MUST SEES in California? Planning a trip...

[Torontogal]

Planning a trip to California and don't know where to start! We will definitely be seeing Disneyland but wondering what you would consider a MUST SEE in Calfornia? We are travelling with 2 young boys and wondering if Legoland is worth it considering there is so much to do in CA! Also, do you recommend Seaworld FL or CA? Universal FL or CA? I would love to hear about your experiences in CA. Neither of us has ever been there and really do not want to miss any must see. We are planning to rent a vehicle and hoping to go for 2 weeks. Thanks for all your help!

 

[Emell64]

We were just there last December (we're also Canadians!) and we had a wonderful day at Legoland (my kids were 7 and 11) and although the rides are not as heavy on the thrill factor as DL, if your kids love Lego it's a wonderful place. We also went to the beach one day and did our own driving tour thru Hollywood. We also took our kids to the Getty Villa Museum which was kind of a long hike from Anaheim but worth it if you're interested in Roman history.

The thing that surprised me was how bad the traffic was--seemed like it didn't matter when during the day you went somewhere you got caught in traffic. Made Toronto seem traffic free by comparison. Just be prepared.

Emelle

 

[honeymom]

My 8 1/2 year old ds still likes legoland better than disneyland. It really is a must for kids that like legos and I find it a much easier park to do in a day, so it may not be hard to handle.

Besides DL and Legoland, with young kids I also like the SD Zoo and SeaWorld.

I'd skip Universal Hollywood. I haven't been in years, but I've always found it kind of boring. I know they've put in more thrill features, but I think they skew older. I will admit to be a Universal Hollywood hater to be honest. I used to work at 10 Universal City Plaza and could see the studios from my office. There are just so many times you can watch a show reset itself without losing what little magic there is. But, I also hated Universal before I worked next door.

 

[grumpyvet]

I would agree that LegoLand is worth it with little ones. We are members, so have gone often for years. I often speak with people who are vacationing, and many report that LegoLand has been the kids' favorite over Seaworld, Disney and Universal. It is geared for the under 11 age, and is great fun.
As for other things to do in CA. Well, CA is huge. If you are talking Southern CA...beaches, Disney/Legoland/San Diego Zoo (Under 5 year kids don't seem to like the Wild Animal Park all that much)/ Seaworld/La Jolla Cove/ the list is endless.
If you are thinking more nature/less tourist/amusement parks...the national parks/ Sequoia/Kings Canyon and Yosemite are truly breathtaking. Other areas that are great to spend some time...Santa Barbara/San Luis Obispo...and on and on.
But---shameless plug for LegoLand...kids will love it!!!

 

[casaazul]

If you are just in Southern Cal, then I'd do Legoland, San Diego Zoo, Disneyland and the beach!!! Somewhere between San Diego and Huntington Beach are some great places to play on the beach!! We did not like Universal much, we spent maybe 4 hours there and left.

If you are headed to Northern California, then visit the national parks (Yosemite, Sequioa, Redwoods, etc), San Francisco, Monterey Bay Aquarium.

We love Legoland, have taken our son when he was 7 and 11. Loved it both times. Lots to do for even smaller kids!

 

[JayS]

If you want to do Universal, CA is by far better than FL. We enjoy Sea World CA, but have not done FL so I can not comment.

I would agree with the coments about Legoland - if your kids like Legos it is worth the time. If your kids are older (say 10 and up) and are looking for THRILL RIDES, Six Flags Magic Mountain is a little over an hour from Disneyland.

Knotts Berry Farm is only about 15 minutes from Disneyland and has some nice shows, a good kids area, and a few thrill rides. I always enjoyed it as a kid, but we always felt if we were driving an hour we would rather go to Disneyland so we only went when someone else chose the destination. I took my kids not too long ago and we all had a good time.