SoCal Summer Trip Help

[DBru]

Hey guys!

 

My dad and I will be taking a trip out west this summer and I would really appreciate some input from everyone with more knowledge about traveling and the area than I have. The basic itinerary for the trip is as follows:

 

UPDATED

 

Day 1 (a Tuesday)- Fly out of Louisville, KY, to Dallas, TX. Take a shuttle or cab to a hotel in Arlington. SFOT that night.

Day 2- Six Flags Over Texas

Day 3- Fly out of Dallas, TX, to Orange County. Rent a car. Adventure City then Scandia that night.

Day 4- Knott's Berry Farm.

Day 5 (a Saturday)- Universal Studios Hollywood, explore LA. Drive to San Diego that night.

Day 6- Seaworld, Belmont's Big Dipper, travel back to Anaheim.

Day 7- Disneyland

Day 8- Six Flags Magic Mountain

Day 9 (a Wednesday)- Six Flags Magic Mountain

Day 10- Fly out of Orange County back to Louisville, KY.

 

That's the gist of the trip. Now we get to the tricky part--when to go? I basically have two options to choose from. I'm thinking either May 22-31, or June 19th-28th. (I'm open to suggestions, though.)

 

Both spans have their advantages and disadvantages. If we take the May option, I'm assuming crowds will be lighter; however, some of the New for 2012 attractions at the involved parks might not be open yet. The June option will most likely present larger crowds but an opportunity to ride all of the new stuff.

 

No matter what, I know I'll have an amazing time...but considering the amount of time and money we're going to pour into this trip, I'd like to make it as worthwhile as possible. If it helps in conceiving a few tips, I don't plan on returning to southern California for at least four more years (I'm considering attending graduate school at USC) and my dad will most likely never visit these parks again.

 

I would love to read all of your suggestions about when to go, which LA airport to use, and absolutely any helpful advice or tips or anything you have to offer regarding this trip. I also need help deciding what to do about the Disney situation. I'm only allowing one day for Disney, and I've always been fascinated with California Screamin'. However, I'm afraid that DCA might not have enough for us to do to warrant the additional price if the major expansion isn't completed for our visit, and if it is, I fear we won't have time to get everything in.

 

Thank you in advance for your help!

Edited May 29, 2012 by DBru

[chickenbowl]

Seems like a fun trip, but if you do the May option, you will at SWSD literally the DAY before Manta opens, FYI.

[chadster]

And to further the above, you won't need a full day to travel to Anaheim, two hours give or take. I'd stay in SD overnight, hit the zoo and Belmont on your first day there and stick around for Manta the following day and drive to Anaheim after 6, should be there no later than 8:30.

 

Possibly could spend another day in Dallas to fool around and be able to hit belmont on your fly in day(which would be one day later), skip the zoo, and hit SW the next day for Manta. Don't forget about Sandy Lake while you are in Dallas!!

 

As far as LA airports I LOVE John Wayne - Orange County (SNA) It's easy to get to, friendly, and not overwhelming. Close to Knotts as in 20 minute drive in traffic, 30 min in heavy traffic. When you drop off the rental, you hit the elevators to the third floor, walk across the bridge and you are at the security checkpoint, well one of 4 of them.

[BabaSD]

Day 4- Sea World San Diego, then Belmont Park in the evening.

Day 5 (a Saturday)- Travel to Anaheim.

Day 6- Disneyland (and DCA with a park-hopper? I need some advice on this.)

 

As much as I love Belmont, the only thing really worth doing ther is the coaster. Ride it a few times and be good with it.

 

And for the travel day, as noted above you do not need a full day for it. My only concern is the day before and the day after seem to be jam packed, making travel at the night or in the morning a rough call. If you are going after the openings at DCA I would plan 2 days there simply because it will be PACKED. Maybe drive up in the morning and then the parks that day and the next? I would really say you need more time at the DL resort than one day if you plan on doing both parks. I would look at the price savings by not doing the hopper if you are doing 2 days. Or this may be a good day to explore LA - drive up in the morning then do LA and then you will be close to DLR for the next day. Bottom line is this travel day is wide open for you here. Oh - Long Beach. There is a few things there that you may want to check out. And that is in the middle of the two areas.

 

Day 8- Universal Studios Hollywood, explore LA, then Pacific Park that night.

 

Now that is a full day. VERY full.

[DBru]

Thanks for all the advice so far!

 

I just discovered that Matterhorn (Disneyland) won't reopen until June 14th. I would really hate to miss out on that coaster...but will the crowds that far into the summer (and with so many attractions opening) be overwhelming for a first-timer? I'm not just talking about Disney, but throughout the entire trip.

 

Adding an extra day for DCA (buying two one-day tickets instead of a one-day park hopper) will add about $100 in park tickets alone. I'm really afraid there isn't enough for two "adults" to do there to warrant spending the extra money. However, I could be totally wrong. And if I choose the June option, I will definitely change the schedule so we can make it to Sea World for Manta's opening day...though I usually try to avoid Saturdays at theme parks at all cost.

 

Does anyone know when Tower of Doom/Superman at SFMM and Mr. Freeze at SFOT are supposed to (re)open?

[rcdude]

I can't help much for Texas, as I've never been there, but here is what I would do for the California part.

 

Day 1-2 are in Texas.

Day 3-Fly into Southern California, rent a car, and drive to San Diego if necessary.

Day 4-SeaWorld San Diego morning and afternoon, ride Giant Dipper at Belmont Park once or twice, then drive to Anaheim after rush hour (approximately two hour drive)

Day 5 (Saturday)-Disneyland Resort

Day 6-Universal Studios Hollywood

Day 7-Knott's Berry Farm

Day 8-Disneyland Resort

Day 9 (Wednesday)-Six Flags Magic Mountain

Day 10-Fly Home

 

Now for the details.

 

When to visit: Whether you visit in May or June is up to you, and should depend on what attractions you are trying to ride. If you are at all interested in Matterhorn Bobsleds, Cars Land, or Lex Luthor, I would strongly advise waiting until June. If the only new rides you care about are Transformers and/or Manta, May would probably be less crowded. Lex Luthor could be open in May, but if it is a high priority I would pick the later dates just in case.

 

SeaWorld: No matter when you go, you will not need a full day at this park. They only have five or six actual rides (not counting the kids area), and the rest of the attractions are shows or exhibits. Even in the summer, you will easily complete this park by mid-afternoon if you get there early and do the rides before the lines get bad. Also, Belmont Park is only worth visiting if you want to ride Giant Dipper. You'll only need an hour or so for it, and you could easily visit it after you finish SeaWorld.

 

Disney: Visiting on a weekend, or in the summer, you need a MINIMUM of 1 1/2 days even if you are just doing Disneyland Park. I'd personally recommend planning three days for Disney, especially if you are a first timer, but two would probably be sufficient if you only care about the majors and not everything. DCA has enough for at least a half day, although if you've been to WDW its value is somewhat dimished. Look into multi-day tickets to see if you can save money.

 

As far as crowds go, Memorial day weekend would be crowded, and June would be crowded. I don't know which would be worse. While I do not think either will be as bad as July or August, expect to wait in lines and don't expect to do everything in one day, even a 16 hour day. The reason I assigned Disney to Saturday and Tuesday is so that you have one weekday, and because Saturdays are actually less crowded than Sundays due to all the AP holders. However, if it was more convenient, you could shuffle these days around. My plan above assumes you'll be staying in the Anahiem area for several days, so if that is not the case you may need to shuffle it a bit anyway.

 

Knott's Berry Farm: As long as you get here early, you won't have a problem with this place. Even on summer weekends, excessive lines are uncommon. Just make sure you do the lower capacity coasters (Boomerang, Montezooma's Revenge, and Sierra Sidewinder) early and you'll have no problem getting everything done.

 

Universal: Like SeaWorld, this park only has a few rides and the rest is shows. Honestly, unless you have never been to the Florida park or are really interested in Transformers, I would skip it. Save the money so you can spend more time at Disney. If you do go, you will only need about six hours or so as long as you beat the crowds in the morning and don't miss a show due to capacity. You can use the rest of the day to explore Hollywood or do more Disney, but I wouldn't bother going to Pacific Park since it's a bit out of the way and the coaster isn't very good.

 

SFMM: This is the hard one, because I have been on summer weekdays where it was busy and summer weekdays where it wasn't. Are you considering getting a Flash Pass, or is that not on the table? If you aren't considering it, have a good plan of attack and be prepared for possible waits. If you are, check out the crowds first to see if it is necessary, and if you decide it is your day will be a whole lot easier. It's pricey, however, so if you get lucky and the longest lines are under 30-45 minutes I wouldn't spend the money.

 

Airports: John Wayne (SNA) is definitely better than LAX as long as their flights work for you. I haven't used any other airports in this area. Also, you might want to check with the rental car company as some will charge you a large fee if you return it at a different airport from where you picked it up. It may be better to just fly into Orange County/LA and drive down to San Diego.

 

Whatever you end up doing, I'm sure you'll have a good time.

[DBru]

Thanks, AJ!

 

I think I will take your suggestion of flying into and out of Orange County. I would REALLY love to experience SFMM's new drop tower, as I love that kind of ride and falling over 400ft sounds incredible to me. I'd also like to ride Matterhorn just for the sake of being able to say I've ridden it. I'd hate to miss out on one of the most classic coasters in the world, you know? Also, I am not at all opposed to buying a Flash Pass for SFMM. However, I wouldn't buy one in advance.

 

I did both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure in one day back in October. The only reason I am including USH in this trip is for Revenge of the Mummy and the Studio Backlot Tour. I am a huge movie buff, so I feel like I need to experience the "Hollywood tour." If there is an alternative to this, please let me know!

 

Here's an updated plan:

 

Day 1 (a Tuesday)- Fly out of Louisville, KY, to Dallas, TX. Take a shuttle or cab to a hotel in Arlington.

Day 2- Six Flags Over Texas

Day 3- Fly out of Dallas, TX, to Orange County. Rent a car.

Day 4- Knott's Berry Farm.

Day 5 (a Saturday)- DCA, travel to San Diego that night (after World of Color?).

Day 6- Seaworld, Belmont's Big Dipper, travel back to Anaheim.

Day 7- Disneyland

Day 8- Universal Studios Hollywood(???), explore LA, then Pacific Park that night.

Day 9 (a Wednesday)- Six Flags Magic Mountain

Day 10- Fly out of Orange County back to Louisville, KY.

 

What do you all think of this?

[XYZ]

Thanks, AJ!

 

I think I will take your suggestion of flying into and out of Orange County. I would REALLY love to experience SFMM's new drop tower, as I love that kind of ride and falling over 400ft sounds incredible to me. I'd also like to ride Matterhorn just for the sake of being able to say I've ridden it. I'd hate to miss out on one of the most classic coasters in the world, you know? Also, I am not at all opposed to buying a Flash Pass for SFMM. However, I wouldn't buy one in advance.

 

I did both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure in one day back in October. The only reason I am including USH in this trip is for Revenge of the Mummy and the Studio Backlot Tour. I am a huge movie buff, so I feel like I need to experience the "Hollywood tour." If there is an alternative to this, please let me know!

 

Here's an updated plan:

 

Day 1 (a Tuesday)- Fly out of Louisville, KY, to Dallas, TX. Take a shuttle or cab to a hotel in Arlington.

Day 2- Six Flags Over Texas

Day 3- Fly out of Dallas, TX, to Orange County. Rent a car.

Day 4- Knott's Berry Farm.

Day 5 (a Saturday)- DCA, travel to San Diego that night (after World of Color?).

Day 6- Seaworld, Belmont's Big Dipper, travel back to Anaheim.

Day 7- Disneyland

Day 8- Universal Studios Hollywood(???), explore LA, then Pacific Park that night.

Day 9 (a Wednesday)- Six Flags Magic Mountain

Day 10- Fly out of Orange County back to Louisville, KY.

 

What do you all think of this?

 

I really think Day 8 you should explore LA the whole day and then to Pacific Park at night. Really, if you're flying over 2000 miles, you should look around of what the place looks like. Also, I would swap Day 5 & Day 8, Disney is too busy on weekends especially Saturday. Also, as mentioned above, DCA is a 1/2 day park.

[rcdude]

Here's an updated plan:

 

Day 1 (a Tuesday)- Fly out of Louisville, KY, to Dallas, TX. Take a shuttle or cab to a hotel in Arlington.

Day 2- Six Flags Over Texas

Day 3- Fly out of Dallas, TX, to Orange County. Rent a car.

Day 4- Knott's Berry Farm.

Day 5 (a Saturday)- DCA, travel to San Diego that night (after World of Color?).

Day 6- Seaworld, Belmont's Big Dipper, travel back to Anaheim.

Day 7- Disneyland

Day 8- Universal Studios Hollywood(???), explore LA, then Pacific Park that night.

Day 9 (a Wednesday)- Six Flags Magic Mountain

Day 10- Fly out of Orange County back to Louisville, KY.

 

What do you all think of this?

 

This one looks pretty good. As XYZ noted, you might consider switching Days 5 and 8, and I'd recommend dropping Pacific Park if you make this change (it's about a half hour from USH and would add another half hour to your drive to San Diego), but other than that it should work. If you do go to DCA of Saturday, definitely get there early if you want to see World of Color as it will sell out (personally I found it very underwhelming but I know others who love it, so I guess it's worth seeing if you haven't seen it before).

 

I did both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure in one day back in October. The only reason I am including USH in this trip is for Revenge of the Mummy and the Studio Backlot Tour. I am a huge movie buff, so I feel like I need to experience the "Hollywood tour." If there is an alternative to this, please let me know!

 

If you did Revenge of the Mummy in Florida, just be aware that the California version is much shorter and generally considered inferior to its Florida counterpart. As for the Studio Tour, if you want to tour a movie studio I think a couple of others have one (never done any, only heard about them), but if you want to experience THE Universal Studios Backlot Tour (which is now about 65% ride and 35% tour), I guess you need to go to USH. It's up to you what to choose, but USH is about $75 per ticket and you'll need to decide if it is worth that.

[cal1br3tto]

You might want to look into the Southern California Citypass, especially if you can work in part of a 3rd day at Disney. It includes a 3-day DLR park hopper plus SeaWorld and USH admission. I haven't used it myself, so I can't vouch for it, but I have done the math before and it could add up to a decent savings (the site promotes it as a 25% discount).

[the ghost]

Everyone else has given you far more detailed info than I could, but I would HIGHLY encourage you to travel out the 19th through the 28th because Carsland is opening the 15th... so anyway here is a bit of advice for DCA. Get there VERY VERY early... like VERY VERY! I am going the Monday before(the 18th) and plan on getting to the park sometime around 6am. This is(as you know) the biggest expansion to any Disney park(besides Fantasyland in a very long time... and Disney fans will go insane for the new ride. Get there early and either get a fastpass(I am assuming the attraction will have them) or get there first... but that line will be absolutely unbearable later in the day. You should be able to get on SCreamin relatively easily since that line flies, but bear in mind that it closes for the first show of WOC and will not reopen.

[DBru]

Do you guys know where I can find discounts to Belmont Park, Adventure City, and Scandia?