Help Planning Mini-Road Trip

[Abbey1]

My family (husband, 6 year old son, and myself) will be taking a little road trip this June, and I’d love some input/opinions. We’ll be driving into Yosemite, where we’ll spend three nights (two nights camping in Lower Pines and one night staying at Tenaya Lodge). Then we will move onto a day at Universal Studios (staying two nights at the Hilton). Finally, we plan on spending two nights at Huntington Beach before heading back home.

We won’t be doing Disneyland this trip (we had APs last year, but decided to do WDW this fall instead of renewing). I’m bummed to miss the return of PTN and check out the new Pixar Pier. As “Disney people”, will we be let down by Universal? We do love Harry Potter, but I’m worried Universal will disappoint us, especially as my son isn’t tall enough for Forbidden Journey yet.

What are some of the best kid-friendly hikes in Yosemite? We plan on hiking in Tuolumne Meadows on our way in, the falls the next day, and doing the valley floor tour. Are there any other hikes that aren’t to be missed?

We had planned on visiting Mariposa Grove the day we stay at Tenaya Lodge, but it’s not scheduled to open until three days after we leave. I’m going to keep my fingers crossed that it actually opens a few days early, but I’m not counting on it. What would be a good alternate activity for that day? We were thinking of renting a raft and floating down the Merced, or maybe checking out a nearby steam train railway.

Last question, I promise. Are there any not-to-be-missed attractions in LA we should check out before we head to the beach? And does anyone have any restaurant recommendations in Huntington Beach? I would love to find a good seafood place. We’ll be staying at the Waterfront Hilton

 

[bcla]

Well - it really depends on the kid, but my kid was able to do the Mist Trail at 3 years old. It's not exactly easy, but it's only 1.5 miles each way and more of a short but steep slog than something where you'll be aching for days.

If you absolutely have to see a sequoia tree, there's Tuolumne Grove in Yosemite. It's pretty close to Yosemite Valley. There is hiking involved, but it is relatively flat. There's also one giant sequoia planted at the Ahwahnee Hotel, although that's not its natural environment (too low an altitude).

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/sequoias.htm
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Tuo...7218a609b!2m2!1d-119.8098987!2d37.7690922!3e2

Here's the terrain map:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Tuo...b!2m2!1d-119.8098987!2d37.7690922!3e2!5m1!1e4

 

[Nalshersmom]

When we visited Yosemite we loved the super easy walks to lower Yosemite Falls and Mirror Lake/Meadow. We enjoyed Universal Hollywood but prefer the Orlando Universal. The Harry Potter area was almost identical but smaller. The tram tour was our favorite part.

 

[bcla]

When we visited Yosemite we loved the super easy walks to lower Yosemite Falls and Mirror Lake/Meadow. We enjoyed Universal Hollywood but prefer the Orlando Universal. The Harry Potter area was almost identical but smaller. The tram tour was our favorite part.

I heard they no longer show this:

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Have you been to USO before? Or to an international Universal theme park? We have many friends who come to USH having preconceived notions from other Universal parks and we always tell them that USH is different. It is first of all a working studio. So the studio part takes precedence over the theme park part. (For example, the tram tour can be re-routed if a there is a film shooting on a set that day.) Not that the theme park is bad, but it is not at all the be all and end all, and that feeling comes across. So just like with WDW and DLR, it's important to keep an open mind and not compare apples to oranges. There are differences, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I don't think you'll be disappointed as long as you don't keep making comparisons to DLR while you're there. Just focus on having fun with your family at USH and on the things that are unique there. You'll have a fun time!

 

[cruisehopeful]

As “Disney people”, will we be let down by Universal? We do love Harry Potter, but I’m worried Universal will disappoint us, especially as my son isn’t tall enough for Forbidden Journey yet.

It can be a let down, but don't try to compare parks while you are there. Just think of it as a totally different place. You can walk through the queue for Forbidden Journey. We did that and it was very cool. The best show is the Waterworld Show, if it is still going, I recommend watching that. The tram tour can be long and boring for kids when it isn't going past any of the more interesting props. As mentioned above, since it is a working studio, the tram can get rerouted or even just have to stop for a while.

 

[Abbey1]

Have you been to USO before? Or to an international Universal theme park? We have many friends who come to USH having preconceived notions from other Universal parks and we always tell them that USH is different. It is first of all a working studio. So the studio part takes precedence over the theme park part. (For example, the tram tour can be re-routed if a there is a film shooting on a set that day.) Not that the theme park is bad, but it is not at all the be all and end all, and that feeling comes across. So just like with WDW and DLR, it's important to keep an open mind and not compare apples to oranges. There are differences, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I don't think you'll be disappointed as long as you don't keep making comparisons to DLR while you're there. Just focus on having fun with your family at USH and on the things that are unique there. You'll have a fun time!

We’ve never been to a Universal theme park so I’m not sure what to expect. I’ll follow your advice and try not to compare!

 

[bcla]

We’ve never been to a Universal theme park so I’m not sure what to expect. I’ll follow your advice and try not to compare!

I think it's changed a lot of the years. I remember back when the main attraction was the backlot tour on the tram. Besides that it was mostly stuff on how to make movies like special effects, stunt shows, movie animals, etc. Now there are rides. There isn't really that much room to build anything so anything added means something else need to be scrapped.

 

[Nalshersmom]

I heard they no longer show this:

We went on it twice, and I don't remember that. It sure is catchy, though