Help with Planning About This Page:

[mikeynme]

I am a little nervous, never being to this part of CA. Ask anything about WDW, and I am right on it. So I need a little help here, and I know y'all can help me out. My DD(12) and I are planning to fly into San Diego for 2 days(mostly to meet her pen pal and do the zoo) from July4-6 but also it is a $200/ person rate difference to fly into San Diego than LAX or Orange county.
Then we are going to meet some friends in Anaheim to do Disneyland. I plan for us to take the Amtrak, or should we rent a car? Have no clue where to stay. How long do you think we need to do DL?
Then we want to go to LA, maybe see the sidewalk with the stars, maybe a tour, we just don't know. It is so overwhelming! Should we stay in Anaheim and make it a base or stay in LA? We only will have 3 1/2 full days once we leave San Diego. Should we take the train to LA or rent a car.
Like I said, I am very confused and frustrated, as I am usually so on the ball with these things, and this is so unfamiliar that it is driving me crazy.

[HeatherD]

My vote is to rent a car and use DLR as your base. SD and LA are only about 2 hours apart and with Amtrak you'd have to get transp to everywhere.

With only 3.5 days in LA, it will be a push to fit things in - so you have to do some prioritizing. Do you want 2 full days for DLR (one in each park)? Or will you try to do it all in one day? What are the major things you want to do in LA:
Universal, LA zoo (SD is better, IMO), Knott's Berry Farm, Mann's Chinese Theater and the walk of stars, La Brea Tarpits and Griffith Observatory, Magic Mountain, etc.

Theme parks will take up a full day each. You can do the rest in a full day, if you work on a "gameplan" and route. I'm sure you'll find lots of interesting stuff in either the DLR PassPorter or the "Southern California Attractions" of this Disneyland thread, if you want extra info on what LA sights are a must-do. Keep in mind you'll hit some things just by doing something else...Hollywood sign is visible from a lot touristy stuff like Mann's.

[mikeynme]

Well, if you were going to LA/Anaheim for 3 1/2 days, what would you do?

[DopeyGirl]

You're going in July . . . as in next month?! YIKES!

You probably ought to get on an reserve a hotel right now if that's the case! There are lots of DL Good Neighbor hotels that are good . . . they are all either across the street from the DL resort or within a very short distance (and you can take the ART bus to DL property.) This map should give you a good idea of the locations of the area hotels and some have links to reviews, if not the website for that particular hotel. ---------- Bret's Disneyland Lodging LinkMap

If I were going in July, had never been to DL and only had 3 1/2 days, I probably wouldn't plan on making it up to Hollywood. : During the busy summer months, it can easily take 2 full days to see (and do) everything just at Disneyland park, then a day to do Disney's California Adventure.

If you decide to only do one park per day and leave it at that, you can always do a full day tour of LA/Hollywood the third day, just use Anaheim as your base. I really enjoyed the Grand Tour of LA through Starline Tours. Grand Tour of Los Angeles, Los Angeles tour with Starline Tours

You would have to rent a car for the day (there is an Alamo rental car office in DTD and one just offsite) and drive to Hollywood and Highland so you can see a bit of the Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theater (tour picks up there as well) . . . or you will have to take public transportation to get there, as the tour company only picks up from hotels and such in LA proper and other suburbs.


ETA: Myself, when it comes to travelling from San Diego, I would probably opt to rent a car as it is only an 88 mile drive . . . are you flying out of San Diego as well or are you going out of one of the LA area airports?

[chezp]

I would rent a car as well. We found that so handy.

I took the same tour as Sarah of Los Angeles - I think it was reading my trip report that maybe prompted her to do that as well. We really enjoyed it and it's a great way of seeing the main sights in LA.

If you've got three and a half days in LA, the tour will take up one day, allow one day for each of the two parks at Disneyland and use your other half day to revisit what you didn't do.

[disney777]

Just a note - even though San Diego doesn't sound that far away from Anaheim, traffic is unpredictable. It's feasible that the drive could take you 4 hours, depending on what time you are on the road. You can literally have stop and go traffic for 40 miles or more!
Southern California doesn't really have the best setup for mass transit, I would rent a car.
Everyone wants to see the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, but it's really not the nicest neighborhood. I had some guests that just had to go, and they were happy to get out of there after a couple hours. With the limited time you have, I would skip it unless you really want to do it. I would then do one of the organized tours.
Knott's is fairly close to DLR, but just remember it isn't "Disney". I'm disappointed when I go there, and keep comparing it to DLR. But, it does have a lot of thrill rides. If you like those, this is the place to go. And make sure to have the fried chicken dinner.
I wouldn't bother with the LA Zoo, if you go to the SD Zoo. Totally different league!
You would want at least 2 days at DLR. I can do 3-4 days without a problem, and I'm a local. Not sure what your interests are, but there are some good shopping areas in OC.
Bret's Disneyland Lodging LinkMap
There are a lot of hotel/motels on Harbor Blvd near DLR. Park Vue Inn 1570 S. Harbor Blvd is the closest off property "hotel". (Most of these hotels are really motels, or at least that's what they feel like.) Park Vue is closer to the exit than Disneyland Hotel. Stay within "200" of this address, and you can walk to DLR. (1300 - 1700ish Harbor Blvd.)
Be careful of any hotels not in this address spread, because they can claim to be right next to DLR, but they are on the back end where there are no entrances and you have to walk 1/2 mile or more to get to the actual entrance. If you have a car, and plan to drive to the resort, then there are plenty of choices. I personally don't like to hassle with the parking structure, parking lot trams if I don't have to. (plus the $10 parking fee per day.)

[Dlandmom2]

How's your planning coming along, mikeynme? You've gotten some good advice on this thread!

[DyanKJ130]

Like Sarah suggests, we used Starline Tours and were very pleased with them. Instead of the Grand Tour, we decided to do the new Hop On, Hop Off Tour. You can get a $5 discount if you pay by the stand near where the tour starts, rather than at the window by Grauman's Theatre. I've posted about our day in LA and I'm almost finished with our day in San Diego in my trip report here: Jeffrey made me do it, but it’s almost free for our three!! **Updated 6/18**

Hope this helps!

[mikeynme]

Thanks for the advice so far. I know I am crazy to plan a trip on such short notice for not ever being there! But you gotta go when it is available.
I've gotten our plane tickets using freq flyer miles, which helps. But we just got back from a week at the beach, and now I really got to step it up as we leave in less than 2 weeks.
I am normally a long-range planner, so this is making me nervous. I have started narrowing things down, but have yet to reserve anything else.
Thank you all for your advice, keep it coming if you have anything else. I really appreciate it.

[tdandboys]

I wouldn't go the 4th. I would stay away. But you've got to go.

[IdahoDisneyMom]

LA is so spread out that I don't think I'd recommend the train. You'll want that car. Anaheim to LA isn't obnoxious, and Orange County is definetely a nicer place to stay than in LA. I'd pick a few things that you want to do in LA and do them one day. Spend the other 2 at Disneyland. If you've never been, and are going in July, you'll want 2 days to get it all in.