2 questions: 1) Can we do the San Diego Zoo in one full day? We will also be going to Legoland and would like to stay close to Legoland. 2) Are there any all suite hotels that are affordable by Legoland? (LOL - probably not!) Thanks!
We went to LegoLand and stayed at a place called Marbrisa suites. It was incredibly cheap $159/night for a suite. It was clean, but the service was only so-so. Best of all, it shares the private entrance into LegoLand that the Sheraton does, so no line! Have fun!
You can do SD Zoo in one day but you probably won't see every little thing. Take the guided bus tour when you first get there for a good overview of the zoo. Then you can prioritize and decide what you want to see first. The zoo is spread out and it's alot of walking with kids in tow so you may not get around to the stuff at the end of your list.
We stay at La Quinta when we go to Legoland. It's clean, affordable and has a good breakfast so we get a good, quicker start to our day. I'd check tripadvisor.com for reviews of hotels in Carlsbad. There are some newer ones and a Homewood Suites in the area, which may work for you.
Yes, you can do the Zoo in one day BUT you will definitely need a stroller to do it! We went in April. My son was one month shy of turning 5 and we did not have the stroller for him and he was EXHAUSTED by about 2:00 (maybe even 1:30). He was ready to go home and did not want to walk anymore. He fell asleep before we made it out of the parking lot. He would have lasted much longer in a stroller. We still saw a lot though and had a really nice day.
Note: San Diego Zoo is VERY hilly, so it can be pretty tiring pushing the stroller around, especially if you have a double or a particularly heavy single.
Legoland has a Sheraton on site with its own entrance to the park. Can't beat that!
We were just at LegoLand 2 weeks ago. It was our 3rd trip there.
Here's a coupon: http://www.sandiego.org/coupon/UK/73
And you might want to find a Costco out here, if you have a membership, as they always have deals for LegoLand and sometimes for the zoo.
We stayed in Del Mar (about 5 minutes away on the freeway) at the Hilton Garden Inn. Very nice place....not the Rtiz, but super clean and comfy. We paid $100/night there.
http://hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/california/h...
Start Legoland the second it opens, since they are slow on getting people on rides and it's not open long hours like Disneyland.
SD Zoo is amazing. We had an annual pass 2 years ago. You CAN get through it in one day if you keep moving, but you are going to need every minute. There is also a double decker bus that you can get on and off all day, so it takes you to whatever you want to see. Worth the extra money if you have little ones. Parts are VERY hilly.
http://www.visitcalifornia.com/Fun-Spots/ go to SD Zoo for a coupon.
Things not to miss at the zoo are:
*Feeding the giraffes - once in a lifetime experience and bring your video camera
*Riding the skyway
*Orangutan enclosure is my favorite.
*Pandas are cool, but I believe they have specific times for viewing.
Once you get there, figure out your route and see the stuff you really want to see and then do those things first.
If you have time, go to SeaPort Village and take the SEAL tour. It's very fun and educational. In 90 minutes, you'll get a lot of the history of San Diego AND a great bay view of military training of dolphins and seals. We went on a Friday, when they were working with the dolphins, etc.
http://www.sealtours.com/index.asp
You can do SD zoo in one day but like Nancy said, you wouldn't see everything. Also depends how old you kid(s) is (are). We went with our one child who was our only at the time and was only 4 months old. It was more for us. ;)
As for Legoland, we stayed 15 min away in Oceanside. But there are plenty of places in Carlsbad. Def check out expedia.com and orbitz.com too.
Lastly, you probably already know this, but you should never pay full price for Legoland CA. There are lots of coupons on ebay and recently KFC (yes chicken place) offered free child admission coupon with a paid adult.
Have fun! Our kids loved it!
We stayed at the Sheraton Legoland and it's great, mostly because you have direct access to the park. It is a bit pricey, but I think worth it to be close.
There are so many affordable hotels in the Carlsbad area.They range from very inexpensive to expensive. Just search hotels near Legoland and you will get a whole range of them. How old are the
kids going? With little ones, you may not be able to do the whole zoo in one
day.
i work for the zoo. you can absolutely do the zoo in a day. also you should check out the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Super super cool and a different experience than the zoo.
Try this hotel.
http://homewoodsuites3.hilton.com/en/index.html?WT.srch=1...
