Help Needed! California trip July '08!

[Pkdcoastrs]

Hey!

Two years ago my family had a trip planned out for about two weeks of California. Due to emergency surgery, that trip was cancelled

BUT! This year looks like the one that will finally be the year we get to California. The problem is, after so many years of going to Walt Disney World we DO NOT know where to start! I've requested all the travel guides from various California websites, but it's just SO BIG lol!!

I know you can never cover everything, but I want to start planning the trip out with all of your help!

If any of you can recommend one of the better travel books to get and also great websites, please let me know! This is going to take a while and I have to learn to be patient as I want to do a lot but keep it fun, relaxing, and just overall a great time for my parents!

We know that we want to hit up
1) Anaheim and Disneyland
2) greater Los Angeles
3) San Diego (maybe?)
4) San Francisco (maybe maybe?)
5) + anywhere else you all recommend!!
Thanks,
M

 

[jlmarr]

This is a great starter for the Disneyland part of your trip: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

As for Anaheim, there are a couple of pro sports teams that play there, the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" (baseball) and the Anaheim Ducks (hockey). There's also the Honda Center, The Grove, the House of Blues, and a handful of other entertainment venues. The GardenWalk near DLR is in the process of opening, with a Cheesecake Factory and Bubba Gump Shrimp Company already open, with P.F. Chang's and others coming in 2008.

There are sticky threads at the top of this forum which will get you started on other aspects of your trip. I guess it all depends on what you're interested in - sports, museums, theatre, theme parks, beaches, zoos, national parks, etc - it's all here.

 

[eduk8r26]

If you belong to AAA, you can't go wrong with their travel guides. They have lots of info about major cities.

 

[Jynohn]

Sounds like you're in the same boat as we are. We've been to WDW 20+ times, but are planning our first CA/Disneyland trip for July 2008 and feel pretty overwhelmed. We're planning on 11 days, and our itinerary so far includes two days in San Diego, a day in San Jose to see the Winchester Mystery House, a day in San Simeon to see Hearst Castle, two days in San Francisco, and five nights at the Grand Californian to see Warner Brothers Studios, Disneyland and California Adventure.

I'll be looking forward to seeing what other replies and tips you might get that we might be able to use for our own trip!

 

[Hound 109]

This trip report might give you some ideas. (great pics & a nice read, too).

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1489485

A few thoughts if it was me given the number of days you have:

- I would fly into SF & out of SD (or vice versa).
- 4-5 days at DLR should be DURING THE WEEK (not weekends) in the summer.
- Santa Barbara & Solvang are overated (1/2 a day tops for each, imo).....the rest of the coast between SB & SF (imo) is under-rated & beautiful.
- I would stay one night in SB, one night in SLO, one night in Cambria (next to Hearst Castle) & two nights in Monterey.....if i had 2 weeks in Cal. Most folks blow down (or up) the coast (between LA & SF) in one day.

Here's a pretty good Central Coast website that has Lots of links. Get a map out as there are alot of towns & activities between Santa Barbara & Monterey that this site links to.

http://www.centralcoast.com/

Sounds like a great trip. Read all the stickys at the top of the DL board (especially HydroGuy's & MaryJo's) & post back!

Have fun planning a trip to Walt's Park.

 

[RMH]

With 2 weeks in California, I would try to see Yosemite National park if possible - especially if you will include the San Francisco Bay area in your itinery. A majority of the attractions and restaurants in LA or SF are available in other cities, but you can't go anywhere else to experience Yosemite. If you do go, make sure you get hotel reservations now. It is popular during the summer and if you wait until the last minute you will be out of luck.

 

[Angie_Ohio]

We are also WDW vets venturing west for the first time. We have planned to go for twelve days. I already have Yosemite booked. Did it a year ago to get lodging in the park. We are staying there for four nights. Then we planned to go SF then to Anaheim but changed that. Now we're doing just Anaheim. I hope to take a day trip to Sea World. One son asked to go there for the trip. Good Luck! Keep searching here. I recommend checking out Kevin S (can't remember his name now) trip report. It's called a Very British Trip Report or something close to that. He has great pictures on it from his trip to Yosemite, San Fran., the PCH and Disneyland.

 

[Disney Ella]

I recommend checking out Kevin S (can't remember his name now) trip report. It's called a Very British Trip Report or something close to that. He has great pictures on it from his trip to Yosemite, San Fran., the PCH and Disneyland.

His name is Kevin Stringer and his report inspired me to visit Yosemite this summer (and DL, of course.) Unfortunately, we didn't know until a few weeks ago that we could go and the only thing available inside Yosemite was a tent cabin at Curry Village, which we don't want to do, so we are staying at Yosemite Cedar Lodge in El Portal.

 

[tl_swift]

I would give a thought to staying here: http://www.welksandiego.com/default.asp?idno=5062 We did and had a great time!!!! I have 3 children. We stayed there when they were 15,14 & 8. The resort is in between DisneyLand and San Diego. It was a very easy drive to both. On our down days the whole family had so much fun at the resort that they didn't want to leave!!

 

[MeeShKaPeeEsh]

HI!

I'm born & raised in San Francisco. I'm also a hotel concierge downtown San Francisco. I *almost* know the city in & out.

What are you looking for exactly?

I would HIGHLY recommend taking the San Francisco City Tour. It lasts for about 4 hours - they pick you up from your hotel then bring you to the warf. You'll see San Francisco's most adorned views given the tour company you choose.

I always tell guests at the hotel not to spend SO much time at fishermans warf/pier 39! There's so much more the city can offer. If you'll be in the area for a trip - take a quick walk, but do see the secret sites - Bakers Beach - you'd get to visit the beach AND knock out seeing the golden gate bridge all at once, Twin Peaks (which has an AWESOME view of San Francisco - highest point overlooking the whole city) - Tour of Alcatraz . . . Hop on the cable cars . . the possibilities are endless.

If you need any help - let me know.

 

[MeeShKaPeeEsh]

Sorry - I forgot to add a must trip - GHIRARDELLI SQUARE!! If you'll take the San Francisco Tours - you can ask them to drop you off at Pier 39 / Ghirardelli Square. This is an absolute must. Where it all started. Kinda like the Disneyland of Chocolates. The Ice Cream Parlor always has a line - but the line moves quite quickly. The ice cream is AWESOME and you get to see them make CHOCOLATE!! DD(4yo) loves going here.

I should start the San Francisco Dis Tourist guide post lol.

 

[casaazul]

As others have said, fly into San Diego or SF and out of the other.

3 days in San Francisco area
2 days Yosemite
2 days south of San Francisco, Monterey Bay aquarium is awesome. Also a visit to Hearst Castle.
2 days in Hollywood/LA area. Maybe a studio tour
3 days in DL. During the week as much as possible. There is a deal now for 5 day hopper passes for 3 day price. Stay nearby the park. Carousel Inn, Hojo's both nice and right across from the park.
2-3 days in San Diego. Seaworld, SD Zoo, Maritime Museum, Coronado Island, Old Town.. lots to see.

 

[Pkdcoastrs]

Wow, thanks for all the help so far!!

I'm beginning to like the whole San Francisco to start and end in Southern California!

Now in San Francisco, is there a certain area of town that offers 'reasonably' priced hotels and a more central location to all the good places to visit? I guess that's sort of a trick question (I live right next to NYC, I should know).... LOL

Anyway, I'm going to continue to update and check this post as it already given me some great ideas.


Thanks,
M

 

[Pkdcoastrs]

I haven't made too much progress, but just now I went through TripAdvisor and picked out some hotel in San Francisco! I chose them based on the fact that they had at least '200' ratings and were in the $100-$300 price range (I think lol)

Here are the hotels, if any of you have good or bad opinions please let me know!!

The Orchard Hotel
Chancellor Hotel on Union Square
Argonaut Hotel
Hotel Carlton San Francisco
Best Western Tuscan Inn Fisherman’s Wharf
Hotel Palomar
The Mosser
Westin San Francisco Market

If you can give any great hotels that aren't listed, post away!!

Thanks!!
M

 

[jlmarr]

I haven't made too much progress, but just now I went through TripAdvisor and picked out some hotel in San Francisco! I chose them based on the fact that they had at least '200' ratings and were in the $100-$300 price range

Parc 55 Hotel fits that bill and has a very good location - near Powell and Market so it's handy to BART, the P&M Cable Car turntable, the F Trolley that runs from Market to Fisherman's Wharf, and the light rail system that can get you to AT&T Park and/or Golden Gate Park. We had a little problem with street noise but would stay there again, which is the bottom line.

 

[CPM]

We are doing a similar trip this summer. AAA has been a great way to get maps and guide books.

We fly RT LAX from FL . I booked these flights a long time ago and would have changed it to flying into SD and out of LA.

Drive to San Diego stay for 2 nights
Drive to Yosemite, stay 3 nights
Drive to Santa Barbara area, stay 3 nights
Drive to Anaheim, stay 8 nights and use as a base for LA & Anaheim area attractions while DH attends conference.

 

[DSNY4ever]

I too have stayed at the Park 55 (got it through hotwire, weeknights for $100 a night). It is a great location for seeing Union Square and the San Francisco Shopping Centre is just across the street and has plenty of food options and a fun food market on the bottom floor, good place to get to go lunches for day trips of sightseeing.

If in SF I recommend seeing-
Pier 39/Fisherman's Warf
Golden Gate Park
And obviously the Golden Gate bridge and the beach etc. (If you go across the bridge Sausalito is beautiful too)

If you are going to drive down to Anaheim from there try going down highway one and making some stops along the way at possibly Monterey or Hearst Castle and when you get further down south you can stop in Hollywood or Beverly hills, then go to Anaheim (other than Disneyland I don't care for anything else in Anaheim) and then down to San Diego, the SD Zoo is great.

ooo...this would be a long trip! Haha and Yosemite is beautiful too, but that is not along the coast. But if you have already been to WDW I would only recommend 3 days in the DLR (unless you have little tykes with you). For adults and older kids this should be more than enough time, you could even get away with two days, except if it is summer it will be quite crowded.

Good luck!