Fun Stuff to do on "arrival" day?

[HannaBelle]

We have decided to fly in on Friday evening rather than Saturday mid-day due to the cost savings on flights and now have a day to kill before the rest of our group arrives.

I don't want to hit the parks (or other area theme parks) and we will have a rental car. What are your favorite touristy spots in the area?

I am thinking of checking out Hollywood/Hollywood sign, La Brea Tar pits and Venice Beach or the Santa Monica Pier.

I don't want to spend a ton of money and would love to do something local and fun. Something kitschy or off beat would be good, my kids are 15 and 19.

We are meeting everyone for dinner at Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles at 7! hehe

 

[sgrap]

I have the same question . . . we are driving up from Carlsbad to DLR on a Sunday, and unless they start selling the longer hopper passes again, I don't want to use one of our "days" on our 5-day hopper for a partial day. I'd love suggestions as to fun ways to spend the day besides wishing we were in the park! I have seen that cool-looking science building on the way from SNA to DLR, wonder if that is good for kids? Our kids going with us are 11 and 10. Grown kids are missing out!

 

[Miss Peach]

Are you arriving into LAX Friday evening and you are having dinner in L.A. at 7:00 and you are planning to go to the beach in between?

I must be missing something... There would not be enough time, I don't think.

 

[kayleigh83]

We stayed right in the DLR area when we were there. We got to our hotel around midday (1 pm or so) and once we checked our bags at the hotel, we went over to Downtown Disney, had some lunch at Naples, saw Brave in the theatre, and then went to the hotel to settle in a bit. Then we went out for dinner at the Rainforest Cafe, did a little bit of shopping and headed back to the hotel to relax, watch TV and play some cards.

For us that was all we really wanted to do, since we had been up since about 3:30 AM to catch our flight! So some low key stuff close the hotel was just our speed and we really enjoyed ourselves!

 

[mrswh]

DTD is a fun place to kill some time, and you can get a pretty good view of the DL fireworks, to boot. (Or you could hang out on the esplanade to watch fireworks, for that matter!) You could get your souvenir shopping done, eat, and enjoy the ambience.

 

[ValpoCory]

DTD is a fun place to kill some time, and you can get a pretty good view of the DL fireworks, to boot. (Or you could hang out on the esplanade to watch fireworks, for that matter!) You could get your souvenir shopping done, eat, and enjoy the ambience.

Or you can go to the pool at the PPH and watch the fireworks with the sound piped in. That is the only semi-public place (i.e., not including the DLH concierge room, etc.) that I know of that pipes in the music.

 

[danaesacto]

We have decided to fly in on Friday evening rather than Saturday mid-day due to the cost savings on flights and now have a day to kill before the rest of our group arrives.

I don't want to hit the parks (or other area theme parks) and we will have a rental car. What are your favorite touristy spots in the area?

I am thinking of checking out Hollywood/Hollywood sign, La Brea Tar pits and Venice Beach or the Santa Monica Pier.

I don't want to spend a ton of money and would love to do something local and fun. Something kitschy or off beat would be good, my kids are 15 and 19.

We are meeting everyone for dinner at Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles at 7! hehe

The drive from Hollywood to Santa Monica in Friday evening commuter traffic could take hours I would guess- it isnt that farbut it was gridlock last time we drove it, on a Sunday afternoon. Best bet is to stay close to the hotel imo....

 

[theluckyrabbit]

We have decided to fly in on Friday evening rather than Saturday mid-day due to the cost savings on flights and now have a day to kill before the rest of our group arrives.

[/QUOTE]

What time are you scheduled to arrive? That could make a big difference in whether you head straight to DLR or whether you have time to stop somewhere along the way, e.g. you could eat somewhere in Venice.

I don't want to hit the parks (or other area theme parks) and we will have a rental car. What are your favorite touristy spots in the area?

I am thinking of checking out Hollywood/Hollywood sign, La Brea Tar pits and Venice Beach or the Santa Monica Pier.

I don't want to spend a ton of money and would love to do something local and fun. Something kitschy or off beat would be good, my kids are 15 and 19.

We are meeting everyone for dinner at Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles at 7! hehe

[/QUOTE]
The Hollywood sign is off limits to the general public (unless you want to crawl under a fence and hike up to the sign). It can be seen from many different places. One of the easiest spots to see it and get a photo with it in the background is at the Hollywood & Highland shopping center (home of the Dolby Theater where the Academy Awards ceremony is held).
The Tar Pits (aka The George Page Museum) is fun, as is the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) next door, but this will take several hours to see, and you will not be anywhere close to DLR. Same goes for Venice Beach and the Santa Monica Pier. If traffic is heavy, just getting to L.A. from DLR can be pretty exhausting.
Some suggestions closer to DLR:
Character Breakfast at one of the hotels to get your photos with major characters out of the way -- gets the magic rolling without entering the parks.
Spa Day at Mandara Spa in the GCH.
Downtown Disney for shopping, movies, restaurants.
GardenWalk for movies, bowling, restaurants.
South Coast Plaza (Costa Mesa) or Fashion Island (Newport Beach) are two of the nicest shopping malls in Southern California. Fashion Island is an outdoor mall.
Huntington Beach is not far from DLR.
You'll be close to Little Saigon in Westminster -- a thriving hub of Vietnamese culture in Southern California. Very interesting shopping and food tasting. Little Gaza (Middle Eastern food of various origins) is about 10 minutes or so away from DLR (Ball and Brookhurst/Euclid area). There is a Korea town in Garden Grove.

Hope this helps! Have a great trip!

 

[luvsmickey1968]

We always arrive the day before we go to Disneyland and take the time to go shopping for snacks and water.
Then we like to go to Downtown Disney and do some "window" shopping, go to dinner and check out the grounds and lobbies of the Disneyland and Grand California Hotel!

 

[HannaBelle]

TY for all of the responses!

I am sorry I was not clear, we are landing at LAX Friday evening at 9:30 and will not be doing any sight seeing that night. LAX was not my first choice in airports, but it was a substantial savings.

We are looking for ideas for Saturday before meeting our group for dinner at 7.

I am fine with a bit of traffic, it is part of the LA experience IMHO. I love the idea of Little Saigon, Little Gaza or the Korea town in Garden Grove. I won't jump any fences to see the Hollywood sign, but I definitely want to drive by.

I talked to DS19 about Venice Beach vs the Santa Monica Pier and mentioned that someone on tripadvisor said that Venice Beach smelled like urine and pot, he agreed so we are marking that one off the list! I will research Huntington Beach as well, TY TY TY theluckyrabbit!

 

[Pesky]

I would probably go west to east because trying to criss-cross LA will eat up time. You will be astounded by the traffic at any time of day. I'd probably go to Santa Monica. Venice Beach is cool and kitschy but you can do it pretty fast. So head to santa monica and grab some breakfast. I'd check yelp for top breakfast places. Head down to the water and wander the pier for a bit. You can check out the promenade if you like that is a block off the water with lots of shops but quite frankly, probably many you have seen. Sadly many of the places I knew are closed now so can't give you recs. There is a mall there too but I was never impressed with it. Then I would start to head east and hit up Beverly Hills. Do the touristy thing and check out Rodeo, the Reg.Bev.Wil. and so on. You can grab lunch there that is good and reasonable. I'd hit The Farm of Beverly Hills on Beverly (I've seen a number of actors/actresses there) or for a more lowkey place with good food, Porta Via on Canon. There is a public lot that is free for 2 hours right in between Beverly and Canon, just south of little Santa Monica by Crate and Barrel on Beverly (opposite entrance on Canon). You can then drive through Beverly Hills a little bit and head up to Hollywood and take Hollywood east into Hollywood itself. You can go see the sign, Mann's Chinese Theater, etc. Hollywood there can be a bit touristy and seedy but it's fun. Also puts you by Roscoe's presuming you are going to the Hollywood location. If you prefer, from BH, you can head east on Wilshire and you'll hit the tar pits and LAC Museum of ARt which has some great pieces.

 

[bcla]

My standard response now is get reservations for the California Science Center to see Space Shuttle Endeavour. It's technically free although the reservation fee is $2 per visitor and you need to print within a couple of days of making the reservation. There is also a parking fee.

Other than that the Getty Center is free.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

...I won't jump any fences to see the Hollywood sign, but I definitely want to drive by...

Again, one of the easiest ways to see the Hollywood sign and get a photo is to visit the Hollywood & Highland shopping center. The photo site is on the third level (I think). There really isn't a great place to just drive by the sign to see it. There are many small, winding, residential streets around the sign, and residents don't like tourists cruising the neighborhoods looking for the sign. Hollywood & Highland is home to the Dolby Theater (home of the Academy Awards, and, for now, Cirque du Soleil's "Iris"), is next door to the Chinese Theater (with all the famous footprints), and is across the street from Disney's El Capitan movie theater. Depending on what's playing when you visit, you might catch a movie or you can grab something to eat at the Disney Soda Fountain next door. And Hollywood & Highland isn't too far from the Tar Pits, if you were planning on going there.

And, if you will be visiting before the end of April, you might be interested in the Disney Archives exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley. That exhibit is showing many things that don't often get shown to the general public. You can find info at the D23 website or at the RR Library website. And the RR Library also has a retired Air Force One on display.

 

[Pinocchio #1 Fan]

I have the same question . . . we are driving up from Carlsbad to DLR on a Sunday, and unless they start selling the longer hopper passes again, I don't want to use one of our "days" on our 5-day hopper for a partial day. I'd love suggestions as to fun ways to spend the day besides wishing we were in the park! I have seen that cool-looking science building on the way from SNA to DLR, wonder if that is good for kids? Our kids going with us are 11 and 10. Grown kids are missing out!

The Discovery Science Center is amazing. Right now they have a huge Indiana Jones display teaching kids about archaeology with props from the movies. They also have a permanent upstairs area sponsored by the Anaheim Ducks which teaches kids the science behind hockey. Also, there is a dinosaur bone dig out in the back to teach kids about dinosaurs. The whole thing is a lot of fun. I took my niece, and she wants to go again.

 

[LisaSunshine]

My favorite place to go in LA is the Griffith Observatory. It's free, you get a great view of the Hollywood sign and LA and they have some really cool exhibits there. Parking seems to always be a pain, so be prepared for that, but once you find a spot and get in, it's totally worth it.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I have the same question . . . we are driving up from Carlsbad to DLR on a Sunday, and unless they start selling the longer hopper passes again, I don't want to use one of our "days" on our 5-day hopper for a partial day. I'd love suggestions as to fun ways to spend the day besides wishing we were in the park! I have seen that cool-looking science building on the way from SNA to DLR, wonder if that is good for kids? Our kids going with us are 11 and 10. Grown kids are missing out!

Yes, as stated above, the Discovery Science Center is fun. Also, for a bit of California history, the Mission San Juan Capistrano (of returning swallows fame) is between Carlsbad and Anaheim on the 5 fwy. It is a small mission, but a nice place to make a short visit. Laguna Beach is a nice visit, too, with lots of shops and restaurants. Also Newport Beach and Balboa Island. And Fashion Island is a very nice outdoor mall in Newport Beach with lots of fun shops and restaurants. If your kids like skateboarding, I think there is a Vans skateboarding store/indoor skating park at the Block at Orange. The Block, or the mall right next to it, also has outlet stores.

 

[msuhutton]

The Discovery Science Center is amazing. Right now they have a huge Indiana Jones display teaching kids about archaeology with props from the movies. They also have a permanent upstairs area sponsored by the Anaheim Ducks which teaches kids the science behind hockey. Also, there is a dinosaur bone dig out in the back to teach kids about dinosaurs. The whole thing is a lot of fun. I took my niece, and she wants to go again.

Does anyone know if they still have this???