Disneyland, Santa Monica, Hollywood/Universal, Magic Mountain.....how to do it all in 9 days!

[PunkPrincess]

I'm a very big fan of Los Angeles and the area. I will do EVERYTHING in my power to move there. I know I can't stay in this NY ice box much longer I hate the cold! So it's no surprise that Ta-DAH!! I'm going again this year!

But Last year all I did was Disneyland and Magic Mountain. It was done in 8 days.

Assuming I get an early flight in on about august 21st, and I leave 9 days later....What would be the best order to put these in?

Right now I got Santa Monica first out of the airport. It'd be hard to do it after DL because It'd give me time to reflect on how I'm not there when I could be. I don't really want to do Disney last either.....because the pain of leaving it will couple with the pain of leaving California and I may just lose my LAX to EWR ticket by "accident" (jk but still it'd make me sad....I mean LA to..........NJ??? Thats like Heaven to the underworld!) I'm questiong if going to Universal after Disney is a good idea too....because the Simpsons ride will probably make me miss Pirates of the Caribbean with their parody part, and the mummy will make me miss Indiana Jones. But I'm actually a very silly person so I'm probably skipping over practicalities here. I don't want to draw one of those zig zag patterns on the map.

So barring Anaheim, since thats a given, where is the best places to stay for these attractions that will cut down travel time to these one day visits and the number of places I have to stay.....Actually also what order would you put these in? I got five days at DLR (two less than last year ) I am a broke jobless college chick, and I've been over thinking and scratching my head and trying to get this all sorted out before August rolls in and the flight tickets skyrocket and make me angry. For one day I'm gonna try and split universal with a walk down the walk of fame just because I just want to see it in person it's on tv all the time I just kinda wanna say I know what its like there I got the feel for it. SFMM often closes at 6:00 around this time and Universal at 7. USH will probably be incomplete, but I'll address that elsewhere.

Just what would YOU do with these places in terms of order and staying location? I'm an open book on this just chuck ideas at me!

 

[PHXscuba]

Do Santa Monica the day you land (day 1). Find a hotel near-ish Universal.

Part A:
Day 2: Universal (get up early while your body is still on east coast time)
Day 3: Magic Mountain, drive down to DL

Part B:
Days 4-8 Stay near Disneyland

Fly home day 9.

Or reverse Part A and B if you can't stand Disneyland last.

Those are probably the practical options with the least driving/moving hotels. If you split the LA/MM stuff up you'll have to move hotels more. Depending on how early your return flight is you might want to be closer to LAX the night before (reverse option?)

PHXscuba

 

[PunkPrincess]

Do Santa Monica the day you land (day 1). Find a hotel near-ish Universal.

Part A:
Day 2: Universal (get up early while your body is still on east coast time)
Day 3: Magic Mountain, drive down to DL

Part B:
Days 4-8 Stay near Disneyland

Fly home day 9.

Or reverse Part A and B if you can't stand Disneyland last.

Those are probably the practical options with the least driving/moving hotels. If you split the LA/MM stuff up you'll have to move hotels more. Depending on how early your return flight is you might want to be closer to LAX the night before (reverse option?)

PHXscuba

It seems like an alright Idea but the only problem is that SFMM is REALLY far from DL.....actually they are on the same freeway so maybe not.

Is Hollywood dangerous at night? I only ask because in video games gangs attack you there. I know a dumb reason to ask but....better be safe. I like to think I'm this big tough rebel girl but I'm not that big.

 

[China Expat]

It seems like an alright Idea but the only problem is that SFMM is REALLY far from DL.....actually they are on the same freeway so maybe not.

Is Hollywood dangerous at night? I only ask because in video games gangs attack you there. I know a dumb reason to ask but....better be safe. I like to think I'm this big tough rebel girl but I'm not that big.

Hollywood is not safe at night, late at night.

 

[PunkPrincess]

Hollywood is not safe at night, late at night.

What about like at 9 or 8?

I've been in times square at 3 am by myself and it wasn't bad at all.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Im just back from a 2 part LA trip.

I flew into LAX, got SUPERSHUTTLE to a hotel in Downtown LA. I did my research and picked a hotel 2 blocks from 7th Street Metro Line. This is the direct line to both Universal Studios and Hollywood.

I took the metro red line to Universal, got there around 9am and left at 8pm.
I took the metro red line to Hollywood and Highland stop, which is beside The Chinese Theatre.

There is a new extension to the Culver City line which brings you direct to Santa Monica. I had hoped to do this but other plans came up.

Once you are on the metro lines, its very easy to change lines in the stations where the lines intersect.

Hollywood after about 7pm gets very seedy and the atmosphere changes.

The hotel I stayed at was ok, I stayed there for the location and transport. Some friends of mine stayed at Hollywood Downtowner Inn on Hollywood Boulevard and they recommended me to stay there next year. It is also 2 blocks from the metro red and 2 stops from Hollywood and Highland stop but in a much less seedy area.

 

[PunkPrincess]

Im just back from a 2 part LA trip.

I flew into LAX, got SUPERSHUTTLE to a hotel in Downtown LA. I did my research and picked a hotel 2 blocks from 7th Street Metro Line. This is the direct line to both Universal Studios and Hollywood.

I took the metro red line to Universal, got there around 9am and left at 8pm.
I took the metro red line to Hollywood and Highland stop, which is beside The Chinese Theatre.

There is a new extension to the Culver City line which brings you direct to Santa Monica. I had hoped to do this but other plans came up.

Once you are on the metro lines, its very easy to change lines in the stations where the lines intersect.

Hollywood after about 7pm gets very seedy and the atmosphere changes.

The hotel I stayed at was ok, I stayed there for the location and transport. Some friends of mine stayed at Hollywood Downtowner Inn on Hollywood Boulevard and they recommended me to stay there next year. It is also 2 blocks from the metro red and 2 stops from Hollywood and Highland stop but in a much less seedy area.

I have a friend who's a train expert and memorized like every single train line in America. (he has Asperger's, and this is why sometimes that can help you) The key things I wanna see in Hollywood are the walk of fame and the Chinese Theater, and of course the El Capitan and that Disney store there. I don't think It'll take long. Before I was looking for a central hotel between there and MM but that is a VERY ritzy area, I might even say the Ritziest in America, BH and BA. I'll have to look into it.

 

[BadPinkTink]

@PunkPrincess Hollywood are the walk of fame and the Chinese Theater, and the El Capitan and that Disney store are all on the same part of Hollywood Boulevard, the Hollywood and Highland Metro station is just opposite El Capitan.

The Disney Store is not really a Disney store. Its a Giraldi Chocolate store and icecream place with some Disney pins and very little other Disney merchandise.

There is also a shopping mall on the same part of the street. I would say you would need about 4 hours max there, maybe a bit more if you decide to eat lunch. Go there in the morning at about 10 am and you will be done by 4pm.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I have a friend who's a train expert and memorized like every single train line in America. (he has Asperger's, and this is why sometimes that can help you) The key things I wanna see in Hollywood are the walk of fame and the Chinese Theater, and of course the El Capitan and that Disney store there. I don't think It'll take long. Before I was looking for a central hotel between there and MM but that is a VERY ritzy area, I might even say the Ritziest in America, BH and BA. I'll have to look into it.

All of the things you want to see can be seen from the Hollywood & Highland center (located, of course, at Hollywood Bvd. and Highland). There is a viewing/photo op on an upper level for the Hollywood sign, the Walk of Fame is right out front, the Dolby Theatre (home of the Oscar ceremony) is there, the Chinese Theatre is right next door, the El Capitan is across the street, etc. There is a Red Line station at H&H and USH is one stop away. So if you stay by USH, you could catch the Red Line and quickly get to H&H. We're in that area frequently at night, and as long as you use common sense and your NYC street smarts, you should be fine.