We just got back from a less than magical WDW trip and now we’re in the very early planning stages for the kids’ first DLR trip in May. Kids will be newly 6, 4, and 3 so we’re hoping to take it slow. DH and I last visited in 2019. Hoping/planning on booking 7 nights in a 1BR at VGC. Leaning toward renting a car as well. A couple questions to help me with our framework-
-How easy is it to add days (and park reservations) to a ticket? Aka can I start with a 3 day ticket and reasonably expect to be able to add a day or two if we end up with a late morning or early night because the kids can’t hang?
-What are your favorite non-Disney things to do for kids this age? We plan on having a list of “rest day” things or add-ons we might want to try if this trip ends up more magical than our WDW trip.
Thanks!
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I’m not an expert, but here’s a few possibilities:
- Huntington Beach
- Angels game (although maybe not as fun with multiple littles)
- Aquarium of the Pacific
- Hang out by the pool (VGC has a nice splash area for littles if I remember correctly)
- Medieval Times (haven’t been to this in years but enjoyed it as a kid - it’s a dinner show with knights jousts and whatnot)
- If you want to split the trip and do a couple nights in San Diego, there’s Legoland and the zoo there is amazing. I feel like Legoland is aimed at littles.
We went at the end of May this year. Kids really loved Legoland. We did not like Knott’s but mainly because we visit amusement parks often and it was very similar to the ones we frequent. We enjoyed a couple of days at Huntington Beach but it was not very warm. Mostly played in and out of the water and enjoyed food and watching surfers at the pier.
I’m fairly certain you can upgrade your tickets at the park Guest Services counter as long as you do it before the end of your last day. While the DL website confirms that for upgrading to a Magic Key, I couldn’t find confirmation on that for increasing your multi-day tickets to more days. I would ask via the Chat box on the DL website to confirm, and details on how to do it.
I never stayed a week when my kids were little, so I’m not speaking from experience, but…with kids that young, I’d want to stick with low-key, less stimulation activities for the rest day. You’d be staying on site, right? The pools at DLH are fabulous, so I’d plan time for a break there every day if the kids like it, and lots of time on the rest day. The hotels also usually have activities for guests, which you can explore ahead of time on line. If more is needed to fill the day, I’d consider the Golfland Mini-Golf course offerings, in Anaheim. That would keep you out of So Cal traffic to get to a cold beach or other site. But I love mini-golf. 
The parks and Disneyland hotels are within easy walking distance, and if the Monorail is operating, you can use that to shorten the walk and get in another thrill for the kids.