We went to Balboa Fun Zone in Aug. 2005, and it was great.
It was only a 15 min. drive from Disneyland. We parked in the community parking lot $8 and had a picnic dinner on the beach, then after watching my daughter splash around in the ocean waves, we walked the two blocks to Balboa Fun Zone. The town was so cute, there was even a store that rented bicycles and alot of people were on rented bikes.
The kiddie rides were nothing to brag about, but for about a dollar a ride it was worth it for the kids especially the younger ones.
One of the shopkeepers told my youngest daughter not to touch anything so we found another place to spend our money.
We went on a harbour cruise, the sunset cruise, it was less than $30 for the four of us and was excellent! The boat was nothing to brag about, but the driver narrated the cruise and he was wonderful. He pointed out all the famous people living on the harbour and how much the homes and yachts cost. We saw sea lions, jellyfish, and a wonderful sunset that we will never forget!
The ferry to the man-made island will only carry two cars at a time, but the wait is short for the next ferry.
I will definitely go back to Balboa Island and Newport Beach, I would even like to rent a place there. This was a wonderful way to start our vacation and I would be happy if that was all we went to California for.