What To Do and Wear In San Diego | Sea World + San Diego Zoo + Safari Park +Lego Land + Donuts
If you’re planning a trip to San Diego, CONGRATULATIONS! It’s a fabulous place to visit or revisit if you’ve already been there. We’re sharing San Diego’s must-see attractions, especially if you’re visiting with your kids, and some of our tips learned from hindsight! Get the inside scoop on what to wear if you’re visiting Sea World, The San Diego Zoo, Petco Park, Safari Park, and Legoland! As well as what to pack in your bag for your long days at the parks! And if you’re a fan of delicious donuts, we found three places that will for sure blow your mind! It is an absolute joy to create content that brings you value, if you find it helpful, share it with a friend who loves to travel! Vamonos!
#1. SEA WORLD
Sea World is one of the parks in San Diego that will tick all your boxes if you love the sun, sea creatures and good shows! Plan for a FULL DAY of fun shows and adventures! This park is home to my favorite ride, The Manta! I highly suggest making this on a day when your energy is FULL. It’s a long day!
Listen, if people in carts sell cotton candy, we will buy that cotton candy. Mkay?
The Dolphin Adventures is such a fun thing to see at Sea World! It’s full of life and music and of course, dolphins that delight the eyes with all the fun tricks they do! You will be out in the sun without any coverings, so ensure you have a hat, umbrella, or sunscreen ready! And if you love to get wet, sit at the bottom so you can be in the “splash zone”! WE SAT ALL THE WAY AT THE TOP.
For your outfit at Sea World think of something that will dry quickly if you get wet, bring a tee and a button-up you can put around your waist, and that way if for whatever reason you feel cold or get your tee wet or dirty you have a button up back up! I loved wearing these green legging shorts with comfy Converse. I suggest making sure you bring a shoe that is really comfortable for you. You’ll be walking A LOT. So your feet are bound to get sore with the wrong shoe choice. Wear a fanny pack around your waist for a fun, no-hands approach to the day! Definitely give yourself a baseball hat or a different hat option. It’s very sunny and being out all day can be harsh on your skin! Don’t forget a good pair of sunglasses for your Sea World outfit!
SHOP SEA WORLD OUTFIT
PRO TIP: Give your hands a break by wearing a fanny pack either around your waist or across your chest! It’s convenient and you can pack a lot of little daily essentials in this if you’re not still in the diaper bag stage of parenting! Make sure to bring spray sunscreen you can re-apply easily below are some of my favorite handbag/fanny pack essentials for a theme park! You can put bags into cubbies you pay for inside all the parks but you’re not able to have it on you as you go on the rides. So whatever you do wear on yourself make sure it’s not full of valuables that you’re afraid will get lost.
I kept my phone with me on the ride and the fanny pack included the following theme park essentials:
Pain medicine
Femenine products (just in case)
SHOP FANNY PACK THEME PARK ESSENTIALS
MANTA IS MY FAVORITE RIDE OF ALL TIME!!!! Can you see how happy we BOTH are? This is such a fun ride. We ran back into line over and over again!
Sea World was a day full of fun for this team and I believe that you would love this too, but if I HAD to pick only two favorites from all the parks we visited; I would say the Safari Park and Lego Land were my most favorite theme parks that we visited in San Diego.
#2. THE GOODS (IN CARLSBAD) | GOURMET DONUTS
THE GOODS has some of the BEST gourmet donuts in town, it’s a very aesthetically pleasing coffee shop with some food options and the most delicious donuts! Make sure you bring your appetite. It’s in Carlsbad, so it’s not technically IN San Diego but it is worth the drive, especially if you go when you’re going to visit Legoland, which is ALSO in Carlsbad! We got some donuts before heading to the park and it was such a sweet way to start our day. This coffee shop is a must-see if you love, donuts, coffee, and a chill vibe! Make sure to leave us a comment if you do visit telling us what your favorite flavor was! I loved loved loved the maple bacon donut!
#3. BASEBALL GAME AT PETCO PARK
You can go to a San Diego Padres baseball game in the gorgeous Petco Park! It is such a lovely stadium and I felt so happy they had great tacos and Topo Chico for me to enjoy instead of just a hot dog! Listen there is nothing wrong with a hot dog but if I have a choice between a dog and a taco, the answer is ALWAYS, taco! Make sure you bring a little hoodie or some kind of top layer for the cool nights in San Diego! You just never know what it will be like. When we visited, it was raining and uncommonly cold. I know it’s not like that all the time, however, it’s still nice to pack a light layer of warmth for yourself just in case!
SHOP BASEBALL PARK OUTFIT
#4. SAN DIEGO ZOO
The San Diego Zoo is HUGE! It is a full day of animals, shows, food, and all kinds of adventures! They have gorgeous sights at every turn.
Make sure to bring your best walking shoes and pick up a map so you’re grounded while you’re there. It’s a big place that can feel a little intimidating (in the best way possible)!
The San Diego Zoo is so lovely that you can just get lost walking around and seeing all the plush greenery and fabulous animals! Some might make you cry, some might make you laugh! It was such a joy to delight in a bit of God’s creation. It’s moments like this when I see how much diversity God has placed on this very earth that I find awe and reverence towards the Lord. He is so creative and if he can take his time making all of these things for us to enjoy, he is a good good father.
As far as an outfit for the Zoo, think of super comfort as you’re building your outfit. I also suggest fabrics that are either linen, cotton, or super breathable and fast-drying clothing! You’ll be sweating OR getting a drink dropped on you by your kids. So prepare for that by dressing in a way that you are fast drying. I loved my Lulu Lemon leggings, shirt and hat, and my comfy Adidas running shoes.
SHOP SAN DIEGO ZOO OUTFIT
Also made the outfit less basic by adding a Chanel pin to my tee, and added pearl earrings and sunnies that made the outfit pop. Then I also wore my fanny pack across my chest this day! It felt so fun to be hands-free and so comfy especially when going to the bathroom and not having to deal with the fanny pack or a handbag!
This is one of my favorite photos of the whole trip. I just love this polar bear showing his best side to us and sitting up against the glass, what a guy!
My husband Doug loves lions! This Zoo trip was super special because we caught sight of this precious lion taking a nap with his tongue hanging out!! Bwwwahahahahahhahahaha! We left the place and started walking to a new area. Then we heard the most amazing roar and knew the lion was AWAKE! We sprinted back to the lion’s home and experienced the fantastic roar which was one of the most epic moments of our lives! We thought it was fake it was so powerful! So we ran to see him in action, Doug got to experience the lion roaring, what seemed like, right in his face! It left a huge impression on us, to be child-like and run back to roaring lions because it’s in these little moments that God is saying, “I’ve got you! Look at my power. If I made this beautiful animal that makes you be in awe with his roar, how much more can you trust me?” So…
from nap-time cutie to roartastik, beaconing the whole Zoo to himself with his roar, this San Diego lion has our hearts! He needs a name too! James. That’s what we’ll call him. James the lion.
We can’t guarantee you the same experience but we can pray that God would bless you with a ton of his “God hugs” as you explore this place!
If you’re hot and in need of a pick me up there are lots of treats sprinkled through out the park. Our girls loved these shaved ice treats!
The San Diego Zoo was a GREAT experience. We loved and think you would as well if you love animals, you’ll love this gorgeous plush and exciting place!
#5. DONUT BAR | SAN DIEGO
Do I need to say anything? NOPE…
Donut Bar, you are just one of those places that HAVE to be experienced. From the warm welcome by the staff to all the super innovative and creative donut choices this place offers. It’s a must-eat in San Diego if you love novelty and BIG DONUTS. These are HUGE.
#6. SAFARI PARK | SAN DIEGO
If you love a serene, lush, open, and wildlife experience, the San Diego Safari Park is for you! This IS A GORGEOUS property. Period. It’s a MUST- MUST- MUST see if you just love walking around in open spaces that make you feel like you’re about to become a wild animal yourself.
The day we visited was raining and there was NO ONE THERE! Ha! Not even most of the animals and I still loved it to the core because it was so peaceful and beautiful. We did get to experience some of the animals but I can only imagine what it’s like when it’s not raining. It’s a magical experience no matter what. It is a LOT of walking though. They do, however, have shuttles if you need a little extra help!
For the outfit here I went with a light rain jacket, obviously, you’ll probably go on a day when you won’t need it but you can think of a slip skirt and tee for a chic outfit that is comfy but chic! I loved the Converse to be walking around all day. I will say mine are broken into. I don’t know how comfy Converse are when they are new. Just food for thought.
SHOP SAFARI PARK OUTFIT
We got to see some pretty cool kangaroos and I loved all the little signs that they decorated the park with. It’s a delightful experience !
One of my FAVORITE EXPERIENCES was seeing the tigers. I didn’t get a good photo of them but this place was MAGICAL. It was something like in Japan!
They also have amazing water falls and serene places to just BE AND THINK.
The Safari Park was my top favorite! It made my heart burst with joy the whole time we were there and filled my cup! Especially when this brave young lioness just stood there eyeing me down with her intensely inspiring stare! She gave me all the courage vibes I needed.
This photo was taken by my father-in-law! Thanks dad, for sharing it with me!
I pray that if you go you’d find a similar experience of just feeling lost in a gorgeous, plush, and luxurious land!
#7 Barrio Donas
This little Mexican-inspired donut shop, Barrio Donas, sells one of the BEST coffees in town and it is home to my ULTIMATE favorite donut! They aren’t as popular as the last two I’ve shared but the taste of the donuts is out of this world good!! A must-eat if you love Mexican flavors and donuts and coffee!
#8 LEGOLAND | IN CARLSBAD
Legoland California, is in Carlsbad near San Diego! This is for the people who love all things Lego, of course, but it’s also a place for you if you have tinnier humans and want a park to go to that isn’t full of CRAZY ROLLERCOASTERS. This park is sooooooooooooo FUN for a gal like me who likes medium adventure! Hahaha! This is my kind of pace for rides! So if you’re like me and you enjoy a little less thrill in the rides department or your kiddos are smaller it is going to be super fun for ya’ll!
The outfit here was very practical and made it feel chic by adding accessories like the black Converse, pearl earrings, and the fanny pack again around the chest. You can always take this and make it your own outfit by switching out the accessories. Or if you’d rather not be wearing a cartoon on your shirt make it classy by having a neutral shirt instead. Or swap out the casual bike shorts for linen shorts and a short tee. Just make sure you’re feeling ready to party when going to Legoland because there’s a lot of running around and rides that you’re off on with so you probably don’t want to fuss with a dress!
SHOP LEGOLAND OUTFIT
You get to see so many things made out of Legos it’s hard to believe they really are all made from them!
The rides are soooo FUN! Master of flight was my favorite ride in this place! It is so cute and fun!
And I also loved Unikitty’s Disco Drop so much I rode it twice! The one where my face looks like I’m terrified. hahaha! But it was a high drop, trust me.
You meet little guys like this one! I can’t look at him without smiling. We need to give him a name! Fred. Is that it? Fred made our day so much more special!
So many fun adventures that you don’t even expect!
Now, you heard it here first. And I heard it from my father-in-law. 🤣 Legoland is a must-see and eat place just simply due to these delicious Granny’s Apple Fries. I. am. telling. you. They are GOOOOOOOOOD!!!! So good you’ll want to come back just for these!
Legoland sure made us tired but for all the right reasons!!!
#8 SPILL THE BEANS COFFE + BAGEL
Now if you’re in the harbor of San Diego walking by the docks, this adorable coffee and bagel shop is a must-stop and get some caffeine! Spill The Beans is right up against one of the prettiest viewpoints and a lot of wonderful walking adventures away from you around the perimeter after you’ve picked up your coffee or tea! They have a couple of locations and this is the address to this one! 813 W Harbor Dr. Unit C, San Diego, CA 92101
Thank you so much for visiting us today. May this post help you in your next trip to San Diego and I pray that you would know how much God loves you! Praying for your travels and your fun adventures! TTYS , God willing!
