Which Place for just 1 Day?

[RuthieT]

We will be driving down to SD for the day out of our trip to DL and was wondering what Park would be best for two girls 3.5 and 3? Sea World, Lego Land, Zoo, etc..??

 

[DLR29]

Well, each has its own benefits.

Seaworld is a great place because it's like a giant aquarium mixed with an amusement park. There is a water coaster, a rapids ride, and an Arctic themed motion simulator. Also the Shamu show and the dolphin show are not to be missed, especially in the splash zone. However, since the park is very water based, it is much better toured in the summer and not early December, though there are lots of dry seats at the shows and plenty of indoor attractions.

I've never been to Legoland, but from what I've seen, there is a ton of stuff for little kids to do. Special rides for them and hands on activities. This park has the best rides for the kids out of all three. But, that's jsut about it, rides.

The San Diego Zoo would probably be my top pick because the kids will be entertained all day, assuming they enjoy zoos and watching animals. The place is huge and unless you speed through everything, you can't see everything in one day. The exhibits are nice and they have some trails similar to AK's Pangani and Maharajah, if you're familiar with those. It's also the least expensive out of the three by a lot. Plus in the cooler December weather, the animals should be active most of the day.

 

[BraMax]

On our trip to DL in Feb this year we went to both Sea World and Legoland. I would say out of the two my boys 4 & 6 loved Legoland because it is geared towards kids 12 and under. At SW they didn't want to sit for the shows they wanted to play and run around. So we spent lots of time in the park area. If I had to choose which one I would take them to again at that age I would choose Legoland.

 

[Haroof]

Legoland without a doubt imo. Your kids will have a blast.

I've never been that impressed with Sea World & even a lot of the kids that I've seen there look semi-miserable.

 

[cirquelovers]

With your girls being so young I would pick Legoland also. It has an area just for young ones and some cute little rides for the younger set too. My son enjoyed digging in the boneyard and panning for gold.

 

[pinktink83]

We just got back from SeaWorld with our DS6 and our DD4, and I'm not sure 3 year olds would be able to sit and wait for the shows (the shows themselves are fun to watch and only 20 minutes long...but you have to show up at least 15 minutes early, if not 30, to get good seats for most of them). Otherwise it would be very fun...my kids LOVED seeing all the animals and fish, especially the penguins, stingrays, sea lions! We crammed in as much as we could and only saw 6 shows in between viewing all the attractions. So if you took things slower and maybe only saw 3 shows dispersed throughout the day, you'd be fine I think.

For that age I would recommend seeing Believe with Shamu, Pets Rule! (and for this you don't need to show up really early, maybe only 5-10 minutes early), the Sea Lions show, possibly the Dolphin show, and Shamu Rocks at night if they are managing well. However there is plenty to do without seeing all the shows anyway...lots of exhibits where you can get up close and hands on....and the Happy Harbor water park looked really fun. I bet my kids couldve played there for 2 hours at least, but we didnt stop.

There are only 3 rides at the park, however, and your girls wont be tall enough for them. There is the Skyride though that goes out over the bay that they might enjoy and would be able to go on, it costs $3 a person, I think? Or there is an arcade that is indoors with games n such.

I personally havent been to Legoland, but it looks fun and there would be plenty of little kid rides. Just keep in mind that there would probably be more waiting in line there than at SeaWorld!

 

[Hound 109]

Even if it was flip a coin, i'd say Legoland since you said this is a day trip. LL is a good 20-30 min. closer to DLR than the zoo & seaworld.

If you were going to spend the night, I'd do the zoo sometime. But for a down & back day trip & your kids ages, your decision is a no brainer.

Have fun.

hound -

 

[4bugzinarug]

Hands down ... Legoland!

Even though your children would love the animals & shows at Sea World, Legoland is really such an amazing experience for children that age. There are SO many things for even 2-3 year olds to do. We actually like Legoland MORE than Disneyland for several reasons (ssshhhh, I might get wet noodles thrown at me in this forum!). They have THE BEST food at pretty reasonable prices for a theme park - healthy snacks ALL OVER the place. And lots to do and see for most age groups.

We can't wait to go back!

 

[RuthieT]

So, we are really considering this going to LegoLand instead, but my only concern is that we will be going in December. Will that have any effect and they will be opening up again having being closed for two days (going on a Thursday) will it be extra crowded?

 

[grumpyvet]

Unless you are going during Christmas Break, crowds won't be bad! Thursdays tend to be a bit busier, particularly in the toddler/small kid sections as the park has a special annual membership that is called "Model Mom"...good only on Thursday for Mom's with little kids. (So it seems to be full of moms with strollers who all seem to know one another!!) But, that said...the place is never all that crowded unless we are talking holiday time.
Because of model mom, off season Fridays are a bit less crowded. But not enough that I would suggest you change your schedule!
If you are going in 2007, check out my thread labelled "LegoLand Coupons" and PM me if you need some!!
After DL, you will feel that the place is EMPTY!!!