San Diego Wildlife Park
 

Family vacation--We are staying three days in downtown San Diego and four days in Anaheim this summer. How far is Wildlife Park from downtown San Diego? Attractions we're hitting are Seaworld, Legoland, Wildlife Park, Disney and maybe Knott's Berry. Just want to know how far a drive everything is. Thanks.

From downtown, Seaworld should be about 15min, Legoland and Wild Animal Park about 45min each. Legoland is straight up the 5N, and WAP is straight up the 15N (5N to 8E to 15N).<BR><BR>Anaheim should be about 2hrs, straight up the 5N. Once you pass the immigration check-point (they usually wave everyone through) you can get in the carpool lane and exit directly to Disney Way! <BR><BR>Don't forget to take a walk along the beach while you are out here. :)<BR><BR>Have a great vacation!

The Wild Animal Park is in Escondido, about 35 miles north of downtown. Take 163-North to 15-North to Via Rancho Parkway. From there you will see the signs to the park.<BR><BR>Sea World is only about 6 or 7 miles north of downtown, near Mission Bay. Take 5-North to Sea World Drive. Legoland is in Carlsbad, about 30 miles north of downtown. Take 5-North to Cannon Rd. East.<BR><BR>Enjoy your time in San Diego!

don't you want some down time at the beaches? checking out tide pools, etc? just a suggestion...sounds like a very busy schedule with no time to enjoy all the wonderful &quot;freebies&quot; san diego has to offer. after two days of &quot;attractions&quot; most kids i know choose exploring or the beach over another attraction.

Hi!<BR><BR>How old are your children?? If they are over 10, then skip Legoland. We were in the San Diego area last April with our 8 1/2 year old daughter. I would say she was pushing the upper end of Legoland. It is geared more to younger children and boys. We also spent a day at the Wild Animal Park. Our daughter really enjoyed this. For summer though, I'd recommend very early or check on evening tours since the animals won't be very active in the heat. We also did the San Diego Zoo(excellent), Marine World (good), and hung out at the beach.

Speaking of San Diego beaches... we'll be there next week. We could rent a car but our hotel has a shuttle that goes everywhere we want to go, except the beach. It does go to the Seaport Village and San Diego Cruise port Terminal and Harbor Excursions. Are there any beaches near these places that are good for relaxing, walking and maybe some tide pools?

When we were in San Diego, we didn't see any beaches in those areas. Seaport Village and the Cruise Terminal were in the harbor - edged with piers and rocks. Does your shuttle go to Coronado Island? There are beaches there. <BR><BR>My husband and I went to SD last month for a wedding. We needed a car to go to the wedding, so we decided to just get a car for the whole time. We were definitely glad that we did. Even though we were only in SD for 4 days, the car really helped. <BR><BR>One of our favorite spots was Point Loma. It's west of the harbor, south of the Mission Beach area. There is a bus that goes there, but I think a car makes it much easier. It's pretty high and there are some incredible views, plus an old lighthouse you can tour and a visitor's center. It was fun to watch the ships going in an out of the harbor, see the views, and try to spot whales in the ocean. Also, there are some great tide pools at the bottom of the hill.

If the shuttle can get you close enough to the ferry landing, you can take the ferry to Coronado and go to the beach over there. Not sure how much walking you're willing to do but it is walkable from Seaport Village.

Thanks, everyone, for your helpful input.<BR><BR>Itt, we are considering hitting the beach, because, yes, we may get theme park-overload. However, we are only staying three or four days in San Diego and three days in Anaheim. If we eliminate one theme park in San Diego, which do you suggest? Wildlife Park seems out of the way... although it sounds wonderful. Legoland is perfect for my kids (they're preschool/kinder, Michelle) and is on the way to Anaheim. Sea World seems to be a San Diego must-see. Any suggestions? <BR><BR>Also, which is the best family-friendly beach in San Diego?

La Jolla Shores is a great family beach and there's a free parking lot, although in the summer it fills up early. Del Mar, just north of San Diego, has a great beach and a little park on the hillside. There is a parking lot (pay) across the road at the old station.<BR><BR>With young kids like yours, I would miss out the Wild Animal Park. I would even consider not going to Sea World with really young kids. If the weather's hot, they'd really have a better time at the beach.

SaraLM<BR>At what hotel are you staying?

I live in San Diego and have a 3 yr old. I agree to skip Wild Animal Park, it gets very hot there in the summer, and my son won't sit still on the train ride for 45mins. <BR><BR>I would not skip SeaWorld. My son loves it there! He really likes the Dolphin and Shamu shows and the Cat &amp; Dog show, 'Pets Rule'. Wear sunscreen because none of the shows have any shade. :( In a way, SeaWorld is better than the zoo, because every animal you go to see is moving around! Not asleep or hiding. And you don't have to pick the kids up to see all the time. He also likes the starfish, where you can pick them up and hold them, the sharks, the dolphins and the aqauriums, especially the big octopus in the back of the park near the starfish. We go every two or three weeks for a few hours.<BR><BR>Have a great vacation!

Emily, I agree that there are some fun things at Sea World for small children, but it's a lot different when you have a season pass and can go for a couple of hours. I used to do that with my kids when they were small, but when you pay the full admission to get in, most people stay all day and that's not so much fun for very small kids.

I LOVE Sea World, but I'm older and I've always had a fascination with aquatic animals. I have a 5 year old sister and a 6 year old nephew who love going there all the time but we have the season pass. Barbara makes a good point about having the luxury of going only for a few hours vs a whole day event. <BR><BR>Your 3 days in San Diego is really two days (minus a few hours for arrival and getting settled into your hotel) if you go to Legoland and spend a day there on your way to Anaheim. By the way, there's an outlet right next to Legoland in case you want to do some shopping with a Ruby's restaurant ('50s style), and maybe the flower fields will still be in bloom--a great side trip!<BR><BR>I think you should consider spending 4 days in SD and 3 in Anaheim. There's just so much more to do in SD. <BR><BR>I would do this:<BR>Day 1: arrive SD. settle into <BR> downtown accommodations. walk <BR> around seaport/san diego bay area.<BR>Day 2: Park day (Sea World or SD Zoo <BR> which has a lot of attractions in <BR> the surrounding area itself.)<BR>Day 3: Beach day! (La Jolla Shores or <BR> Torrey Pines State Park/Beach are <BR> good)<BR>Day 4: Hotel Check-out. Drive to <BR> Legoland on the way to Anaheim. <BR> Maybe flower fields or outlet <BR> shopping for a couple hours OR go <BR> directly to Anaheim accommodations.<BR>Day 5: Disneyland<BR>Day 6: California Adventure<BR>Day 7: Relax. Check out Downtown <BR> Disney. Fly home.<BR><BR>* I'm not sure if they still have the 2 for 1 deal on Disney/CaAdv but if they do, try to work your schedule where Disneyland doesn't fall on really busy days. <BR><BR>Have a great time!<BR>

Thanks, everyone, for your input. We are staying at the Marriott Courtyard Downtown San Diego. It's supposed to be in a former bank building. Anyone have comments on this hotel? How is traffic around downtown? <BR><BR>In Anaheim, we are staying at the Hyatt Alicante. Again, I'd appreciate input. The reason we picked these two hotels is because we have free nights at the Marriott and Hyatt. Limits our choices of hotels, but you can't beat free! <BR><BR>I will be eliminating Wildlife Park from our intinerary and save it for a future trip. I'm also going to research La Jolla Shores beach. <BR><BR>This is a possible schedule:<BR><BR>Sunday--drive to San Diego from the Bay Area, settle into hotel<BR>Monday--theme park--Sea World, maybe?<BR>Tuesday--beach day<BR>Wednesday--Legoland, drive to Anaheim, settle into hotel<BR>Thursday--Disney California<BR>Friday--Disneyland<BR>Saturday--Knott's Berry? Or something else?<BR>Sunday--drive back to Bay Area

That looks like a great schedule! Wednesday night you could go to Downtown Disney for dinner, maybe at Rainforest Cafe, if you have never been to one before. Have a great vacation!

Disappointed to see that you are skipping the San Diego Zoo. It is world class!!! Where are you from?? Do you have access to another world class zoo or Sea World type place?

We were at the San Diego Zoo yesterday and it was wonderful. The zoo opened at 9 and we got there at 10 before it was too crowded. It was great to see the gorillas up close behind the glass and also the hippos and the Panda that was on display. There's a great restaurant there called Albert's which is a sit-down restaurant. I think the SD Zoo is so much better than Sea World which you can see in a lot of different places. I hope you change your mind.

I have to agree, don't miss the zoo. I'd skip the Knotts Berry Farm and do an extra day at the S.D. Zoo. Be sure to take the bus tour. If you have time, explore the Balboa Park area after your time at the zoo. It is very beautiful and there are several museums and a botanical garden.

Dear Anneofingleside:<BR><BR>Yes, listen to Ellen, skp Knotts Berry Farm, especially since your kids are so young. The zoo should not be missed!!

Hi everyone, thanks for your input. I'm from the San Francisco Bay Area, where we have a Marine World Africa U.S.A. (similar to Sea World) and the San Francisco Zoo. Of course, they're not as famous as Sea World or the San Diego Zoo and probably not in the same class either. My problem is we are only spending seven days in Southern California. So I have to limit the theme parks we go to. Legoland is a must, especially because we promised our kids. If I had to pick on other theme park, which do you suggest: San Diego Zoo or Sea World?<BR><BR>Also, keep in mind that since we live within driving distance, we will be visiting Southern California repeatedly as the kids get older, so there will be other chances to visit theme parks later, including those geared toward older kids, such as Universal. We were considering Knott's Berry, because I heard it's supposed to be geared toward little kids. But we could skip it, too.<BR><BR>BTW, we've eaten at Rainforest, both in L.A. and Orlando, and it's a neat restaurant. Except I won't recommend it for toddlers--my youngest was terrified of the darkness, jungle noises and robotic animals (back at the hotel, she was imagining there was a gorilla in our hotel room at bedtime). Older kids would get a kick out of it.<BR><BR>And once again, does anyone know what it's like to maneuver in traffic in downtown San Diego where our hotel is located? Thanks! Also, I assume the general consensus here is that La Jolla Shores is the best kid's beach to go to.

Marine World doesn't have a whale show anymore or any penquins. But I just asked my daughter which she liked better on our trip there last year(she was 8). She thinks the Zoo was better. As far as the beach goes, you're not that far from Santa Cruz/Aptos area. Just stick to Disneyland. California Adventure is geared toward a little bit older children. I would do: SDZoo, Seaworld,Beach/Legoland, Disneyland.

Downtown driving is not too bad. It's busy, but pretty simple. There are a lot of one way streets. Your hotel will give you directions to the freeway, I'm not sure how their parking exits and enters. To get to the Zoo-definitely go there - you don't even have to go on a freeway.<BR><BR>As I suggested before, La Jolla Shores is very good. Torrey Pines is also good and is actually where we go most of the time. There's a lot of parking there and it's only $4 (I think)for the day. Both have lifeguards and bathrooms. Be sure to have some kind of beach sandal for trips to the bathroom!

I'm going to disagree here. My kids like both places but...Sea World wins hands down for favorite, especially now that they have some rides. They also have more shows and a play area for the kinds to run around in. We love the Zoo too, but in small doses - it's just too much for young kids to do as an all day activity (LOTS of walking and hills, nowhere to cool off like at SeaWorld)

Thanks again, all, for your input. I will have to research the Zoo and Sea World. I hope we can go to both, but if we can't, we can save one for a future trip. We already go to local zoos a lot (San Fran and Oakland) because we have season passes, although of course they probably don't compare to San Diego Zoo. Whichever we choose, we might have to drive back to the hotel for naptime and come back again, if that's feasible, or just do a half-day. (Although that may be a waste of money.) Decisions, decisions...

Anne, I would second the opinion of skipping California Adventure with kids the ages of yours. There's just not much to do there. Knotts' is a good choice; they also have a waterpark called Soak City that is a lot of fun for arrival or departure day.