That would be great!
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I did all the airports, but LAX is markedly cheaper and nonstop. That seems like it will cover the agony of bigger Uber costs.
I appreciate all the hotel suggestions. I am looking into multiple combinations but waiting on one last activity date in May that I may have to work around before I pull the trigger.
And you feel safe there with you and your girls?
Thank you for saying this. 
I know you could choose any of the options you wanted, and I appreciate you letting me know I am going to be A-OK with anything I can swing.
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I have always felt safe at Desert Inn! And it is so close to the entrance.
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Since I live 20 minutes away, I donāt do hotels, but keep in mind USH from DLR goes right through LA. It has taken me 2.5 hours to get there, if going in the morning with traffic. Even returning at night, itās rarely taken us less than an hour. If youāre doing any LA activities: Hollywood walk of fame, Chinese theaterā¦I would stay closer and closer to USH for that day. Uber is definitely the way to get to Hollywood. The parking there is ridiculous. A friend who lives in Venice even Ubers to Hollywood bcuz of parking.
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I was just looking at car rentals bc they are like HALF of what I thought they would be. I am a fairly confident driver, especially since we moved to SC a few years ago and I do a solo trek back to NY on the regular. If I wanted to rope drop USH what would be the smartest strategy other than moving hotels? Like, pre-dawn driving?
I donāt think we will do Hollywood. We did that in 2018 and we didnāt enjoy it. It was so sketchy. LOL.
We do want to go to Crescent Bay Beach from DLR area. And maybe San Juan Capistrano. I am open to other suggestions, please! 
@93111tink Iād love your 2Ā¢ as well, please!
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The times Iāve avoided traffic is by leaving at 6:20 am. That works when USH opens at 8 am with 7:30 EE, but when it opens later, itās not as efficient.
It will be a lot easier finding parking for Crescent Beach. Itās a small quiet beach.
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A poll.
Five days in Anaheim.
How should I divide them out?
- 3 days DLR/DCA, one beach, one USH
- 3 days DLR/DCA, two beach
- 2 days DLR/DCA, two beach, one USH
- Other ā¢ tell me!
0
voters
Iāve added a day to the trip, because - thatās what we do, right?
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I voted 2 beach days. I was thinking 2 different beaches- maybe the Balboa pier in Santa Ana.
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That is a tough decision! I really love Disneyland and each added day is more economical. But also I know you like doing other things as well! One thing you could do with the third day is do a half day at the beach and then go to Disneyland in the afternoon / evening.
I like USH, but it is not as good as UOR. If you go, make sure you do the tram tour since that is unique to California. If you want to see Nintendo World, buy the early entry pass and get there before opening. It makes a huge difference.
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Highly recommend visiting the Mission! We went at the very end of April in 2019. It was so beautiful! The gardens are amazing and everything was blooming. Just a very peaceful and beautiful place with tons of history.
We drove to USH from DL in 2015. We left super early and it still took over an hour. Coming back was just as bad if not worse. Unfortunately, the hotels near USH were pricey and we didnāt want to have to move. Is your DD a good navigator? The freeways can be a little daunting, but itās do-able.
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Jeff has a good point. Youāve done USO and this is not going to compare favorably, in my opinion. Unless your DD is a big Nintendo fan. That would make it worth the hassle. If not, I would switch to 3 days DL/DCA and 2 days beach/Mission San Juan de Capistrano.
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Just returned from a weekend trip. Flew into LAX and rented from Midway, a lower-budget car rental place Iād never even heard of, let alone rented from. But for what I paid for airfare (nothing! I used miles) and what they charged us for the rental car ($45/day, $234 for the week, as my boyfriend is staying through tomorrow for work), we found it well worth it. We stayed at Castle Inn & Suites (also my first time staying there) and had a great experience. The room was clean, desk staff incredibly friendly & helpful. Bonus, they offer free parking!
Also, I love that your DD agreed to this. My DD15 has her sweet 16 the day the holidays start at DLR and have been trying to convince her to do a fun weekend getaway with me. You give me hope sheāll change her mind!
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OH my goodness! Youāve read my mind!
I picked the Castle Inn & Suites by the slight edge that it has a castle motif (albeit just a smidge) and DD will think that is cute. I almost went to Fairfield bc she is a huge IHOP devotee (new this year), but we can still walk there. I donāt know what made DD change her mind except she couldnāt think of anything else and I think itās cool to tell your friends you are going to the beach in California (even though you live nearish the beaches in SC).
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definitely
we are even less into Nintendo than we are into Harry Potterā¦ And the early entry pass almost doubles the price - I think youāve sold me on skipping.
We will just be a few weeks later! So hopefully still lovely. The draw for me to go there is we went to the mission in 2018 and I didnāt realize it had a fee and that x9 was too much $ and we didnāt go in. It is also relatively close to Crescent Bay Beach, which we have very fond memories of.
She really is actually! I did look at changing hotels and I couldnāt get excited about it.
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@Jeff_AZ and @Julianne_fki - you really are my people.
Iām thinking thisā¦ (it sounds great, right?)
I get the 5-day pass. Itās only $80 more per person than the 3 day pass.
7th ā¢Arrival day we could go in and do a ride or two or three.
8th ā¢After our *Other Day we could go in for a few hours and do some rides.
9th ā¢DCA all day
10th ā¢DLR all day
11th ā¢Mission, beach, Disney Springs
12th ā¢full park day
13th ā¢travel home
Three full days and two evenings!
Totally thinkng my āotherā day will be Seaworld San Diego. Iāve been checking the maps apps all day and the drive time looks very doable. I will test it for a few more days, too. Currently UCT has weekday tickets for SW-SD for $56 pp! Thatās almost free! Itās less than have the USH cost and it is totally doable in a day and it will be roughly the same ride time. Itās only open til 5PM We did Seaworld Orlando in 2014 and she will love going again.
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For a second I thought you were going to Mission Beach and I was sad that Capistrano was off the plan. Duh! 
This looks like a great plan! Iāve made the drive to San Diego, and that (like everything in CA) can get backed up, but itās not bad. I think with three full days and a couple of evenings you can get everything you want without Genie+, if you donāt want that expense.
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I love this plan! I think you will be glad to have 5-day passes and get to spread things out and not feel like you have to do Disney dawn-to-dusk. I enjoy Sea World as well, and it really is quite cheap relatively speaking!
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I was going to suggest this after I read about how USH might disappoint.
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Always suggest to me! You know me very well!
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Someone beat me to it, lol. Iām hoping to get a day at SeaWorld myself when we go in September. DH was showing me videos of some preshow comedian mime. I donāt know if it was at SD SeaWorld but he was hilarious. I think Tab would really enjoy it- much more laid back with that beachy feel too.
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