👨👩👧👦 Family vacation in California: top places for children
As a mother of a four-year-old son, I know very well that I want to visit places where it is interesting and exciting, and not only for children, but also for adults. And when you come on vacation, you can’t even immediately figure out where to go with a small child. So I decided to tell you five interesting locations if you decide to take a family trip to California with children under five years old. Vivid impressions and positive emotions are guaranteed to you!
Legoland
This is an interactive amusement park in the town of Carlsbad, which, as you might have guessed from the name, is dedicated to Lego. This park is designed for adults and children over 2 years old.
Guests of the park can ride more than 60 attractions, take part in shows featuring cartoon characters, and also go on a journey as a ninja, explorer or even a pilot. Children who love Lego will find themselves in a magical world where there are no limits to fantasy and imagination.
The park is very bright, colorful and is a kind of construction set of small worlds, where every child and even adult can find something exciting for themselves. A pleasant bonus for visiting in hot weather is water attractions, so don’t forget to take your swimming gear with you.
It is better to buy tickets to the park in advance online, it will be cheaper. Lego land is quite large, so I recommend purchasing two-day tickets to enjoy all the activities at your leisure. You can spend the night at the hotel and have a snack in local cafes, which are located right in the park.
To avoid long lines, especially on weekends or holidays, I recommend purchasing a Reserve ‘N' Ride pass, which allows you to reserve seats on attractions in advance.
Don't forget to download the Legoland app. It is very convenient to keep track of the schedule of events and shows, find places of interest and make purchases.
Personal recommendations: on weekends and holidays there is a huge queue at the entrance to the park, in which you can stand for an hour or more. So it’s better to arrive 15-20 minutes before the park opens or choose to visit on weekdays. Be sure to plan your route before arriving: the park has a lot of entertainment and attractions, and it can be difficult to navigate the place due to an overabundance of emotions.
Working hours:
- Autumn/winter: 10:00-17:00 seven days a week
- Spring: 10:00-18:00 seven days a week
- Summer (from the end of June): 10:00-20:00 seven days a week
Tickets:
- For one day: from $89
- For two days: from $114
- Overnight in a hotel and one day in the park: from $184
San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo is one of the most famous places in Southern California. It is located on 100 hectares in Balboa Park and is considered one of the largest in the world. Here you can see more than 700 thousand plants and more than 3.7 thousand animals, including rare and endangered ones.
The zoo has a large number of open enclosures, and many of them have transparent walls. So children can easily watch the animals even if they are sitting on their parents' laps. There are also pavilions that imitate various ecosystems – it looks very realistic and creates the feeling of being in the wild.
The crown jewel of the zoo is the safari park, where visitors can ride in cars and watch wild animals in their natural habitat, such as zebras, giraffes, lions, and elephants. This is very exciting, and children 4-7 years old enjoy this activity especially much.
In addition, the San Diego Zoo offers many interactive areas where you can watch live shows, play with the animals, and even feed them. And in the children's area there is a petting zoo, where goats, sheep, geese, and rabbits live.
If your children love to explore the world, then you should definitely take part in the “behind the scenes tour”, in which the keepers will tell you a lot of new things about the inhabitants of the zoo.
A large number of recreational facilities are available to visitors. For those who don’t like to walk, there are guided bus tours. And if you get tired while walking, you can take a ride on the Kangaroo Bus.
Personal recommendations: the zoo is very large, so you need to take care of planning your route in advance. You can choose the animals that you and your child would like to see first. I highly recommend adding an animal show to your walking tour.
Working hours:
- Autumn and winter: 9:00-18:00 seven days a week
- Spring: 9:00-19:00 seven days a week
- Summer (from the end of June): 9:00-21:00 seven days a week
Tickets:
- On a weekday: adults – $69, children – $59
- Plus admission to the 4D cinema: adults – $76, children – $66
- For any day: adults – $57, children – $47
- Plus admission to the 4D cinema: adults – $74, children – $64
- 2 in 1:
- One entry to the San Diego Zoo and one entry to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park: adult – $118, child – $108
- 3-in-1:
- San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park and SeaWorld San Diego: Adult $190, Child $180
SeaWorld San Diego
San Diego's Marine Mammal Theme Park with Oceanarium and Outdoor Aquarium, located within Mission Bay, is a unique destination.
Having visited it for the first time, I felt like a real child, whose eyes were glowing with delight and my heart was beating strongly from meeting each new sea animal. So I can’t imagine what my 4-year-old son felt when he visited here for the first time.
In this park, a child can get up close and personal with various marine inhabitants. The park offers several animal interactives, including feeding sea lions and petting rays and sharks.
In addition, SeaWorld San Diego has great shows with dolphins, fur seals, and, the icing on the cake, a killer whale show. Don't miss these shows – they are a must-watch!
And if you're in the park during the Christmas holidays, check out the music show at the Bayside Gallery and meet Santa Claus in the Christmas Village.
The Sesame Street Bay of Play features daily performances and character appearances, and the Cool Pets show! (Pets Rule!) is a hit with kids.
By the way, the most popular attractions on Sesame Street are Elmo's Flying Fish and Oscar's Rocking Eel, Sea Dragon Drop and Abby's Starfish Carousel “(Abby's Sea Star Spin). My son was delighted with every attraction.
Sea World San Diego has several restaurants that are ideal for families with little ones. The menu features kid-friendly options like pizza, burgers and chicken nuggets, as well as healthy options like salads and fresh fruit. So there is no need to bring food with you.
The park has several shaded areas and seating areas for parents to relax while their little ones play. Before dark, I recommend taking a ride on the cable car and admiring the beautiful views of Mission Bay.
Personal recommendations: tickets can be purchased online on the official website. Read their description carefully: they are available both on a specific day and without a specific date. You need to buy tickets in advance; the chance of doing this on the day of your visit is very small. You can also buy a ticket cheaper on a discount site called Groupon. Be prepared for parking fees – about $25.
Working hours:
Depends on the season and month: from 10:00 to 16:00-22:00, the exact schedule must be checked on the website when purchasing a ticket
Tickets:
- For a specific date: $70 +$35 (all day meals)
- Any day: $110 + $45 (all day meals)
- For an unlimited number of visits per year: $132 (can be paid in installments)
- You can also buy various additional services online (meeting with the animal, parking near the entrance, lunch with killer whales, skip-the-line + reserved seats)
Dinos Alive Exhibit
The Dinos Alive Exhibit is located in Los Angeles. Life-size animated copies are presented here – the realism of the exhibits is very impressive, especially with sound and special effects.
In addition to the exhibition itself, there is an interactive Budding Experts space where children can take on the role of paleontologists and try to tame some of the most famous dinosaurs.
One of the highlights of the exhibition is diving into the depths of the sea using video mapping. This is a mesmerizing digital image that will take you back hundreds of years and bring ancient creatures to life. If your children, like my son, love dinosaurs, then you will return to this place more than once.
Visitors can learn a lot about the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods in an interactive way. The youngest guests of the park will be able to ride “real” dinosaurs!
Personal recommendations: keep in mind that visiting the exhibition will take one to two hours. Download the Dinos Alive app in advance. With it, you can see a map of the exhibition, find any dinosaur and even buy tickets.
The organizers write that the exhibition is suitable for all ages, but I would refrain from visiting the park with children under three years old. Little ones can get scared easily, but for children over 4 years old it will be very interesting. To make your visit even more memorable, you can add a dinosaur costume when purchasing tickets. It costs $35.
By the way, there is parking near the park, and it is free.
Opening hours: 10:00-18:00 seven days a week
Tickets:
- General admission: $20
- VIP ticket: $28
- “Family Package” (4+ tickets, max. 2 adults): $17
- VIP “Family Package” (4+ tickets, max. 2 adults): $24
- Group package (minimum 15 tickets): $16
- Flexible Award Ticket: $50
- Children under 3 years old – free
Irvine Park Railroad
The Irvine Park Railroad is located in the heart of Orange County, California, in the 475-acre park of the same name. The location has been open to visitors for more than 20 years and during this time it has become the main attraction of the region.
Here you can ride a train in one-third scale of the original. A ride through the park takes approximately 12 minutes and is suitable for visitors of all ages. The train offers stunning views of the landscape.
The park has many playgrounds, picnic areas and hiking trails, which is especially important for outdoor enthusiasts. Visitors can also rent bicycles or pedal boats, go fishing, or stroll along the park's winding paths.
The park hosts seasonal events throughout the year. For example, during Halloween, the park turns into a pumpkin patch, where you can pick pumpkins, ride in the hay, paint faces and participate in carnival games.
Little animal lovers can ride a pony or visit the zoo, whose inhabitants live in an environment close to natural. Here you can see black bears, mountain lions, bald eagles, ocelots, red-tailed hawks, great horned owls, porcupines, and coyotes. There is also an opportunity to learn interesting facts about them.
There is also a petting zoo area with domestic goats, sheep, pot-bellied pigs, pigeons, chickens and pheasants. Many animals can be fed grain and touched. There are picnic areas near the zoo.
Personal recommendation: Tickets can be purchased on site. If you are a fan of healthy food, I recommend bringing your own lunch, since two cafes in the park only offer fast food. Parking is paid.
Working hours:
- Autumn/winter: 6:00 – 18:00
- Spring/summer: 6:00 – 21:00
- Entertainment opens and closes at different times, it's best to check the website for schedules.
Tickets:
- Horse rental: $75 per hour (by appointment only)
- Rowboat rental: $20 for 30 minutes
- Train ride: $6
- Zoo: $2
- Pony ride: $8 (cash only)
- Bicycle rental: prices vary
- Parking:
- Weekdays: $3 per car
- Weekend: $5 per car
- Holidays: $7 per car