San Diego Zoo and sea world for 2 yr old

[ppwlee]

Hi,

 

Just looking for tips and recommendations on strategy and how much time to spend with our 2yr old daughter at the Zoo and sea world and what are those "not to miss" items. We have at least 3 full days (arriving sat night and leaving wed afternoon) post cruise in San Diego and have decided to skip other attactions like legoland and knotberry therefore wanted to spend more times at the zoo/sea world with multi-day passes plus hanging around other places like beaches and downtown. Our only limitation is her 1-4pm daily lap so something like 1 activity each in the morning and late afternoon would work well. We are staying in central san diego which is about 15mins drive away from either the zoo or seaworld.

 

Thanks for any input.

 

Peter

[Splinter]

Be aware that the Zoo closes to entry at 4PM during winter hours. You could do the Zoo in the AM one day, then go back to the hotel and do the nap thing, but SeaWorld is also not open in the evening in the winter hours, so you would need to do that the next day. Personally, I am not big on SeaWorld, and it is very expensive. There is a lot of sitting at shows there for a 2 year old too.

 

For the Zoo, I would take her on the bus tour 40 minutes), then on the SkyFari (cable car) to see the polar bears, then walk back through the new Elephant Mesa, then go to the Monkey Trails and end up at the newly refurbished Children's Zoo before heading out. You can take an umbrella stroller on the Skyfari but not a regular stroller. I would plan to be in line at the Zoo when the doors open. Consider purchasing her a child's membership (Koala Club) which is about the same cost as a children's admission, but will get her a quarterly newsletter and admission for a year (if you should go back to the Zoo soon again). You can purchase tickets on-line to save time in line.

 

You might also want to check out the Children's Museum in downtown San Diego. It has a lot of interactive type activities for all age groups. http://www.thinkplaycreate.org/

 

The Corvette Diner at Liberty Station is a fun place to eat for children of all ages: http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/restaurants/corvettediner/

 

Some kids love to see the model trains at Balboa Park: http://www.sdmodelrailroadm.com/ , and the carousel and ride-on train (right outside the Zoo) are traditional fun (we used to do that after church every Sunday when I was a child in SD in the 1950s). http://entertainment.signonsandiego.com/places/mini-train-and-carousel/

 

There is also a beautiful carousel at Seaport Village, but not much else there for a child her age (mostly shops and restaurants). s

 

You might still want to consider Legoland as it is so close-by.

 

It would help to know what time of year you will be visiting SD.

[ppwlee]

Some great comments.

 

We are heading there in the last wk of Sept. Interestingly we are thinking of bypassing the Zoo and focus on the seaworld only plus other attractions since we heard the Zoo could be too big to manage and all the walking. But you seem to suggest that zoo could be equally enjoyable if not more for a 2yr old. For our daughter's interest we think it would be a toss between the two.

 

From what I gather Lego land is also too much for a 2yr old and all the rides would not be suitable for her. Admission is also quite expensive. Do you see it differently? Other than that I agreed with your other recommendations. Thanks.

 

Peter

[Happy ks]

I happen to love San Diego Zoo! It is doable with a young child and you don't have to walk the whole zoo, they have tour buses so you can take the whole loop and stay on the bus. Or, get off and visit one particular area for a while, then reboard the bus.

 

Seaworld is another great choice, smaller than the Zoo and may be a little more interesting to a little one. The grounds are flat, it's not overwhelming for a little one and the penguins are wonderful to see, just as much fun as the shows.

 

My kids are a lot older now, but as I recall, when on vacation there is also a need for downtime. They don't really need to see an amusement park every day, my kids were happy just playing at the pool at that age, or taking a walk.

 

I've been to Legoland a couple of times, it has been years and I know it's more built up now, but it's not as close as you may think, especially with San Diego traffic. I wans't terribly impressed with the place and would not bother to go there again.

 

Knott's Berry Farm would be a huge effort for a day coming from San Diego. If you choose that, stay in Buena Park for the night, the drive is at least 2 hours each way, but can be much more, depending on traffic. We drove to San Diego a couple Saturdays ago, late afternoon. What many times only takes us an hour to an hour +15 minutes took us 2 and a half hours, it was bumper to bumper much of the way.

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

The San Diego Zoo really is a DO NOT MISS for everyone and although i do not know this for sure, there may be strollers for rent at the zoo.

 

Another idea...visit the USS Midway. There is a lot to see and do here, and you can take the little one in and out of planes that are parked inside the aircraft carrier and on the flight deck.

 

If you decide to go tot he beach, the beach at Del Mar is one of the very best. Parking is readily available and free, and it is a short walk to one of the nicest, cleanest beaches in California.