California trip

[greenclan67]

Complete, and I mean complete green horns here. We have been to Florida & WDW numerous times. My teens 18 & 16 have asked if we could do a California trip next Xmas/New Years. We have never been and I feel lost.
We like our timeshare resorts with kitchens/laundry.
We know We want to do 3 days of Disney ( have the canadian deal tickets bought) We are also interested in San Diego. And my daughter really wants to do Venice Beach, Huntington beach.
We have any 10 to 12 days between. Dec 22nd to Jan 5th
I have hunted and looked. Ordered travelling books and am still just lost. We have debated doing the Grand Canyon as well. I know it's a drive. But this may be the last big vacation. As my daughter's will both be in University the following year.
Any help, advice, resorts, all suite hotels. Where we should start. I feel like this adventure is leaving me breathless.
Thank you

 

[bcla]

I don't know about the Grand Canyon. I'd recommend Yosemite.

Winter of course is going to be very different, but if you're from Canada I'm pretty sure it would be nothing unusual. Yosemite looks spectacular with a dusting of snow, although I've been there around Christmas when there was zero snow on Yosemite Valley.

 

[wanderlust7]

I'll try to help with the timeshare part since we own one with Wyndham. We visit relatives in SoCal at least once a year and stay in timeshares when it works out.

Near Disneyland, we've stayed at the Worldmark Anaheim. It's about 20 minutes walk to Disneyland, there's also a bus that stops right outside. We enjoyed our stay and lucked out with a higher unit facing the pool with a view of the Disneyland fireworks. There is also Dolphin Cove and Peacock Suites (this one I think is a converted hotels and doesn't have full kitchens). And of course, there's Villas at Grand Californian, but only the 1 bedroom and up would have kitchens and that would be $$. I've had my eye on the Marriott Newport Coast Villas, but that one wouldn't be as convenient to Disneyland.

Near San Diego, we've stayed in Carlsbad a few times. My kids are young so they like Legoland. We've stayed at Grand Pacific Palisades and Carlsbad Beach Inn Resort (enjoyed both). There are a few timeshares in downtown San Diego. I know of Wyndham Harbour Lights and Gaslamp Plaza Suites. Units tend to be smaller, with kitchenettes, and parking is expensive. We don't need to be in the middle of the action, so haven't wanted to try them. Oceanside also has a few. I've been wanting to try Wyndham Oceanside, which is ocean front, but haven't had a chance to yet.

Grand Canyon - maybe you can get it to work if you fly into LA/San Diego and out of Las Vegas or Phoenix (or vice versa).

 

[theluckyrabbit]

This thread will help with DLR information: A DLR Guide for WDW Vets. Be aware that your dates cover one of the busiest times of the year at DLR. The week between Christmas and New Year's usually sees capacity closures more than once (meaning the gates close to new entries for a few hours of the day -- rarely is it worse than that). Good planning and organization here will be critical to getting the most out of your time in the parks.

 

[cruisehopeful]

We like our timeshare resorts with kitchens/laundry.

Most of the timeshares I have stayed at in the areas you mentioned do not have laundry in the unit, but do have it on the property.
Peacock Suites in Anaheim is a converted motel. You won't have a kitchen. It only has a small fridge, microwave and sink.

Somewhat of a drive away is Marriott's Newport Coast villas. It will have full kitchen, in room laundry and many very nice features. It can be a 45 min drive to Disneyland from there. It is pretty close to Huntington Beach. I'd choose this timeshare if I only wanted 3 days of Disneyland and wanted to visit all the beaches on the other days.

We know We want to do 3 days of Disney ( have the canadian deal tickets bought) We are also interested in San Diego. And my daughter really wants to do Venice Beach, Huntington beach.

It's nice to stay close enough to DIsneyland to be able to walk or easily go back to the room during the day, but since you only want 3 days there and you want to use a timeshare, I'd stay further away like the Marriott Newport Coast Villas. If you can't get that, than one of the Anaheim timeshares will be fine.

Any help, advice, resorts, all suite hotels.

I've had timeshares for a while and now getting rid of all of them. I have decided I want the service that hotels offer. In Anaheim, I like to stay at the Hilton properties that have suites and hot breakfast. Those would be Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites. Embassy doesn't have a full kitchen, the others do if you book the right room.

I also enjoy staying at Disney's Grand Californian. There are timeshare units there, but very limited and therefore booked up all the time. There are owners who rent out there units. If you have enough notice (11 months usually), you can rent a unit from an owner and have a great room with a full kitchen and an entrance into a theme park.

For San Diego, there are a plethora of timeshares in the area. You can get one in the beach areas of Del Mar, Oceanside, Solana Beach or Carlsbad. Or, you can stay inland at Welk's Resort in Escondido. I live in the area and have stayed or driven by many of the timeshares in the area. If you have more specific questions about any of them, I may have answers.

 

[cedricandsophie]

You could go on HomeAway to look for houses or condos to rent. There is usually a 2 or 3 day minimum but you get all the amenities of home. I’ve had great luck renting houses there.and you could rent at diff places. But if you want to see a lot you could do single nights in several hotels with a few nights in a condo to laundry and kitchens. I always go to booking.com to look for hotels and check reviews on trip advisor before I book.

Once you get thru Disney you could stay around Venice or Huntington Beach. But that time if year might be iffy for actually hanging at beach. Obviously there’s a lot to see in the LA area but personally I would get bored quickly.

you could south to San Diego it’s a great city with a fab zoo and some good wineries outside of city. or north to Santa Barbra, Monterey, San Fran, wine country and Yosemite. Or east to either Palm Springs and some good desert hiking or Vegas and on to Grand Canyon.

It really depends on your interests, how much driving you want to do. If you wznt 3 days in Disney that only leaves 7 to 9 days and given the distances in Calif that’s not a lot of time.

You might consider flying into LA and flying out of another city if the rental car drop off fee isn’t too bad. Some companies don’t have fees. And it would save a lot of driving

Personally I would start in San Fran, spend a day or two there, a couple day in wine country or Yosemite. Drive to Monterey, see the aquarium and as far along coast as is open. Stop at Nepenthe a restaurant on Big Sur. Incredible views. Stop in Santa Barbara for a night or two

Drive into LA. Get a beach house if possible and explore the area. Drive down to San Diego for a day. Drop off car and End up at Disney. Fly home from LA

 

[greenclan67]

You could go on HomeAway to look for houses or condos to rent. There is usually a 2 or 3 day minimum but you get all the amenities of home. I’ve had great luck renting houses there.and you could rent at diff places. But if you want to see a lot you could do single nights in several hotels with a few nights in a condo to laundry and kitchens. I always go to booking.com to look for hotels and check reviews on trip advisor before I book.

Once you get thru Disney you could stay around Venice or Huntington Beach. But that time if year might be iffy for actually hanging at beach. Obviously there’s a lot to see in the LA area but personally I would get bored quickly.

you could south to San Diego it’s a great city with a fab zoo and some good wineries outside of city. or north to Santa Barbra, Monterey, San Fran, wine country and Yosemite. Or east to either Palm Springs and some good desert hiking or Vegas and on to Grand Canyon.

It really depends on your interests, how much driving you want to do. If you wznt 3 days in Disney that only leaves 7 to 9 days and given the distances in Calif that’s not a lot of time.

You might consider flying into LA and flying out of another city if the rental car drop off fee isn’t too bad. Some companies don’t have fees. And it would save a lot of driving

Personally I would start in San Fran, spend a day or two there, a couple day in wine country or Yosemite. Drive to Monterey, see the aquarium and as far along coast as is open. Stop at Nepenthe a restaurant on Big Sur. Incredible views. Stop in Santa Barbara for a night or two

Drive into LA. Get a beach house if possible and explore the area. Drive down to San Diego for a day. Drop off car and End up at Disney. Fly home from LA

Thank you. Do you have any suggestions on home away?

 

[greenclan67]

Thank you everyone. I knew I could count on everyone here for much better info. Then a shot in the dark.
I appreciate it. Off to research all of your suggestions and will be back with questions.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Thank you. Do you have any suggestions on home away?

First off, read this thread for some very good information on choosing a hotel at DLR (very different from choosing a hotel at WDW): https://www.disboards.com/threads/choosing-the-right-dlr-area-hotel-for-you.3656512/.

Next, be aware that the Anaheim city council has been going back and forth on banning STR in the city of Anaheim proper. The council was flooded with requests for hardship exemptions, so the original ban date of Feb. 2018 was extended. I don't know where the situation currently stands. I do know people who were not happy with their STR experiences in Anaheim (and have read other negative reports online) -- most complaints dealt with false advertising and the long walk to the parks (especially now that you are no longer allowed to take a short cut through the M&F parking lot). So make sure to do your research before committing to a STR.

Lastly, the author of the two threads referred to above (the one for WDW vets and this one about choosing a hotel) has very good opinions and suggestions about staying within walking distance of the parks. You will be visiting during a high crowd time (parks will be anywhere from 8/10 to 10/10) with only 3 days, so saving time by staying close by really matters. There are all suite hotels close by (some are almost new, like the Residence Inn Convention Center, Springhill Suites on Harbor and Katella, or the Homewood Suites) which are good options.

 

[momof2n2]

I’m a HomeAway vet with many many bookings over the years. Also vacationhomerentals. Sadly, there used to be a lot of options and now with mergers with VRBO and TripAdvisor there are fewer agencies and higher prices.

We found a place that was good for us on AirBnB - so I am using them for the first time. They were signciantly lower than the other two.

HTH

 

[hodad]

I'm adding my two cents rather late, but you could stay at a time share in the Palm Springs area and explore Joshua Tree, Mount San Jacinto, the Living Desert zoo, and the Salton Sea, then curl around through Anza Borrego on your way to San Diego. The desert is beautiful in December and unlike anything in Canada. The area will give you enough of a taste of the Grand Canyon without all the travel.

 

[greenclan67]

I’m a HomeAway vet with many many bookings over the years. Also vacationhomerentals. Sadly, there used to be a lot of options and now with mergers with VRBO and TripAdvisor there are fewer agencies and higher prices.

We found a place that was good for us on AirBnB - so I am using them for the first time. They were signciantly lower than the other two.

HTH

Any personal recommendations to contact?

 

[greenclan67]

I'm adding my two cents rather late, but you could stay at a time share in the Palm Springs area and explore Joshua Tree, Mount San Jacinto, the Living Desert zoo, and the Salton Sea, then curl around through Anza Borrego on your way to San Diego. The desert is beautiful in December and unlike anything in Canada. The area will give you enough of a taste of the Grand Canyon without all the travel.

Funny we were just looking at this. Thank you

 

[Toolulu22]

I also enjoy staying at Disney's Grand Californian. There are timeshare units there, but very limited and therefore booked up all the time. There are owners who rent out there units. If you have enough notice (11 months usually), you can rent a unit from an owner and have a great room with a full kitchen and an entrance into a theme park.

I've used DVC to from owners at WDW and I believe that they rent GCV as well. But do you know of another way to reserve a GCV? We like having a kitchen and in-room laundry, plus the rooms are larger. We're just starting the planning process for a trip August 2019. Thanks!

 

[cruisehopeful]

But do you know of another way to reserve a GCV?

There likely is not another way. There are only 40 something rooms and some of those are studios without kitchens. When it first opened, you could book the rooms on the general website, but since it's been sold out for so long, I don't think rooms ever pop up on the normal website anymore. If you want to stay in a villa with a kitchen, your best bet is to contact David's or another owner and rent that way. While they cannot book it for you now, they may be able to take a deposit to plan to book for you when the booking window does come open.

Otherwise, stay offsite at a different hotel or rental unit that has a kitchen. You won't be super close to the parks, but if you don't mind a 20 minute walk or a 5 minute Lyft ride, you can make it work.

 

[Toolulu22]

There likely is not another way. There are only 40 something rooms and some of those are studios without kitchens. When it first opened, you could book the rooms on the general website, but since it's been sold out for so long, I don't think rooms ever pop up on the normal website anymore. If you want to stay in a villa with a kitchen, your best bet is to contact David's or another owner and rent that way. While they cannot book it for you now, they may be able to take a deposit to plan to book for you when the booking window does come open.

Otherwise, stay offsite at a different hotel or rental unit that has a kitchen. You won't be super close to the parks, but if you don't mind a 20 minute walk or a 5 minute Lyft ride, you can make it work.

Yea, I've checked out the hotel in the past and saw them listed on the Disney site, but not anytime recently. I've used David's before. Planning a year out is scary though, because you can not cancel or change your reservation. I looked at the Disneyland Hotel and it looks cute, as do the regular rooms in the GC. I'm just wondering how the construction of the new hotel will impact guests staying there. Will they be able to easily walk past construction to Downtown Disney and the parks? Wonder how that will work.