Need Help Planning a Trip to Los Angeles!
 

I am taking my family (2 adults & 3 children - ages 15, 12 & 9) to Los Angeles next week and don't know where to start! We definitely want to go to Universal Studios, possibly Disney and do the Hollywood stuff. Should we take a bus tour of L.A. or just get a map and do it own our own? What hotels do you recommend (we would need a mini-suite type room)- preferably under $200.00? We're thinking of spending a night or two someplace other than L.A. What about a trip to Catalina Island and/or Laguna Beach, Santa Barbara or San Diego? There are so many options!!! Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks so much.

Hi mickeyr, I live in Orange County with a 12 and 15 year old. They love Disneyland because they've grown up with it. If your kids are more into thrill rides and don't have the Disney "nostalgia" background, they may prefer Knott's or Magic Mountain.

I can't imagine doing any bus tour of L.A - things are just too spread out here. Hollywood is really very sleazy, and not really a "kid" place, although if there's a family movie playing at the Chinese theater, then that's a fun thing to do. For hotels, I'd check the prices at Embassy Suites, which are located everywhere. Less expensive, but not as nice would be Comfort Suites. Going to Santa Barbara and San Diego are both nice choices, but remember that traffic can be really awful. Catalina is a really fun trip, though a little expensive, and makes for a great day trip, or overnight if you'd like. We live near Huntington Beach, which is really fun for kids - great beaches and downtown area, and it's also close to Newport Beach and Laguna. To the north of L.A., Santa Monica is also worth visiting. Let me know if you have any questions!

Of all that you've mentioned, Disneyland is a must. Knott's Berry Farm is also fun, and has rides and other things for kids of all ages. Magic Mountain is my personal favorite, with AMAZING roller coasters, but it's quite a drive, and it's very hot there this time of year. And, last time I was there they were having trouble with gang activity.

Corona Del Mar is on the way to Laguna and has some great beaches for the kids; Little Corona has a small cave for "exploring" unless they've closed it off.

The Orange County Fair begins July 8, and you really shouldn't miss it. It's the best fair I've ever been to, and I've been to many. It's on your way to Laguna, anyway.

If you get south enough, check out Seaworld and The San Diego Zoo. And if you can get rid of the kids for a few hours, go to the Hotel Del Coronado. It's just beautiful and rich in history.

Oh, and a half-day boat out of Davey's Locker in Balboa isn't too expensive and the kids will have a great time. I think they have whale watching and other ocean tours there, too.

Have fun!

Thanks for the advice! Should we stay at an Embassy Suites in downtown L.A., Anaheim or someplace else like near the airport. My husband found a suite 15 minutes from Disney called Woodfin Hotel & Suites in Brea for $179. He is also conisering a place on Sunet Blvd. called Grafton on Sunset, also for $179. Is that a good idea or is that part of the sleezy area you guys referred to? If we're going to do some things in Hollywood and then go to Disney and then drive to Newport Beach, should we change hotels along the way? Do you think a day trip to Newport Beach with a boat ride to Balboa Island would be better than Catalina Island? One more question - -Laguna Beach, is that someplace to drive for the day or should we plan to spend the night (if so what's a good place), especially if we're going to the fair. A lot of questions, I know - we're just trying to make the best of our time in beautiful California!

Anaheim would be a great place to base yourself. There are so many hotel choices and lots of suites for families. Brea is north of Disneyland and the beaches - I think with what you're looking at, you should stay further south. Lots of cities like to capitalize on the fact that their "near" Disneyland, but relying on that could put you in around a 30 mile radius of the park. If you belong to the Auto Club, get a tour book for Southern California - it has so many pages just dedicated to Anaheim hotels and shows all the special promotional rates. It will also give you great ideas on everything else to do here. I use mine all the time. You could also check out tripadvisor.com since there's always a wealth of information there. Also check out Residence Inn (very close to Disneyland), which are also very roomy places for families.

Visiting Hollywood from there would be about a 30-45 min. drive (not rush hour). You'd be well located to visit the beaches. Keep in mind that the "boat ride" from Newport to Balboa is a small car ferry (you can also walk on) that takes about 2 minutes. There's a nice harbor cruise, though. You can also catch the boat to Catalina from there. You should be able to get to Laguna in about 30 minutes from Anaheim.

Thanks for the advice. Sounds like we should stay in the Anaheim area. I'll start calling around. So, we can go to Balboa Island and Catalina Island on the same trip from Newport Beach? Also, do you know where we could find out about some studio tours (like Disney or NBC) and/or being part of an audience for a show my kids might enjoy? Thanks again!

I'm personally not a fan of the Anaheim area. Sure, it's close to the Disney parks and "central" to the whole southern CA area. But there's not a lot to do IN Anaheim beyond the Disney parks. Huntington Beach is a fun area for families-- I would TRY to get a room at the Hilton or Hyatt (might be pricey for you). Barring that, maybe one of the suite hotels in Costa Mesa around South Coast Plaza or the hotels around Fashion Island in Newport Beach. All are much better areas with more variety of things to do than Anaheim.

The Orange County Fair, by the way, is in Costa Mesa. Laguna Beach should be well into its summer arts festivals (Festival of the Arts, Sawdust Festival, Pageant of the Masters), so it will be a busy part of the area.

By the way, although Hollywood is a bit rough around the edges, Disney runs a wonderful movie theatre up there-- El Capitán. When Disney has first-run movies out, sometimes they really do it up right at El Capitán, with exhibits, a stage show, etc. Something to check out.

If you can do the Warner Brothers' studio tour, you'll really get a taste of a working movie/TV studio. But it is up in Burbank, quite far from OC.

And just so we're clear: Balboa Island is "off the coast" maybe 200 feet. It's a neighborhood in Newport Beach. Catalina Island is in the Channel Islands-- 26 miles away from shore (one usually departs from San Pedro or Long Beach).

Here's the link for the Catalina Flyer that leaves directly from the Balboa Pavilion: http://www.catalinainfo.com.
I live very close to Huntington Beach and Newport Beach and agree that it would be nicer to stay down this way. However, if price will be an issue, then Anaheim has great deals as well as lots of family suites.

I think that most tv shows are on vacation right now but there might be some new "pilots" that have tickets available.

www.tvtickets.com

Just returned Thursday from a four day trip to LA with my Goddaughter who is from Slovakia and is 17. We stayed in Santa Monica which was nice, since the 3rd street promenade was close. (also Venice Beach which she also enjoyed) With the ages of your children, they would probably enjoy the stores and people!

We went to Universal Studios. If you can afford it, DEFINITELY do the VIP tour. It's about $150 a person. It was so worth it! I wouldn't go any other way. We never had to wait in line for a ride (passed the people standing for 1-2 hours to get on a ride!) We were escorted to every ride/experience and given the best seats, and also an extended studio tour. She LOVED it! The extra money was worth it to be able to see all of the rides and not have to stand in line all day, not to mention the special treatment!

Also, I gave her the choice to go to see the "Walk of Fame" and the downtown Hollywood stuff. She wanted to go and just loved it! We only spent an hour or so there, but it meant the world to her. She was excited to see her favourites, "Keanu Reeves", "Tom Cruise", etc. and their stars in the sidewalk. She was also thrilled to walk up the staircase at the Kodak theater where the Oscar's are held. She knew her feet touched the same ground as Orlando Bloom's feet! Happy girl!

I've heard good things about the Starline tours, although we didn't have time to do them. Click on my name, and you will see some of the questions I asked before I went, and some great responses on going with a teenager. Oh, one great piece of advice I got was that you can catch the "red line" subway from very close (1/2 block) from the Universal entrance. From there you can go to see the Walk of Fame, Hollywood and Highland, etc. then catch the red line back again without having to move your car! Again, VIP at Universal if you can swing it. It was a blast! Have fun and don't forget your sunscreen! I got more tan in LA in 4 days than I did in Hawaii for 8 days last year! (And this was with a 30 spf sunblock!) Have a great time!!!
Andiamo

Forgot to mention, a lot of the shows are starting to come back to start filming for the fall season. You may catch a show, however, you will probably have better luck with Jay Leno, Conan O'Brian, or Jimmy Kimmel. They are all free, all the shows are, but be aware, even if it's a half hour sitcom, they can film for a 14 hour day, so if it's something you decide to do, you will be giving up a full day. Just something to think about. The talk shows, Leno, etc. don't take as long. I think Leno you arrive at 3:00pm, filming is at 4:30 and over in an hour or so, so it won't take as long. Just an FYI. Also check out http://www.seeing-stars.com good site if you are looking for celebs and places to go. Might have tv info also.

Andiamo

I wouldn't recommend staying in Anaheim unless you're going to spend every day at Disneyland.

I wouldn't stay near the airport, either. It's kinda scuzzy.

Huntington, Costa Mesa or Newport Beach are all great places to stay, because they aren't too far from LAX, and are only about 1 1/2 from San Diego. It's very central, and there's more touristy things to do in those cities than in Anaheim, IMO.

Balboa Island is essentially attached to Newport Beach with a bridge, unlike Catalina Island, which requires a 2-hour boatride. Balboa Island isn't exactly an "island."

There are harbor cruises and fishing excursions out of Davey's Locker, which is in Balboa--which is different from Balboa Island. You can take a ferry from Balboa/Newport to Balboa Island, but there isn't much to do there.

Unless you're on methamphetamines, you aren't going to be able to do Hollywood and Disneyland in one day. You really need one whole day to do the Hollywood thing, one whole day to do the Disney thing, one whole day to do Laguna/Huntington or the OC Fair, and one whole day to do anything in San Diego.

Oh, and avoid Tijuana.

Have fun!

Thanks for all of the great advice! If we stay closer in for the first few days, is Santa Monica a good place? What do you recommend as far as hotels?

For 5 persons you'd probably need Doubletree Suites or CalMar Suites.

mickeyr - I would definitely not stay at the Grafton Suites. Check tripadvisor for the reviews. The location is fine but it is a noisy hotel and a lot of young adults who are partying hang out there. It might be OK at the beginning of the week but not the weekend.

Santa Monica would be a great location to stay during your LA portion of the visit but you will have to spend more than $200. Doubletree Suites look like they are running $229 up which still isn't too bad. I would call them, though, because you might need a roll away bed for one of your children. CalMar Suites are good but probably already booked.

If you don't want to stay in Santa Monica, another suggestion would be the Comfort Inn and Suites in Hollywood. They have rooms with 2 queen beds and a sofabed for under $200. This area can be a little marginal but the hotel gets decent reviews on tripadvisor. The metro line is close by and you could take it to Universal so you don't have to worry about parking. I think as long as your kids aren't out walking around alone at night, this area would be fine. In West Hollywood there is Le Montrose Suites and Le Parc Suites. I would call to see if they can fit 5 but they both get good reviews. They are around $200.

After staying in the LA area for a few days, I would head down to Orange County but as rjw said, Anaheim would not be my choice of places to stay although you can get some good rates on family rooms. I would stay closer to the beach-if room budget is a problem there are several hotels on Newport Blvd in Costa Mesa. The Holiday Inn Express and the Ramada Suites both get good reviews. You could probably afford two adjoining rooms. They are a quick drive to the beach in Newport, to Huntington beach and to Laguna Beach. The hotels are about 15 miles from Disneyland, not a bad drive although you will probably hit some morning traffic heading to Disneyland. If you have any questions about a specific location let us know.

Also forgot to mention there is a Holiday Inn Express in Newport Beach on Pacific Coast Highway. Not know the exact rate but it's reasonable.

Santa Monica worked out very well for me and my 17 year old Goddaughter last week. Plus, it's a clean and safe area. Don't stay near the airport. One of the nice things about SM, is the 3rd street Promenade, which your kids will probably love (and you will too) and it ends at a huge mall...even more fun! Cute restaurants on the promenade, and even a food court in the mall for the kids. It might be a little pricey, more than other areas, but it makes up for it with location and things to do right in the area.

Have fun! My goddaughter just LOVED Santa Monica. FYI: We stayed at the Ambrose hotel on Wilshire and 20th. It was a bit pricey. Nice hotel, but lacking a few details for the high price. We paid $200/night for a deluxe room (not that big) with two queen beds and a balcony. It's a boutique hotel, only 4 floors and, I think, 71 rooms. But they do have suites. Not sure how much they go for. The location was nice, and they have a London Taxi Cab that you can use for free. They will take you anywhere in the near area (promenade, Venice Beach, etc) for free. And, parking was included in the hotel fee. Enjoy and have fun!
Andiamo

I can't believe how helpful everyone has been. We are finally making progress with our plans! Thanks. I'm sure to have more questions soon.

mickeyr - Let us know what your plans are. Have a great July 4th.

andiamo: That Ambrose is a pretty nice hotel, yes, but $200 a night to stay <b>two miles</b> from the ocean, across the street from a hospital? That's a real shame. But glad you enjoyed the area.