Hi!

At the tail end of a North American trip we are going to Disneyland.

I need help with suggestions as to where to stay and whether my plan could be improved.

We have 7 nights in mid-October. Which will be about 6.5 full days. We intend to spend 3 days in Disneyland (or 2 if we don't like it) and 1 at Universal Studios. The plan was to take a tour into LA on another day and maybe Tjiuana. Another day we will be watching the RWC final in a Kiwi bar in LA. Last day 10.30pm flight to AKL (to see my Mum - yay!!).

We are a young couple from NZ/UK but my husband has no desire to stay in LA itself (he has never been there tho). This will be the end of a long trip so we want to relax (not something I am good at). We will not have a car.

DH wants to book a nice hotel in Anaheim for the full 7 nights.

What do you think? Any suggestions for a hotel?

Just a few quick comments and other will jump in. 7 nights in Anaheim would be utter foolishness IMHO -- especially w/o a car. It is a great place for the Disney visits and a bad base for just about everything else.

The LA basin is HUGE and travel times can be VERY slow. Think staying in Woolwich as a base for visiting Windsor or Kingston upon Thames?? But even worse.

Also, please don't consider a day trip to Tijuana. It is an utter dump and the logistics are very time consuming.

If it were me - I'd rent a car. I know your hubby says no - but do think about it. Driving in the States for a bloke is not hard - most of my Brit/Irish friends do it w/o a second thought.

But car or no car - 2 nights (3 absolute max) in Anaheim and the rest somewhere like Santa Monica would be a much nicer end to your holiday . . . .

Thank you janisj!

We are driving in the States from Seattle all the way to Las Vegas. But everyone kiwi we know has said don't drive in LA. So I will take their advice as they know what we are used to.

Santa Monica? Is that close to the major sights - will we be able to get public transport / tours easily? (I really ought to buy a proper map).

Driving in LA can be bad of course. But it is really the only practical way to get to some of the places you'll want. There is some basic public transport in LA but none that really works for day-to-day sightseeing. You can get to Universal by public transport and a few other places point to point. But not "point to point to point to point to point" like you would driving yourself.

Driving in LA is no worse than in Seattle, and is a darn sight easier that driving in San Francisco. If you will have driven the entire west - LA will be a piece of cake

Santa Monica is on the water and much closer to places like Beverly Hills, LAX, and Universal than is Anaheim.

I agree with janisj. If you have been driving that much already, L.A. just won't be that difficult.
I would also not budget 3 days for Disneyland. I love the place but 2 days would be more than enough. I cannot reccomend California Adventure.

I'll jump in. I've been to Disneyland amd California Adventure many many times with many many guests. They ALL like California Adventure. So I'll disagree with logandog on that. Get a park hopper pass for 3 days and you'll have a less stressful stay.

I would move closer to LAX toward the end of your stay. Also search on Manhattan/Hermosa Beach for a place to stay. It's a bit less hectic than Santa Monica, more residential, and still very close to LAX.

I wouldn't stress too much about driving in LA, we're actually very good drivers. Just invest in some good maps!

There are Hertz Local Edition car rental locations in the SouthBay (Manhattan Beach etc) which might be a better option for car rentals, they will pick you up at your accomodations. And to get to the airport, there is always Supershuttle.

LAX to Anaheim can be 40 minutes by shuttle. Adjacent to Disney I recently stayed at the Hilton. Keep in mind that the hotels adjacent to the convention center cater to conventions with far fewer families. When we visited friends staying in a Disney hotel you needed reservations at the restaurants and many families were up and about into the evening. (I was surprised to see so many young children up at 9pm.) There doesn't seem to be much around Disney except for the convention center. Many of the restaurants are family oriented. I also would NOT go to Tijuana again. It was awful. We were told not to go but had to see for ourselves.

Stay in Newport Beach. You'll have a short drive to Disneyland and a nice place to stay. Try to do your day trips up to Universal and Los Angeles on Saturday and Sunday when traffic is a bit easier. Or maybe do 5 nights in Newport and then the final 2 nights up in Hollywood (sunsetplazahotel.com).

L.A. is one of the easiest-to-navigate big cities. The traffic can be horrendous on weekdays between 7:30 and 9:30am and 4:30 to 7:30pm, so just avoid driving at those times. You have plenty of time before your trip to research and map-out all of your day trips and should have no problems.

Skip Tijuana...after your long "driving vacation" it will be a letdown and a waste of time. Visit the Getty Museum instead (and on a fri or Sat night you can stay for sunset dinner, an "only in LA experience". )

Ok nix Tijuana - done. I am now looking at other options for splitting the time further into LA.

Despite the opinion to the contrary on the thread we are not driving in LA. We are happy to book some of the day bus tours instead.

Any other thoughts??

If you want a nice hotel, try one the Disney hotels: Grand Californian, Disneyland Hotel, or Paradise Pier. Apply the money you would save from a rental car to the hotel. The hotels should be able to book your tours and shuttle services back to LAX.

There are a few very nice hotels in the Disneyland area that are not as highly priced as the Disney properties.

The Hyatt is a few blocks away but has a shuttle, the Marriott is not bad as is the Hilton but my favorite is the Sheraton. Quiet oasis with fantastic rooms and free shuttle to the parks. Ho Jo's is a nice more budget option.

If you love Disney I would stay in Anaheim , get a 3 day pass for both parks ( California Adventures is lots of fun)another day take a Grayline tour to LA to see the sights or go to Universal with Grayline. It only costs $61 including the ticket and if you have AAA you save 10%.
They also offer some other good tours.

Definately do not go to Tijuana, it is a horrible place.
San Diego is a much better option , Grayline do tours to Sea World and the Zoo for around $60.

Driving in LA can be intimidating and I think if you have been driving all over the country you will have no trouble but you probably want a rest anyway. Take a tour and relax!!

Hope this helps and that you have lots of fun !!

wilees-

Stick to your guns!

As a native Angelino, I can tell you that driving in the L.A. area is stressful. Since you are coming from a country where people drive on the "wrong" (i.e. left) side of the road, it would be very difficult to attempt right side driving with typical freeway traffic. I shudder at the thought.

Check out Gray Line <www.grayline.com> for some good guided tour options by bus.

mmmm ...

- young NZ/UK couple, no kids, right? Why Disneyland - it's ancient and more kids oriented. Calif Experience might be goodenought for you.

- driving from Seattle to Las Vegas - you didn't say where you are dropping car off.

- mid-October - it's great time to visit theme-parks - the kids are in school and there are no queues. But avoid Saturday and Sunday at all costs - the locals (with year passes) go there and they are jam-packed.

- Tijuana - forget it - heightened security and terrorism alerts = wate of a day.

We went to LAX last week of October for our young (9 at the time) son's 1/2 term break from school and it was great. We stayed in Anaheim at this place - swell hotel/motel with easy access to Disneyland by shuttle - http://www.anabellahotel.com/

We did go to Disneyland on Saturday late afternoon (after we arrived in LAX and driven to hotel) - just to pick up our 3-day passes that I'd ordered on the Internet - we saw that both parked were so crowded and said to each other "Let's wait till Monday".

The next day we went shopping (because we do not live in USA)! Come Monday to Friday we had excellent time in Calif Exp, Disnayland and Universal Studios - we were able to cover everything in each of them by 5:00pm - no queues - we even repeated some rides a few times!

We even went for a drive to San Deigo and visted Legoland at Carlsbad.

Hope this helps you in deciding where to go/stay in LA.

LA is rather sprawling city and Anshein is on the west side of LA. Plenty of highways but not nice during rush hours!!

Good luck!

Oops, I didn't proof read my message before posting my reply! Hope you can decipher my typos!

What else are you interested in? LA is full of things to do.

If you want to relax, the drive between San Francisco and LA is beautiful. Have you planned to take your time through central California?
Are you going to Big Sur? Monterey?

I will echo the others in saying that the freeways in LA can slow and crowded. You just need to bring your sense of humor.
And skip Tijiuana. Yuck! San Diego is nice, but I live here and have to say that.
IMO, traveling around Southern California without a car is a hassle. Keep the car by the time you get to So CA you'll be used to driving on our roads.
Have a great time.
You can do Disneyland in one day.

You'll need a day in Disneyland if you want to enjoy it and not rush around like a madman. Sometimes just sitting and listening to the live music in New Orleans Square is fun. In fact I have friends who live here, who have annual passes, who rarely go on any of the rides. Be sure to catch "Billy Hill and the Hillbilles" which is a live fiddle and comedy show inside the Golden Horseshoe Cafe. Because October is off-season, it might be worthwhile to go around the weekend, as there is more live entertainment and the hours are longer. Rancho del Zocalo (near Big Thunder Mountain) is a nice Mexcian themed restaurant with an enjoyable outdoor patio. Or for great fried (broasted) chicken, try the Plaza Inn. The Dole Whip just outside the Tiki Room (be sure to see the "show") is my favorite treat. As far as rides in Disneyland, be sure to grab a Fastpass for Space Mountain (dark roller coaster) as soon as you enter the park. Other rides that adults enjoy are Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Indiana Jones (get a Fastpass), Star Tour, Peter Pan, Disneyland Railroad, Buzz Lightyear. Corny but fun: Jungle Cruise, Tiki Room, Casey Junior Circus train (or Storybook Canal Boats), Autopia. Rides that drive me crazy because of the song: Splash Mountain, Small World.

Over in California ADVENTURE, you can buy alcohol! There is a beer truck with some nice microbrew selections, a full bar at Avalon Cove (weekend afternoon into evening only, ususally), and a wine tasting bar. The margaritas at Avalon Cove are good, but don't get the ones at the kiosk nearby. Best rides are Tower of Terror, Soarin over California, California Screamin, and Grizzly River Rapids. A Bug's Life is cute, and the Aladdin theatrical show is pretty good. The restaurants in Cal Adventure are generally better than in Disney, but avoid the Mexican one. The nearby Pacific Wharf Cafe is good for fast food, and there is a reasonable sit down menu at the Wine Country Trattoria (downstairs). Upstairs is pricy but good. The burgers at Taste Pilot's Grill are also pretty good.

The Sunshine Plaza area usually has California surf type music playing, sometimes with a live band.

I think you will enjoy it, the weather will be great.

Hi We are from Nelson Ne Zealand and spent five days at Anaheim in April 2007. We stayed at the Candy Cane Inn which we enjoyed, it's not luxurious by any means but not budget either. It gets great reviews on Trip Advisor. However it is more of a motel than a hotel a continental breakfast is included in the price. Re-reading your post I don't think it will be luxurious enough for you. It's more of a kid friendly motel.

We had a 3 day park hopper for Disneyland, which we did find too long, but we were not into the thrill/rollercoaster rides etc, if you are than you will fill in 3 days no problem at all.

We did a day trip to Sea World San Diego from Anaheim, this I really loved, we also did a day trip to Universal Studio's which filled up our 5 days.

There are heaps of day trips available and it certainly saves on stress not having to drive or navigate!!

Thanks for all the advice!

BlueSea - why Disneyland? Well because we have never been to a theme park before and we realised that we were going to be in LA and were considering skipping the one place as children we really wanted to go to. I may hate it - but LA is a long way to go to then not visit Disneyland.

We are dropping off the car in Las Vegas - then picking up a tour of the national parks for a week. Then taking a bus to Anaheim from Las Vegas.

L84SKY - what else are we interested in? Well to be honest that has been my problem all along - I read the LA guide books and struggle. We enjoy scenery, taking photos and history. Not much of which LA seems to offer (excet photos obviously). But then I have never been anywhere like LA - so I have to give it a chance - and will probably enjoy it!

nelsonian - I hear the weather back home is c*ap. If it makes you feel any better summer in London is rubbish as well. It is great to hear an opinion from a NZder on DL as we do not really have any theme parks back home to compare to.

Actually I considered the Candy Cane hotel. But as it will be the last 7 nights of 3 years overseas before we head home and do mature things like having kids we want to splash out (but not too much!!)

I do thank everyone for your help. I have not quite pinned down what I want to do. No to Tijuana, considering whether we need to go to Universal after Disneyland (perhaps park overload?).

The only transport issue I have left is how to get to Venice from Anaheim to watch this rugby match.

Knot Berry Farm (another theme park in Anaheim) instead of Disneyland?

You could always do two shuttles, one Anaheim to LAX, and one LAX to Venice (or even a taxi LAX to Venice, it's not really very far).

If you can book a tour to San Juan Capistrano from Anaheim it might be a nice taste of history.

http://www.missionsjc.com/