Great food in Huntington and surfer viewing. Duke's is a Hawaiian chain and right at the end of the pier (Don't miss the Hula Pie!), Ruby's is a 50's diner at the end of the pier and Fred's Mexican for some killer fish tacos.
Venice is far from DLR. Are you going to rent a car? Huntington is much closer and your kids may enjoy eating at Ruby's on the pier. Our kids loved Ruby's. (Most kids do, it seems!) Keep in mind that the water will be cold during your visit -- CA beaches aren't year 'round warm water for swimming like the TV shows would like you to believe!... We were looking at Venice beach.
Huntington is nice and very family friendly. I don't believe there is noticeable sewage or debris right now- sometimes IMO I think that the water at Venice is actually much worse at times. Parking is $15 which is a little high but worth it if you're spending most of the afternoon there.We were considering doing Huntington Beach but was told by someone who went that a local informed them that is has sewage going into it. Maybe they were speaking about this incident in 2017?
https://www.ocregister.com/2017/05/...osed-in-huntington-beach-due-to-sewage-spill/
Not sure if that is true or not, maybe someone else can speak to it. My kids would love to go in the ocean (they have never seen it before!) so the idea makes me kind of grossed out, lol.
We were looking at Venice beach.
Venice is far from DLR. Are you going to rent a car? Huntington is much closer and your kids may enjoy eating at Ruby's on the pier. Our kids loved Ruby's. (Most kids do, it seems!) Keep in mind that the water will be cold during your visit -- CA beaches aren't year 'round warm water for swimming like the TV shows would like you to believe!
We were only in DL once, 10 years ago, but we did go to Huntington Beach one day and enjoyed it. Even in August, the water was chilly. We enjoyed the day though!You're staying in Santa Monica? Santa Monica is one of my favorite beaches/places in the LA area so that would be my first recommendation. If you're already staying there, disregard.
A lot of people think Venice Beach is a must do/must see mostly because of how eccentric it is. I wasn't a fan but it's right down the way from Santa Monica so easy to get to.
Huntington Beach is really popular, albeit it might be slightly out of the way because it's SW from DL on the coast. In you've ever set foot in a Hollister, this is the beach on the webcams
Here's an article that might help also: https://disneylanddaily.com/disneyland-rr-nearby-beach-destinations/
Renting a car will definitely help you see a lot more and have more fun on your trip! If you do visit Huntington, the Ruby's Diner is on the end of the pier and you can see the water from some of the window booths (if I'm remembering correctly). Our kids loved having burgers and shakes overlooking the ocean there. (And, if your kids really like Ruby's, there is one near DLR on Lincoln -- about 10 minutes from the parks.)We are renting a car for a couple days! I can't imagine they will actually swim (they have a major fear of sharks, lol) but they will want to probably walk in the water at the very least