Tell me all about California!

You're going to have so much fun! California is absolutely beautiful.. If it wasn't so far from WDW I would consider a permanent move out there (oh yeah and family, friends, etc ). If you're flying into SFO you definitely wanna set aside a few days for San Fran and the surrounding areas. That city is wonderful and there are so many things to see. I would recommend Alcatraz for sure, the piers, FRESH sourdough bread. Ghirardelli (if you think the chocolate from the one in Disney is good, I swear the San Fran stuff is like crack). You'll definitely want to ride the cable cars.. There is a town a ferry ride away called Sausalito that is absolutely gorgeous. Theres the Napa Valley just a car ride away, you can hit so many wineries for tours and tastings.

You'll also probably want to do the coastal highway on your way down to LA since you're renting a car. Its a great ride.. You'll want to stop at some beach towns because the vibe there is just so great. I love that laid-back beach bum lifestyle. I've never been to LA or Disneyland but I'm sure you're going to have so much fun!!! That flight deal is awesome.

Shut the front door. Wow, that will be awesome!

I echo what EmFord says. The Disney Museum is amazing, hit up Fisherman's Wharf (there's a shop on the second level on the wharf with some really unique and cool Disney items - I'll have to remember the name. I posted some pics from there a while back on here), Ghirardellis, Alcatraz, a trip over to Sausalito. As a matter of fact, that's where I am going for my birthday next week - a day trip over to Sausolito.

We went up to Napa / Sonoma, but were not all that into it. It probably has a lot to do with us not drinking wine at all. Oops! But also be aware that they just had a sizable earthquake up that way a week ago and there's a bit of damage. But I would expect by next May they will be right back to where they were.

Be sure to bring warm clothes - it can be colder than you might think in SF proper in May. Layers is key. Always dress so you can add or remove layers easily

Driving down the Pacific Coast Highway is just beautiful. Half Moon Bay has some nice little shops, and there are plenty of small beach towns along the way south. And so many places to just pull over and go stand by the ocean.

DisneyLand as just a really fun experience. Just be sure to go in NOT trying to compare it to WDW all the time.

There's a reason we moved back to this area - it's amazing!!

Ah..LaLa Land...There was a vacation I won't forget..For many reasons..The good first..Los Angeles was awesome and we visited Graums theatre ( I'am a movie freak ) and the famous " Pinks " for the ultimate hot dog ( check out the photos inside of all the movie stars who have eaten there ) The famous Venice beach was amazing ( my six pack is now a twelve ) We also went to San Diego for an overnight stay. ( the zoo was amazing ) Our next visit from San Diego was Tijuana over the Mexican border..Wow!..That was an eye opener ( Not your Cancun ) We visited Knottsberry farm ( think that's what it's called ) Also universal studios ( got my photo taken with The Marx Brothers lookalikes ) And we also had a weekend in Vegas ( New York New York hotel ) ...We spent just over three weeks but we had a ball, of course we visited DL as well...The only trauma was our wedding anniversary night, we had booked a table at this swish downtown restaurant which famous stars like Stallone and
Jack Nicholson had dined at...Our anniversary date is September 11th...The year we were in California was 2001...Everthing shut down after the terror attack...Our flight home with American Airlines was like a ghost plane..Anyway,your going to have a great time...

CA has a much different feel than FL. We really like the changes. DL has lots of rides that are not available in wdw. If you don't use dvc there are some nice hotels all around DL and some offer shuttle services at a min rate. We also have spent a week in the San Diego area and loved it. There is sea world, Lego land, the San Diego zoo, Cornado island, well basically soarin. Lol. You two seem to have a great time every where you go so I'm sure you'll love ca.

I had a client in SF and spent quite a bit of time there. IMO, the most beautiful city. Rent a convertible and drive around Sonoma, Napa and then down US1.

There has to be some CA residents on here that can give you good advice.

Hi Robyn!! Sounds like at least 3 of us will be making the trek westward next year!! CCP is also going. I've talked with Dani (Disneylover21) quite a bit and she is super informative! If she doesn't join in the thread, I recommend getting in touch with her via PM.

You're probably about a month out from booking GC, right? I was very paranoid, too, about whether or not we would be able to stay on points because paying for a room was cash I did not want to spend. Luckily, even booking a week after the 7-month window opened for March 25-28, we were able to get a studio. 1BR doesn't seem to be much of a problem (especially at 7 months), but as we have already allocated all of our borrowed 2015 points, I was borrowing 2016 points and trying very hard not to use ALL of them. Hopefully you'll have no trouble for May!

From what I understand, its not like the world. The hotels directly across the street are OK and still walking distance to the parks.

The neighbor hotels can actually be closer than the disney ones.
Also some more reading options.
http://www.citypass.com/southern-california

Oh no! The end of your trip is Memorial Day weekend...That's probably why there's no availability for Saturday night. What about doing a 1-BR for the last night? Or one night cash or at a good neighbor? You'd have to change rooms, but at least it saves some out-of-pocket lodging.

Ah, I've put some stuff in your other thread, regarding LA, but to echo the others - The Disney Museum in The Presidio in SF is worth a visit, Alcatraz should be seen. Apparently the night visits can add an extra element of spookiness, especially to the already-quite-dark isolation cells. Try the Off The Grid food vans at Golden Gate where it's a party atmosphere with around 30 different food vans offering up all sorts of food and desserts.

If you're driving up from LA to SF (or vice versa), take the scenic route and drive the PCH-1 down (or up) making sure you take in The Big Sur and stop off at some of the more isolated beaches there. There's a beach with purple sand underneath the top layer (Pfeiffer Beach) complete with a slightly treacherous slope to the car park, but once there it's good - it is paid parking but there's a hut with an attendant who'll take your cash and let you park. Also look for McWay Waterfalls along the way - I missed this one! A stop off in Carmel, Clint Eastwood's former domain, is worth a stop at for the original Fisherman's Wharf as is Santa Cruz for a quick walk up the same beach boulevard where The Lost Boys was shot. Granted it's not as dingy as it looks on film, but it's a good beachside funfair.

This sounds like an amazing plan! I would love to spend a few days in SF, but that will need to wait a year or so. Disney takes precedence and I don't have $$$ for both at the moment

While I am not a California expert, I just came back from a weekend at DL/CA! Ask me anything while it's still fresh

I think the 2 nights in Yosemite is too much if you aren't interested in hiking around. There are shuttle buses that take you to different viewpoints, so you can ride, get off, look around, take photos, and move on to the next stop. We spent a full afternoon there, hiked AND did the shuttle thing, and that was enough for us. And we love hiking the parks! The drive in is pretty, but if you are heading to Vegas, you could take those 2 days and do stops at Bryce Canyon or Zion instead maybe.

Where do you think you will spend the most time in SF? That could affect which hotels you should consider. If you want to spend time at the Pier and Fisherman's Wharf, and don't want to drive, etc., then a hotel in that area might be right for you. We stayed at the Hilton just a few blocks from the Pier last year, and it worked out really well. We could walk to the Pier and all the entertainment and restaurants there, hop the cable cars nearby, etc. It's about a $35 cab ride from the airport. I'm sure Jeff would have tons of suggestions for places to stay and things to do. We missed Golden Gate Park this time, but that's one of my favourite places too.