LA with kids - on the cheap
 

We will have one full day and two nights in Los Angeles the Sun/Monday/Tuesday after Thanksgiving. With prices at Disneyland reaching astronomical levels, we were thinking of doing some less expensive things, such as checking out the Griffith Observatory, maybe trying to get tickets to a show taping (my kids are 7 and 9 and love shows like Wizards of Waverly Place),

What other inexpesive things are there to do in LA? Is Universal Hollywood - while not free - worth our full day?

We are staying in Orange County near Disneyland.

Thanks!

Some interesting activities that cost nothing are:

Venice Beach
The Santa Monica Pier
The Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica
Walking around Hollywood
Getty Center--a beautiful place with great LA views
Walking around Rodeo Drive

The Museum of the American West, in Griffith Park is a very entertaining place to visit. Admission is $9 for adults and $3 for children, 3-12.

There is free municipal parking in Santa Monica.

HTTY

I forgot to mention, of the studio tours, the one at Warner Brothers gave us the most authentic and complete studio experience. Highly recommended.

HTTY

The LeBrea tar pits. The museum costs to go in but the tar pits are outdoors and you don't have to pay to see them.
http://www.tarpits.org/

Some good suggestions that are all in the LA area. If you aren't going to Disneyland, then I would suggest switching your hotel to LA area, maybe West Hollywood or Santa Monica. With only one day, you will spend your whole day on the freeway driving back and forth from Orange County.

Thanks for the info.

Any good restaurant / brew pub recommendations in LA/Santa Monica/Hollywood?

Google maps says Anaheim to LA is only 26 miles - will we really be on the freeway all day?

We are flying out of SNA, so an OC hotel seemed more logical.

It may not take the whole day, but it may seem like the whole day because it is not a pleasant drive even in light traffic.

HTTY

26 milesmon LA freeways can be a lifetime, especially with kids in the car!

It is fun to see a taping, but only if you can get tickets on-line in advance. Otherwise it can take several hours of your time standing in lines to get tickets and again to get into the show.

My son and I recently visited the Getty Villa, which is free except for $15 to park. We really enjoyed it. You need to reserve on- line. This is different than the Getty Center, mentioned above. It is the museum Getty built to showcase his amazing collection of antiquities. I love art glass, and the collection of pieces in perfect condition, dating to 200 BC is unbelievable Really a gorgeous setting, too, overlooking the ocean and with gorgeous gardens and a nice patio cafe.

Venice Beach is fun for kids, and a nice Oceanside walk to take.

A dinner place we like is Tony P's in Marina del Rey. It is slightly outdated, but has a great patio at the marina and the prices are very reasonable.

For slightly more expensive dinners, we like The Charthouse in Malibu. Again, great views of the ocean.

For lunch, we love Gladstone's, also in Malibu.

Since you are not doing Disneyland, I suggest you stay closer to Santa Monica.

There is a little hotel I recently discovered at Venice Beach, which is called the Inn at Venice Beach. It is a great value. Rooms are recently renovated, management is very helpful, and it is walking distance to the beach. I had a single queen room, but I imagine they have doubles, too. Self-Parking is indoors, and is just $7/night. My room was just $139, including a nice continental breakfast buffet in their cute little courtyard mask for a room facing the courtyard, to avoid street noise.

C&O Trattoria at Venice Beach is another of our favorites for feeding a crowd of teens. It is good Italian food with a nice outdoor patio and really good prices.

Yikes, sorry for all the typos!

I just checked, and the Inn at Venice Beach has rooms with two queens, or a queen and a sofa bed in their suites. Wi-fi is free in the rooms, also. It is my new favorite place to stay when visiting LA. Have reserved it for my next trip already.

I'm sorry Peace Out but we were at Venice Beach on Saturday, before heading home, and it's not somewhere I would take small children (or even myself, ever again). The beach is beautiful but the boardwalk area looked run down; lots of head shops, tattoo parlors and, worst of all, t-shirt shops and clothing outlets. We were at Newport beach which was beautiful, as was Laguna Beach, but may be too far given your limited time.

Jackie, you were on the wrong end of the Venice beach area. From the pier, if you walk to the left, it is much nicer. For many tourists, Venice Beach is a must. You were in the "muscle beach" area which I don't care for, either. But don't write off all of Venice.

It's true, 26 miles can feel like an eternity.
I'm confused. You have ONE full day and are staying in OC. Correct? You could use your full day at Universal Studios, but you have THE drive. Have you thought about going to Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park which is in OC? Also, you could head over to Balboa Island in Newport Beach or Huntington Beach and do the family things if you like the beach. The weather is 'usually' pleasant during that time. If you have a couple of hours you want to kill, Downtown Disney is free. It's mostly shops and dining but the kids will see Mickey everywhere.

Are you going to DL at all?

I would not stay on Venice Beach either myself. I would stay in Santa Monica which is just right up the boardwalk. My cousin recently rented a house in Venice and it just is not my thing. Dh and I stayed in Santa Moncia in Feb and walked down to Venice and turned around as soon as it was getting a little too dicey.

We stayed at the Sheraton Universal last Christmas time and did two days @ Universal. One day would have been more than enough. If you go - arrive early and beat the crowds - I noticed it much more crowded as the day wore on. You can grab discount tickets at times to Universal at Costco.

Knotts is very popular for more extreme rides - I prefer DL myself and know it is expensive but if you coming all the way to Anaheim with kids I would try to swing it if possible.

A one day Disney Hopper pass is $97 per adult and $87 per child = $368.00! Not really worth it IMO for an old amusement park that the kids have really outgrown I think.

We are moving our hotel to Newport Beach and will probably just kick it in the OC all day. What is there to see in and around Newport Beach for kids - again, on the cheap?

Would going up I-405 be better than I-5 from Newport Beach?

Thanks for all your suggestions!! Love this forum.

In Newport Beach:

Walk/bike the boardwalk
Rent boogie boards or learn to surf
Spot dolphins (we did!)
Go the Fun Zone (very small amusement area)
Take the ferry to Balboa Island
Eat a frozen banana
The beach is beautiful, clean, safe and family-friendly. I want to go back!

I hear you about Disneyland. We just had out of state guests who passed because of cost.

Here's a link that talks about Huntington Beach, along with other kid things to do that won't break the bank in OC.

http://www.stockteam.com/hblibkid.html



Would going up I-405 be better than I-5 from Newport Beach?

To where?
The airport? Depends where you are staying in Newport Beach. You would take the 55 NTH to 405 STH to MacArthur exit or PCH to MacArthur.

LA? 405

Just an FYI - I have been able to get GREAT rates at the Hyatt Newport through Priceline 4* - 60.00 a night and someone scored a 40.00 a night - it is not on the beach but a very nice resort property.

As far as the taping - it is hard to get your age children into tapings - most have age limits that are higher.

weather that time of year is hit or miss - might be beautiful out - might not be.

If we decided to go to LA and see Santa Monica, the hills, the strip, etc. would taking 405 be quicker on a Monday mrning and late evening than our previous plan (i.e. I-5 from Anaheim?)

BTW - everyone I know rips on LA and OC, but I kind of like it. Traffic is never as bad as they say, food is usually excellent - especially Mexican, the women are generally pretty, the beer is good and the weather is nice all the time. I like it!

Regarding the 5 or the 405 - I tend to ALWAYS hit traffic when I take the 5 from OC to LA. Always. I do not *always hit traffic going on the 405. I never fails.

I took the 5 to Route 101 N to my cousin's house in Malibu Canyon (going in the back way on Las Virgenes) took me over 3 hours on Monday...coming home - took the 101 to the 405 south and it literally took me 1 hour and 20 minutes to get home.