Great Wolf, Disney and Uni-too much?

[Melanie415]

Am I trying to cram too much into our 8 day trip? We went to Florida last year for three weeks and had a wonderful time at Universal, WDW and the water parks. So, I'm trying to recreate that experience in California for a much shorter time frame. It will be me, husband (haven't been in 20 years) and 2 kids, 9 & 6, first time. 5 day Park hoppers. We like to take mid-day breaks. This is a rough idea of what I would like to do. Should I change the order around? Wondering if we should skip Universal because of the traffic hassle to get there and back and just take a rest day instead. Oh, and no car.

Flying out from Hawaii to LAX on Thanksgiving morning.
11/23 Thursday arrive at LAX 3:30pm check in at Great Wolf Lodge by 6pm.
11/24 Friday Great Wolf Lodge all day
11/25 Saturday GWL waterslides morning and check into Disneyland Hotel by 3pm
11/26 Sunday Disneyland Resort
11/27 Monday Disneyland Resort
11/28 Tuesday Universal
11/29 Wednesday Disneyland Resort
11/30 Thursday Disneyland Resort
12/1 Friday Disneyland Resort in the morning and leave for airport around 1pm for 5pm flight.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I think that is a very reasonable plan. Universal might be a nice break in the middle of your Disneyland stay. It just seems quieter to me. It will be a hassle to get there and back, but since you have 4 full days in the parks at Disneyland, it could be worth it, but it also may be boring to your kids. I know I practically fall asleep on the back lot tram ride - even though it is interesting to me.

Another option is to go to Knott's berry Farm on your day off of Disneyland. It can be a let down when comparing to Disneyland, but it's a change of pace and has some old time rides as well as some roller coasters. It's a lot closer to Disneyland than Universal Studios. It's also close to a couple dinner theaters (Medieval Times and a Pirate themed place) that you may want to dine in after your visit to the park.

 

[Mysteryincorp]

I think you need a rest day, GWL is absolutely exhausting. To do two days at GWL and then roll right into Disneyland would wipe me out. I would skip the water parks Saturday morning and just hang out at the hotel, make that a semi rest day

 

[smartlabelprint]

We've tried to go to the parks in departure day. It's never worked out. Take your full day 11/28 at dlr slow down, take time off for pool breaks.

 

[bumbershoot]

That's too short a trip for three seoarate things for me. GWL would be a pass for me and we'd do two days of Uni.

But then we have a GWL nearish me. Only been once in the years since it's been open, but it's there just in case.

 

[Mugglemama]

We just got home a few days ago (we live out of state). We did the waterpark at GWL for about 3 hours on arrival day and 3 hours the next morning, that afternoon we took a Lyft to DLR and checked in at PPH, followed by 1 day in DD and 2 days in the parks. Before that we were in San Diego for 4 days, did the zoo, a few museums, Coronado Island, Old Town, etc.

We were tired at the end of it, but it was do-able. GWL is exhausting, as another poster mentioned, and not something I would personally bother doing again on an Anaheim trip, but the kids (I have teenagers) enjoyed it. Though, none of us felt very well after being in that room so long...the chlorine is very overwhelming and made me physically ill (just from sitting inside the waterpark...I wasn't on the slides), which kind of affected our DD time. We ended up not hanging out down there for very long, and just went back up to our room to rest for the remainder of the afternoon/evening.

I agree with another poster who said it will be a hassle to get to Uni and back, but it can certainly be done. We had to take the train back and forth between SD and Anaheim, which wasn't super easy, either, but we did it. Hopefully since all of your destinations are relatively close together (closer than SD, anyway) and you're spending a lot more days at one destination than we did, you'll find it more manageable. Have fun!

 

[Nevada Jen]

Your kids are great agrees for gwl. If anything I'd take out universal. But I think it sounds like a great trip.

 

[SMD]

DLR and So Cal are not WDW and FL, trying to recreate your vacation there is likely to end in disappointment. I think you're fine doing just a morning at Disney on your last day because it's your 5th day. But what are you hoping to get out of USH if you've already been in FL? I don't think it's worth the time and effort to get there, especially after 4-5 packed days with 2.5 to go. If you want to insert a non-Disney day I'd look at what So Cal has to offer than FL doesn't. Do a day trip to LA/Santa Monica or if you want to do a theme park, Knott's should have it's full schedule of Christmas shows and the marketplace open by then. Where I think you might need to be prepared is arriving on Thanksgiving you want to make sure food will be available when you get to the hotel if you arrive at 6pm or later.

 

[Kindermouse]

Am I trying to cram too much into our 8 day trip?

I think...that I am jealous.

You may well be disappointed by Universal if you have been to the one in FL since it is so much smaller but...I love WWoHP. When I side trip to Universal for a day I take the shuttle to avoid traffic hassles. However you plan to get there please know that in CA your 5 year old needs to be in a carseat if riding in a car if he or she is less than 80 pounds

 

[3monkeys4me]

That plan would work well for us, except I don't think we would hit the parks on departure day. If you already have the tickets then that's fine. We usually do a character breakfast at one of the hotels and walk around downtown disney if we have an afternoon/evening flight. We don't usually find GWL that tiring, but it is smaller than some of the other water parks we are used to visiting (I've only been to the one in WI, so YMMV).

I'd keep Universal, but we are also Harry Potter fans. If you decide to skip it and you are into thrill rides we like knotts. I would probably plan at least one day to be a shortened Disney day, either sleeping in one morning or leaving the parks early for a relaxing evening, keeping it flexible depending on how everyone was doing.

 

[SMD]

I think...that I am jealous.

You may well be disappointed by Universal if you have been to the one in FL since it is so much smaller but...I love WWoHP. When I side trip to Universal for a day I take the shuttle to avoid traffic hassles. However you plan to get there please know that in CA your 5 year old needs to be in a carseat if riding in a car if he or she is less than 80 pounds

In 2011 CA changed their car seat standard from weight to height.

 

[3monkeys4me]

In 2011 CA changed their car seat standard from weight to height.

I believe they also need to be at least 8 to be out of a car seat in CA, at least according the the spread sheet I have. But my 8 year old isn't even close to being tall enough to safely ride without a booster so I've haven't played to close attention in the last year or so.

 

[mfleeting]

We do GWL every year, for 8 years now, but I would never do it during a Disneyland trip. For us its no longer exhausting but mostly because we only spend 3ish hours in the waterpark (or less) and then go sit around the lobby or room. If the kids are playing magiquest then they get very exhausted pretty fast. If yall have never been you'll probably want to spend so much time in the park it will probably leave yall exhausted when yall finally leave. I would skip GWL and do another Universal day (if yall are into Harry Potter like us then another day will be worth it just for this area even though it is small). Or I would just spend a day in the hotel room or seeing LA.

 

[Kindermouse]

yikes I thought it was still 8 or 80. My kid has been out of a carseat for so many years I only think of carseats and boosters for my little niece and she is so tiny all around that she is stuck with that thing until she is 8 for sure. Some kids are gonna be in a car seat until they are practically ready to rive themselves to school.