SoCal excursions/day-trip ideas?

[mlayton14]

Hello there, we are from the east coast (NJ) and planning a DL trip in late August. We have 9 days, 5 of which will be spent at DLR (crazy that this is the longest ticket you can get).

Disney offers several day-trips with transportation, wondering if anyone has any thoughts on which are worth doing. We are 2 parents, 2 young girls ages 7 and 9, and 2 seniors.

- Catalina Island
- California Beach Tour (Huntington, Newport Beach, etc)
- Hollywood and Beach Tour (Chinese Theater, Santa Monica Pier, etc)

None of these seem to include food (all) or activities (Catalina). Are these worth doing for people never have been to SoCal? They are appealing because the transportation is arranged, and they hit the common tourist areas within an hour of DLR.

Are there better options (private tours) or other destinations in SoCal that you would recommend over these given our ages? Universal and Knotts Berry seem pretty cool, but we hit Florida almost every year which is obviously full of theme parks so not sure doing those really takes advantage of a rare SoCal visit.

Appreciate any feedback !

 

[nikkislaght]

You can try

All Anaheim tours

Greyline

and Starline tours..

They all sort of offer the same thing... we have done all Anaheim tours in the past , we went to San Diego SeaWorld and then LEGOLAND. the price was good. and drivers awesome.. we had to buy our own food, which wasn't a problem , in fact we packed a picnic lunch..
we rented a car one year and went to Huntington beach, not a problem driving . straight up Harbor for a while and you are there before too long..
Knotts is fun for both age groups.. it has fun crazy fast rides for older kids. and then Camp Snoopy for the younger kids.. we always love our Knotts time and its not as busy , as we go April after spring break. Years ago my sister and I travelled from Australia and we did an LA tour. it was ok.. it was better to be able to walk around certain areas, but I couldn't tell you what they are.
near Knotts, there is Medieval times , A dinner and show, fun for the kids.. and also there is a pirate show too.

we always have a 9 day trip and we have a day off in the middle. we stay at the hotel and play in the pool, watch TV. go to a restaurant etc.. there is an indoor flea market not far and they have a free shuttle that picks up from your hotel, and will take you back.
http://anaheimindoormarketplace.com/slider/free-shuttle-service its a fun way to spend an afternoon, it is mostly Mexican in its themes. but still there is a ton of stalls and great prices.. we get lots of little gifts to take back home from there..

Hope you have a great trip

 

[hodad]

I understand the desire for the convenience of a driver, but I'd rent a minivan and hit up some of the activities on this list: http://la.mommypoppins.com/lakids/100-things-to-do-in-la-with-kids-before-they-grow-up