Visiting from Australia October 2025

Question

Hi all!

My family are planning a trip to America later this year (October) from Australia (fam of 4; kids will be 6 and 10). We've just booked our flights from MEL - LAX! (YAY!!) and will be in the US for 28 days.

Initially we were looking to fly into LA, but not stay, and were going to head off to San Francisco and Yosemite National Park, a few other places before coming back to LA just to fly back to Aus. We were going to do theme parks in Orlando, but after some advice in other forums (links posted below), we've decided to stay in LA and 'bookend' our trip with the theme parks in LA instead of doing them in one big bulk in the middle of the trip, so Orlando has been scrapped from our trip.

I'm after suggestions and recommendations on how long we'll need to visit Universal Studios and Disneyland, and where to stay in Anaheim please.

It's my son's 11th birthday the day after we arrive so we're thinking Universal Studios first (he's obsessed with Jurassic World) but unsure if we'd need 2 or 3 days before we then drive to San Diego or San Francisco (not sure what order we're doing things in yet). We'd then go off on the rest of our trip and come back to LA to visit Disneyland (thinking 3 days?) before flying back to Melbourne.

Other recommendations I'd love, while I'm in the California Forum, would be where to stay and how long to stay for when we visit San Diego; as we've cut a couple of other places from our overall trip we'd love to do a day trip down to San Diego Zoo but wondering if we should stay a night or two.

Thanks so much!

Answer

Congratulations — 28 days in the U.S. with kids sounds amazing! Below I’ve broken this into practical, kid-friendly guidance for Universal Studios (Hollywood), Disneyland Resort (Anaheim), and San Diego so you can plan how long to stay, where to base yourselves, and how to handle your son’s 11th birthday right after a long international flight.

Quick summary recommendations

Universal Studios Hollywood: 1 full day will do the park if you’re willing to be efficient; 2 days (or 1 day + Express/early entry) is more relaxed and safer with kids and a jet-lagged arrival.
Disneyland Resort: Plan 3 days if you want a relaxed family pace (1 day Disneyland Park + 1 day Disney California Adventure + 1 flexible/park-hop/rest day). Two days can work if you focus and use Lightning Lane/Genie+ and park-hopping strategically.
San Diego: If your main goal is the San Diego Zoo, one full day is doable — but staying 1–2 nights is recommended to avoid a rushed day and to enjoy other family attractions (Balboa Park, USS Midway, La Jolla).

Universal Studios Hollywood — how many days and how to handle your son’s birthday

Universal Hollywood is smaller than many theme parks and can be done in one very full day, especially if you arrive at rope drop and prioritize the big draws (Studio Tour, Jurassic World ride, the Wizarding World/Shows). However, with two kids just off a long flight, consider these options:

Option A — 1 full day + Express or Early Entry: Buy an early-entry ticket or Universal Express (skip-the-line) to get maximum value from a single day. This is ideal when you want to keep the trip short and move on.
Option B — 2 days (relaxed): Spend a half-day the afternoon of arrival if you land early enough and then a full day the next day so your son’s birthday is a full park day without exhaustion.
Must-dos for a Jurassic-obsessed kid: Studio Tour (if running), Jurassic World ride/attraction, character/photo ops, and the interactive play areas. Prioritize those first thing.

Disneyland Resort (Anaheim) — how many days & where to stay

Disneyland Resort actually includes two parks (Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure). For families with young kids and a long trip, comfortable pacing matters:

3-day plan (recommended): Day 1 — Disneyland Park. Day 2 — Disney California Adventure. Day 3 — Flexible/park-hop for favorites, re-do rides, catch parades/shows, or rest mid-day. This gives time for breaks and fireworks without feeling rushed.
2-day plan (if short on days): Two full days with Park Hopper if you want to hit highlights in both parks; use Genie+/Lightning Lane or plan must-do attractions in advance.
Where to stay in Anaheim: If budget allows, the official on-site hotels (Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian) are unbeatable for convenience and immersive experience; otherwise choose a nearby “Good Neighbor” hotel within walking distance or short shuttle ride (Holiday Inn & Suites Anaheim, Desert Palms, SpringHill Suites, Best Western Plus Park, and many family-friendly options). Staying close reduces transfer time with kids and makes midday returns to the hotel easy.

Practical Disneyland tips for families

Book hotels early — October is popular and on-site rooms sell out quickly.
Schedule rest breaks midday (hotel nap or pool) — kids under 10 benefit a lot from a downtime.
Use Genie+/Lightning Lane or a strategy to prioritize must-do rides to avoid long waits.

San Diego — how long to stay and what to do

If you’re squeezing San Diego into your California leg, think about how many different things you want to do besides the Zoo:

If you only want the San Diego Zoo: One full day at the Zoo is doable and common — arrive at opening, use the Zoo app to plan routes, and pick key exhibits ahead of time.
If you want a more relaxed family visit with extras: Stay 1–2 nights and add: Balboa Park museums/playgrounds, USS Midway Museum, Seaport Village, and La Jolla (sea lions and beach time). This avoids a long, tiring day trip and gives time for beaches and downtime.
Travel time: LA ↔ San Diego drives are around 2–3 hours depending on traffic; plan morning drives or overnight stays to maximize your Zoo/attraction time.

Putting it together — suggested sequencing for a 28-day trip

Since you’re flying into LAX and San Francisco/Yosemite are on your radar, here are two family-friendly sequencing options that include the theme parks and San Diego without backtracking too much:

Option 1 — West Coast loop (LA bookends theme parks):
- Arrive LAX → Anaheim/Universal (first 2–4 days; birthday celebration at Universal or a relaxed day depending on arrival time)
- Drive up the coast to San Diego (or do San Diego first if you prefer) → then up to SF/Yosemite and other northern stops → return to Anaheim for Disneyland 3 days before flying home.
Option 2 — Reverse / airport logistics focused:
- Arrive LAX → rest day near the airport (highly recommended after a long international flight), then Universal for your son’s birthday (1–2 days). Drive north to SF/Yosemite leg. Finish the trip by flying back into LA with 3 days at Disneyland right before departure.

Extra family tips (jet lag, tickets, budgeting)

Jet lag & arrival day: If your flight lands near midnight or you’re exhausted, consider a restful first day (swimming, short local outing) and do theme parks the next day — kids enjoy parks much more when rested.
Buy tickets early: Tickets and some hotel deals sell out or change pricing; booking in advance gives you the best chance at preferred dates and rooms.
Express/skip options: For Universal, Express can turn a 2-day plan into a comfortable 1-day plan; at Disneyland, Lightning Lane/Genie+ can significantly shorten waits if you want to fit more into 2 days.
Pack for variable weather: October in Southern California is usually mild — mornings/evenings can be cool; layers are handy for parks and coastal stops.

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