Family Getaway Extraordinaire: San Diego & Disneyland
Reviewed by: Amanda
Overall Grade: A+
Kids’ Rating: A++
Location: A+
Amenities: A
Food: A+
Service: A
Fun Factor: A+
Price: $$ – $$$$
Best for: Family Vacation
Date of Stay: May 2010
We were given the amazing opportunity to explore San Diego and Disneyland in California with our family and it was more fun than any of us could have hoped for.
We arrived in San Diego and were blown away by the resort that had been booked for us. It was the Loews Coronado Bay Resort and we got to stay in the Bayside Villa Parlor, a private suite with our own deck on the ocean.
Although the next few days were busy with non-stop exploration of the local tourist attractions, the suite was a peaceful haven for us to unwind every evening.Even though the resort is quite high-end, it was very child-friendly and it’s actually been voted one of the Top Ten Beach Resorts by Parents magazine. The pool was incredible, they had mini lounge chairs for the kids to sit on, and our daughter would have been happy to stay there all day.
Neither words nor photos will do justice to the beauty of the location. The staff was very warm and helpful, and we were treated to a delightful welcome:We got to eat dinner one night at Mistral, a restaurant in the resort.
The menu was beautiful, with its focus on local produce and seafood. We were the only family with a young child with us but they were very helpful and understanding. The kids’ menu was cute but classy, and no one kicked us out when our three year-old let out the world’s most deafening belch. (Note to self: time to teach the kid some manners!)There is so much to do and see in San Diego and we decided to tackle one major tourist attraction for each day.
The first day was Sea World and it was a hit! We were all mesmerized by the abundance of amazing animals to see. We watched the Sea Lions show, we saw Shamu do his thing, we spent a couple hours in the Elmo’s World play land, and we walked for about 10 hours straight, trying to see all we could in a single day.
The most important things I learned were: wear comfortable walking shoes, bring gobs of sunscreen and a floppy hat, and make sure to drink lots of frozen lemonade!
The most important things I learned were: wear comfortable walking shoes, bring gobs of sunscreen and a floppy hat, and make sure to drink lots of frozen lemonade!The next day we went to the San Diego Zoo and were treated to a VIP tour in a comfortable golf cart that showed us all the animals, some of them even up close and personal. Avelyn got to feed a llama, and we got to watch a zookeeper work with a jaguar during her feeding time. There was so much to see and I was thankful for the bus tours that drove around during the day so we could give our tired feet a rest.
On our last day in San Diego we stopped at the USS Midway and walked through the huge ship and looked at dozens of military aircraft. My husband was in heaven!
After that, we hit the road and made our way to Anaheim (whoever invented the GPS needs a Nobel Peace prize!) to spend a couple days in Disneyland. We checked in to the Grand Californian Hotel and then entered the park. My husband and I went to Disneyland about five years ago and while it was fun, we were more focused on the big roller coasters and the crazy thrills of rides than we were on the actual magic of the park. But going with our three year-old daughter gave us both the opportunity to view Disneyland as the magical place it truly is. Her eyes were wide as she gazed upon the castle, the carousel, the life-sized Disney characters around every corner. It was so great!
On our last day in San Diego we stopped at the USS Midway and walked through the huge ship and looked at dozens of military aircraft. My husband was in heaven!
After that, we hit the road and made our way to Anaheim (whoever invented the GPS needs a Nobel Peace prize!) to spend a couple days in Disneyland. We checked in to the Grand Californian Hotel and then entered the park. My husband and I went to Disneyland about five years ago and while it was fun, we were more focused on the big roller coasters and the crazy thrills of rides than we were on the actual magic of the park. But going with our three year-old daughter gave us both the opportunity to view Disneyland as the magical place it truly is. Her eyes were wide as she gazed upon the castle, the carousel, the life-sized Disney characters around every corner. It was so great!We had an amazing dinner at the Napa Rose restaurant in our hotel and then headed off to see the evening fireworks.
The next day we toured the park and went on as many rides as we possibly could. One of the highlights of our daughter was having
a special lunch with all of the Disney princesses at Ariel’s Grotto. Her mind was BLOWN and I don’t think she’ll even get over just how awesome it was. The menu was a bit pricey (about $35/person) but the food was actually very delicious and each Disney princess came over, one at a time, to our our table and had a little conversation with our daughter. I hope she never forgets how special she felt that day.
Staying in an actual Disney hotel added to our experience in so many ways. It made us feel as though we were in a magical land the whole time and I loved every minute of it.
The next day we toured the park and went on as many rides as we possibly could. One of the highlights of our daughter was havinga special lunch with all of the Disney princesses at Ariel’s Grotto. Her mind was BLOWN and I don’t think she’ll even get over just how awesome it was. The menu was a bit pricey (about $35/person) but the food was actually very delicious and each Disney princess came over, one at a time, to our our table and had a little conversation with our daughter. I hope she never forgets how special she felt that day.
Staying in an actual Disney hotel added to our experience in so many ways. It made us feel as though we were in a magical land the whole time and I loved every minute of it.__________________________________________________________________
I know this review is a tad long, but that’s because there is just so much to do and see in California! It’s the perfect getaway for a family vacation and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.