Hi Sandy, My two cents is to wait. 2 1/2 is a young age and it can be quite overwheling. Lines in July are going to long long long. I dont care how exciting the ride looks to the child, waiting in line, in some cases over and hour, is no fun for child or adults. We took my son when he was 5 in November (great time to go by the way as weather is warm and lines that are quite reasonable). We went with friends who had a child same age and I felt we did the right thing by waiting as they were old enough to run around, have someone to do things with, and were a little more patient. He honestly tho does not remember alot from that trip. It's the trip from when he was 8 that he really remembers. I saw so many couples with young kids in which the whole family was just plain old frustrated because the child was miserable, didnt want to do what the parents thought they would want to do, etc etc. I see you live in Daly City. How about a day at 6 flags in Vallejo? Of course you will have lines there in July also but its less expensive and closer to home. You can even make it an overnight trip by spending the night somewhere and on the way home stop at a beach or the water park in Antioch as it is a great place for little ones and very reasonable priced. If you do go to Disneyland dont spend big money on staying at a resort if the reason is so your son has fond memories because he wont remember. I can vouch for the Candy Cane Hotel tho as it is a great place to stay. Believe it or not one of the things I liked best about the Candy Cane Hotel was there was a convienence store right next store and I cant tell you how many times we used it. Even to buy souverniers as they were much cheaper. Hope some of this helps.
We are taking our 4 year old daughters this November. I recommend checking out "The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2010". It has a lot of great information and can help you plan your schedule. Also has great tricks for families like the "Baby Pass" or riding Dumbo twice without the huge wait. The key to any vacation with little ones is flexibility and schedule breaks. For Disneyland, most kids can do a couple hours in the morning, go to the hotel for afternoon rest or pool time, and then back to the park in the evening. Regardless of where you do, assume that your child will not want to stick to you agenda. They may want to ride the same ride 5 times in a row so go with the flow, relax and enjoy the moment.
good question!
I see you have a lot of answers already, but my two cents is to wait for Disney. I am a huge Disney fan and we go often, but it really is not that great for the really little ones. Late July is the busiest time there and the lines are LONG. Trying to be patient when you are hot, tired, over-stimulated, and two is a lot to ask. :)
I live in Soquel (Santa Cruz) and personally, I would come here with a little one. You can be here in about an hour stay in a nice hotel with a pool, go to the beach, the Boardwalk, the many parks and drive down to the Monterey Aquarium for the day. Your little guy will love it and you and hubby will still get a nice break on a budget.
Another good possibility is San Diego. Their zoo is fantastic!
We use Patti at the Capitola AAA office for all of our west coast travel. No charge for AAA members. I know she can book local hotels and such and will know all of the fun things to do in this area, as well as the best beaches for little ones. She's the one that recommended San Diego for us. She really has drivable family vacations nailed. You may want to give her a call. She is also their Disney specialist and can help you decide when would be a good age to introduce your little guy to the wonders waiting for him there! My kids really enjoyed it at about 4 years old.
Have a fantastic summer!
We decided to wait on Disney and did San Diego instead. Our son was not quite 3 when we went and he LOVED Sea World!! We found discount tickets online, which saved us quite a bit. The zoo is awesome, but it's quite large and very hilly, especially for a little one, but San Diego also has its Wild Animal Park. I've also heard from more than a few people that Legoland really wasn't worth it :(
We did Disneyland with our son when he was not quite 2 and he absolutely loved it. It was really one of the most fun family days we have ever had, and there were plenty of age-appropriate things to do & see. But I will add some caveats to that: we went on a weekday in April and got there first thing in the morning, so we were able to run around to every kiddie ride by 2 p.m., at which point he went to my grandma's house to take a nap (she lives 10 min from Disneyland). He was more exhausted than he's ever been in his life! I imagine that if there had been a lot of standing in line, or if it was really hot, it would not have been as much fun. I would advise anyone going to Disneyland to wait and go in the off season. Good luck with your planning!
We were thinking about Disneyland with our 2 1/2 year old this summer, too. We decided against it after talking to some friends. They both thought 3 1/2 was better for their children. At that age, they can go (more successfully) without a nap for the day, and if they don't like the stroller (which mine does not for long periods of time), they handle walking with you (rather than running away from you) much better. For us, Disneyland is still a bit of a pricey trip, so we think the money will be better spent in another year.
Gilroy Gardens is nice for a two year old too!
Hi Sandy,
I would wait until your son is older if I were you. Its going to be so hot in July and the lines will be long and the park will be crowded. And Disneyland is not cheap. Plus, he won't remember any of it. I liked the other mom's suggestions for San Diego, the Monterey Aquarium, Santa Cruz, a national park, Six Flags Vallejo. I haven't been to Legoland, so I can't speak to that one. Good luck whatever you choose!
I personally was glad I waited until my kids were a little older. I see too many kids having meltdowns there. There are lots of fun zoos and stuff to do near you, I'm sure.
Thanks to all the great suggestions! We just returned from a week in SoCal, a few days in L.A. by the beach and then to Legoland. We spent three fun-filled days exploring Legoland, which was a great place for my 2 1/2 year old. He was able to ride almost every ride except the driving ones for older kids and the faster roller coasters. There was a great Duplo Village for toddlers to play, slide, build things. What I really appreciated was the “tot waiting areas” where kids can play legos (with one parent) while the other parent waits in the ride line. When the waiting parent gets to the front, your child joins you and everyone rides! Also, they opened a Lego-themed water park with a toddler area and slides for older kids and adults. You could build your lazy river raft with water foam legos too. This was a great into to theme parks for my son. We’ll probably visit Disneyland next year but I’m so glad we went to Legoland.