Help in planning family trip to Anaheim, CA
Jul 9th, 2003, 06:11 PM
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Help in planning family trip to Anaheim, CA
Family with 2 boys (ages 9 & 12) planning 4 or 5 days in Anaheim. We plan to do Disneyland & Cal Adventure and Angels game. Any other suggestions on what to do/see in the area? We'll have a car. Any suggestions on a hotel in the area? Emphasis on clean, safe, family friendly & moderately priced. Also looking for restaurant suggestions. Must be family friendly(kids fairly well behaved) & not outrageously priced
Jul 9th, 2003, 06:17 PM
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You might enjoy Medeval (sp?) Times where you eat with your hands and watch a jousting type show. It's not a bargain though.
Also, consider a trip to Universal Studios as a contrast to DL.
For hotel advice, I would specify cost or distance restrictions as there are literally 1000's in the area.
Also, consider a trip to Universal Studios as a contrast to DL.
For hotel advice, I would specify cost or distance restrictions as there are literally 1000's in the area.
Jul 9th, 2003, 06:25 PM
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you should check out Orbitz.com. they have really good deals on hotels and disney packages. They also have a fairly detailed description of each hotels amenities. I went on a family trip to disneyworld last year, and we booked the whole trip on orbitz, real cheap an easy..... it was great
Jul 9th, 2003, 10:07 PM
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Knott's Berry Farm (amusement park along the lines of Disneyland but more 'thrill"oriented/ they also have a waterpark nextdoor at separate admission'Soak City') is not far away, if you stop at local "Ralph's" markets and do a quick signup for their "club", you can get 1/2 price tickets. www.ralphs.com
I think 4 days is definitely max for Anaheim, unless you do a day trip up to LA for the zoo or Universal, or a day to the beach.
Islands is a good family restaurant chain, also In/Out Burger, Chili's, Cal. Pizza Kitchen, The Old Spaghetti Factory, Sharky's or Baja Fresh(Mexican), Fresh Choice Buffet, Johnny Rocket Burger.
I think 4 days is definitely max for Anaheim, unless you do a day trip up to LA for the zoo or Universal, or a day to the beach.
Islands is a good family restaurant chain, also In/Out Burger, Chili's, Cal. Pizza Kitchen, The Old Spaghetti Factory, Sharky's or Baja Fresh(Mexican), Fresh Choice Buffet, Johnny Rocket Burger.
Jul 10th, 2003, 07:45 AM
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We did Raging Waters water park in San Dimas with our kids (ages 7, 11 and 14) and they loved it - more expensive than the beach, but my kids loved the rides (we also did the beach one day). Wild Animal Park north of San Diego is a little more than an hour from Anaheim and was another thing my kids really enjoyed
As to places to eat, we had a lot of fun at a place called Miceli's over by Universal Studios - Italian restaurant with entertainment including waiters who come and sing at your table
As to places to eat, we had a lot of fun at a place called Miceli's over by Universal Studios - Italian restaurant with entertainment including waiters who come and sing at your table
Jul 10th, 2003, 08:40 AM
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Day trip to Huntington Beach. Very simple. Fun city, good pier, Surf City USA!! Get the kids some surfing lessons (assuming they're good swimmers), chill on the sand, all that good stuff.
Down the coast is Laguna Beach, which is a sweet, higher-end beach city with a vibrant artists' community (and dozens of art galleries). Nice walking city. This is more for the adults.
Up the coast, the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach might interest the kids. Afterwards, lunch in Shoreline Village (a kinda kitschy "seaside shops" boardwalk, but it's still fun), or a spin over to Belmont Shore (Second Street is the center of that upscale beach community-- which is practically locals-only, few tourists).
Down the coast is Laguna Beach, which is a sweet, higher-end beach city with a vibrant artists' community (and dozens of art galleries). Nice walking city. This is more for the adults.
Up the coast, the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach might interest the kids. Afterwards, lunch in Shoreline Village (a kinda kitschy "seaside shops" boardwalk, but it's still fun), or a spin over to Belmont Shore (Second Street is the center of that upscale beach community-- which is practically locals-only, few tourists).
Jul 10th, 2003, 09:18 AM
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If you don't get too burned out on theme parks, Knott's would be on the list. Your kids are the perfect age for most of the rides there.
Universal would be good if you want to do a day trip to LA. But just a word: it's a long drive into LA from Anaheim, and it's best made when traffic is low. Kids would enjoy it, though, and there are lots of good places to eat so you could stay a little longer and avoid traffic back to Anaheim.
Definitely do the beach!! Huntington is good. Lots of history there due to surfing. I remember when I was your kid's ages, I like Newport. Decent beach and pier, lots of surf shops to poke around in, and there is the Fun Zone.
If you are looking to get out of the heat, the Aquarium of the Pacific is a good place to go. You can also go late enough in the morning to avoid any traffic as well.
There is indeed a water park right next to Knott's called Soak City, and there are numerous specials going on right now. However, there is also another water park, smaller, and not as far as San Dimas called Wild Rivers. It's not as big as Raging Waters, but it's closer (Irvine). Might be another alternative for you.
Really, any hotel you choose to stay at around Disneyland will be family oriented. Was a time that I would not recommend a family staying there - and I live here! But Disney and Anaheim have really cleaned up the area and even the smaller motels are well kept, clean, and safe. If you are staying outside of the Anaheim Resort area, it really depends on the place/property.
Restaurants are all over the place around Disneyland. Some are a little pricey (such as Downtown Disney - but then, everything Disney is expensive!), but there are quite a few that offer a good bargain. If you can, I would find an In and Out restaurant. All they do is hamburgers, but they are among the best! Nice thing about staying around Disneyland is you can walk to all local restaurants, even at night. As I said, the area has really been cleaned up and is totally safe at anytime. And all restaurants in the area (even the pricier ones) are used to kids so you should not have a problem. As well, your kids are older, so that won't even be an issue.
As another idea, right around the corner from Disneyland is The Block in Orange. It's an outdoor mall filled with quite a few trendier shops. How does that apply to boys? Well, they have a couple of shops that might appeal to them, as well as a skate park that usually holds lots of appeal for the boys! You can set them up to skateboard and then take a leisurely stroll through the mall. (Just a word: the shops really are geared towards young people!) There is also a movie complex there and several restaurants. One that kids really enjoy is Dave & Busters where they can play games and eat all in one place.
I could go on, but I'll leave you with these suggestions. Enjoy!
Universal would be good if you want to do a day trip to LA. But just a word: it's a long drive into LA from Anaheim, and it's best made when traffic is low. Kids would enjoy it, though, and there are lots of good places to eat so you could stay a little longer and avoid traffic back to Anaheim.
Definitely do the beach!! Huntington is good. Lots of history there due to surfing. I remember when I was your kid's ages, I like Newport. Decent beach and pier, lots of surf shops to poke around in, and there is the Fun Zone.
If you are looking to get out of the heat, the Aquarium of the Pacific is a good place to go. You can also go late enough in the morning to avoid any traffic as well.
There is indeed a water park right next to Knott's called Soak City, and there are numerous specials going on right now. However, there is also another water park, smaller, and not as far as San Dimas called Wild Rivers. It's not as big as Raging Waters, but it's closer (Irvine). Might be another alternative for you.
Really, any hotel you choose to stay at around Disneyland will be family oriented. Was a time that I would not recommend a family staying there - and I live here! But Disney and Anaheim have really cleaned up the area and even the smaller motels are well kept, clean, and safe. If you are staying outside of the Anaheim Resort area, it really depends on the place/property.
Restaurants are all over the place around Disneyland. Some are a little pricey (such as Downtown Disney - but then, everything Disney is expensive!), but there are quite a few that offer a good bargain. If you can, I would find an In and Out restaurant. All they do is hamburgers, but they are among the best! Nice thing about staying around Disneyland is you can walk to all local restaurants, even at night. As I said, the area has really been cleaned up and is totally safe at anytime. And all restaurants in the area (even the pricier ones) are used to kids so you should not have a problem. As well, your kids are older, so that won't even be an issue.
As another idea, right around the corner from Disneyland is The Block in Orange. It's an outdoor mall filled with quite a few trendier shops. How does that apply to boys? Well, they have a couple of shops that might appeal to them, as well as a skate park that usually holds lots of appeal for the boys! You can set them up to skateboard and then take a leisurely stroll through the mall. (Just a word: the shops really are geared towards young people!) There is also a movie complex there and several restaurants. One that kids really enjoy is Dave & Busters where they can play games and eat all in one place.
I could go on, but I'll leave you with these suggestions. Enjoy!
Jul 10th, 2003, 09:27 AM
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Two summers ago when my boys were 14 and 7 we stayed in Anaheim at the Carousel Inn and Suites across the street from Disney. It was clean, reasonably priced, included continental breakfast daily, and small rooftop pool.I would stay there again. There are many hotels right nearby so I wouldn't spend the extra money to stay at a Disney hotel (unlike Florida where it is so spread out).Right nearby is a restaurant called Millie's which was family oriented, good and reasonable - nothing fancy. My husband and oldest son went to an Angels' game - lots of fun. We didn't have a car but did take day trips to Universal Studios, San Diego Zoo, and (our favorite)Legoland in Carlsbad. If your boys like Legos, this is the place to go. Even as adults, we enjoyed it very much. Have a wonderful time!
Jul 16th, 2003, 07:53 PM
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I just came back from a trip to Anaheim. If you want to try the buffet dinner. I've a good suggestion. The China Buffet at 104 W Orangethorpe Ave, Fullerton have dinner buffet, adult at $8.99, kids at half price. The restaurant is spacious and clean. The quality of food is acceptable.
