Critique my Trip? EDIT 6/11: Post-trip Update Post 24

dkdaisy

Disney4Life!
Joined
Feb 5, 2008
EDITED 6/11: See Post 24 for a post-trip update/mini trip report. Thanks for your help!

EDITED 4/30: See updated itinerary in Post 16 based on some of the advice given


We're heading to Southern California for the first week of June. Here's our tentative schedule. Please critique it, let me know you have any recommendations for spots to check out or tweaks. We've never been to Southern California, so we're doing our best to plan a good trip with internet research. We know its a little busy, but we're okay with that.

Sat, June 2: Fly into San Francisco, see the Golden Gate Bridge - debating on Alcatraz tour, staying that night in San Jose/Morgan Hill

Sun, June 3: Drive to Monterrey, stopping at Big Basin Redwood State Park for little bit, visit the Monterrey Bay Aquarium, staying that night in Monterrey

Mon, June 4: Drive the PCH down the coast as far as we can (due to closures), then cut over to 101. We're not exactly sure how this day will go yet, but we're going to end up in Universal City for the night. We'd like to stop at some of the sights along the coast, but still working on nailing that down.

Tuesday, June 5: Universal Studios Hollywood, driving over to Anaheim for the night

Wednesday, June 6: Disneyland (should we do hoppers and plan to go back and forth between DL and DCA?), staying in Anaheim for the night

Thursday, June 7: Disneyland/DCA in the morning (same question on hoppers), then driving to Carlsbad (thinking heading back over and taking the coastal drive down, definitely trying to time it to avoid worst of the traffic, still open on specifics), staying in Carlsbad (we have family near there we will be seeing)

Friday, June 8: San Diego Zoo or San Diego Wildlife Safari - still deciding, any suggestions, feedback? staying in Carlsbad

Saturday, June 9: Some adventures around San Diego (still up in the air: USS Midway, beach/ocean visit, whale watching, trolley tour, Balboa Park, we're open to most anything), staying that night at the Hotel del Coronado, having dinner there at the hotel

Sunday, June 10: relatively early flight from San Diego back home.

So, thoughts? Are we crazy? Doable? Any tips? Thank you!
 
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At the best of times the straight drive from Monterey to Universal is 5 and a half hours. Add another hour to that if you reach Ventura/Oxnard close to 4PM and another hour traveling HWY 1 for a spell. So plan on close to 7 hours on the road. Not much time to see many sights unless you're okay with getting to Universal late - like after 10PM

Looks like you have a day and a half at DLR (June 6 and part of June 7) so park hoppers would be recommended.

Sounds like a whirlwind - but doable.
 
Sat, June 2: Fly into San Francisco, see the Golden Gate Bridge - debating on Alcatraz tour, staying that night in San Jose/Morgan Hill

It might be tough depending on when your flight lands, how long it takes to get your rental car, and finding parking near Pier 33 where the Alcatraz cruises start. There are pay lots around there, but the street parking is going to be metered unless you're willing to walk a long way. I'd think you'd need at least 3 hours for Alcatraz and you would need to reservations for a Saturday in June. If your flight is late then you're going to have problems. I don't know if I'd recommend trying to do all that in your first day, especially given the possibility of fog delaying landing at SFO.

For the Golden Gate Bridge, if you want to go across, you'll need some way to pay the toll coming back unless you totally avoid it by taking two other bridges (Richmond-San Rafael and Bay Bridge) where they still have toll booths. Or just the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (no toll going eastbound) and then down to San Jose through Oakland. The Golden Gate Bridge has gone to 100% electronic toll collection. Most rental car agencies have "PlatePass" but it gets really expensive because there's usually a daily fee once you register a single toll. You could probably set up a license plate account for your rental car. We've got our local FasTrak system, so I've never really done it myself.

http://goldengate.org/tolls/tollpaymentoptions.php#onetimepayment

But if you go across the Golden Gate Bridge, I'd recommend taking Conzelman Road in the Marin Headlands. From there the National Park Service has a visitor center.
 
I assume you are all adults on this trip? No children? Personally, this trip sounds exhaustingly jam packed. And if you hit bad traffic anywhere, especially more than once, you might spend a great deal of your vacation sitting in the car. If you're fine with that, then make sure your car is comfortable and well stocked with snacks, water, and anything else you might need. If there are kids on this trip, I would seriously consider cutting back on the itinerary to allow for more time to explore fewer stops, especially later in the trip as stamina wears down.
 


Mon, June 4: Drive the PCH down the coast as far as we can (due to closures), then cut over to 101. We're not exactly sure how this day will go yet, but we're going to end up in Universal City for the night. We'd like to stop at some of the sights along the coast, but still working on nailing that down.

DH and I are planning a similar trip - in October - flying in to OAK (better flight options than SFO for us). We're only doing SF/Carmel/Big Sur/Anaheim (DL) in 8 days however.

I'm sorry, but from what I have read in my trip research: what you have outlined sounds exhausting!:guilty:

One thing that caught my eye, was your plans for day 4. The PCH/Rte 1 "cut over" routes have been described as winding, hilly roads (suggest look at videos on youtube). Based on recommends from TA, during that portion of our trip, we plan to drive down as far as Big Sur area - from what I understand, you can spend half a day exploring in that area. The recommendation is to actually then backtrack Rte 1 to Carmel/Monterey and then another main route over to 101 before heading south. (We're going to spend the night in Monterey and then get fresh start in AM for Anaheim).

Just passing on what I've learned over on TA and other sources.

Good luck with your planning!!:)
 
I agree sounds exhausting. I would do 2 separate trips for those areas but since that is not possible....could you cut out Universal and spend an extra day at Disney? That seems more relaxing to me and 2 1/2 days you won't get bored.
 
Wednesday, June 6: Disneyland (should we do hoppers and plan to go back and forth between DL and DCA?), staying in Anaheim for the night
Parkhoppers are the best choice. It only takes a few minutes to get from one park to the other and it is very convenient to be able to do whatever you want whenever you want.

then driving to Carlsbad (thinking heading back over and taking the coastal drive down, definitely trying to time it to avoid worst of the traffic, still open on specifics)
There isn't enough of a coastal drive to bother with that. The 5 ends up next to the ocean and you can see the water for part of the regular drive. I'd just stick with taking the 5 all the way down. If traffic gets to be too much for you, you can always stop for a meal at Tommy's in San Clemente.

San Diego Zoo or San Diego Wildlife Safari
Both are nice, but I prefer Safari Park. Looks like you'd be there on my anniversary. I got married there. Zoo will be a lot more packed, but it has a good restaurant, Albert's. Safari is so spread out, you don't have to worry about crowds anywhere except for waiting for the tram tour. I highly recommend doing a behind the scenes tour no matter which park you choose. I did the Tiger one a couple weeks ago at the Safari Park. $99 for 2 hours was well worth getting up close and personal and having a personal guide.

Your plans are very ambitious. I often travel like that. I enjoy doing a lot in a little amount of time, but I can't stand the car time. I am usually the one driving and I hate driving. You'll have lots of time in the car wishing you weren't in the car.
 


Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is much easier to access than Big Basin, so I would recommend going there instead if you're just interested in seeing the redwoods.
 
If you are based in Carlsbad, Safari Park. Carlsbad is a schlep to San Diego proper and I maintain that stretch of road has worse traffic than LA. Or maybe the same, but LA people know how to drive in it. If you're at the Del, your beach visit is covered. I would just do Balboa Park. Midway is fun if you're a military buff or have kids.
 
Wow, lots of good comments - thank you everyone. Seems like we may be trying to squeeze in too much? We’ll look things over and adjust and I’ll update and see if it’s better!

We do have two kids, 7 and 3, but they are used to car rides. We routinely go 500 miles one way for a long weekend to see grandparents because we don’t live near family, so they are good in the car. But we do want to have some time see some of the sites along the coast.

I’m thinking maybe skip universal and take two days to go from Monterrey to Anaheim and spread it out.
 
With children that young, yes, this itinerary really feels like too much. Remember, many of the activities you have planned are outdoors, all day, almost non-stop. That can be very tiring and dehydrating. Day after day -- are the kids used to this kind of stress every day with no break for a week? It can really help to plan down time, like pool time, in between big activities, so that the kids (and you, too!) can decompress and regain energy and composure. Disneyland has so much mental, physical, and emotional stimulation going on non-stop -- and little ones really need the down time mixed in with the fun time to process everything so that they can really enjoy it all. Happy kids make for a happy trip, so just trying to share from experience here.

By the way, last time we checked, the Safari Park tours mentioned above had an age limit (8 and over?). We love the tours, but for the ones we've done, no young children were allowed. The SD Zoo might be a better fit for a 7 and 3 yo. Do your kids like Legos? Legoland in Carlsbad is good for really young kids. Our kids liked Legoland when they were that young.
 
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I won’t chime in on the whole trip itinerary, but I would skip Universal with the ages of your kids. I would do one day DCA, one day DLR (hop if you want you don’t have to) and I would do the SD Zoo for your kids ages - my kids loved it at 4 and 7. My son was huge into Lego and was pretty underwhelmed by Legoland, but if you have the time (it sounds like you may not) then they might like it.

Have fun!
 
With kids those ages, this really sounds exhausting! Even if they're used to long drives, this is a lot of long drives/traffic in one week with very little down time. Unless your flight is really early, I'd skip Alcatraz. While it is amazing, your kids are a little young and you'll have to make reservations so there's no flexibility. Take them to Golden Gate Park and run around instead. Then take two days to drive down the coast and skip Universal as the kids are too young to appreciate it or even ride most of what's there. Do the 2 days with park hoppers at DL, then head down to SD either early afternoon or late evening to miss rush hour. At those ages my kids preferred the Safari Park (and I do too) and it's not too far from Carlsbad, but either is a good choice. In SD, do Balboa Park and/or the children's museum and then relax on the beach at Coronado, walk around town and get ice cream. Take some time to relax and enjoy!
 
I agree with a lot of what was said. I live in the Bay Area near SF. Driving from SFO to the Golden Gate Bridge can take a ridiculously long time in traffic. Pier 39 is also a frustrating place to drive to and park at. I would probably skip Alcatraz as it would likely be boring for kids. Is this happening on a weekday? Driving from the Golden Gate Bridge to Morgan Hill could take 3-4 hours if you are going in the afternoon or evening on a weekday. Sometimes on the weekend as well.

If I were you I would probably spend two nights in SF or two nights in Monterey. There is a ton to do in both places.

I would also suggest cutting out Universal Studios and doing DL/DCA for 2-3 full days. San Diego zoo is nice so I think that's a good pick.
 
Okay, after reading everyone's advice and looking through things again, we decided to assume that we will be back to California in the future and to not try to do everything. So, below is our modified tentative schedule.

....

Sat, June 2: Fly into San Francisco, staying that night in San Jose/Morgan Hill

Sun, June 3: Drive to Monterrey, stopping at Big Basin Redwood State Park (maybe Henry Cowell instead) for little bit, visit the Monterrey Bay Aquarium, staying that night in Monterrey

Mon, June 4: Drive the PCH down the coast to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and stop there for a bit, then cut over to 101 using Nacimiento-Fergusson Rd (or go back up to Monterrey and take the 101 down, depending on how we feel about the drive), staying that night in San Luis Obispo

Tuesday, June 5: Drive to Anaheim to avoid LA traffic as best as possible (leave around 8-9 and aim for Anaheim around 2ish? Does that seem reasonable - I'm not sure on LA traffic?), relax in Anaheim for the evening (pool, dinner, early-to-bed)

Wednesday, June 6: Disneyland and/or DCA, staying in Anaheim for the night (hotel is 10-15 minute walk from DL/DCA gates, so we're good with going back for a nap/chill time in the afternoon for a bit if we need to)

Thursday, June 7: Disneyland and/or DCA, then driving to Carlsbad (still not sure if we'll leave to drive down in the afternoon or wait until late evening to try to avoid traffic), staying in Carlsbad (and I just found out this week that my family there has to decided to take an international job opportunity that came up and they're moving in two weeks, so we won't get to see them :( )

Friday, June 8: San Diego Zoo or San Diego Wildlife Safari, leaning towards Safari, staying in Carlsbad

Saturday, June 9: Some adventures around San Diego (USS Midway seems to be where we're leaning, plus wandering around town/Coronado Beach), staying that night at the Hotel del Coronado, having dinner there at the hotel

Sunday, June 10: relatively early flight from San Diego back home.

...

Better? We're still doing a lot, but less than I was originally thinking. It will be tiring, but we're used to vacations with full days.
 
Just a thought: if you won't even get to see your family in Carlsbad, do you have to go there? Could you make it 3 days at DLR? With 3 day tickets (purchased in advance), you'll get a Magic Morning (1 hour early entry to FL and TL) to DL on your Thursday. With small kids, that early hour could mean a lot with the FL rides. Then you could drive down to SD on Friday. If you plan to return to CA on another trip, you could focus more on the SD area then.
 
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Just a thought: if you won't even get to see your family in Carlsbad, do you have to go there? Could you make it 3 days at DLR? With 3 day tickets (purchased in advance), you'll get a Magic Morning (1 hour early entry to FL and TL) to DL on your Thursday. With small kids, that early hour could mean a lot with the FL rides. Then you could drive down to SD on Friday. If you plan to return to CA on another trip, you could focus more on the SD area then.

Our hotels are primarily determined by our IHG rewards points and Carlsbad is less points than San Diego or Anaheim, which is why we're still doing 2 nights there. :) The Hotel del Coronado is our one hotel splurge for the week!
 
I think the new schedule looks better, especially with a 3 year old. For Monterey I would suggest getting to the aquarium by noon or 1pm. They usually close at 5pm and there is A LOT to see there. There are also play areas that the kids would enjoy in the aquarium. Another place to visit in Monterey that I would highly recommend for kids of that age is the Dennis the Menace Park. My 5 year old daughter likes that park better than the aquarium, and you could go in the evening after the aquarium.

If your flight arrives before noon on Sat you could try going to the Golden Gate Bridge and maybe doing something else near it. It's a Saturday so the commuter traffic wont be there, though there is sometimes still a fair amount of weekend traffic. On the SF side, the Walt Disney Family Museum is nice (if you are a Walt Disney fan.) On the North Bay side, the Bay Area Discovery Kids Museum is a great museum for kids. Both have nice views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
 
June 3: The drive from San Jose to Henry Cowell is very easy. I'd plan to go there. I drove back and forth between the 2 last year. There's a train there that goes to the beach in Santa Cruz and also a train that goes more into the mountains. We opted to not take either because they were long (maybe 90 mins) and we didn't allow that much time in our schedule and wanted to walk around the redwoods instead.

June 5: Don't hit the road until at least 9am. You'll get another big bout of traffic during the lunch hour normally, but if you want to avoid the worst in the morning, wait until at least 9am.

June 7: Leave Disneyland at 7pm or later. I often go up for the day, driving by Carlsbad on my way home. I have found leaving 7pm or later is best for an easier drive home. It takes a while to get from the parks to the car. You could leave the park at 6:30 and probably won't be in your car on your way until 7pm.

Overall, updated plan looks great. #jealous!

I want to comment (and I may be the only person who feels this way), the Monterey Aquarium had some nice features, but it wasn't as spectacular as I expected. I have been to aquariums before (love the one in Long Beach) and there was actually only one exhibit that I was impressed with. I'd much rather have spent that time looking at animals in the wild instead. Since you have younger children, you may enjoy it much more than I did. There were a lot of areas for kids and if I had small kid at the time, I probably would have felt like I got my money's worth. On my trip up there, I saw lots of otters in the wild and went whale watching where in addition to whales, we saw tons of dolphins and seals. There's really a lot of cool stuff to see at the ocean there without going to an aquarium.
 

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