Things to do in San Diego and Annaheim with a 9 year old
 

We will be taking our 9 year old granddaughter with us on a visit to Annaheim and San Diego for one week. Any suggestions on things to do? We definitely planned to go to Disneyland for one day and Universal Studios. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

San Diego Zoo
Balboa Park - especially The Fleet Science Museum.
The beach on Coronado Island
Seaport Village
Children Beach at LaJolla

http://www.localwally.com/

Also...
San Diego Zoo's Safari Park ,north east of the city
Sea World
Driving between San Diego and Anaheim, LegoLand in Carlsbad is perfect for her age.

You asked for San Diego and Anaheim but mentioned Universal Studios up in Burbank. So I will take the liberty of pointing out that there are lots of great attractions in Los Angeles as well. Here are my top three for that age group; you can't go wrong with any of them.

1. The La Brea Tar Pits have the most prehistoric mammals of anywhere in the world (ie saber tooth cats, California Mammoths). The pits are often open for viewing (through glass) and people even working in them on a weekday.
2. Also consider the California Science Center (now with the space shuttle Endeavour) over near USC.
3. Literally in the same complex, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles historically has boasted one of the best dinosaur exhibits anywhere, and just this year they reopened and doubled the size of the exhibit.

http://www.tarpits.org/

http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/MainPage.php

http://www.nhm.org/site/

Legoland and beaches....

I would skip Legoland, unless she is a real Lego fanatic.

New this Summer are:

SeaWorld Aquatica Water park

San Diego Zoo baby Koala

Legoland Hotel

The San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld San Diego would be better option to choose

Thanks so much for your suggestions!

You could check out the Wild Animal Park, now Zoo Safari.

Maybe your family would like to spend the night at the zoo.

http://www.sdzsafaripark.org/

It's a good place for active kids.

Love La Brea tarpits idea! I still love the place (went there when I was a kid) and I've taken my kids twice and they love it too. Just be aware that there is actual tar in the grass outside, unmarked! So be careful where you walk, that stuff does not come off of shoes or clothes that well.

The San Diego Zoo and/or Wild Animal Park (Safari Park)

Legoland

Balboa Park - has a kid friendly Science Museum, Natural History Museum. Balboa Park is next to the Zoo.

Coronado - would be a fun day going to the beach, or bicycling around the island.

La Jolla - the Children's Pool (you can't swim there - at least I wouldn't as it is contaminiated with seal poop. And there may be restrictions if it is birthing season). But you can watch the seals.

La Jolla - the LJ Cove is a wonderful place to look at tide pools and see sea lions and hermit crabs, etc. It's a nice sheltered ocean preserve. And it's lifeguarded as well. (Right now there is a smell from the sea lion poop that the city will be working on cleaning up). It's still worth going IMHO.

I've been taking my young grandson to La Jolla Shores. There have a nice beach (guarded) and a wonderful playground for kids of all ages on the grassy area near the beach. He loves it.

The Birch Aquarium (if you have a good one in your home town this might disappoint) but it has a lot of interactive water displays. And is part of Scripps Institute of Oceanography.


Depending on your kids' ages Corvette Diner is a fun 1950's place with old time rock n roll, and hamburgers and fries.


http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/menu-...orvette-diner/

You may need two days for Disney if you do Disneyland and California Adventure as well. There is also Knott's Berry Farm in the area, if you really like theme parks. Expect huge crowds if you plan to do this in summer.

Laguna Beach is wonderful and the Pageant of the Masters is worth seeing. There is also the Sawdust Festival; a huge arts and crafts fair across the street from the Pageant grounds.

Yes, with the addition of CA Adventure you might want two days. I would skip Knott's Berry Farm.