Expert: Steve Summers - 7/18/2006

Question
We are coming from NJ flying into Orange County airport (that would me,my husband and five year old child).  We would like to go to San Diego, Disney and Los Angeles. I should mention we are there for one week.  What is the best way to plan this. Should we land and drive straight to Disney and spend two days there and then drive to San Diego for a few days and finish in LA? I'm having trouble deciding where we should start and end our trip and any hotels that you would recommend in those areas?

Michele

Answer
Hi Michele,

I would say that the answer to your question lies in which day you arrive. I would try to arrange it so that you are at Disneyland during the middle of the week. So if you arrive on the weekend, I would say to drive to SD first for a couple days. Then come back north to Anaheim for your Disney stay, and finish up in LA.  If you are arriving early in the week, then start at Disney, go to SD for a couple days, then finish in LA.

For the best info on SD, go to www.localwally.com. He is far and away the Jedi Master of SD.

However, I can give you a couple of good tips for Disneyland that Local Wally can't:

Hopefully you got a hotel close to Disneyland. It halps to have a place to go for an afternoon swim (or nap).

Call 714-781-DINE and make a lunch reservation at the Carnation Cafe on Main St. Try to get a table close to the sidewalk, since the people watching there is excellent. Order the PB&J sandwich for your 5YO. It comes open faced on an artist's palette, with banana slices, chocolate chips, raisins, jam, and strawberries. You get 20 minutes to yoursleves: 10 minutes to build it, and another 10 to eat it. Priceless.

Arrive early, when the park opens. You can see more and do more in the first 2 hours than in the last 6 hours.

Have fun!

Steve