Disneyland (LA) and San Diego

[lopes2017]

I am keen to travel to Disneyland and San Diego (Sea World) (from Sydney) with my 5 year old and wife next year.

I have approx. 700K Velocity points and keen to travel business in early July for 2.5 weeks

Any recommendations on flights welcome (best use of points). Also keen to get views on San Diego, keen to stay in a beach resort or any other ideas for a resort area on the west coast also welcome.

 

[Denali]

Im assuming "wide" = wife and a typo or youre a dead man

When we redeemed J seats for LAX last year, we went via Brisbane as there were more seats available.

July in the US is school holidays and hot - is that a must have date?

Watch out for San Diego Comic Con dates in July because hotels are booking up early.

 

[Dr Ralph]

A point of origin is required for any advice to be given.

Also what's a 'wide'?

 

[lopes2017]

A point of origin is required for any advice to be given.

Also what's a 'wide'?

Very good point! Sydney.

 

[lopes2017]

Im assuming "wide" = wife and a typo or youre a dead man

When we redeemed J seats for LAX last year, we went via Brisbane as there were more seats available.

July in the US is school holidays and hot - is that a must have date?

Watch out for San Diego Comic Con dates in July because hotels are booking up early.

Thanks for the advice, flying from Sydney...July is preferred but not a must...can do late September also.

 

[Denali]

We're in Sydney also. We went SYD>BNE>LAX but on the way home it was SYD>LAX so its an option if it opens up seats to you

Sept would be cooler and the kids are back at school so Disney might be less crowded.

 

[ozjuice]

San Diego is an awesome place but beach locations aren't it's best points. You could try the Coronado but as beautiful it is to visit I'm not sure it's somewhere i would stay for too long. I often stay at the Gaslamp District as it has so much to do but with a 5 year old perhaps not ideal.

 

[lopes2017]

We're in Sydney also. We went SYD>BNE>LAX but on the way home it was SYD>LAX so its an option if it opens up seats to you

Sept would be cooler and the kids are back at school so Disney might be less crowded.

Thats great thanks - any recommendations on hotels/resorts at or near Disney...?

 

[BriarFlyer]

Late September would be better, weather-wise and also US schools are back from summer break and therefore Disneyland should be less crowded. BUT late September is Aust school holidays and that is a very popular route and time for family travel. Finding 3 biz seats on the one flight will be problematic. Release is up to Sept 19 at the moment so you would need to be vigilant and try nabbing them at release time (which I *think* is 10am Brisbane time but more knowledgeable folk please jump in and correct that!)

 

[lopes2017]

San Diego is an awesome place but beach locations aren't it's best points. You could try the Coronado but as beautiful it is to visit I'm not sure it's somewhere i would stay for too long. I often stay at the Gaslamp District as it has so much to do but with a 5 year old perhaps not ideal.

Coronado looks like a good suggestion - will check it out. Yes, the joy of traveling with a 5 year old!.

 

[Denali]

Never been to Disney so cant help you and even San Diego, it was a quick overnight to visit friends.

We stayed at the Hilton next to the convention centre and overlooked the ocean and it seemed nice. You can walk along the forecourt and there was some grassed areas to play. As it was just for one night I didnt look into hotels too much.

I will suggest going to the Stone Brewing Company for dinner while in SD, our friends took us and there was an outdoor area as well (for the 5yr). Uber had no problems finding us.

 

[Quickstatus]

Thats great thanks - any recommendations on hotels/resorts at or near Disney...?

I've been to Disney Anaheim with kids many times. I will never ever stay at any of the Disney hotels. Just stay at the many hotels across the road from the main entrance. Thy are much closer to Disney than the Disney hotels.
Road : S Harbor Boulevard
hotel: Tropicana hotel and suites - simple, clean but right across the road to entrance.
walk to Disney entrance. There is a Denny and ihop for breakfast on same strip

Beware hotels further away that tout free shuttle to Disney. They only run couple times in morning and evening.

5year old will tire very quickly. Probably also too short for many rides. Suggest wait until a bit older. Checkout disneys website for height restrictions.
Mickey mouse is hardly ever seen walking the resort - only at certain times doing the Fantasia show etc
Best to have hotel close by as suggested so you can go back for lunch and a sleep before evening events. 5yr old will be able to enjoy evenings which are spectacular with night time shows fireworks etc if able to have a nap in afternoon

 

[lopes2017]

Never been to Disney so cant help you and even San Diego, it was a quick overnight to visit friends.

We stayed at the Hilton next to the convention centre and overlooked the ocean and it seemed nice. You can walk along the forecourt and there was some grassed areas to play. As it was just for one night I didnt look into hotels too much.

I will suggest going to the Stone Brewing Company for dinner while in SD, our friends took us and there was an outdoor area as well (for the 5yr). Uber had no problems finding us.

Great thanks! Will definitely try the Stone Brewing

 

[Dr Ralph]

Beware hotels further away that tout free shuttle to Disney. They only run couple times in morning and evening.

Agree, you want to be within walking distance so you can come and go when you like. And you will want to do this several times during a day given the long opening hours of the park.

 

[sausagefingers]

I've stayed at both the Howard Johnson and the Camelot Inn and Suites across the road, both were clean and basic hotels, not 5 star by any means, but pretty close to the entrance.
I agree with others above, we broke our days into 2. We got to the gate at "rope drop" got a heap of things done, then bailed at lunch time for a sleep with the kids.
San Diego I've been twice and I am sure to be on the outer but I really didn't like it all that much.

In respects to securing Business Class seats, I am no expert, but I just managed to secure my first ever Business Class ticket BNE-LAX last week. a month ago, when I searched for my date there was only Economy seats available, so I just waited it out and checked every single day twice a day. a week later a Premium Economy seat opened up for my date so I grabbed it. then only last week a Business class opened up so I grabbed it and cancelled the premium ticket. same goes for the return, nothing buy economy then a week later a couple of PE seats come up and I grabbed them, and still I am on the everyday twice daily hunt for the business seat.

I called VA as a WP and asked if there were any available and she assured me there was nothing, but they open up randomly.
for the reference my dates are in mid Jan and early Feb.

 

[Warks]

I stayed nearby in Escondido a couple of nights ago. Was a late tour with a day and a half spare before my fly home from LAX and was more interested in the hinterland than the city. The traffic on the LA freeways is legendary and I wasn't disappointed. Left LAX (Alamo) at 3pm and spent a good hour in 30kph traffic heading south. First time I've rented a car out of LAX and now I know why I haven't before this!

San Diego zoo is world famous too. But they also have a "free range" section (like Western Plains at Dubbo apparently) out at Escondido. I saw the signs but didn't visit - not on my own.

Disneyland will be a tough gig with a five year old. Went there with the kids at 10 and 9 and it was the perfect age. Get there right on opening is my advice so you spend less time in queues and use the Fastpass system. You are a bit limited on your rides with a young child of course and those rides can get very busy. Usually the place gets quiet in the evening though and it can be a good time to come back if you've had your afternoon naps. Then you get the fireworks too.

 

[Quickstatus]

So some posts above " Rope drop" is mentioned.

The opening times at Disney resorts refer to the time when the rope drops. Not when the gate opens.

0830 opening means the rope drops at the opening of the first ride.

There are several gates to get through to the Rope. There is the main gate, then the turnstiles then the Rope. The Rope is held by 2 attendants. You stand behind it and the rope will travel to the first ride of the day. For us it was Space Mountain. The rope drops at the opening time at the first ride and the resort is then opened. We managed 9 consecutive Space Mountain rides before the queue started to form.

So if you are keen, get there 1 hour before the official opening times. Most people plan to get there at opening time only to find hundreds of people already queued. You want to be at the first ride at rope drop.

 

[sausagefingers]

for a 5 year old, Legoland (Carlsbad near San Diego) would be heaven, I've been twice with my daughters 9 & 6 and then 12 & 9, they liked it the first time around much more, because many of the rides are really aimed at 4-6yr olds in my opinion.
the 2nd time around we only went as it was included in our LA-GO adventure passes.

 

[Quickstatus]

for a 5 year old, Legoland (Carlsbad near San Diego) would be heaven, I've been twice with my daughters 9 & 6 and then 12 & 9, they liked it the first time around much more, because many of the rides are really aimed at 4-6yr olds in my opinion.
the 2nd time around we only went as it was included in our LA-GO adventure passes.

Did you do the "build your own lego car" and race it down a ramp against other kids. When we were there all the dads were super competitive. My boys and I built a ultrafast one that when we decided to leave a dad came up to me to trade. We are given 4 wheels each on entry and you have to turn it in upon exit.

I could not understand how everyone tried to modify their car by adding or subtracting little bits of lego. Add weight yes but after a certain point the weight loads up the axle and makes it slow. Ours was fast from the get go.

My trick: I had greased the axles with sunscreen

 

[GDSman]

We have been 3 times with our son (at time of the visits he was aged 5, 9 and 11). He loved each trip slightly differently based on his age and taste at the time. Each time we stayed at the Grand Californian. Painfully expensive but the 24/7 Disney experience and the immediate access (own gate into Disney California Adventure and early access) make it worthwhile to us on short visits. If you are staying longer then perhaps the 'lost' time walking/queueing won't matter so much.
On 2 visits it was classically Southern Californian sunshine but the last one had 3 days of pouring rain - being in the Grand Californian meant we could nip back to the hotel several times for dry clothes...unexpected but very useful.