. We are planning a road trip from Vancouver to Disneyland with our 3 kids, 10,7 and 4. There are so many places that I want to see on the trip down or back. I would like to spend 3 days getting there, I think? As the kids will just want to get to DL. Plan is to spend 5 days in the Parks and then make our way home. On the way home I would like to see all the great family stops in California and wherever else. On my list is Long Beach, Universal Studios, Sea World, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, San Francisco. These are just off the top of my head. I want to go to the beach 2 times, and I was thinking SB and LB for that. What are some family friendly things to do in SF? If we are seeing the beaches in SB & LB is there a need to go tot he beach in SD? What key stops am I missing? With the stops, how long should I plan for the trip home?
I know, lots of questions but any/all help appreciated!
Cheers,
Joy
Feb 13th, 2011, 12:27 PM
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Not much of a beach expert, but there are some very nice beaches from Santa Barbara southward to the LA area. Carpenteria is one that gets lots of positive reviews.
For your trip south, cross the border and hop on I-5 it will take you a full 3 days. We're about 200 miles north of Disneyland and it took us 2 full days to get to Olympia, WA and we got into Vancouver to catch a cruise at about 2 p.m. the next day.
If you go to San Diego for Sea World, you are adding an exta day.
It is a good distance between DL and Universal Studios. You should consider moving hotels to the Universal area the night before visiting rather than driving back tp DL area.
If you and the kids are interested in history consider visiting some of the old California Missions that you'll find near the 101 highway on your way north.
Also, if you have the time, take Highway 1 from Cambria to Monterey and/or parts of Highway north of San Francisco along the Sonoma and Mendocino coast.
Have fun!
For your trip south, cross the border and hop on I-5 it will take you a full 3 days. We're about 200 miles north of Disneyland and it took us 2 full days to get to Olympia, WA and we got into Vancouver to catch a cruise at about 2 p.m. the next day.
If you go to San Diego for Sea World, you are adding an exta day.
It is a good distance between DL and Universal Studios. You should consider moving hotels to the Universal area the night before visiting rather than driving back tp DL area.
If you and the kids are interested in history consider visiting some of the old California Missions that you'll find near the 101 highway on your way north.
Also, if you have the time, take Highway 1 from Cambria to Monterey and/or parts of Highway north of San Francisco along the Sonoma and Mendocino coast.
Have fun!
Feb 13th, 2011, 12:44 PM
#3
How many days for the drive back north? Your drive south will be VERY tedious/looooong and you won't have time for any stops/detours. It will easily take 24 hours just drive time -- so 8 full hours each day w/o ANY stops/meals/breaks.
I LOVE Disneyland -- but would have a very hard time spending 5 days there. Three days is more than adequate to see every single thing in both parks and most restaurants/shops in Downtown Disney.
Folks don't generally list Long Beach in any list of must see beaches
I LOVE Disneyland -- but would have a very hard time spending 5 days there. Three days is more than adequate to see every single thing in both parks and most restaurants/shops in Downtown Disney.
Folks don't generally list Long Beach in any list of must see beaches
Feb 13th, 2011, 02:21 PM
#4
I am hoping that you have at least 4 days for your return trip. If you have time in daylight try to detour off I-5 to Mt. Rainier SE of Seattle. The memory of a beautiful National Park might last longer than Disneyland.
You should have at least 1 "in case of rain" day planned.
You should have at least 1 "in case of rain" day planned.
Feb 13th, 2011, 02:32 PM
#5
What month? It might make a difference on your beach plans, due to the "June Gloom" that sometimes persists into July.
Take I-5 down; plan on arriving on the evening of the third night. I'd probably stop in Eugene then Sacramento, but whatever works given the kids' tolerance. You'll be pretty shattered on arrival (it's probably right around 24h drive time) so you might think about cutting over to US 101 around the Bay Area and following 101 south from there. It's a couple of added hours, but you could stop for the 3rd night someplace like Santa Barbara and still be at Disneyland by lunchtime the next day. Chances are hotels will be cheaper compared to Disney-neighboring properties. I doubt you'd feel much like trudging through the Magic Kingdom after 9 hours on the road, especially I-5 between Modesto and Anaheim - road race followed by LA rush hour traffic. Bleh. 101 is still quite fast, but way, way more pleasant from a driver's viewpoint, and there are things outside the window for the kids to look at, e.g. the Pacific Ocean.
Go back up by way of US 101 through the Redwoods and southern Oregon coast. If you have to speed things up, cut back to I-5 using Oregon Hwy 38 at Reedsport: it's a lovely drive, and there will be a lot of elk at the roadside close to Reedsport (big reserve area.)
Also check out the Samoa Cookhouse near Eureka - a very fun and kid-friendly place. Take them to the Trees of Mystery too - kitschy fun for kids for 60 or 70 years.
http://www.samoacookhouse.net/
http://www.treesofmystery.net/
Take I-5 down; plan on arriving on the evening of the third night. I'd probably stop in Eugene then Sacramento, but whatever works given the kids' tolerance. You'll be pretty shattered on arrival (it's probably right around 24h drive time) so you might think about cutting over to US 101 around the Bay Area and following 101 south from there. It's a couple of added hours, but you could stop for the 3rd night someplace like Santa Barbara and still be at Disneyland by lunchtime the next day. Chances are hotels will be cheaper compared to Disney-neighboring properties. I doubt you'd feel much like trudging through the Magic Kingdom after 9 hours on the road, especially I-5 between Modesto and Anaheim - road race followed by LA rush hour traffic. Bleh. 101 is still quite fast, but way, way more pleasant from a driver's viewpoint, and there are things outside the window for the kids to look at, e.g. the Pacific Ocean.
Go back up by way of US 101 through the Redwoods and southern Oregon coast. If you have to speed things up, cut back to I-5 using Oregon Hwy 38 at Reedsport: it's a lovely drive, and there will be a lot of elk at the roadside close to Reedsport (big reserve area.)
Also check out the Samoa Cookhouse near Eureka - a very fun and kid-friendly place. Take them to the Trees of Mystery too - kitschy fun for kids for 60 or 70 years.
http://www.samoacookhouse.net/
http://www.treesofmystery.net/
Feb 13th, 2011, 02:45 PM
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5 days in Disneyland? Really? Or is that 5 days in the parks (including Universal, Sea World, Legoland?)
I wouldn't detour down to San Diego just for Sea World, but with kids that age I'd add Legoland and the Zoo.
Two days Magic Kingdom, or if you take a lot of mid-day pool breaks etc, three at the most.
Disneyland isn't far from some nice beach areas, so you could actually stay at the beach and work in some Disney days.
I wouldn't detour down to San Diego just for Sea World, but with kids that age I'd add Legoland and the Zoo.
Two days Magic Kingdom, or if you take a lot of mid-day pool breaks etc, three at the most.
Disneyland isn't far from some nice beach areas, so you could actually stay at the beach and work in some Disney days.
Feb 13th, 2011, 10:28 PM
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Thank you for all of these suggestions. I s appreciate them. Yes, we do plan to spend 5 days in DL & California Adventure.
I have been to DL many times as a kid and loved every minute of it. My husband has never been and neither have our kids so I am so excite to take them there.
We are not on any kind of a time schedule to get home, we are going to take our time heading back.
We are planing on going in Oct so I am hoping for decent weather, of course! Are the beaches still warm enough to spend time at them no necessairly swim? If it is the wrong time of year to even think about beaches then we may just fly to DL this time and make a seperate road trip. I am just so excited to take my family. My husband did not realyl do many trips when he was a child but my family did road trips quite a bit so I want to have those type pf experiences with my kids as I had with my parents and brothers!
I have been to DL many times as a kid and loved every minute of it. My husband has never been and neither have our kids so I am so excite to take them there.
We are not on any kind of a time schedule to get home, we are going to take our time heading back.
We are planing on going in Oct so I am hoping for decent weather, of course! Are the beaches still warm enough to spend time at them no necessairly swim? If it is the wrong time of year to even think about beaches then we may just fly to DL this time and make a seperate road trip. I am just so excited to take my family. My husband did not realyl do many trips when he was a child but my family did road trips quite a bit so I want to have those type pf experiences with my kids as I had with my parents and brothers!
Feb 13th, 2011, 10:53 PM
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Joyn75: October can be nice...it can be sunny...but the ocean will be too cold for swimming. It should get cool late in the day so dress in layers. (I live in San Diego.) It's possible to get some early rain in October...but in general October should be a great month for Disneyland & California Adventure parks. Check the park schedules for October which are different than they are in the summer...find out what will be closed for refurbishment during your visit.
With 5 days for the parks you can relax and rest your feet, which you will want to do! You do hopefully know how to use the free Fast Passes which are available for many of the most popular rides? Hopefully you do know how this works. If not, we can explain. I have taken annual trips with our family to Disneyland for many years and if you know how to plan the fast passes, they save hours of time waiting in line. (Fast passes aren't available for many of the rides however.)
It's your vacation and you should do whatever you want. But as a Disneyland fan, I can suggest that after 3 days in either park, your feet will be suffering...you might not be able to handle 5 days of all that walking on hard pavement. For us, a 2-night stay at Disneyland was enough, with 3 full days of walking in the parks. Even the kids and teens were ready to go home after the 3rd day in a row. But don't let anybody talk you out of it if you have your heart set on it!
Enjoy sharing those wonderful childhood memories with your family!
I live in San Diego, and SeaWorld cannot compare with Disneyland. Skip SeaWorld unless you have never seen a dolphin in a show. However I do like our San Diego zoo.
San Francisco: If they have never been inside, Ripley's Believe It or NOt is kinda fun in San Francisco! Corny but fun.
I think you should skip both Long Beach and SeaWorld. YOu need to shave something off...that's a long drive you have! To me, the coast near Monterey is gorgeous... San Francisco is kinda fun...Santa Monica is funky and kinda fun...eat a fantastic home-made pasta at Fritto Misto in Santa Monica...see the street performers for free in Santa Monica...and I LOVE Seattle, WA! Have fun planning your trip.
With 5 days for the parks you can relax and rest your feet, which you will want to do! You do hopefully know how to use the free Fast Passes which are available for many of the most popular rides? Hopefully you do know how this works. If not, we can explain. I have taken annual trips with our family to Disneyland for many years and if you know how to plan the fast passes, they save hours of time waiting in line. (Fast passes aren't available for many of the rides however.)
It's your vacation and you should do whatever you want. But as a Disneyland fan, I can suggest that after 3 days in either park, your feet will be suffering...you might not be able to handle 5 days of all that walking on hard pavement. For us, a 2-night stay at Disneyland was enough, with 3 full days of walking in the parks. Even the kids and teens were ready to go home after the 3rd day in a row. But don't let anybody talk you out of it if you have your heart set on it!
Enjoy sharing those wonderful childhood memories with your family!
I live in San Diego, and SeaWorld cannot compare with Disneyland. Skip SeaWorld unless you have never seen a dolphin in a show. However I do like our San Diego zoo.
San Francisco: If they have never been inside, Ripley's Believe It or NOt is kinda fun in San Francisco! Corny but fun.
I think you should skip both Long Beach and SeaWorld. YOu need to shave something off...that's a long drive you have! To me, the coast near Monterey is gorgeous... San Francisco is kinda fun...Santa Monica is funky and kinda fun...eat a fantastic home-made pasta at Fritto Misto in Santa Monica...see the street performers for free in Santa Monica...and I LOVE Seattle, WA! Have fun planning your trip.
