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  1. #1
    WatchingThemGrow is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    Default 2 Days/3 nights in San Diego -What should we do?

    Looks like we will have a car for the time we are there, and I've booked Comfort Suites near SeaWorld. We have SeaWorld/Aquatica passes, so we'd like to hit those parks for a bit. We're hoping the Zoo, Balboa park, La Jolla, and some boats.

    If you have a 2 day itinerary or any tips on transportation, food, culture, etc., we welcome them!

    ETA: We've done Legoland Florida 3x already, so I'm wondering if Legoland Ca is very different.

  2. #2
    jgenie is online now Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Legoland CA has a few different things but I would skip it if you’ve done FL three times. We loved the zoo and the museums in Balboa Park. If you have local museum passes check for reciprocal benefits. We were able to get in free to the Balboa museums with ASTC membership. We spent the entire day at the zoo and didn’t get to see everything. We’re early birds so we arrived before opening. Our plan of attack was the pandas first then the zoo tour bus. We had caricatures done of the kids while we were there. They hang in our library and make me smile every time I walk in the room. They were my souvenir and worth every penny! I wanted one of DH and I but my kids were too squirrelly after sitting for their pics so I didn’t push my luck. 4 years later I Still wish we had done it.

    ETA: If you have Sea World passes, I’m thinking you’ve been multiple times. I would skip it for this trip. I think the SeaWorld parks are pretty similar and I wouldn’t want to miss San Diego sights for things you can see at home unless your family just adores SeaWorld.
    Last edited by jgenie; 06-03-2018 at 11:05 PM.

  3. #3
    sariana is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    San Diego Zoo is awesome. Your plans sound great as is--zoo, Balboa Park. I would skip La Jolla (it's a bit up the coast), but that's just me. There is SO much to do in Balboa Park (zoo is there too). You easily can fill 2 days there.

    Is SeaWorld on an additional day? When we do SW, we do a whole day there. If it's one of your 2 days, you're overbooked already. (I've never been to Aquatica, and I'm not sure how far away it is from the other attractions.)

    I agree with PP to skip Legoland.

    A couple of laid-back options: Seaport Village (to see boats and nautical shops) and Belmont Park in Mission Bay (has a roller coaster and a few other "Boardwalk" rides). Maybe Old Town too.
    DS '04 "Boogaboo"
    DD '08 "Lilybear"

  4. #4
    WatchingThemGrow is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    GREAT info! Thank you!

    Transportation - We will be renting a car to leave the city, but I'm wondering if it would be helpful to drive to most of these places. Would it be advantageous to take Uber to some of these destinations around town and not use our rental car?

    What about Navy Pier and the USS Midway? I just saw those and the giant statue. My DC will freak out, as they have the same sailor statue in Sarasota, FL, where we just were at Spring Break. The kids have a cousin serving on a navy ship. Is there a destroyer to tour, by chance?

    We aren't huge SeaWorld fans, but we have passes for this year. DD loves the coasters, so we will do some of those quickly and spend just a little time visiting their two parks so we can compare them with Orlando, lol.

    Love the caricature idea! We may need to do that.

  5. #5
    sariana is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Just FYI, Aquatica and SeaWorld are not next to each other. I just looked up Aquatica, and it's quite a bit south, probably at least a 20-minute drive away. Just something to be aware of. SeaWorld San Diego has only 2 coasters, one of which is brand new (and I haven't seen it/been on it) and opens sometime this summer. There is also Journey to Atlantis, but that's only sort of a coaster, crossed with a water ride. The only other coaster is Manta, which is cool but which always has a long line and is not worth a trip to the park, IMO.

    I don't know what "Navy Pier" is (and my DH is in the Navy!), but the Midway is interesting. I'm not sure I would pay for it, though. We went when they had a special event--wear red, white, and blue and get in free. I think it might have been on Flag Day?? Try checking their website or ask locals if they know of any free days.

    You can try contacting the main Navy Base at 32nd Street to see if you can arrange to tour a destroyer. If there is one in port, it might be possible. There should be a Public Affairs Office that can help you with that.

    As far as your car, the deciding factor for me would be the cost of parking vs the cost of the Uber. There is plenty of parking at SeaWorld; I don't know about Aquatica. But it's not free. I think the zoo also has adequate parking, but the rest of Balboa Park can be challenging.

    I probably would Uber to the Midway because of its location. We parked in a military facility because (as I said above) DH is in the Navy. There isn't a lot of parking in that area.

    One factor to consider is travel time. SeaWorld is up by Mission Bay, and it takes some time to get from there to any of your other destinations. San Diego traffic can be bad. I really would not do SW for "just a few hours." It's just not that convenient once you account for getting out of one parking lot, getting to the freeway, getting to the destination, finding parking again, etc.

    The Midway, OTOH, is pretty close to Balboa Park. So you could do a combo day with those pretty easily.

    Aquatica is south of Balboa Park, so in the opposite direction from SeaWorld.
    Last edited by sariana; 06-04-2018 at 05:37 PM.
    DS '04 "Boogaboo"
    DD '08 "Lilybear"

  6. #6
    sariana is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Sorry, double post.
    DS '04 "Boogaboo"
    DD '08 "Lilybear"

  7. #7
    WatchingThemGrow is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    Thanks so much for the advice, Sariana! Ok, Aquatica is off the ticket. We will be at the Orlando one the week before. It looks like there are a few interesting/different experiences at Sea World, especially at night, so maybe we will put that late in the day on day 2. Our hotel is near Old Town, Mission Bay, and Belmont Park, so it makes sense to stay in that area for a whole day and do the Balboa Park/Midway thing the first day.

    Great info about the public affairs officer! We are taking a LONG drive to the Grand Canyon the following day.

    Thank you to your DH for serving! We have a couple Naval Academy kids in the family, so seeing all that stuff will be fun. The graduation was such a neat experience. They will love seeing whatever we can!
    Last edited by WatchingThemGrow; 06-04-2018 at 05:55 PM.

  8. #8
    mom2binsd is online now Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    I will say, that depending on where you live, a trip to LaJolla cove and LaJolla shores beach can be a lot of fun, especially if you hit the beach at low tide, there are some great tide pools there. The infamous seals who sun themselves at LaJolla cove are also something most really enjoy.

    You can also take a water taxi from Seaport Village over to Coronado, rent bikes over there and bike around Coronado Island. Or drive over and wander the Hotel Del Coronado, it is a historic hotel, and the beach out front is really nice to take a walk along (gold speckles in the sand, usually small gentle waves vs the surf/beach along Pacific and Ocean beach which often have a lot of seaweed washed up).

    I've heard nothing but good things about the Midway tours. When I lived there I was able to get a tour on a submarine through a friend but that was pre 9/11. Also got to tour an aircraft carrier and they took us all out to see, had a fighter jet take off and land, probably the coolest thing I have ever seen (this was with x husbands work, the Chargers who had a strong relationship with the military). I'm not sure what kind of tours they offer but the naval installations along the bay are awesome.

    Maybe a harbour tour? A few hours at Cabrillo Monument (they also have some cool tide pools to explore).

    While the zoo is great, I always think the best part of San Diego is it's coastline, it's do different from other parts of the country. The zoo is huge and takes a huge chuck of your day. If you have been to other big zoo's maybe you don't need to use precious time there, my kids can take or leave a zoo, but they love exploring tide pools etc.

  9. #9
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    Seems like you've got your activities mostly sorted out, so I'll chime in with some food options- SD is a huge beer town, so if you're at all interested in checking out some breweries (most are kid-friendly during the day), head towards North Park. Liberty Station isn't far from Sea World and has a fun food hall with lots of delicious options. Depending on when you come, the food hall in Little Italy may be open by then (I think it's supposed to be ready before the end of June). In Balboa Park, we like the Prado for a nicer meal and great atmosphere, and Panama 66 for more casual faire and great beer options.

  10. #10
    jgenie is online now Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by pinay View Post
    Seems like you've got your activities mostly sorted out, so I'll chime in with some food options- SD is a huge beer town, so if you're at all interested in checking out some breweries (most are kid-friendly during the day), head towards North Park. Liberty Station isn't far from Sea World and has a fun food hall with lots of delicious options. Depending on when you come, the food hall in Little Italy may be open by then (I think it's supposed to be ready before the end of June). In Balboa Park, we like the Prado for a nicer meal and great atmosphere, and Panama 66 for more casual faire and great beer options.
    We ate at the Prado when we visited and loved it. We sat on the patio and especially enjoyed the gorgeous weather coming from snowy conditions at home.


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