We will be visiting LA(~2 days) & Disneyland (~1/2) days..We are thinking of booking hotel 4 days and shuttling back&forth to visit LA &disney. What area will be convinient and kind of mid-way?
How about LAX area?
thanks

"LA" is a metropolitan area of 4,800 square miles. Disneyland is within that metro area, well inland. LAX is not midway between LA and Anaheim. It's basically on the Pacific coast midway between Catalina Island and Anaheim, however (hope you have a boat).

Sorry to be a bit flip, but it sounds like you may need to look at a map (and Fodor's own guide to southern California) before thinking about lodging choices. My choice would probably be to ignore notions of "midway" locations and just find a nice hotel in your price range somewhere you find interesting. Say, Beverly Hills, or Santa Monica, or Huntington Beach, or Newport Beach, or Marina del Rey, or....

What else were you planning to see in the LA area? That will steer our suggestions.

I had that same thought several years back when friends and I did a trip to LA. We stayed in Long Beach and I figured it'd be just as easy to get to LA as it would be to get to the areas around Orange County. Big mistake.

We spent most of our time shuttling one way or the other and getting stuck more then once in traffic on the 405 freeway.

Having done it, I'd suggest you think about staying closer to LA proper. Making the drive once down to Disneyland isn't a big deal. Driving north 3 or 4 times to LA and the surrounding areas grow tiresome after awile.

rjw_lgb_ca: thanks for your reply.

yes..I haven't looked at the map yet! I'll do that.
We are planning to see Universal studio, kodak theatre and then just tour venice, santa monica, sunset blvd.

Where do you suggest we stay?

Well, if you want to stay on or near the beach, your choice is really Santa Monica, as Venice is dodgey and most other beach communities are hard to get into and out of. Cross-town traffic is getting worse, however, so you might want to go a bit more "central" to it all and stay in Beverly Hills. Don't panic, there are nice hotels at good rates. Staying in BH also gives you more dining and entertainment options.

What's your hotel budget?

well..~$70...

Ouch. Well, that knocks Santa Monica out. And Venice. And pretty much any acceptable place in Beverly Hills. For that, you might get the Motel 6 by LAX (well, you're back in that area after all!)-- a not-bad place, actually.

Have you ever used Priceline? You might find something in BH at a 3-star level (just a guess) bidding $70. But it depends on when you're planning to go. Unfortunately, the LA metro area is not cheap vis-à-vis lodging (although it's nowhere near as inflated as NYC). Still, others might have better experiences (I tend to book rooms for friends, since I live here-- and I make them spend more so their experience is pleasant)....

You could just stay in two hotels you know, because Disneyland is pretty far from what you most likely want to see in "LA" proper.

Cheap rooms can be had all over the Disney area, and if you're not right across the street there's a shuttle that's usually free with your room rate if your hotel is a few minutes away. A Christmas or two ago we actually got the Best Western Stardust (or something silly, there's glow stars on the walls) for a special online rate of $50/nt and it was a big, clean room. There's tons of acceptable lodging in the area for really cheap, and lots of cheap eats around there too.

There is a big advantage to staying by Disney as you can roll out of bed in the morning and stumble into the park, and stumble back home within a few minutes--no long drive.

If your budget is $70/nt for LA, I too would say to try Priceline. You could certainly get at least a 3 star room in a good central area for that bid. There's really no need to get a creepy Motel Six.

Conversely, you can stay in a place like the Magic Castle hotel in Hollywood (www.magiccastle.com, I think), which is a great little place with a pretty pool/courtyard, for a bit more than $70, they often have specials though.

Also check the Farmer's Daughter hotel near Farmer's Market at 3rd and Fairfax (Hollywood area), which was recently wonderfully renovated into a boutique hotel, it's maybe around $90/nt, which is higher than what you said, I know, but you might be able to get a discount, it's a great place in a great location, very central to Hollywood/Bev Hills/Santa Monica. We just stayed there about a month ago.

If you avoid eating at Disney itself and can resist buying a giant stuffed Mickey, you could maybe put a little more money toward a hotel. Check www.betterbidding.com to see what hotels people have been winning on Priceline/Hotwire.

And I really don't think you want to stay near LAX, it's a little depressing for a vacation, and you'd most likely be battling the 405 fwy anytime you wanted to go anywhere.

Let me know if you have any questions!

love
roxy

Roxy, you're right, of course-- they can stay in the Disneyland area if they want, and there are indeed cheap motels available. I wouldn't, but I can't stand Anaheim (and living in Long Beach like I do, that's saying a lot)-- so I'd stay up in LA County, closer to the water. They're only doing one or two days at Disneyland, so why stink up the whole vacation by staying in the Rathole?

The Farmer's Daughter Motel would be a great, fun choice, and if it can be gotten for $90, it's a steal. I mean, Television City, the Farmer's Market and the Grove all basically across the street! The Melrose Ave Freak Show is a short walk away too. This place completely slipped my mind, so thanks for suggesting it! Good call.

RJW,

Well, if they're spending all their time at the Disney parks, by which I mean one or two parks, all day and night long, why not stay nearby? I agree, Anaheim is not on my short or long list of places I'd love to stay, but personally I hate that long, tired trek home and if you're not going to be out and about in Anaheim, I'd rather just sack out there.

I LOVE me some Farmer's Daughter livin'! It's awesome now that it's a "boutique" hotel (and it was pretty good before, clean, big rooms), with the farm house theme, the tasty gourmet bath products, and great decor. And you can eat cheap 'n' wonderful at Farmer's Market. That's actually my favorite part!

love
roxy

Los Angeles has tons and tons of awful traffic and it's miserable to try to "shuttle" back and forth from Los Angeles to anywhere.

Spend 2 nights right near Disneyland. Candy Cane Inn is within walking distance and also has its very own free shuttle to Disneyland.

Then spend the other 2 nights in Los Angeles, if you must, near the sights you want to see.

JBush,
Sounds like we have the same vacation planned and the same budget!

I too am struggling with where to stay. We are planning to do a big circle around LA- Start at LAX see Venice/Santa Monica 1 day, move north east to the Hollywood/Sunset Strip area 1 day, north to Universal 1 day, then down to Disney for the last 2 days then back up to LAX.

I would also love suggestions on inexpensive clean hotels close to action around the strip and or sightseeing areas in Hollywood. Would it be better to do a day trip to Hollywood and the strip and stay in a hotel by Universal? If so, what hotels are close?

Please post if you have figured out a great place or if other posters have any ideas!

Thanks!
~Zoey