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San Diego trip - need recommendations on zoo/Sea World/Wild Animal Park

1K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  heathergirl67 
#1 ·
Hello. We are going on vacation to San Diego next week, and I am having trouble figuring out where to go and for how long.

We are going to Legoland for 2-3 days (staying in Carlsbad), then going to San Diego for 3.5 days. I would love to hear recommendations between the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, and Sea World. We are definitely going to the zoo and Sea World at least one day each, but if you were traveling to the area, how many days in each spot would you recommend, and would you recommend also going to the Wild Animal Park or just doing the zoo 1 or 2 days and Sea World 1 or 2 days?

Our sons are 8.5 and almost 6, and I know we'll be carrying the 6 year old a lot. We are from Michigan and this is our first time to the area as a family.

Thank you in advance for your help!
Sheri
 
#2 ·
You are smart to be at Legoland for 2 days! Your kids will love it. I think they just opened up the water park? And their SeaLife aquarium is nice. Eat lunch in the SeaLife cafe! That's my tip - it is usually less crowded than other places and has a nice selection.

I LOVE the Wild Animal park. Much different than any zoo experience. It is A LOT of walking and hills, but maybe you could rent a stroller? They have a great tram ride that takes you out to the areas you can't see from the trails. It is closer to Legoland.

We went two years ago to Sea World, and I wasn't that crazy about it. I had really great memories of SeaWorld Orlando, and this did not measure up. It just wasn't a very attractive park, there was about ZERO shade and I was overall hot and bored. But my child didn't want to ride any attractions, so maybe you will have more fun! Certainly not more than one day there, though.

Have fun!
 
#3 ·
You can do Sea World in one day. We have season passes (and live less than 2 miles away) so we go a ton and just do a few things at a time. But if you give it one full day, you will be able to get everything done if you plan ahead. When you get there in the morning, get a map (will have the show times for the day) and plan your day around the shows that you want to see. That way you won't have to come back another day just because you missed a show that you wanted to see. The Shamu show is much less cool now that there was that killer whale attack - the trainers aren't allowed to get in the water with the whales anymore. The last time we went, my daughter was so upset that the show wasn't "as fun". And I recommend hitting the big rides first thing in the morning, before the lines get crazy. They only allow you to bring in bottled water, so you might want to take advantage of their meal plan if you have big eaters. I'm big on sneaking in snacks and sandwiches, though, to avoid having to pay their ridiculous prices on food.

Have fun!
 
#4 ·
Thank you so much, Caemommy and Lauren! It's good to know that Legoland is worth a little more time, and now I know not to do more than a day in SeaWorld and how to plan the day right. I was told about the food thing by another friend who said the people at SeaWorld took a stick and stabbed into his backpack to make sure he didn't have any food (yikes). I'll also look into the Wild Animal park some more now that it's gotten such a great recommendation.


My sons are so into animals that they are going to love it all, but I am feeling like we are going to come home more exhausted than when we left! But, I also know we're going to have a lot of fun.

Thank you again!
Sheri
 
#5 ·
How exciting that you are coming to San Diego for a vacation! I have never been to Legoland, so I'm not much help there. I can only tell you what my husband and friends have said. In my understanding, Legoland is not big. If they have opened the water park now perhaps two days is in order, but I think three is overkill. Both the zoo and the Wild Animal Park are hilly and require lots of walking. The Wild Animal Park also charges for parking where the zoo does not. This time of year The Wild Animal Park is pretty warm because it is further inland. It is really fun, though. Also, the zoo is within Balboa Park which has a myriad of other things to see and do. There is the Reuben H Fleet Science Center, Museum of Natural History and the San Diego Air and Space Museum (just to name a few). The Science Center is aweome for kids! Here is a link to Balboa Park if you'd like to see all there is to do there.

http://www.balboapark.org/in-the-par...ns.php?catID=5

We also have a an aircraft carrier museum in downtown San Diego which my boys LOVE! Here is their link http://www.midway.org/ It is on a HUGE air craft carrier and is near Seaport Village and the Star of India. LOTS TO DO HERE!

I agree that Sea World can be done in day. I can ride my bike there so I have been with the kids A LOT over the years. They will like it but one day is sufficient.

Are you skipping the Disney parks?

The Wild Animal Park is out in the middle of nowhere so if you want to see more, maybe stick with the zoo and balboa park OR only spend one day at Legoland. You know your boys best and will know what they will like most! Have a great time. I don't think you can go wrong here whatever you decide.
 
#6 ·
Wow - thank you, Stephanie! We knew we were going to want to do more exploring, but we were so overwhelmed with the basics of the trip (hotel, Legoland, etc.) that we hadn't looked into the other things like Balboa Park and the museums, so that is really helpful. We only decided on the trip a week ago, and we're leaving on Sunday, so it's been a frantic week (thank goodness for long, decompressing plane rides...)!

We are skipping the Disney Parks because the boys haven't asked (phew!). My oldest son and I are Pittas (in Ayurvedic medicine) so we don't do well in heat, so knowing that the Wild Animal Park is warmer is a helpful warning, too.


Thanks again for everything, including the links!
Sheri
 
#7 ·
Definitely check out Balboa Park- you could be there for a week and not have time to see everything.

Two days at Lego Land sounds right to me! We just went and we could have easily made a weekend out of it.

You could devote a day each to the Zoo and Sea World. We usually go to the Zoo for a couple of hours and then hit another museum in Balboa Park, but if you've never been to the Zoo before you'll likely be able to be there a full day. The San Diego Natural History Museum is fun and the Air and Space museum has a neat-o exhibit about aliens.

If you go to the Wild Animal Park, either go early since it gets VERY hot out there. If you start feeling warm, hop on the tram tour and you'll cool off a bit. I took my nephew on a Segway tour at the Wild Animal Park and he loved it!

There's also a new children's museum in San Diego that is veeeery fun.

Have fun!!
 
#9 ·
So many great suggestions already! I'm getting the feeling that you're dreading getting tired and hot. I'm the same way. I wilt like a flower in the heat! If you want someplace cool and low-key, but still awesome, check out the Scripps Aquarium. It's run through UCSD's oceanography department, so it's reasonably priced- about the same as movie tickets. There's so many awesome animals to see. And they have a "petting zoo"! The best part: It's air-conditioned. You could easily spend half the day there. Maybe a good idea when the boys want to do another activity but you need something a little slower paced.

I second the science center in Balboa Park suggestion. If you only plan on being at Balboa park for one day, you should hit up the science center first. There's a LOT to do there and your kids won't get bored quickly. It's all interactive and much better than the website makes it look. Balboa Park is cool, especially since some of the museums are free. One of them is this model train museum. It's a warehouse-sized room full of elaborate running model trains and towns. Pretty neat. And I *think* that some other museums that usually charge will sometimes be free on Tuesdays. Don't quote me on it, but it's something to check into if you think you'll head that way.

I hope you have a blast and please let us know how it turned out!
 
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