Too many places,not enough time?? Help!
 

My husband and I,and 2 boys(ages 6,9)are taking our first CA. trip this June. Being our 1st, I'm packing it all in, there's so much to see! We'll be in Anaheim 7 days (5 day parkhoppers),and also in those 7 days,I planned on Knotts, and making a long day and driving to Sea World.(We're staying at the Candy Cane the entire time. Is it too much to do SD in a day, I'm just wondering if it's too much for a 6 and 9 yr.old. Our time is limited, and we want to see it all. Are we crazy?

After 5 Days at amusement parks, I'd skip Knotts Berry Farm, and would probably not even do Sea World. I'd go to the San Diego Wild Animal Park or the Zoo instead. The WAP has the advantage of being north of San Diego, so it wouldn't be quite as long a drive either. If you go to the zoo, plan to take a ride and race for the gold ring on the Merry go Round near the Zoo entrance. The Imax theatre and attached kids science museum (also near the zoo entrance) are also great for kids.

Hi, Lisa<BR>I can relate... my 7 year old son and I went to CA in Dec and packed as much fun as was possible in a short amount of time. We spent 5 days in Anaheim (Hilton Garden Inn- loved it!) and bought a 4 day park hopper. Did Disneyland Fri (less busy than a weekend), Disney California Adv. Sat., Universal Studios Sun (less traffic), back to Disney on Mon (went to both! Loved Disney CA alot! Don't miss Soarin over California), Downtown Disney is fun, too... can't beat Rainforest Cafe for the food and atmosphere- my son loved it; Checked out of the hotel on Tues and drove to San Diego-checked into Ramada Limited Old Town in the evening after a day at the Wild Animal Park (if you and your family have never been to a park like this, you should definitely go); my opinion is don't bother with Sea World- we spent a half day there and were done... some things were nice but most were not. I would skip Knotts and do Universal instead. We enjoyed the trolley tour around San Diego also- but you have no time for that... unless you save San Diego for the last few days and check into a hotel there at the tail end of your trip. You would be able to get some beach time in that way. Good luck and if you want some help with ideas about Disneyland- www.intercotwest.com is a great place to ask questions and actual cast members and other experienced Disney travellers will answer you. I found it very helpful in maximizing my time there. Hope this helps and have a great trip!

For a wonderful experience, and a slight change from overstimulating but fun amusement parks and go to the Wild Animal Park. I highly recommend getting there early before it gets too hot (too hard on the kids) and while the animals are moving around rather than sleeping during the heat of the day (more exciting). It also will be less crowded. It should be about a 2.5 to 3 hour drive from Anaheim. Skip Knotts and go see the animals. It will be an experience you and the kids will never forget!

We made a mistake once while going to Disneyworld to try to cram as much "fun" into the time we had. Then, we all took a deep breath and realized that we were there to have a good time as a family and that we would not win a prize for seeing the most attractions in the least time. With kids that age, don't try to "see it all" - you can't. If it seems right to take a half a day or more off for swimming, vegging out, it is really not a waste of time or money. Just observe families dragging their exhausted kids around by late afternoon. So, I would recommend just downsizing your expectations of what you can see and your whole family will enjoy this great trip even more.

Personally, I really enjoyed Sea World and would not omit it. It will be about a 2 hr. drive (depending upon traffic, maybe even less time) from Anaheim to Sea World (almost all freeway). It is very doable as a day trip. I too would probably skip Knott's Berry Farm. Enjoy your vacation! Lil