One non-Disney day

[Maddysdaddy]

Hi all. Because I waited too long to make reservations, I was only able to get 5 nights lodging at the DLH (and because it it the Avengers weekend, there are no rooms at the GCH or PP either).

Going to get a hotel in LA for the last night and spend the day in the city, as for all the trips to DL that we have flown down for, we've never actually spent any time in LA other than at LAX.

Since we only have one day (a Friday), we need to squeeze in as much "touristy" stuff as possible.

Thinking of doing the Warner Bros studio tour, seeing the Walk of Fame, etc. Any recommendations you want to throw at me would be much appreciated!!!

Also, I booked a room at the Andaz Hyatt in West Hollywood. If we're centering ourselves in Hollywood, is that a reasonable (and safe) location? Looked at the Lowes and the Hollywood Roosevelt, and their rooms won't work for my family.

Thanks all.

 

[SMD]

What time is your flight the next day? You might be better off staying closer to LAX if it's just one night. You're right between the Comedy Store and Saddle Ranch, which will definitely be popular on a Saturday night. I personally would prefer not to drive the Sunset Strip on a Friday night if I'm trying to get home. If you were planning to go walking to some of the clubs it's a good location. What daytime and nighttime activities are you thinking of? And will you have a car?

 

[Maddysdaddy]

What time is your flight the next day? You might be better off staying closer to LAX if it's just one night. You're right between the Comedy Store and Saddle Ranch, which will definitely be popular on a Saturday night. I personally would prefer not to drive the Sunset Strip on a Friday night if I'm trying to get home. If you were planning to go walking to some of the clubs it's a good location. What daytime and nighttime activities are you thinking of? And will you have a car?

Need to be at the airport at noon on Saturday, and yes, we have a car.

Our daughter is 11, so clubs are not an option (even if we weren't in our 40's and like to go to bed at a sensible hour - honestly, I haven't been in a club since I finished my graduate degree in 1997).

 

[MommyJKM]

I used to work at Warner Bros studios for years and the backstage tour was great. But you really really have to factor in the traffic from where you are. I would stay Sunset/Santa Monica Blvd and not try to go over the hill

 

[SMD]

I would switch hotels. Are you planning to make mid day stops at the hotel? You probably wouldn't be checking in until 2pm or later anyway, right? Do WB as early as possible, it gets crazy there in the afternoon on Fridays. Then work your way south and west towards LAX or Santa Monica. I'd probably just stay by LAX and return the rental car the night before to save 30-45 minutes the next morning. But Santa Monica or anything between Santa Monica and LAX will allow you either sleep in a little on Saturday or go out to breakfast before flying out.

 

[taniahappy]

So much to do and so little time, why not just stay in the Anaheim area and spend more time @ Disney? And then drive early Saturday?

 

[Bud Ice]

To keep it reasonably Disney themed...

- Down the street... Hollywood & Highland has the El Capitan Theatre and a Ghiradelli/Disney store.
El Capitan owned by Disney. Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Chinese Theatre, amongst others.

http://hollywoodandhighland.com/
https://elcapitantheatre.com/

- North of you is Universal Studios and Universal Citywalk...(Actually on the way to Warner Bros)

http://www.citywalkhollywood.com/
http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/

- Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory are cool pics to take.

http://griffithobservatory.org/

- South of your hotel you have Beverly Hills, Beverly Center, LACMA, and Pacific Grove

http://www.beverlycenter.com/
http://www.thegrovela.com/
http://www.lacma.org/

 

[Maddysdaddy]

I used to work at Warner Bros studios for years and the backstage tour was great. But you really really have to factor in the traffic from where you are. I would stay Sunset/Santa Monica Blvd and not try to go over the hill

When I mapped everything out on Google yesterday, it said that the driving time between WB and the hotel was between 20 and 25 minutes. Is that unrealistic?

 

[Maddysdaddy]

I would switch hotels. Are you planning to make mid day stops at the hotel? You probably wouldn't be checking in until 2pm or later anyway, right? Do WB as early as possible, it gets crazy there in the afternoon on Fridays. Then work your way south and west towards LAX or Santa Monica. I'd probably just stay by LAX and return the rental car the night before to save 30-45 minutes the next morning. But Santa Monica or anything between Santa Monica and LAX will allow you either sleep in a little on Saturday or go out to breakfast before flying out.

My thought was that we would head from Disney to WB in the morning, take the tour, head to the hotel to check-in and drop our bags, and then stroll around Hollywood and do the touristy stuff for the balance of the afternoon and evening, which is why I picked this hotel, since it looked like it was in a reasonable location for that plan. Am I reading you correctly that this is not a good idea?

 

[Maddysdaddy]

So much to do and so little time, why not just stay in the Anaheim area and spend more time @ Disney? And then drive early Saturday?

We already have 5 days at DL, so it's not the worst thing that we have to spend the last day elsewhere, rather than have to fork out for 3 additional 1-day passes. If we have to change hotels anyway, might as well see and do things that we never have before.

 

[Maddysdaddy]

To keep it reasonably Disney themed...

- Down the street... Hollywood & Highland has the El Capitan Theatre and a Ghiradelli/Disney store.
El Capitan owned by Disney. Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Chinese Theatre, amongst others.

http://hollywoodandhighland.com/
https://elcapitantheatre.com/

- North of you is Universal Studios and Universal Citywalk...(Actually on the way to Warner Bros)

http://www.citywalkhollywood.com/
http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/

- Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory are cool pics to take.

http://griffithobservatory.org/

- South of your hotel you have Beverly Hills, Beverly Center, LACMA, and Pacific Grove

http://www.beverlycenter.com/
http://www.thegrovela.com/
http://www.lacma.org/

Thanks for this. Very much appreciated!

 

[MommyJKM]

When I mapped everything out on Google yesterday, it said that the driving time between WB and the hotel was between 20 and 25 minutes. Is that unrealistic?

Always DOUBLE Google estimates and if you're going BACK from Burbank after 3pm it's awful (unless you take the canyons). If you're going to be there this year - The El Cap has tours and special showings too

 

[SMD]

Always DOUBLE Google estimates and if you're going BACK from Burbank after 3pm it's awful (unless you take the canyons). If you're going to be there this year - The El Cap has tours and special showings too

Going to Burbank from the LAX area isn't a picnic either, especially on a Friday night. I'd definitely recommend being where you want to spend the evening until about 7pm by 2pm on a Friday night.

 

[disneyphx]

We have stayed right in Hollywood a couple of times and had fun. The Magic Castle Hotel is highly rated on tripadvisor - good value, quirky, not the newest or the shiniest. And is an easy walk to El Capitan etc.

 

[taniahappy]

We already have 5 days at DL, so it's not the worst thing that we have to spend the last day elsewhere, rather than have to fork out for 3 additional 1-day passes. If we have to change hotels anyway, might as well see and do things that we never have before.

True but maybe chill around DTD, movie? Shop? Dine? .... in LA I would do Hollywood & Highland, Ripley's, Walk of fame, Hollywood bowl, Universal, Madame T, Hollywood museum, Guinnes records museum, Wax museum, etc etc etc

 

[tzeitel]

We (DH, DD13 and I) are doing one day away from DLR as well. Plan is La Brea Tar Pits, Observatory, Farmer's Market, El Capitan for Nightmare Before Christmas (we will be there in a couple of weeks) and then Ghirardelli (next door to El Capitan). Might checkout LACMA since it is right next to the tar pits or go to The Grove.