California - So. Calif. theme parks from Calgary: is 6 yrs old too young?

Hi there,
I live in Australia but am planning to visiti Calgary next summer. I have a 6 yr old son.

Can anyone give me any hints for travelling to the parks (California) in July? or maybe the first couple of weeks in August? Probably cheaper flying from Canada than Australia and wouldn't have so much luggage.

Was thinking of flying to Canada then getting a pkg deal from there to LA. Maybe do San Diego Sea World, the Safari Park and Disneyland. Do you think 6 is too young to go? (I think I was about 9 when I went). Any suggestions of places to stay and things to do would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Lisa

Hi there,
I live in Australia but am planning to visiti Calgary next summer. I have a 6 yr old son.

Can anyone give me any hints for travelling to the parks (California) in July? or maybe the first couple of weeks in August? Probably cheaper flying from Canada than Australia and wouldn't have so much luggage.

Was thinking of flying to Canada then getting a pkg deal from there to LA. Maybe do San Diego Sea World, the Safari Park and Disneyland. Do you think 6 is too young to go? (I think I was about 9 when I went). Any suggestions of places to stay and things to do would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Lisa

Since you're coming from Calgary, check into Alaska Airlines Vacations (AS serves western Canada pretty well). They usually do a "kids fly free" thing when booking one of their Disneyland packages, which might save you on some of the airfare. (They're pretty tight with Disney--several of their aircraft are painted with Disney imagery.)

As for the age, I think I counted 14 trips to Disneyland between the ages of 6 and 11 (I lived a few hours north of L.A. growing up), and I enjoyed it even in the younger years. I appreciated it more as I got older, but I don't think 6 is too young.

If you don't do the package deal and want to piece it together, here are some notes:



Disneyland is a bit closer to SNA (John Wayne/Santa Ana/Orange County airport, 15 miles away) than LAX (about 30 miles away). I'd let airfare and rental car prices dictate which airport to fly into, though, as they're not that far apart. LGB (Long Beach) is also an option.
Los Angeles isn't known for its public transportation. Especially for getting out of the parks, a rental car is going to be very helpful. Depending on the time of year and day of the week you pick it up, you can find some very good deals, as L.A.'s a very competitive market.
That said, public transportation as well as shuttles between the airport and the parks does exist. Los Angeles's rapid transit system, the Metro, serves LAX airport and connects the airport to Downtown, where you can access the regional commuter rail system, Metrolink, which you can take to Anaheim and pick up a shuttle (http://www.rideart.org/index.php?loc=1) to the Disneyland resort. However, this, or any other routings (including some really cheap ones involving city buses), is going to probably take 3+ hours--versus a 45-minute (hour and a half in traffic) drive. A rental car will also help you have access to cheaper lodging should you decide to stay in a more economical place. You could also go ahead with either public transportation or coach service between LAX or SNA and Disneyland and then rent a car locally in Anaheim for flexibility or for your excursion south to San Diego.
Speaking of lodgings, there are plenty of options near Disneyland and abroad. Basic discount chains in the U.S. include Motel 6 and Super 8 (both a step up from Australia's Formule1s--they are very basic but you can at least move around the room). Prices will be in the $40-50 range. Otherwise, you have both your standard international chains as well as other options. I'd start with kayak.com, which has some powerful sorting and filtering options and links to reviews, but check tripadvisor.com for further reviews and information. I'm sure other FTers will post suggestions, too.


San Diego is about 1.5 to 2 hours south of Disneyland by car. (You can stop in Oceanside at Legoland--I've never been, but I was a huge fan of Legos growing up, and I've heard it's pretty cool.) If you want to do the public transportation thing, fares on Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner (it uses the same stop in Anaheim as Metrolink, with the same shuttle from the park to the station) are pretty reasonable, and San Diego is a public transportation-friendly town with its excellent trolley system. Getting to the Wild Animal Park is a bit harder, but I believe there are shuttle options available between the Wild Animal Park and the main zoo. Still, in California--as in most of Australia--a car just makes life easier.

I think this site (http://californiaexcursion.com/2009/06/disneyland/) has some fairly comprehensive guidance about getting to and staying at/near Disneyland. They link to this site (http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/cadisneyland/ss/find_hotel.htm), which may help you find a place to stay, and this site (http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/cadisneyland/a/dl-hotel-worth.htm), which can help you decide if you want to splurge on the Disneyland Hotel. For a budget room, they also suggest this Super 8 motel (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Super+8+Motel+anaheim+415+W+Katella+Ave+&vps=1&jsv=160h&sll=33.813884,-117.916861&sspn=0.022463,0.033131&ie=UTF8&latlng=33805006,-117912991,7210572852501324748&ei=N1IwSoiZN5aQjAebufTVAQ&sig2=9qF0-0r6Y9gv2jDM8VxY8w&cd=2) within walking distance of Disneyland.

I'd also check out the travel info on Wikipedia's Disneyland (http://wikitravel.org/en/Disneyland) article as well as their Anaheim (http://wikitravel.org/en/Anaheim), Orange County (http://wikitravel.org/en/Orange_County), Los Angeles (http://wikitravel.org/en/Los_Angeles), and San Diego (http://wikitravel.org/en/San_Diego) articles. These articles will have good suggestions about other things to see in the area.

You can also use Google Transit (http://www.google.com/transit) to plan your route via public transportation--they've finally got transit information for all of the area's major transportation agencies (you may have to tweak the departure times to see accurate options, since the commuter systems don't always have regular service).

Have a great trip, and be sure to ask if you have questions!

mousesavers.com is essential reading for anyone contemplating any disney park. disneyland is great for all ages, and kids really start to get into it around age 4.

for a 6 year old, you should also consider legoland, north of san diego.

Six years old is a perfect age for Disneyland.

As crabbing mentioned, six years old is also a great age for a stop in Legoland. Have fun!^

Be sure and check the ride height charts to confirm that your son is tall enough to ride. Many of the "cool" rides might be out of his reach even at Legoland.

Must have: breakfast with the disney characters

Six years old is a perfect age for Disneyland.

^^ mine were 6 and 4 when they went the first time

At that age, I'd recommend planning for at least 2 days in the park, so you can go back for the hotel for rest breaks, and not feel you have to jam everything into a crazy long day.

Agree with everyone. 6 is perfect because after a while you can get them back to the room for a break. When they are older you can't con them into leaving. Its all go go go! :) You'll spend a lot of time in Fantasyland. Its great fun.

Highly recommend the Disney Grand Californian Hotel. Its built into the California Adventure park and is simply a great hotel. Its really worth every (overpriced) penny. Ambiance and location are perfect. :)

what about Sea World? Knotts Berry Farm? Universal Studios for a 6 yr old?
I dind't realise Disney was so big now, I went about 35 yrs ago--are both parks for 6 yr olds?

Also - do they still have the wildlife park near San Diego? I remember driving by lions, giraffes etc?

:confused:

what about Sea World? Knotts Berry Farm? Universal Studios for a 6 yr old?
I dind't realise Disney was so big now, I went about 35 yrs ago--are both parks for 6 yr olds?

Also - do they still have the wildlife park near San Diego? I remember driving by lions, giraffes etc?

:confused:

Disney is the big attraction, for sure. But yes, those other parks are definitely options, and if you have the time (and don't think you'll be theme parked out), you could do those, too (or possibly instead).

I think the main park is more interesting for a young kid, but California Adventure wouldn't be out of the picture, and if you're going to be there two days (strongly recommended), you might as well do both parks.

I probably wouldn't recommend Universal Studios or Magic Mountain (just north of Los Angeles) for a six-year-old. Most of Universal's attractions won't be fun for the kid, and Magic Mountain's rides are more extreme and enjoyable for bigger kids (and many of the rides require a minimum height your kid probably won't reach).

Knott's would be more fun for a child, and it's a quieter alternative to the Disney crowd. You also may find exhibits there more interesting as an adult (especially the historical stuff about California's and the Western U.S.'s early days) than you would at Disney (unless you're a wild Disney fan).

Sea World would be fun for a younger person, too, especially if your son is big into sea life.

The San Diego Wild Animal Park still exists. It's an affiliate of the San Diego Zoo. The zoo (also very good) is in Balboa Park just north of downtown San Diego, and the Wild Animal Park is north along I-15 near Escondido. I've never been to either--they've been on my list; I just haven't had time!

Read through the Wikitravel articles I linked to for details on all of these and other attractions.

Also, check out the Wikipedia articles on the San Diego Zoo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego_Zoo), San Diego Wild Animal Park (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego_Wild_Animal_Park), and Knott's Berry Farm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knott%27s_Berry_Farm). These may help you decide if they're worth visiting. You may also wish to read through the threads in the Flyertalk forums for California (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/california-450/) and Los Angeles (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/los-angeles-507/), which have several recent threads you may find helpful.

Hi guys, I wrote a thread about flying from Aus to California. Would the above parks be too old for a 6 yr old? Lisa

Yep, okay for the 6 yr old. Took my kid to these parks when he was 5 yrs old (he's now 25 yrs old :))

Knott's has always been my favorite amusement park. There is also a Movieland Wax Museum nearby. Used to be a Japanese Deer Park nearby also, but unfortunately it closed.

A six year old would probably love the animals and shows at Sea World--sit down in front at the Shamu Stadium if you want to get soaked. There is usually some kind of hands-on exhibit at Sea World where kids can actually pick up sea stars (starfish), anenomes, etc., and there is a kids play area--their Web site indicates it's got a Sesame Street theme now.

You might also want to consider the San Diego Zoo, (http://www.sandiegozoo.org/) which is as much a botanical garden as it is a zoo, in Balboa Park ([URL="http://www.balboapark.org/)(a lot of walking, but there is a bus tour that goes through the Zoo) and/or the Wild Animal Park (http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wap/index.html)(part of the San Diego Zoo, but located in San Diego's North County), and Legoland (http://www.legoland.com/california.htm), which is also in North County.

With the public beaches (Coronado (http://www.coronado.ca.us/), Ocean Beach (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_Beach,_San_Diego,_California), [/URL][URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Beach,_San_Diego,_California"]Mission Beach (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Beach,_San_Diego,_California), Pacific Beach (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Beach,_San_Diego,_California), and La Jolla Shores (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Jolla_Shores)) and Mission Bay (http://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/missionbay/), Balboa Park (http://www.balboapark.org/)(museums, including an IMAX theatre; lots of green space for and walking), Sea World (http://www.seaworld.com/sandiego/), the Zoo and Wild Animal Park, and Legoland a six year old and his/her parental units could have a very nice time just in San Diego. If you go to Ocean Beach (OB to the locals) try the Mexican food at Nati's, on Bacon Street. They're kid friendly.

Wherever you go, have a great time!

I'd hit the San Diego Zoo in July or August rather than the Wild Animal Park. In the summer, the WAP is hot, hot, hot. Really Africa Hot. We go to the WAP in the winter, early spring and late fall when it isn't so gosh darn hot.

Disney is perfect (both parks). Get a multi-day park-hopper so that you can take rests. It's often 90-95 degrees in Anaheim in July and August. Again, Hot.

Legoland is good, as is Sea World.

Knott's is good; Universal doesn't have as much for six year olds.

The best? The beaches.

To answer your question, not too much for a 6 year old. My vote goes for Knotts or Sea World, however.

Knotts or Sea World....he'll like both of those. I've only spent a few hours in Balboa Park - I get the sense you would spend a couple days in there and not get bored!! Wonderful place...for our next trip involving San Diego we'll plan more time there.

At age 6, Legoland beats all of the above, and don't forget Disney of course.

San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park are other great SoCal attractions for that age group, though the WAP is often unbearably hot in August/Sept.

I would not recommend Sea World at that age - and it's very expensive for what you get.

Sea World is expensive at any age. ;)

Another side benefit to Balboa Park is that it's consumable in small chunks. I think you can buy some sort of weekly pass that is a pretty good value. Since it's more like 20-30 smallish museums and activities, a little one with a short attention span might do better there. Plus it's a huge outdoor park area - you wouldn't be held hostage to lousy amusement park food: you could either picnic or go to a nearby restaurant if you choose.

What is Balboa Park? That something new? All I recall is Balboa Island at Newport Beach.

What is Balboa Park? That something new? All I recall is Balboa Island at Newport Beach.

Balboa Park is not a theme park. It is just a park in San Diego. A lovely place to walk around, the Old Globe Theatre is there, a museum, they type of thing. No rides....... although the park is next door to the San Diego Zoo.


To the OP, Knotts Berry Farm and Universal Studios are an easy drive if you are flying into Los Angeles.
However, San Diego is 2 1/2 hours away on a good day with no traffic. So if you are planning on Sea World, plan a few days in San Diego. There are TONS of things to do with a 6 year old there.

Just took the kids to Knotts Berry Farm last week--here is my take for a 6 year old. A large portion of the rides your 6 yr old will not be able to go on. Ht restrictions are listed on their web page and it is a theme park that caters to an older kid for the most part. They have the whole camp snoopy thing and a hand full of other rides and attractions but a 10 year old would have a blast. Knotts is a bargain compared to other theme parks.

Sea world is great for any age group and the kids love the animals. as for cost make sure you go on the web site for all theme parks and check the on line purchase option for tickets. Knotts had a special and I know my kids went to Sea world a couple of weeks ago with the Nanny and got a two days for the price of one special on line.

As for Disneyland--I assume you are already going there. As far as theme parks go it would make no sense to come from Australia to go to sea world and Knotts and not be doing Disney (I assume that was part of the plan all along) Again--they are offering deals (for the first time ever in the summer).
go on line and see what deals they are offering. Right now they have a 3 days for 99$ deal that includes both parks for that price--Disney has two parks on site, Disney and California adventure. Since they normally charge 60-65$/day for one park this is a great deal.
the hotels next to Disney are offering deals as well---the Sheraton in Anaheim 1855 Harbor Blvd, was offering $99/nt this summer and they have a decent pool for the kids--and they are located one block from Disney. The upper floors on the disney side have great balcony views of the fireworks each night at 9:30.

Have Fun!

Note to Moderator: This belongs in LA forum

I think a 6-year old would definitely love it. I first went when I was 10 - by that age you can go on all the rides but may be too old to appreciate all the cartoon characters, etc.

Being as you are in Australia it might not make sense to delay unless you often cross the Pacific as by age 16 it would be a far different experience.

As for hotels check out the LA forum and Tripadvisor. If you are only there for a night or two it may make best sense to stay near the park to maximize your time as LA traffic can be a nightmare and difficult to navigate for the uninitiated. If you are there longer you might consider staying closer to the beach in Huntington, Newport Beach or Irvine. Definitely not Hollywood or Santa Monica as you'd have the traffic hassle.

Regarding San Diego, I echo the other comments - do the fantastic San Diego Zoo before any of the other attractions. It's certainly the best in the USA, the only zoo I liked more was the Australia Zoo outside Brisbane (2x more expensive) where you can actually pet the Kangaroos! San Diego has plenty of great places to stay, Mission Bay might be most convenience, but the zoo is centrally located. We stayed off route 8 last year, just off I-5.

For good housekeeping, the OP's very similar threads have been merged. As the discussion is now focused on the So. Calif. theme parks, the thread title has been edited and the thread moved to our Travel->California forum. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator.