Okay…who wants to help me plan my first trip to DLR/CA?

[buzzrelly]

I've been around these board for a long time and mostly stay on the WDW side of things. But DD and I are planning our first ever trip to DL in May and I would love some input from the experts!

This was supposed to be DD's Graduation trip last summer but we decided then to push it to this year hoping things are more back to normal. Specifically, I would love the nighttime shows to be back and if tours came back (Walk in Walt's Footsteps), that would be even better! But we're going regardless and already have our dates chosen so it is what it is at this point.

Here's what we have planned so far:

May 21, 2022-fly into LAX, landing around 10:30am. We will rent a car and check out LA for the day and have a Warner Bros. tour scheduled at 3. We booked Loews Hollywood Hotel for the night.

May 22-27, 2022-drive to DLR…return car or keep it for the week?? Haven't decided yet if we need to have a car while there.

We currently have two reservations booked: Disneyland Hotel Deluxe View…this has been a dream of mine to stay here but the price is kind of outrageous. I am a DVC member so while at WDW, I do like the deluxe resorts but I don't love the price tag that comes along with it. This is why we also have Tropicana Inn booked as an alternative. It's about half the cost to stay here but I don't know how I'll feel about staying off property. Of course, since there doesn't seem to be much benefit to staying on property I think it might be nice to save some money.

If any DLH discounts come out, even 25%, I will for sure just keep this reservation. Anyone have any knowledge of when they release DL discounts? WDW just released some this morning.

May 27-29, 2022- Back to LA for a couple nights. This is DD's request and since it's her trip, I'll go with it. I'm guessing we'd need a car again (or still, if we kept it at DLR)? This is where I'm really conflicted. Do we go back and stay at Loews Hollywood again for those two nights? Should we stay somewhere else, maybe near Santa Monica or Venice Beach? Somewhere else? I'd like to save a little money here but also not stay somewhere super sketchy or unsafe. It would probably be helpful to describe what we'd like to do these two days but I'm not even sure about that. Any input here is helpful!

May 29, 2022-we fly out of LAX to Honolulu for a week at Aulani. I'm sure I'll be posting my questions about that part over in the Aulani thread!

Thanks for reading and any advice you have!

 

[damn_straight]

I've been around these board for a long time and mostly stay on the WDW side of things. But DD and I are planning our first ever trip to DL in May and I would love some input from the experts!

This was supposed to be DD's Graduation trip last summer but we decided then to push it to this year hoping things are more back to normal. Specifically, I would love the nighttime shows to be back and if tours came back (Walk in Walt's Footsteps), that would be even better! But we're going regardless and already have our dates chosen so it is what it is at this point.

Here's what we have planned so far:

May 21, 2022-fly into LAX, landing around 10:30am. We will rent a car and check out LA for the day and have a Warner Bros. tour scheduled at 3. We booked Loews Hollywood Hotel for the night.

May 22-27, 2022-drive to DLR…return car or keep it for the week?? Haven't decided yet if we need to have a car while there.

We currently have two reservations booked: Disneyland Hotel Deluxe View…this has been a dream of mine to stay here but the price is kind of outrageous. I am a DVC member so while at WDW, I do like the deluxe resorts but I don't love the price tag that comes along with it. This is why we also have Tropicana Inn booked as an alternative. It's about half the cost to stay here but I don't know how I'll feel about staying off property. Of course, since there doesn't seem to be much benefit to staying on property I think it might be nice to save some money.

If any DLH discounts come out, even 25%, I will for sure just keep this reservation. Anyone have any knowledge of when they release DL discounts? WDW just released some this morning.

May 27-29, 2022- Back to LA for a couple nights. This is DD's request and since it's her trip, I'll go with it. I'm guessing we'd need a car again (or still, if we kept it at DLR)? This is where I'm really conflicted. Do we go back and stay at Loews Hollywood again for those two nights? Should we stay somewhere else, maybe near Santa Monica or Venice Beach? Somewhere else? I'd like to save a little money here but also not stay somewhere super sketchy or unsafe. It would probably be helpful to describe what we'd like to do these two days but I'm not even sure about that. Any input here is helpful!

May 29, 2022-we fly out of LAX to Honolulu for a week at Aulani. I'm sure I'll be posting my questions about that part over in the Aulani thread!

Thanks for reading and any advice you have!

I did the WB tour back in August and really enjoyed it! Great choice for your first day!

 

[upritbass]

it might be nice to save some money.

Then dump the rental car while you are at DL. There is no reason to pay for a car you aren't using and also paying for parking a car that isn't going anywhere.

 

[gelatoni fan]

Is it possible to change your dates so that you pick up a rental car at LAX, do everything in Los Angeles and then Disney at the end of that part of the trip? A lot of rental car companies will not have availability or charge a sizable premium if you pick up in the Disneyland area compared to picking up at LAX. Then, if you're leaving from Disneyland, you can take a taxi or ride share to LAX rather than deal with the hassle of returning a car.

Picking up and returning rental cars at LAX are huge hassles so if you only have to do it once, it'll be so much easier. Paying parking for a week to avoid this hassle isn't worth it either.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Gosh, that’s a lot of time in LA. The city is not as glamorous as many people imagine if you be. My friend came out over the summer with her 16-year-old daughter who is heavy into acting and who wanted to spend three days in LA. They ended up spending one day and the daughter decided she’d rather go to San Diego for the other two days. I agree with the previous suggestion to do all of LA at once in the beginning, then move to Anaheim for DL.

Parking is now $30/day at the Disneyland Hotel (or is it $35?). Tack that on to your daily fee for the rental car and that’s a lot of extra $$$.

 

[buzzrelly]

I did the WB tour back in August and really enjoyed it! Great choice for your first day!

Good to know! Thanks!

 

[buzzrelly]

Then dump the rental car while you are at DL. There is no reason to pay for a car you aren't using and also paying for parking a car that isn't going anywhere.

You have a good point. I just didn't know if there would be any good reason to have a car while there. I'm thinking probably not as we will likely be spending every day in the parks.

Thanks!

 

[buzzrelly]

Is it possible to change your dates so that you pick up a rental car at LAX, do everything in Los Angeles and then Disney at the end of that part of the trip? A lot of rental car companies will not have availability or charge a sizable premium if you pick up in the Disneyland area compared to picking up at LAX. Then, if you're leaving from Disneyland, you can take a taxi or ride share to LAX rather than deal with the hassle of returning a car.

Picking up and returning rental cars at LAX are huge hassles so if you only have to do it once, it'll be so much easier. Paying parking for a week to avoid this hassle isn't worth it either.

Ugh. This is good information, thanks.

Unfortunately, we added on the first night in LA because the flights to get there the following day weren't great, and we would lose more than half the day. I also looked into flying into SNA but there are no direct flights from our home airport and I had some Jet Blue credit that I used to fly to LAX.

I'm wondering if we could get away without a rental car the last couple days in LA, relying mostly on visiting things within walking distance or using ride share? Then at least I'd only have to worry about renting the car the first day from LAX, and returning it at DLR. I have to think about this some more. Thanks!

 

[buzzrelly]

Gosh, that’s a lot of time in LA. The city is not as glamorous as many people imagine if you be. My friend came out over the summer with her 16-year-old daughter who is heavy into acting and who wanted to spend three days in LA. They ended up spending one day and the daughter decided she’d rather go to San Diego for the other two days. I agree with the previous suggestion to do all of LA at once in the beginning, then move to Anaheim for DL.

Parking is now $30/day at the Disneyland Hotel (or is it $35?). Tack that on to your daily fee for the rental car and that’s a lot of extra $$$.

This is what I'm afraid of, but my daughter insists she wants to spend more time there and since I'm really the one who wants to got to DL, this was the compromise. And frankly, that first night was an add on because of the way the flights worked out. We were planning on flying in on 5/22 but ended up going a day early.

Do you think there's much more to do around Santa Monica or Venice Beach, instead?

 

[DLgal]

This is what I'm afraid of, but my daughter insists she wants to spend more time there and since I'm really the one who wants to got to DL, this was the compromise. And frankly, that first night was an add on because of the way the flights worked out. We were planning on flying in on 5/22 but ended up going a day early.

Do you think there's much more to do around Santa Monica or Venice Beach, instead?

I get that this is what your daughter thinks she wants, but I'm going to be very straight with you: Los Angeles is a cesspool. Seriously. It is disgusting, especially all the tourist areas like Hollywood Blvd, Venice Beach, Santa Monica, etc. Just about the only nice parts are Beverly Hills and Westwood area, and parts of Burbank. I live down in Orange County and spent 3 nights in LA/Hollywood with a friend last summer after we cancelled a Universal Orlando trip. I was so grossed out by LA, in general. It is not anything like how it's portrayed. So, be warned and maybe have a talk with your daughter about this reality. I've never been a huge fan of LA, but the Hollywood area really has taken a turn for the worse since the pandemic.

With that said, there ARE some gems in Hollywood, specifically that Warner Brothers tour. It's amazing. But I would not recommend it for your arrival day nor would I recommend such a late start. That tour takes several hours and there is actually quite a lot of walking and standing, so you need to be well rested. I would suggest you head straight to Anaheim on your arrival day, since hotel check in isn't until 3pm anyway. You're not really wasting a day. Tack on the extra night, maybe offsite on Harbor for cheap, and move to your Disney hotel the next morning.

Do your Disneyland days, then go back to LA for the tail end of your time here before you fly out to Hawaii. Skip the Loews Hollywood. Like I said, Hollywood is generally disgusting, especially the area around that hotel. You won't feel comfortable being out after dark in that area, trust me. Stay over in Universal City. The Hilton is quite nice and the area is sort of sheltered from the messy areas. You can walk into City Walk from this hotel. Do the WB tour in the morning (it's like 5 minutes away) the next day. You can then do the whole Hollywood/LA Beach city exploration later that afternoon by car. Find a nice restaurant in West Hollywood or Beverly Hills or even up in Malibu to have a nice dinner. Consider Universal Studios for another day. It's a small theme park, but the best part about it is the Backlot Tram Tour, which is a good hour+ long experience. Combined that with the WB tour and you get to see how REAL Hollywood magic happens. Plus, Universal has some fun rides and attractions without being overwhelming like Disneyland.

If you want to see the Hollywood sign, you can drive up pretty close, although I will warn you the drive is a bit of a white knuckle adventure (narrow, windy road on the side of a mountain, basically). You can get some great selfies in front of the sign for "the socials" (I'm betting your daughter would love this). Search for "Lake Hollywood Park" on Google Maps and it will take you to a great spot for this. You can also drive the Mulholland Circuit and get some great views and drive by numerous celebrity homes (again, this is a scary drive, but it is a quintessential "LA" experience.

I would recommend having a rental car with you the whole time. A lot of that is because ride shares are kind of unreliable these days and surge pricing is a thing almost ALL the time. Plus, one way rentals cost far more than round trip ones and weekly rates are much lower than daily rates. Just think about the rental car as a sunk cost and move on. The amount if time you spend returning and picking up cars if you try and do separate rentals will just be an annoying disruption. Sure, picking up and returning rental cars at LAX is a hassle, but so is grabbing a taxi or ride share. LAX is a hassle in every way. You just have to be okay with that reality. I would recommend possibly booking an airport adjacent hotel for the night before your Hawaii flight. This way you can return the car rental one day early and then just shuttle to the airport the day of that flight and not have to worry about traffic on the way to the airport.

Plus, if you have a rental car for your Disneyland time, you can take a break and drive to Newport Beach (an actual NICE beach city) or around the local area to try some great restaurants, rather than be stuck in the Disney bubble for a whole week.

 

[gelatoni fan]

I agree with the previous poster that there are many parts of LA that I would not feel comfortable being out in after dark. Not knowing the area around that particular hotel in Hollywood, I don't know if that is actually such an area. I'd generally recommend staying in a hotel from a reputable brand in West Hollywood over Hollywood proper and agree that Universal City or Studio City would be nicer as well. Another option would be to stay near the airport or Glendale and accept a longer drive during the day to get to the places you want.

I used to think that Santa Monica was fine and noticeably nicer than Venice Beach but it's possible that the pandemic has increased homeless and other problems there. Just putting this out there because based on my experience, calling pre-pandemic Santa Monica disgusting would feel like an exaggeration to me.

I agree with having a rental car for the LA days. Ride shares from places like Santa Monica can be a huge pain and it adds up over time. Like I mentioned earlier, I strongly prefer a one way rental from LA to Disneyland area to a reverse Disneyland to LA rental or keeping a car around that many days but you can price it out and see what makes sense.

 

[Gaugersaurus]

Does your daughter have an idea of what she wants to see/do in LA? This could give us some ideas as to what to recommend or what to avoid and alternatives in "better" parts of SoCal. I will say there are some really nice parts of LA but they're surrounded by some really ugly parts of LA. Like above suggested the orange county beaches, especially South OC, are much nicer than Santa Monica/Venice and you should visit those if a beach visit is something you're looking to do.

I know a lot of us are giving advice on the LA portion but what do you want to see in the DL portion of the trip? Also what is your touring style, are you open to close commandos, sleep in, rope droppers, mid-day pool/nap breaks? Being there in late May you'll have to deal with Grad Nites which will close the parks early on some nights.

Since you're a DVC owner have you looking into staying at the Villas at Grand Californian? If you're lucky enough to snag one they're fantastic and the cost pill is much easier to swallow. The location of Grand Californian also feels more like the WDW "bubble" than elsewhere on Disneyland property.

 

[dieumeye]

I’m just going to echo what everybody else has said: The key to visiting Los Angeles is to figure out exactly what attractions/activities you want to visit and then plan around those specific things.

There is really no good area to stay to have an “LA experience“, because there is no “LA experience”. There are pockets of nice areas with cool shops and nice restaurants all over, but they are all connected by a seemingly endless sprawl that ranges from the merely dull to the dirty or dangerous.

Having said that, there is plenty to do, but it’s very dependent on your interests.

Want to do nothing but lounge by the pool all day in the sun? Book a room at the Beverly Hills Hotel. You might see a celebrity.

The Getty and Getty Villa are great to visit… if you like art museums.

The Petersen Automotive Museum is really cool… if you like cars.

It’s fun to see game at Sofi stadium… If you like football.

There are a number of Michelin starred restaurants you can visit… if you’re interested in that.

And if you like theme parks, there are a lot of those too!

And on and on and on…

But, there is no good location, no one place to stay, where you would feel like you are surrounded by all of those things.

So, like everybody else has said, put in some effort to make a list of the specific things you would like to visit or experience, and then people can offer advice on how best to tackle the list.

 

[starlite_]

Seconding dieumeye, the best part (only nice part imo) of LA are the museums. And don't even get me started in LA traffic at peak hours. If I never have to be there at 4pm ever again in my life I will be very very happy.

 

[DisneylandFan22]

I agree with all the advice you are receiving. I live in San Diego and always say the best way to see LA is in the rearview mirror. I usually only go if there is a conference or I am going to Universal Studios. I have stayed at the Hilton and the Sheraton across from Universal Studios and felt safe and it is a short walk to City Walk and the park. You only need a day in the park to do everything. Getting around LA is a nightmare that requires taking 50 freeways to get anywhere and there is always traffic. It would be very helpful to know exactly what your daughter wants to do in the area.

 

[IsleofDisney]

You mentioned your daughter is an aspiring actress, is she interested in seeing a show either at the Pantages, Ahmanson/Music Center or even Pasadena Playhouse?

And Getty museum is beautiful as well as Getty Villa in Malibu, if you like art or history.

Even though LA is only an hour or so away from us, we go only when we have a specific place to to visit that I've researched. It's not like a great place to wander in a touristy type of way.

 

[JohnR5101]

I used to live and work in LA county many years ago. Got used to driving in all that traffic. Then we moved up to northern Cal and now every time we drive down to Disneyland or Newport Beach, that traffic is really thick. Driving through Hollywood area on the freeway you see lots of homeless camps set up on the overpasses. Last summer we were down in Newport and decided we wanted to visit Venice Beach. Not great. Lots of homeless. We did walk along the beach a little but it wasn't anything that I would go back to. Very shortly we left and drove to Marina Del Rey and there we had a nice walk along the harbor with shops and restaurants and the boats going by. Very pleasant.
So overall I agree that visiting "Los Angeles" is a real disappointment. Some of the specific nice parts that others have mentioned can be fine.

 

[heathpack]

Well it’s true that LA traffic is a nightmare and that Hollywood is not what people expect.

However, there’s tons of cool stuff to do.

LA County Museum of Art, the Petersen Automotive Museum, and the LA Brea Tar Pits are all near each other in the Miracle Mile. Nearby is the Original Farmers Market which is pleasant to stroll. Lots of good restaurants nearby.

Santa Monica is lovely for strolling, eating, hanging out. May tends to be overcast but will likely be warm for visiting the beach or the amusement pier. The Getty Villa is excellent and not very far from Santa Monica. The Venice canals are interesting to walk. There’s a great bike path that goes along the beach from Santa Monica south. Walking or biking that path is fun. The Santa Monica Farmers Market is incredible. Lots of great hip dining in Santa Monica and Venice. A little farther south is the beautiful Palos Verde peninsula, which has a nice coastal drive. Great coffee and light eats at Caffe Urrth in Santa Monica, this is a small mini chain and any of the locations are good.

A little inland from Santa Monica is Beverly Hills. Not my style but lots of good shopping and dining. The Getty Museum is in this general vicinity. IMO the Getty Villa is way better.

Universal Studios is fun but it’s no Disneyland. In the vicinity of Universal is Griffith Park which has lots of hiking and also the Griffith Park Observatory (planetarium) and the LA Zoo. Also horseback riding. The Magic Castle is very cool, a nighttime venue that is members only and requires an invite, but they’re not super hard to get. If the Hollywood Bowl is up and running, a concert there would be fab. Universal is in the vicinity of Hollywood. The Arclight is a great movie theater with some directors screenings. Amoeba Music is a great record store nearby. Nancy Silvertons excellent Pizzera Mozza is a little south in the Melrose area.

Inland from Griffith Park a little ways is Pasadena. Pleasant strolling and shopping. Huntington Gardens are beautiful. The Gamble House is a cool craftsman house you can tour. Nearby is the San Gabriel Valley- a Chinese enclave that’s all strip malls and not attractive. However- the food! If you like the real deal Chinese cuisine, this is the area to hit up. If Six Taste food tours are running, they are excellent.

Downtown LA is definitely seedy in areas. But the Disney Concert hall is quite the sight. Grand Central Market and Angels Flight are cool. You’d probably want to do a walking or food tour.

Where to stay- it really depends on what interests you and how much you want to spend. Traffic is truly a nightmare but there is no one place to stay where you can avoid it. If say Santa Monica Beach, the Getty Villa and the La Brea Tar Pits were most interesting I’d probably stay in Santa Monica. If the Griffith Park Observatory, Huntington Garden, the Hollywood Bowl and the San Gabriel Valley were big draws then Universal would be a good location. If Beverly Hills fabulous is your style, then stay in Bev Hills.

Let us know preferences and we can advise.

 

[felice]

If museums are your thing, do check out the California Science Center. Behind there also is the Natural History Museum, which is also good too. Also, close to the Original Farmers Market is the LA Holocaust Museum, this is also good.

Venice Beach has had a lot of attention paid to it in the last few months or so; the homeless problem is still present there as it always was but is nowhere near as bad as it was during the early part of the pandemic. The authorities have been doing a lot to clear away the tents and get the people housed in hotels for the interim and helping them to get their individual issues resolved. A guy on Youtube who goes by the nickname of 'German in Venice' spent quite a bit of time documenting the cleanup.

As others have said, the Getty Museum and Getty Villa are definitely worth exploring. Those are locations we've not been to personally yet but hope to on future visits to Southern California.

You'll have a lot to plan, that's for certain Best of luck.

 

[DLgal]

I mean, I don't know this teenage girl, but I seriously doubt she wants to go to LA for the museums...