visiting anaheim with 3.5yo and no car?

[SweetPotato]

Hi ladies- I hope someone can give me some info here! My dh has a conference in Anaheim this July, and I was thining that dd and I might tag along. The thing is, we won't be renting a car, and so we'll be limited to places we can reach via the train and on foot. Are there fun, safe, cheap things to do with a preschooler that are within walking distance of the train stations down there? Thanks!!

[ZoshaMosha]

...so, no Disneyland?

[SweetPotato]

Originally Posted by TeresaZofia

...so, no Disneyland?

We're contemplating it--it DOES seem like we should give it a shot (we're staying right near the convention center)- but dd tends to get easily overwhelmed in crowds, and I suspect that late July at Disneyland could wipe her out in no time (and it's not exactly cheap!)

I'd really like to spend some time at the beach, but it looks like a decent trek on buses or trains. We've got quite a bit of travelling already planned for this summer,but I doubt that we'll have a reason to travel to CA again, and it seems a shame to waste the hotel and flight for dh since he's going anyway, you know?

waffle, waffle, waffle

[deymm]

Anaheim is pretty difficult without a car.

[yaya'smum]

unfortunately there's not a whole lot around that area, there's downtown disney which is a shopping walk leading to Disneyland and California Adventure. Not incredible kid friendly, besides just walking around and seeing a lot of people, lego store, etc. there's normally a band or two playing along the way. Also the grounds of the Disneyland hotel are really beautiful, they have an arcade and mini boat racing in a pond, it's like a vending machine with a steering wheel and you control the boats. Down the road there's a new Garden Walk, but is not really a garden more of another shopping center with a lot of restaurants.

The Amtrak station is a few miles away at the Angels stadium, if you could get there. Then you have access to old town orange, and some of the beach cities.

A few miles in the opposite directions, Buena Park near Knott's berry farm, has a strip of museums. Riply's believe it or not, the wax museum, etc. I'm sure you can look it up. I haven't been to that area in years, so I can't tell you too much more.

My favorite things to do with dd are the beach, normally the more quiet ones, like Laguna, they have a playground. walking around the old town orange circle, and going to the park. Irvine regional park has a lot of rad stuff. A zoo, pony rides, a train, lots of duck ponds, and lots of different play areas. The Long Beach aquarium is pretty awesome too. Still a trek, though.

good luck.

[beaner&tiegs]

We didn't have a car, and found the public bus system easy to navigate once we looked up routes online. We used the trolleys to get to Disneyland (we went in Feb, though, so very dead - and still were annoyed with the crowds. I could not imagine in July.....and then, maybe only with a 5 year old. My 2 year old was overwhelmed, hated many rides and shows and spent most his time playing with the garbage cans!!!!!)

If the amtrak works for you, definitely go to some of the beaches, we LOVED exploring many of them all along the coast!

Also, we spent a day at the Bowers Museum which we really enjoyed (took city bus) they had a display on American quilts which was good, and they also had a separate kids museum (fun to spend an hour in and a compliment to the main museum, but not worth JUST going to) On our way to this museum, we also saw a science discovery centre that looked really fun - perhaps that would be an option?

And then there's the fun swimming pool at the hotel, perhaps?!!!!

[JudiAU]

I grew up in Anaheim and I don't think it is very child-friendly if you won't have a car. Within my national professional organization, Anaheim ranked as the least favorite location in the last ten years for our annual conference. =( The area is really dominated by Disneyland (hotel, resorts, "downtown Disney" and by businesses catering to conference people and people going to Disneyland. It does not have an organic feel.

There are buses and trains and if you plan a lot and in advance you can probably cobble together a decent trip. It is almost an hour by bus to the beach. There are lots of good things to do in Orange County but they aren't very close to each other and a lot of them are again, not very organic-in-feel. More like corporate-owned in feel.

That being said, I would still give Disneyland a shot. Go early in the morning, go back to your hotel for lunch and night, and then visit a few more hours in the late afternoon/early evening. It is doable and their are lots of rides and events for little people.

Can you tell that I am not wild about my hometown? My parents still live there (in live in LA) and everything I do when I visit is always chain store-chain restaurant- chain store. Maybe I don't have the best perspective.

[ZoeyZoo]

Originally Posted by deymm

Anaheim is pretty difficult without a car.

This is what I was thinking. Public transportation in southern CA in general is really lacking.

[gromero]

I third or fourth or whatever that Anaheim is pretty hard without a car. Our public transportation is not like other metropolitian areas.

If you still plan on going, I would give Disneyland a shot in the evenings...much cooler, more relaxed then the day time. I *think* the prices are cheaper if you go after 4pm, or something like that.

There is also this science museum that is a lot of fun for the kids
http://www.discoverycube.org/

The closest beaches to the Disneyland Resort would be Newport Beach and Huntington Beach. Newport Beach offers bike rentals, and you can take the ferry for about $1 to Balboa Island, and you can also rent boogie boards for body surfing for a nominal fee. There are a lot of restaurants in this area. You can ride a bike to the end of the peninsula and see the channel where the USS Minnow left for its fateful 3-hour tour. Huntington Beach is also very popular, and has fire pits for a nice bonfire by the ocean.

There is also Bowers museum
http://www.bowers.org/index.jsp

HTH!!!

[onlygirls]

Take the Surfliner!!

The trains run ten times daily between Los Angeles and San Diego, with some trains continuing to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo via Oxnard and Ventura.

http://www.dot.ca.gov/rail/go/amtrak...heim/index.cfm

route map: http://www.dot.ca.gov/rail/go/amtrak...-map/index.cfm

[tankgirl136]

I second the surfliner I have friends who love to take it to San Diego.

Also I would suggest California Adventure over Disneyland for a toddler. The crowds are much lower and there is some great areas for the little ones. The streets are also much wider so it doesn't feel as closed in. Bug's Land and the Grizzly Play area are great to entertain the little guys.