Meet favourite Disney Characters at a tasty breakfast and brunch buffet during Donald Duck’s Seaside Breakfast at Disney’s Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel.
This beach-themed character dining experience is a fun way to kick off the day with a breakfast or brunch buffet and entertainment from some of Disney’s most beloved characters.
Note: Disney’s PCH Grill is also open for dinner, however characters do not appear during that meal.
Bookings are highly advised for this popular character dining experience. Even with a booking you may have to wait a significant time to be sat at your table (we waited for almost an hour past our booking time).
The breakfast buffet includes: build-your-own-parfait station (with plain and strawberry yogurt, fresh berries, dried fruits, and housemade granola), eggs benedict, scrambled eggs, chilaquiles (with shredded beef, salsa verde, and queso fresco), chicken and waffles, omelettes, assorted breakfast pastries, muffins, breakfast breads, bagels, smoked salmon, sliced seasonal fresh fruits and berries, assorted breakfast flatbreads, egg white frittata, bacon, country pork sausage, chicken apple sausage links.
The kids’ buffet includes: Mickey waffles, Minnie pancakes, a selection of hot and cold cereals, sausage, bacon, seasonal fresh fruit, grilled peanut butter and banana with chocolate-stuffed French toast.
The brunch buffet includes popular breakfast items, like Mickey-shaped waffles, lunch specials including soups, salads, pasta, pizza, rotating seasonal options, mini pastries, beignets with dipping sauce, homemade bread pudding and other dishes.
We had the brunch menu and found there weren’t many vegetarian items to choose from, so the chef very kindly made me a special vegetarian dish he had been working on – an incredible vegan burger and quesadillas.
My special vegetarian meal.
The main character at this dining experience is Donald Duck. He is generally located at the entrance and does not visit the tables. Minnie Mouse, Stitch and Daisy Duck all visited our table at least once during our stay, and spent a lot of time with us.
Minnie Mouse leads kids in a fun, beachy dance number during the brunch.
Reservations
Advance reservations are highly recommended and can be booked online up to 60 days prior to your visit. Reservations can also be made in person on a limited basis, subject to availability.
Parking
Complimentary 3-hour parking—your choice of either valet or self-parking—is included with a Disney’s PCH Grill validation and is available at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel.
A Guide To Visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disneyland California
Watch your very own Star Wars story come to life at Galaxy’s Edge, Disneyland California.
This galaxy is not so far, far away – although it certainly feels like you’re light years away from the real world it when you’re immersed inside Disneyland.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is located inside Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The themed lands encompass 14 acres at each park and are replicas of each other.
What makes Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge special?
What really makes Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge special is the detail. Every single tiny detail has been carefully planned to make guests feel as though they are on a different planet once they are inside.
The cast members have different uniforms here, and a back story that makes them a character in the narrative, and instead of having timed and greets, characters roam the land at will, engaging with guests at a much higher level than the rest of the park.
If you ask a cast member a question, they will answer it completely in character. The more fun you have with the interactions you have, the more fun cast members have, too.
So what can you actually do in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge?
Pilot the Millennium Falcon
The first ride to open inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was the thrilling Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. Guests can fly the Millennium Falcon on a thrilling interactive smuggling mission. There are six roles within each flight: two pilots, two gunners and two engineers.
Basically, the engineers don’t really do much (so it’s a great role for someone who is keener to watch then get involved), the gunners get to shoot things, and the pilots get to fly the ship.
The cast members will hand you a card signifying your role, however you can swap your role card with anyone else in your boarding party to change your role.
There is no FastPass available at time of writing, so the best strategy to ride this currently is to head straight to the ride when the park opens. Throughout the day, your best option is the Single Rider’s Line.
Join the Resistance
Matt Stroshane, photographer
The second ride to open within the land, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, is a thrilling multi-stage ride where guests join the Resistance in a battle against the first order.
Steven Diaz, photographer
This ride is incredibly difficult to get on. Your choices are to rope drop the ride when Star Wars Land opens (it is NOT open for early morning entry) or book an Individual Lightening Lane pass to ride it without waiting.
The Disney Imagineers did a fantastic job creating a brand new world inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the “long-forgotten planet named Batuu”. On the Planet Batuu is the village settlement known as Black Spire Outpost, which is filled with shops, food outlets and a smattering of scoundrels, rogues and smugglers.
There are many, many shops here, filled with all kinds of fun souvenirs from clothes to “pets” that are really odd, interactive toy creatures that have been completely made up and so creative and fun.
You can even buy a version of the “chess” game which is played in the movies!
Eat intergalactic grub
There are several food and beverage outlets inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge that are completely unique in their offerings to the rest of the park.
Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo
Grab a rustic plate of “local” cuisine (they’ve done a fab job of turning California produce into exotic offerings). Planet-based (vegan) offerings are available.
Ronto Roasters
This meat stall offers grilled sausage from the “ronto” (plant-based vegan is also available) wrapped in pita bread. A ronto is a massive beast native to the planet Tatooine.
Milk Stand
Try a cup of legendary blue or green milk, which is actually a planet-based concoction made from a blend of coconut and rice milk.
Kat Saka’s Kettle
Drop by this food stall for some Outpot Mix, a sweet and savoury popcorn (vegan available).
Coke stands
We loved these spherical coke bottles (also available in Diet Coke) that are made especially for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. We had no problems bringing our empty bottles back home with us on the plane.
Build a droid
One of the most fun things we did at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was building our own droids at the Droid Depot inside the Black Spire Outpost. We had intended to build just the one but it was so much fun that we ended up building two.
Read more about our experience building droids at the Droid Depot.
Make a custom lightsaber
Build your own lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop – Handmade Lightsaber Building Experience.
The Savi’s Workshop Lightsaber Building Experience, located in the Black Spire Outpost, is as much of an immersive experience about joining the Force as it is about taking home a fancy souvenir.
One of the galaxy’s most infamous watering holes comes to life at Oga’s Cantina. The cantina specialises in fantastical drinks that will delight even the youngest crew members (that’s right, this is a family-friendly bar inside Disneyland!). Oga’s Cantina serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Read more about our experience visiting Oga’s Cantina.
Things to know before you visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will not be available during Extra Magic Hour or Magic Morning at Disneyland Park.
Disney FASTPASS service and Disney MaxPass are unavailable for attractions in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge looks amazing at night, so I highly suggest returning then to see Batuu lit up.
There are two ways to enter Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – through Frontierland behind Big Thunder Mountain and via Critter Country past the Hungry Bear Restaurant. There are no signs to show the way, so refer to the park map for entrance to the land a well as finding the attraction within.
Entrance to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge from Frontierland.
Enjoy endless water play at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, home of Sydney’s best indoor water park.
Splasher’s Water Playground is an interactive water playground. It consists of a giant bucket, slides, whirl pool and various other water-based activities. There are also lanes for swimming in if you want to do laps.
The water is heated to a comfortable temperature year-round.
The playground is suitable for toddlers with extremely shallow areas.
Entry to Splasher’s Water Playground is included with admission to the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Center.
There are lockers to place valuables for a fee of $6 for three hours.
Family change rooms are also available and there are a series of showers to rinse off next to the change rooms.
Bring your own food or dine at the cafe overlooking the pools.
4 hour free parking is available in P2, adjacent to the Aquatic Centre upon validation of parking ticket.
Strathfield Park, the oldest public park in Strathfield, is home to a huge playground with three play spaces, spanning 1.5 acres.
The park was renovated in 2017, with the resulting play spaces uniquely designed to compliment each other, taking into account the various ages and abilities of children who might enjoy the play equipment.
The main playground area features the premiere Skytower, an eye-catching structure, with four slides attached, a Konnecta rope play structure and triple Skyrider flying fox.
Nearby is the all abilities play area, which includes a carousel, mounds, slides, swings, maze and fortress area.
Next to this play area is the 4.5m Mammoth Swing (Australia’s biggest).
Linking the two play areas is a forest garden area with a Bushwood Teepee Tower, a giant wooden Lizard and the Flecto spinner.
A flat bike path leads across the park to the last playground area on the Chalmers Road side, which includes a smaller climbing structure and an excellent educational kids bike track with road signs.
The rest of the park includes barbecue equipment, sporting fields and a very old toilet amenities block in the middle of the park.
There is no cafe in the park, so be sure to bring your own picnic lunch.
Oga’s Cantina at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disneyland Resort California
One of the galaxy’s most infamous watering holes comes to life at Oga’s Cantina. The cantina specialises in fantastical drinks that will delight even the youngest crew members (that’s right, this is a family-friendly bar inside Disneyland!).
A drink at Oga’s Cantina is one of the hottest tickets at Disneyland. There is no point lining up for this experience at this time – reservations are essential and can be made 60 days in advance online or on the app. Walk-ins will be accommodated when possible.
Oga’s Cantina serves drinks and very basic snacks. There is a menu with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available – plus “secret” items that aren’t listed on the menu (ask the bar staff for current items not listed on the menu).
Kids are welcome at Oga’s Cantina, but I wouldn’t say it’s very kid-friendly. Oga’s is a small, tight space with very little room to move around and no room for kids to play. Oga’s is definitely aimed at adults and tolerant towards kids.
What to expect inside Oga’s Cantina
Due to its extreme popularity there are lots of rules regulating this themed bar.
If you have a reservation, check in no earlier than 15 minutes prior to your booking. We lined up for around 15-20 minutes and were eventually admitted inside.
In order to manage the crowd inside the cantina, guests are shown to a spot where they can either stand or sit. You will be placed right next to strangers even if you are sat at a table, so be prepared to get squishy and make some new friends.
There is very limited seating – Oga’s Cantina mostly consists of standing room. Large parties may be separated.
You will need to show your ID to order alcoholic drinks. There is a two-drink maximum per person.
Be prepared for how expensive the drinks will be! They are pricey but they are also good. We ordered the .
Drinks arrive fast and you pay your server directly.
There is a 45 minute time limit to time spent inside the Cantina. After that time you must leave or you will be gently reminded to do so.
If you want to take a look around the Cantina (and you absolutely should!) do so after you’ve finished your drinks and are ready to leave – as soon as you vacate your designated spot, new people will be shown in.
There are some fantastic details around the bar that deserve a closer look. It is a bit tricky to navigate with the sheer number of people.
The coasters are very cool and yes you may take them home as a souvenier. Ask your server for a few brand new ones to take.
Oga’s Cantina Rules
At least one person in the party must be 14 years of age or older.
Reservations are non-transferrable and may not be sold or bartered.
Each person in your party must be present upon check-in. Please be prepared to present your reservation confirmation email, photo ID and the credit card provided at the time of booking.
Alcoholic Beverages: Guests must be 21 years of age or over to consume alcohol; valid photo ID is required. There is a maximum of 2 drinks per Guest.
Cancellations: You must cancel at least one day prior to your reservation to avoid a per person cancellation fee. If you fail to timely cancel and are a no-show, the credit card provided at the time of reservation will be charged $10 per person.
Savi’s Workshop Lightsaber Building Experience, Disneyland Resort California
Build your own lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop – Handmade Lightsaber Building Experience, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disneyland Resort California.
The Savi’s Workshop Lightsaber Building Experience, located in the Black Spire Outpost, is as much of an immersive experience about joining the Force as it is about taking home a fancy souvenir.
The journey to becoming a Jedi is a covert one. It was quite tricky to find the workshop entrance as it’s not signed anywhere – look for a small group of people gathering in a little alcove area (pictured above). This area is a hotspot for storm troopers and Kylo Ren to drop by and interrogate people, so prepare your promises to serve the dark side incase of an encounter.
The lightsaber experience must be booked in advance. Limited amounts of walk-ins are taken each day, depending on how booked out they are. Bookings open 60 days in advance and I suggest making your booking then to ensure you get the time slot you want.
The experience was running behind when we checked in and we ended up having to wait around 30 minutes. I would suggest not having anything booked or scheduled after the lightsaber building for an hour in case of this.
Choosing and building a lightsaber
When checking in for the experience with the “Gatherers”, you will be asked to choose from one of four hilt themes and will receive a special cloisonné pin to identify your selection
Peace and Justice
Salvaged scraps from fallen Jedi temples and crashed starships in these Republic-era designs honor the galaxy’s former guardians. Power and Control
Originally forged by dark side warriors, this style features rumored remnants from the Sith homeworld and abandoned temples. Elemental Nature
This theme embodies the Force—an energy created by all living things, like Brylark trees, Cartusion whale bones and Rancor teeth. Protection and Defense
Hilt materials bear mysterious motifs and inscriptions that reconnect users with the ancient wellspring of the Force.
Once the group has been called inside the workshop, the experience begins in earnest.
The lightsaber makers gather around the long table while guests can stand at the edges of the room.
The Gatherers help each participant select the heart of their lightsaber – a kyber crystal, which is available in red, blue, green or violet.
Next is assembling the hilt. Each theme receives its own box of parts to choose from.
Upon hilt completion, the unused parts are collected by the Gatherers and returned to Savi’s inventory.
The final step is the lightsaber blade. The Gatherers provide instruction on how to correctly do this and assist with this step. Each hilt is connected to a 31” lightsaber blade that can be lit and removed from the table.
The whole experience is so immersive that if feels like you are becoming a Jedi and about to join the ranks of Skywalker (or Kylo Ren if you’ve chosen the Dark Side). There were more adults than children in the room, experiencing their childhood Jedi dreams coming to life right there in their hands.
The lightsabers themselves are amazing quality. Extremely sturdy and with excellent lights and sounds.
Upon leaving the room, each participant is given a carrying case for their lightsaber that can be slung over their back for transportation. Be warned that is is very big and bulk and I would suggest taking it back to the hotel if that is an option.
Need to know details about building lightsabers
The lightsaber experience does not come cheap. The cost is $199.99 per lightsaber, plus tax.
Reservations can be made 60 days in advance and a credit card is needed to secure the booking. You must cancel at least one day prior to your reservation to avoid a per builder cancellation fee. If you fail to timely cancel and are a no-show, the credit card provided at the time of reservation will be charged $199.99 per builder.
One lightsaber per builder per experience.
There are additional lightsaber customisation items available for purchased at Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities.
The age recommendation for this experience is 5 years or older and I would absolutely agree with this and add that if you have a child under the age of 10 then it would be advisable to have someone accompanying them who can assist them if needs be as the constructing can be quite tricky and move quickly along – at times too quickly for your kids to keep up.
Younger children may accompany builders as a guest and watch the experience, however the workshop is inside a small, dark room with lights and noises that may frighten younger children (and did in fact terrify a toddler in our group to the point where he had to be removed for the remainder of the experience).
The experience area is limited to the builder and 2 Guests. At least one person in the party must be age 14 or older.
Check in no earlier than 15 minutes before your reservation time but also be prepared for the experience to be running late. Present your reservation confirmation, photo ID and the credit card provided at the time of booking on arrival.
The whole experience goes for around 30 minutes.
Transporting the lightsabers home
We took our lightsabers on an international flight from LA to Sydney with Qantas. We removed the hilts easily on our hotel and wrapped them in thick clothes, then placed the hilts in our hard cased suitcase.
We then took the blades onboard as a carry-on item. With the hilt removed the blades fit inside the overhead bins easily. We had no issues with security or customs on either end of our trip, and the lightsabers arrived safely and were easily reassembled on our arrival.
Droid Depot at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disneyland Resort California
Build your own custom droid at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disneyland Resort California.
One of the most fun things we did at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was building our own droids at the Droid Depot inside the Black Spire Outpost. We had intended to build just the one but it was so much fun that we ended up building two.
First, register your choice of the BB-series unit or R-series unit with the clerk, who’ll provide a basket and blueprint for parts. Next, the builder selects the parts they want from a conveyor belt. You can take as long as you like to sort through the parts and decide what kind of droid you want to make.
After the parts have been selected, they are taken to the build station in the center of the workshop.
At the build station, follow the instructions on the placemat to assemble the droid in the proper sequence.
Once the parts have all been put together, the clerk will assist in pairing the droid with a remote control. Once activated, the droid comes to life.
The droids use bluetooth technology to communicate with other droids as well as certain other elements and objects in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. We loved watching our droids “chatting” with each other.
Once the droid is built it is placed in a cardboard carry box. Builders have the option of buying additional accessories such as sticker panels and personality-affiliation chips for their droids.
The whole droid experience can take as little as 20 minutes if you’re fast, but a lot longer if you take your time. We spent at least an hour making our droids.
Must Know Info About Building Your Own Droid
Pricing: At time of writing, the each astromech droid unit cost $99.99, plus tax.
The age recommendation is 3+, however I would suggest even older than this as it’s quite tricky to assemble the droid and our 8 year old needed assistance.
The experience area is limited to the builder and one guest, and at least one person in the party must be age 14 or older.
If you run into trouble with how to use your droid, instruction manuals are available online.
Reservations can be made for Droid Depot up to 60 days in advance, with a credit card number required at the time of booking and payment will be due upon arrival. We had trouble with the online reservation system but had no trouble walking straight in and building our droids without a reservation.
Theme park admission is required to participate in this experience, and you will have to buy your Disneyland Park ticket separately.
If you do make a booking and want to cancel it, you must do so at least one day prior to your reservation to avoid a per-builder cancellation fee.
Droids must be carried around the park. You may not take them out of their box and use them while you are inside the park. The droid is able to interact with elements around the park while being carried.
Transporting Droids Home
We took our droids on an international flight from LA to Sydney with Qantas. To transport our droids we removed them from the cardboard boxes and wrapped them in thick jumpers and jackets, then enclosed them in backpacks. The droids were then placed inside a hard shell suitcase. The droids arrived intact on the other end and we had no problems with security or customs.
The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Hyde Park Barracks is a cutting-edge museum that brings Sydney’s past to life through a series of innovative and immersive experiences.
Built in 1819 by convict labour under the commission of Governor Lachlan Macquarie, the Hyde Park Barracks were originally designed as a place to house up to 600 male convicts.
The Barracks, over time, have also been an immigration depot, asylum, law courts, government offices hospital and mint. It is now a museum and cafe and one of 11 Australian convict sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Hyde Park Barracks reopened in February 2020 after an $18 million renovation. The new experience at the Barracks allows visitors to authentically experience life in the past with a series of immersive activations and groundbreaking audio technology.
Allow at leat 90 minutes to experience the full guided audio tour, which involves an audio device and attached headphones. There is very little written information around the Barracks, so the best way to enjoy the experience and take away as much as possible is by following the audio tour.
The tour takes visitors around the various parts of the Barracks and gives a mixture of information, recreated sounds and stories of the people who found themselves living here for a time.
There is no need to look for numbers on walls to press “play” in this tour – the clever technology senses when the visitor leaves one room and enters another so cuts off the section it is playing from one room and starts on the next as soon as it is entered. It makes for a seamless and easy experience.
There are over 4000 original artefacts on display throughout the tour, from the 100,000 personal and precious fragments that were recovered from beneath the floorboards during the first renovation of the Barracks.
These are items that had been left behind or stashed for safekeeping by convicts, women and court workers now tell a riveting story of life in the Barracks. As visitors walk through the audio tour, the stories of these artefacts become the voices of people, bringing their experiences to life in a sometimes confronting fashion that can’t be looked away from or ignored.
The Aboriginal history of the barracks is also brought to light and life as part of the renovation, with the complete story of this piece of Australia’s history finally being told.
Coinciding with the reopening of the Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney Living Museums and the City of Sydney’s Art & About program are presenting untitled (maraong manaóuwi), a major site-specific installation by Wiradjuri/Kamilaroi artist Jonathan Jones in the courtyard surrounding the central Barracks building.
This mesmerising installation looks at the symbols of the emu footprint and English broad arrow as a way of understanding history and cultural relations. There are over 2000 symbols covering the 2500sqm of the HYde Park Barracks courtyard, designed to be churned up and destroyed underfoot as visitors engage with it.
Family bathroom
The bathrooms have also been renovated and now visitors have access to brand-new bathrooms that include a large family room with change table and nursing chair.
Family bathroom.
The new disabled toilet includes a shower.
Disabled toilet.Disabled toilet.Disabled toilet.
Accessibility was an important part of the renovation, with the aim to make the new experience accessible to all people abilities.
A new elevator was installed inside the three-floor Barracks central building, plus a series of ramps and courtyard matting that makes it easy for wheelchairs to traverse the gravel courtyard.
Two additional audio tours are in development. One for families that gives a more kid-friendly version of the tour and one that provides an accessible tour through the experience.
Sideways Deli Cafe is a casual cafe in Sydney’s inner west serving classic brunch dishes in a family-friendly setting.
The cafe offers indoor and outdoor seating and our favourite thing in the world – an all-day breakfast menu.
Sideways Cafe Deli is a bustling neighbourhood favourite for a very good reason. The food is impeccable and the staff are accommodating. Add to that the very family-friendly atmosphere and you have yourself a perpetually busy cafe that’s worth the wait.
The cafe is extremely family-friendly and wins our vote for one of our fave kid-friendly cafes in Sydney with a combination of their excellent kids’ menu, toy corner, colouring sheets and close proximity to Johnson Park.
I can’t say how much I loved to see this printed on the menu: “Please feel free to make variations or create your own. We can cater to your little ones’ dietary requirements”.
I also loved how accommodating the cafe is regarding its menus, with all-day breakfast from 7am-4pm(ish) and the lunch menu from 12pm (ish). It’s the “ish” that matters. We’ve been to several cafes in the past that refuse to serve a dish if it’s ordered right on the crossover time, so this kind of easy-going attitude has won us as future regulars.
We ordered: Corn Fritters (with sautéed spinach, haloumi and tomato relish, $18, additional egg, $3), Sirloin Steak Sandwich (with lettuce, tomato, beetroot relish and garlic aioli, $17.50), Kids’ Omelette (with cheese, minus the ham and toast solders, $8.50), Big Girlcino, $2.
We can’t say enough about how much we loved everything about this little neighbourhood cafe. Worth the drive if you’re not a local.
Sideways Deli Cafe, Dulwich Hill 37 Constitution Rd, Dulwich Hill Phone: (02) 9560 1425 Hours: Daily, 7am-5pm sidewaysdelicafe.com.au
The Best Things To Do In San Diego With Kids (Or Without!)
San Diego is a coastal city of California, well-known for its beaches, parks and warm weather. There are so many things to do in San Diego with kids (and without!).
Balboa Park
The 1,200-acre urban park is an icon in San Diego. Balboa Park contains more than 16 museums, theatres, open spaces, fountains, gardens, trails and the famous San Diego Zoo.
While there are many gorgeous gardens in Balboa Park, this is this is the most famous and one of the most photographed spots in the park. The Botanical Building was built for the 1915-1916 Exposition, and is now home to vibrant flower displays and more than 2,100 plants.
The lily pond outside the Botanical Building is a tranquil place to stroll and watch ducks (and take a photo or two!). A visit to the Botanical Building is one of the must-see things to do in San Diego.
On El Prado walkway adjacent to the Timken Museum of Art.
Japanese Friendship Garden
The beautiful 12-acre Japanese Friendship Garden features stone arrangements, koi ponds, water features, and sukiya-style buildings. It was built as an an expression of friendship between San Diego and its sister city, Yokohama.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, and home to a collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft from all over the world. Exhibits include a replica of Charles Lindbergh’s “Spirit of St. Louis,” the actual Apollo 9 Command Module, and the only real GPS satellite on display in the world. There are also artefacts from the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Wally Schirra, a 3D/4D movie theater and a series of hands-on, interactive exhibits. Children will love the the Kid’s Aviation Action Hangar.
A cultural anthropology museum, The San Diego Museum of Man explores the human experience from multicultural perspectives. A collection of unique and interactive exhibits covering human history and culture provides the opportunity to learn about our relationship to the world around us and reflect on what it means to be human.
If dinosaurs and fossils are your thing, check out the San Diego Natural History Museum (theNAT). The museum explores the natural history of Southern California through interactive exhibitions spread across five floors. Journey through 75 million years of natural history, from the time of the dinosaurs to today, and discover more about the fascinating world we live in.
Browse the San Diego Art Museum’s impressive collection of Spanish and Italian old masters, South Asian paintings and 19th and 20th century American paintings as well as their major art exhibitions from all over the world. The museum hosts family drop-in days and family workshops (check their calendar for details).
The San Diego Zoo is home to more than 3,500 animals from over 650 species and subspecies. It’s often described as having set the standard for modern zoos with its natural habitats for animals, often with different species living together, and lush landscaping.
San Diego Zoo is 100-acres in size, making for a big day out if you want to see everything on offer.
A visit to the zoo is one of our top picks for things to do in San Diego with kids.
Explore more than 100 interactive exhibits at the Fleet Science Center. The science museum and planetarium is the perfect place to immerse yourself in science and enjoy an IMAX film.There are two floors of exhibits to discover, and the dedicated “Kid City” play area for kids under the age of five.
This historical navel aircraft carrier museum is one of San Diego’s top attractions. Inside the aircraft carrier Midway is housed an extensive collection of aircraft, many of which were built in Southern California. There are over 60 exhibits and displays and over restored aircraft to explore, as well as plenty of family-friendly activities. Kids can earn their own pilot wings as part of the Junior Pilot Program.
The San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum (SDCDM) is is full of hands-on educational exhibits and program that focusing on science, art, and world cultures. A visit to the SDCDM is all about play. Kids can explore, imagine, experiment, and discover through hands-on science, art, and cultural activities.
320 North Broadway, Escondido sdcdm.org
Image courtesy of the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum.
LEGOLAND California Resort
LEGOLAND California Resort is located in Carlsbad, about 30 mins north of San Diego or just under two hours south of LA. The resort has two official LEGOLAND hotels attached to it, however visitors are able to self-drive or get a day tour from San Diego or LA for a day at the park. LEGOLAND California is aimed at 2-12 year olds, with the “sweet spot” being 4-9 year olds. There are 30,000 LEGO models scattered all around the park.
LEGOLAND is without a doubt one of the top things to do in San Diego with kids.
Meet The La Jolla Seals at Children’s Pool, Casa Beach
No trip to San Diego is complete without a visit to meet the La Jolla seals. La Jolla is a seaside community located around 30 mins north of San Diego. The La Jolla Children’s Pool at Casa Beach is famous for its resident harbour seals and sea lions.
Read more about how to see the La Jolla Seals at Children’s Pool.
