1 week from today for 1st DL trip

[haley's mom]

So waking up this morning, I realized that next Friday at 6:31am (Eastern time) I will be boarding our flight to take us to DL for our first ever trip.

We've been planning this trip since January and I think I have most things figured out.

We arrive Friday 10/8 and depart Sun 10/17, staying in Disney View room at Hojo's with an Entertainment rate ofg $79. We will be spending Friday, Saturday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at DL/DCA. On tuesday we will be attending MHP, doing the Studio 365 make-over for DD7.

Sunday and Monday will be SW and SDZoo. Friday and Saturday will be Hollywood and a beach/coast drive.

Looking for more infomration from local or past travelers on how to spend Friday and Saturday. What are the must-see's in Hollywood? Where should we start and end our beach visit? Stops in-between?

We are a family of 4, me, DH, DD7 and DS12.

 

[Capt Silly]

We will also be be at DLR that week, PPH 10/9-16. I'm sure our son (13) and Daughter (11) would love to tour the parks with other kids their age (Mom and Dad are SO boring), maybe we can get together at some point.

As for what to do Friday/Saturday, it depends on what you like about the beach where you will want to go. If you like all the people that make the beaches colorful (surf shops, sidewalk artists, etc.) you probably want to go to Venice or Newport beach. If you just want to sit and relax building sand castles and swimming, then Doheny (Capistrano) beach is nice. PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) between Capistrano and Seal Beach is a nice drive, and you could detour into Newport to go to either the Crab Cooker or Old Spaghetti Factory for lunch or dinner. I am far from and expert on the beach scene, but those are my suggestions.

I have never been into Hollywood, since I grew up outside from LA, so I will leave it to others to make suggestions there.

 

[jimreuter]

Just a heads up on DLR scheduling - Mickey's Trick or Treat is running on every Tuesday and Friday in October, so Disneyland is closing early those days, unless you have paid for the extra ticket. Just make sure you know exactly what you are getting, as it may affect the days you choose to visit other SoCal experiences.

 

[kiwitravel]

We really enjoyed our day in hollywood...

Drive up on the freeway and exit at hollywood blvd, park in the Hollywood and Highland Shopping mall, just remember to get your parking validated for $2 for four hours parking...

There is a great view of the Hollywood sign, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Madame Tussard Wax museum was great, lots of interaction with the models...Hard Rock Cafe, Chinese theatre. keep an eye on the time as 4 hours flew by here for us but we did spend a bit of time shopping...

We then drove down Sunset strip and on to Beverly Hills and Rodeo Dr. They have free parking here.

Keep on Santa Monica Blvd and you will reach the sea, south of Santa Monica is Venice Beach..

 

[RedRosePrincess]

In Hollywood, there is also the Disney Soda Fountain & Studio Store which is next to the El Capitan Theater which plays Disney movies.

If you park at Hollywood & Highland and walk down Hollywood Blvd to Hollywood & Vine you can actually take the subway (which most people don't even know about) back to Hollywood & Highland.

Santa Monica Beach has the pier with rides. Huntington Beach is one of my favorites, its very relaxing there and beautiful.

 

[oc_tony]

We prefer the Orange County beaches (Newport Beach and Huntington City Beach) over the LA beaches, but it depends on what you're looking for.

Just a heads-up from one parent to another, Venice beach has a some "interesting" characters and shopping. There are lots of t-shirt shops that publicly display some adult material and souvenirs, and parents of younger kids may be uncomfortable with their children seeing that stuff. Everyone has their own opinions about this type of thing, but at least if you know ahead of time, you can make a more informed decision for your family. Also, parking there can be difficult.