10 day SoCal/Vegas Trip

[CrashMender]

I was wondering what suggestions people have for our trip. We are planning on hitting Magic Mountain one day and towards the end we are planning on heading to Vegas for a day or two. I have recently introduced my girlfriend to coasters and she has become just as addicted as I am so we are looking to hit as many parks as possible. We are going from the 24th of June until the 3rd/4th of July. We will be staying in Carlsbad with my girlfriends sister and are trying to figure out what to hit. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[What Now]

You might want to get a hotel in the LA area if your planning to go to SFMM as that is a 3-4 hour drive from Carlsbad.

[Sir Clinksalot]

You are coming at one of the busiest times of year for park times.

 

As you are staying in Carlsbad I will start with that area and work my way out.

 

LegoLand - It's a kid's park, but a really fun kids park. 3 credits here, but it's worth at least a 1/2 day or more. It's in Carlsbad so the drive is a non-issue.

 

Sea World - A very clean park, some good attractions and shows. Free Beer at the hospitality center. Another 1/2 day park. A few miles away is Belmont Park and the Giant Dipper. You can easily do SW and Belmont in the same day. 30 to 45 minutes from Carlsbad depending on traffic.

 

Disneyland/DCA - This time of year you will need at least 2 full days, maybe 3 depending on previous visits. Only come here mid-week, weekends will be a killer in June/July. Commute could be anywhere from 1 to 2 hours depending on traffic, which can be deadly in the mornings.

 

Knott's - Typically I would say only 1/2 day here, but depending on what day you go I may have to suggest a full day. Maybe do 2 1/2 days at Disney and 1/2 day at Knott's depending on your mood. Commute will be about the same as Disney.

 

Castle Park/Pharoh's - 1/2 day park at most. You can do Castle and Pharoh's in Redlands and make a day out of it. You may be able to throw in Scandia in Ontario. Commute from Carlsbad shouldn't be too bad as you can take the 78 out to the 15 which will bypass alot of traffic on the 5. Expect an hour or more to Castle Park.

 

SFMM - Full day this time of year. Again, avoid a Saturday if possible. Commute from Carlsbad can be from 2 to 3 hours depending on traffic.

 

Vegas - 2 days is good, expect the heat to be on this time of year. Commute is easy, again take the 78 to the 15 straight out to Vegas. It will be about a 4 hour drive depending on speeds and construction.

[CrashMender]

Thanks for the info. The reason we are staying in Carlsbad is because my girlfriend's sister lives there and its free to stay there. I'vce thought about getting a hotel in the northern LA area for a night, but since we are already spending the money on Vegas hotels and our budget is going to be stretched on entrance fees already, we might just make the commute and a late night. Also I realize that the time of year is extremely busy. Unfortunately it is the week that I have my vacation from work and is the only time possible to take the much needed vacation.