San Francisco Long Weekend!

JediAng

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jun 8, 2016
I've officially booked my first ABD :)
SF Long Weekend on my Birthday Oct 2018!!!
I am so excited!!!

For anyone who has done this trip, advice for a first timer?
Not only will this be my first Adventures By Disney Trip, it will also be my first time on the West Coast, period. I've never been to California at all or anywhere in that part of the country...
We always just go to Florida, lol. I wonder why... :)

I have added a pre night and post night to my trip. So I will have 2 extra days to explore.
I know for sure I will be visiting the Full House house, and Rancho Obi Wan Museum on one day.

What are other must see spots in SF that aren't included in the Itinerary?

Also, for those of you who saw my Backstage Magic Trip Thread, I am still interested in that ABD, however it has been pushed back to 2019, due to how my time off at work is handled.
So for now, a "long weekend" in SF will have to do!!!

If anyone has been on the SF trip I would LOVE to hear stories or see pictures!

Thanks in advance :)
 
Congrats on booking your first ABD. You will love it. I have not been on the SF ABD, but I am a Bay Area native and worked in the City for 15 years. I would highly recommend a visit to the Ferry Plaza Building - tons of great food shops. You may also want to do one of the hop-on/hop off tour buses as it looks like the itinerary does not do a bus tour of the major sites within the City. Depending on your interests you may want to hop-off and go to some of the museums in Golden Gate Park or the Japanese Tea Garden. Within the city your best bet is probably uber and cabs and walking (to places close by the hotel).

I had never heard of Rancho Obi Wan so I looked it up - I presume you will rent a car to drive up there - you could make a day trip of that and go to some farm stands/wineries/breweries up that way. October (especially early October) can offer some of the nicest weather in San Francisco.

Happy to help with any other San Francisco specific questions.
 
Congrats on your trip. I have lived in the bay area my whole life and I work in SF. Actually when I was walking to work the other day I saw a bus outside the Omni hotel which is a block from my work and it said Adventures by Disney on the bus. I thought that was kind of cool. I don't know where they go but in October I would recommend maybe a trip to Alcatraz if not included, Fort Mason is nice, Colt Tower, Fishermans Wharf is always fun, a cable car ride, maybe a tour of AT&T park, and the exportorium is fun hands on stuff. Weather her can be up and down in October. If you are going out on the water make sure you bring a coat. If you have any other questions please just ask.
 
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Congratulations on booking your first ABD! I LOVED the San Francisco adventure!

We really enjoyed going to Alcatraz, which is not included in the tour. We also took a guided walking tour in Chinatown which gave us a detailed history of that part of the city.
 


Congrats on booking your first ABD. You will love it. I have not been on the SF ABD, but I am a Bay Area native and worked in the City for 15 years. I would highly recommend a visit to the Ferry Plaza Building - tons of great food shops. You may also want to do one of the hop-on/hop off tour buses as it looks like the itinerary does not do a bus tour of the major sites within the City. Depending on your interests you may want to hop-off and go to some of the museums in Golden Gate Park or the Japanese Tea Garden. Within the city your best bet is probably uber and cabs and walking (to places close by the hotel).

I had never heard of Rancho Obi Wan so I looked it up - I presume you will rent a car to drive up there - you could make a day trip of that and go to some farm stands/wineries/breweries up that way. October (especially early October) can offer some of the nicest weather in San Francisco.

Happy to help with any other San Francisco specific questions.


Thank you for the tips! :) I am not the most skilled driver, especially in a place like SF with all the hills, traffic, and the fact that I"m just not familiar with the area... I was planning on trying to Uber to Rancho Obi Wan (and basically everywhere else TBH)... Is it super far away? I thought it was close to the SF area, I will need to look into that.

I am going to try to look into a Trolly Car Tour, and see the city that way. I want to check out the Fisherman's Wharf area, and Union Square, and some other places that I still need to research. Is Lombard Street the famous street that is super steep? I was thinking about taking some kind of tour of that area? I will take note of Ferry Plaza, definitely interested in some shopping while I'm out there. Already planning a separate budget just for that lol.

I know our Itinerary includes going to Golden Gate Park for a bike ride, and to some points to take pictures of the bridge, bu tI'm not sure how in depth it goes. Maybe I will allow some more time for that area as well.

Thank you :)
 
Congrats on your trip. I have lived in the bay area my whole life and I work in SF. Actually when I was walking to work the other day I saw a bus outside the Omni hotel which is a block from my work and it said Adventures by Disney on the bus. I thought that was kind of cool. I don't know where they go but in October I would recommend maybe a trip to Alcatraz if not included, Fort Mason is nice, Colt Tower, Fishermans Wharf is always fun, a cable car ride, maybe a tour of AT&T park, and the exportorium is fun hands on stuff. Weather her can be up and down in October. If you are going out on the water make sure you bring a coat. If you have any other questions please just ask.

Thank you!!!

I am definitely planning on a Cable Car ride and Fishermans Wharf (again, both in reference to Full House lol). Is Fort Mason a part of Alcatraz or is that something different? What exactly is Colt Tower besides the fact that it's a Tower, lol. Thanks for all the ideas. Will be doing lots of research about everything!!!

I always bring some kind of jacket with me no matter what, usually a hoodie. Even in Disney World in August I will have some kind of long sleeve Item on me because the AC in buildings can get cold haha. Would it be cold enough to have a legit full winter coat, or would something like a hoodie be okay?
 
Thank you, AquamarineSteph .

For some reason it would not let me quote you like the others. Alcatraz seems like a cool idea, I know it would be interesting, is there enough "on your own time" to do it? Maybe in the morning before the 2 PM meet on the technical first day (i won't be arriving that morning because I have added a pre day), so there is some time to kill.

Question, how were the meals on your trip? I have already opted out of the MY China one, because I am SUPER picky and my whole life I have never liked Chinese food, lol. No point in wasting a meal. What are the other meals like on the trip?
Thanks :)
 


Thank you, AquamarineSteph .

For some reason it would not let me quote you like the others. Alcatraz seems like a cool idea, I know it would be interesting, is there enough "on your own time" to do it? Maybe in the morning before the 2 PM meet on the technical first day (i won't be arriving that morning because I have added a pre day), so there is some time to kill.

Question, how were the meals on your trip? I have already opted out of the MY China one, because I am SUPER picky and my whole life I have never liked Chinese food, lol. No point in wasting a meal. What are the other meals like on the trip?
Thanks :)

The current tour is structured a little differently than when I was there. If you have time to spare, then maybe take the early ferry over to Alcatraz. It's seriously interesting.

I LOVED the food at MY China. I have a couple of dietary restrictions, and they made a meal especially for me which blew me away. The other restaurants were all fun, but that meal was the most interesting because of the location and the 'show' that the staff put on for us. It wasn't a real show in the terms of singing and dancing, but it was entertaining to say the least. I do not know if they do that for every service, but they did it for our ABD group.
 
The current tour is structured a little differently than when I was there. If you have time to spare, then maybe take the early ferry over to Alcatraz. It's seriously interesting.

I LOVED the food at MY China. I have a couple of dietary restrictions, and they made a meal especially for me which blew me away. The other restaurants were all fun, but that meal was the most interesting because of the location and the 'show' that the staff put on for us. It wasn't a real show in the terms of singing and dancing, but it was entertaining to say the least. I do not know if they do that for every service, but they did it for our ABD group.


Sounds like it's something similar to a Beni Hana's. Thanks :)
 
CA native/lifelong CA resident here. I think your hotel is off union square, so you might wanna shop there. It's a world class shopping spot, with tons of shops. Many high end, so bring money. Fisherman's wharf or Pier 39 are cool spots. Coit tower and maybe Ghirardelli square also.

You will need advance tixs to Alcatraz, which can fill up months in advance. You can also hop the ferry to Oakland and check out Jack London Square there (where the ferry lands on the Oakland side).

SF in.October will likely be cold. Bring a coat. A hoodie will likely be too little, at least on the water. Also, expect fog. It's an SF tradition.

Don't skip MyChina. I hate Chinese food, but China town in SF is real.Chinese food, and different tasting. You might like it. I did (Never been to MyChina though).

Get seafood while there. It's some of the best you'll ever have. .and get clam chowder in the sourdough bread bowl. That's an SF staple.
 
Thank you for the tips! :) I am not the most skilled driver, especially in a place like SF with all the hills, traffic, and the fact that I"m just not familiar with the area... I was planning on trying to Uber to Rancho Obi Wan (and basically everywhere else TBH)... Is it super far away? I thought it was close to the SF area, I will need to look into that.

I am going to try to look into a Trolly Car Tour, and see the city that way. I want to check out the Fisherman's Wharf area, and Union Square, and some other places that I still need to research. Is Lombard Street the famous street that is super steep? I was thinking about taking some kind of tour of that area? I will take note of Ferry Plaza, definitely interested in some shopping while I'm out there. Already planning a separate budget just for that lol.

I know our Itinerary includes going to Golden Gate Park for a bike ride, and to some points to take pictures of the bridge, bu tI'm not sure how in depth it goes. Maybe I will allow some more time for that area as well.

Thank you :)
I agree on Uber in the City. I hate to drive in San Francisco and only do so when I have to :) Uber and cabs and even the cable car will be a great way for you to get around in San Francisco itself. You should try pricing out Uber up to Rancho Obi Wan - you definitely could do it, but I think it will be fairly pricey. Someone else may be able to give more definite timing but I think it would take an hour to get there from your hotel.

I agree that Alcatraz would be fun - I think you would have time if you booked an early tour before your 2pm meet-up. Someone else mentioned Coit Tower, there are stairs that go up to Coit Tower from down below (not the tower itself but from a lower road up the hill to where the tower is) that can be fun and a good workout.
 
I agree on Uber in the City. I hate to drive in San Francisco and only do so when I have to :) Uber and cabs and even the cable car will be a great way for you to get around in San Francisco itself. You should try pricing out Uber up to Rancho Obi Wan - you definitely could do it, but I think it will be fairly pricey. Someone else may be able to give more definite timing but I think it would take an hour to get there from your hotel.

I agree that Alcatraz would be fun - I think you would have time if you booked an early tour before your 2pm meet-up. Someone else mentioned Coit Tower, there are stairs that go up to Coit Tower from down below (not the tower itself but from a lower road up the hill to where the tower is) that can be fun and a good workout.


Thanks!!! I am definitely prepared for a pricier UBER to Rancho if it is a little far out, I have plenty of time to plan for that. Colt Tower seems really interesting, I think that might end up being an activity for me on day one before the first meet up at 2 PM. I looked up youtube videos and I think it is something I want to check out. Thanks for your help :)
 
Rancho obi wan is way out in Santa Rosa about 45min to an hour outside/north of SF. Pretty cool place if you're into Star Wars. Make a day trip out of it and walk around downtown Petaluma, see spots from Flubber and American Graffiti and some other films that were shot out there http://www.chillybin.com/movies/flubber.html.

Do all the touristy things from Pier 39, Chinatown the crooked-est street, walk up an incredibly steep hill take a cable car, catch the fog covered Golden Gate Bridge. Oh and eat, snack your way around the city from china town to north beach down, the embarcadero to the piers and ferry building.
 
Rancho obi wan is way out in Santa Rosa about 45min to an hour outside/north of SF. Pretty cool place if you're into Star Wars. Make a day trip out of it and walk around downtown Petaluma, see spots from Flubber and American Graffiti and some other films that were shot out there http://www.chillybin.com/movies/flubber.html.

Do all the touristy things from Pier 39, Chinatown the crooked-est street, walk up an incredibly steep hill take a cable car, catch the fog covered Golden Gate Bridge. Oh and eat, snack your way around the city from china town to north beach down, the embarcadero to the piers and ferry building.

Thanks for the tips!!! I'm thinking about this schedule:

Arrival day, get there in the AM (i will be traveling backwards in time zones so even if i leave Arkansas mid morning ill get there in the morning still), (day before ABD starts) - make it a full day in Santa Rosa / Petaluma for Rancho Obi Wan + Exploring, also eat dinner out there downtown
First day of ABD- ABD doesn't start till 2 PM so that morning go see the Full House House, Colt Tower,
ABD Day 2 , ABD Day 3
Post Day after ABD ends at Farewell Breakfast, do Lombard Street, a Cable Car ride, check out the Golden Gate Bridge some more, Fisherman's Wharf (if we don't go there during ABD time), shopping in Union Square and a final dinner there that night,
Monday 10/22 fly home and back to work that afternoon by 4 PM!

What's Pier 39 all about? Is it worth it to allow time for, does it have better shopping opportunities than Union Square? What I have listed are my main priorities at this point. I know Alcatraz would be cool, but seems too time consuming, especially if Rancho is a bigger priority for me as a star wars fan, Rancho has been on my bucket list for years.
 
Pier 39 and fishermans wharf is almost one and the same, next to each other, just candy, junk shops and foods and as many times as I've been there, it's still a fun place to just walk around and waste a day. But you can walk to ghiradelli square, eat a bowl of clam chowder in a sourdough bowl, try cracked dunganeese crab, smell/see the seals, buy overpriced electronics and see giradelli square.

Take a long walk south and hit the ferry building and indulge your fill of oysters at hog island oyster co (looong waits) see the Exploratorium (haven't been in years kind of expensive since they moved from their original location.) Or you could catch a rail car and head to att park. Also if you do it at night there are some nice pictures to take of the bay bridge with its lights on.

IF you are a walker you can catch a trolley ride from ghiradelli square, I never have, so I don't know it's route.

Better shopping is definitely union square and you could also try the Westfield mall at the sf center.

Also not sure if it's still there, I've never been. But there is a Star Wars attraction in the Presidio as well. You might want to check if it's open to the public but my friend did some work there a few years back.
 
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Pier 39 and fishermans wharf is almost one and the same, next to each other, just candy, junk shops and foods and as many times as I've been there, it's still a fun place to just walk around and waste a day. But you can walk to ghiradelli square, eat a bowl of clam chowder in a sourdough bowl, try cracked dunganeese crab, smell/see the seals, buy overpriced electronics and see giradelli square.

Take a long walk south and hit the ferry building and indulge your fill of oysters at hog island oyster co (looong waits) see the Exploratorium (haven't been in years kind of expensive since they moved from their original location.) Or you could catch a rail car and head to att park. Also if you do it at night there are some nice pictures to take of the bay bridge with its lights on.

IF you are a walker you can catch a trolley ride from ghiradelli square, I never have, so I don't know it's route.

Better shopping is definitely union square and you could also try the Westfield mall at the sf center.

Also not sure if it's still there, I've never been. But there is a Star Wars attraction in the Presidio as well. You might want to check if it's open to the public but my friend did some work there a few years back.


I was definitely wanting to check out Ghirardelli Square, so that's a part of Pier 39/Fisherman's Wharf? I'm not a fan of sea food, so no oysters for me, but I might like to try some Clam Chowder and Shrimp which are basically the only sea foods I like.

Is Ghirardelli Square famous for their chocolate? I know there's the store, lol. That's the main reason I was wanting to go there. Sorry if my questions sound dumb, just trying to get as much info as I can on a place I've never been / only seen on TV pretty much.
 
The square is named after the chocolate, so yes, lots of chocolate there. I'd choose Fisherman's wharf for the Franciscan, a restaurant with amazing views of the bay/alcatraz. But otherwise, Pier 39 has more, imo.

Union Square is a place that's world class for shopping. There's also a yummy.cheesecake factory restaurant in Macy's there.
 
First day of ABD- ABD doesn't start till 2 PM so that morning go see the Full House House, Colt Tower,
Just wanted to clarify, so that you don't have any problems, it's Coit Tower with an "i", not Colt Tower. Very cool place.

Sayhello
 
I was definitely wanting to check out Ghirardelli Square, so that's a part of Pier 39/Fisherman's Wharf? I'm not a fan of sea food, so no oysters for me, but I might like to try some Clam Chowder and Shrimp which are basically the only sea foods I like.

Is Ghirardelli Square famous for their chocolate? I know there's the store, lol. That's the main reason I was wanting to go there. Sorry if my questions sound dumb, just trying to get as much info as I can on a place I've never been / only seen on TV pretty much.

They are all located in the same area, walk down the pier and back up, walk a block or two over and it's Fishermans Wharf, walk another couple of blocks and it's Ghirardelli. And there is always a shop to peek into when you're walking between sections. And there will be plenty of shrimp and chowder to try.

Yes Ghirardelli is famous for their chocolates, it is the same Ghirardelli (wow spelling that name is getting tiring :crazy:) as the one in WDW and DL. I don't remember if they have a chocolate demonstration or making facility there, it's been a year or so since I've been down there, but they have chocolates and an ice cream parlor there.
 

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