Help with plans for day in Hollywood?

[kikikiki]

Only one week to go! We will be in DL for 6 days next week and plan to take a day off from the park and spend a day in LA, but I need help! The three places we want to see are:
Warner Brother VIP tour- go here first from DL in the AM?
DT Hollywood- See the walk of fame and maybe a bus tour of the neighborhood? DD is 17 and would love to see this area.
Beach- in the afternoon and then head home to DL. We have a rental car but not sure which direction would be best to go.
Any help with this plan including timing, driving/ parking tips, places to see/eat would be great!!TIA

 

[cyclenut]

Only one week to go! We will be in DL for 6 days next week and plan to take a day off from the park and spend a day in LA, but I need help! The three places we want to see are:
Warner Brother VIP tour- go here first from DL in the AM?
DT Hollywood- See the walk of fame and maybe a bus tour of the neighborhood? DD is 17 and would love to see this area.
Beach- in the afternoon and then head home to DL. We have a rental car but not sure which direction would be best to go.
Any help with this plan including timing, driving/ parking tips, places to see/eat would be great!!TIA

Here is an interesting itinerary for you to try, but it would take a little more research to get it nailed down. Basically you can take the train from Anaheim to Union Station and then board the Red Line to Universal City. There is a connector from there to Warner Brothers Studios. I know you said you had a car and you may very well want to drive, but I am suggesting another option.

You can reverse course to Hollywood and Highland, a stop on the Red Line and have lunch at Johnny Rockets or one of the MANY places in the area. There are at least 15 tattoo parlors lining Hollywood Blvd. A walking tour is far better than any sort of bus tour. You'll want to be out and about. You can plan to get off the Red Line at one end of Hollywood and walk down to the other end where you can pick it up back to Union Station. Instead of heading to the beach from there, I suggest Olvera Street and/or Chinatown which is walking distance from Union Station. From there, you can take the train back into Anaheim.

If you like the idea, look at the Amtrak timetable and the LA metro web site.

http://www.metro.net/

Our family has done this several times into Hollywood to the Pantages but we've never gone to Warner Brothers. I think you'll need to leave the Red Line at Universal City and take a bus from there, but it wouldn't be a long ride.

The beach is less than 30 minutes from DLR so you can pop over there for a couple of hours any of the other days you are there.

 

[StageTek]

The Warner tour first - they have parking
Then over to the Walk of Fame and take the "Stars Homes" tour from the Chinese theater. Park at the Hollywood/Highland complex. In Hollywood you can eat at Mel's Drive-in.
Then take Santa Monica Blvd to the beach. You'll end up at the famous Santa Monica Pier. An iconic (but not cheap) place for dinner would be On the Waterfront Cafe. Beach Pad is kinda cool. Any of the places on the pier will be fun.

 

[Shananana]

The Warner tour first - they have parking
Then over to the Walk of Fame and take the "Stars Homes" tour from the Chinese theater. Park at the Hollywood/Highland complex. In Hollywood you can eat at Mel's Drive-in.
Then take Santa Monica Blvd to the beach. You'll end up at the famous Santa Monica Pier. An iconic (but not cheap) place for dinner would be On the Waterfront Cafe. Beach Pad is kinda cool. Any of the places on the pier will be fun.

I agree with this.

 

[kikikiki]

Thanks so much, we are extra excited about this day now that we have decided on the Warner bros tour!
If we take the star homes tour which tour company do we use? any idea of cost? We do have a rental car but we thought the open air bus woudl be fun with a guide.

 

[StageTek]

If we take the star homes tour which tour company do we use? any idea of cost?

http://www.starlinetours.com/
http://www.citysightsla.com/

 

[mousefan5]

I am also planning a few hours in la. I think we are going to hire a private tour but now I need suggestions. What are cool places to show my kids (DD9, DS13, DS15). We want to see the Hollywood sign, some Hollywood stars, and perhaps a few shops (American Girl). What else is a must?????

 

[momjkm]

We did part of this 2 weeks ago (my daughter 17 and myself). Took train from Anaheim to Union Station then Red Line to Chinese Theatre. Easy. I had driven into LA the week before to do other things- driving was less than fun. Stress-fest. SO IMO the train is the way to go. You can then get a bus to the Grove/Farmers market where there are many shops and great places to eat (cheap at the Farmer's Market). The American Girl store is there. I bought a metro pass ($6/day) that allowed me to take the bus/subway all over for one price.

We also did the TMZ tour as many people told me that the "tours of stars homes" basically showed you just driveways and hedges. I am not a fan of TMZ and wasn't really familiar with it but the tour was great. Fun, informatative? (fact or fiction or both?)... I liked I way better than I thought I would. My 17 yr old loved it....

I bought tickets the day before online- they are usually sold out the "day of".


PM me if you need more specifics or bus numbers--- I still have all the stuff out... I save everything

Jill

 

[melk]

We also did the TMZ tour as many people told me that the "tours of stars homes" basically showed you just driveways and hedges. I am not a fan of TMZ and wasn't really familiar with it but the tour was great. Fun, informatative? (fact or fiction or both?)... I liked I way better than I thought I would. My 17 yr old loved it....

Jill

So what did you see on the TMZ tour? I really don't care for the show but I am intrigued about the tour. Thx.

 

[hsmamato2]

what would the benfit be to taking the train from Anaheim-Universal instead of driving? would you save time doing this? I'm asking b/c we'll have our car, but want the best way to get to Uni for a day from DL area....

 

[StageTek]

what would the benfit be to taking the train from Anaheim-Universal instead of driving?

No advantage at all.

Except if LA driving stresses you out.

 

[hsmamato2]

no driving stresses my DH out he loves it all! question- is Warner bros. tour thingy near Hollywood walk of fame? if it is, is it feasible to take the tour,leave the carand walk to the street area to tour on our own? or is there plenty of parking near the chinese theater,etc?