Disney and LA Area

[FanofDinsey1981]

Hey everyone. My husband and I are planning on going to the LA area from Oct 5th -8th (Then staying at the Disneyland Hotel from the 8th - 12th). We are very VERY unfamiliar with the LA area, and I am hoping all of you can shed some light on the subject. We are wanting to hit some of the major sites, such as the major network studios, Rodeo Drive, etc. We might also spend a few hours at a nearby beach. What is the best place to stay or area to stay? What are some of the can't-be-missed sites? What about places to eat?

We are planning on then moving over to DL on the 8th, and have 3 full days planned in DL, then leaving for San Francisco from the 12-14th. My husband has been to San Fran, though if you have any insight there it would also be greatly appreciated!

I know this isn't quite DL disucssion, but the main objective for the trip is to see DL!

 

[wedway71]

Sounds fun.I for one love LA and all of the garishness included with going there.My dad lives in LA(worked for Disney Interactive on some print ads).LA is sooooooo busy but if you prepare yourself for that ahead of time you will be ok.The really cool difference between DL/LA from WDW is the amount of Celebs you encounter all over LA.Over the course of times visiting my dad in LA I have seen.....
a-Marlyn Manson-limited makeup(VERY NERDY)-lol
b-John Voight(my dads new wife knows him And spoke to him on a street crossing for a bit)
c-Jeff goldblum on street
d-and the most coolest experience with a celeb was on the LA freeway Arnold Swartzinager(BEFORE GOVERNER) drove by my dads jeep and screamed -GO NAVY SEALS-with his thumbs up commenting on my dads navy seal sticker on back since he was Retired Navy.:sohappy:

 

[isitingood]

Hey everyone. My husband and I are planning on going to the LA area from Oct 5th -8th (Then staying at the Disneyland Hotel from the 8th - 12th). We are very VERY unfamiliar with the LA area, and I am hoping all of you can shed some light on the subject. We are wanting to hit some of the major sites, such as the major network studios, Rodeo Drive, etc. We might also spend a few hours at a nearby beach. What is the best place to stay or area to stay? What are some of the can't-be-missed sites? What about places to eat?

We are planning on then moving over to DL on the 8th, and have 3 full days planned in DL, then leaving for San Francisco from the 12-14th. My husband has been to San Fran, though if you have any insight there it would also be greatly appreciated!

I know this isn't quite DL disucssion, but the main objective for the trip is to see DL!

In Beverly Hills eat at Spago's you will probably see some stars.
The Rusty Pelican is a fantastic Restaurant on the water in Newport Beach.
You can't go to L.A. without eating at Pinks Hot Dog stand on La Brea ave No matter what time of day you will always be waiting in line. I met Celine Dion at Pinks. Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise,Tom Hanks and Steven Speilberg visit Pinks often:wave:

 

[TP2000]

In Beverly Hills eat at Spago's you will probably see some stars.

Is it still 1989? :zipit:

 

[Welsh Tink]

Last summer our family spent a month on the West coast and absolutely loved all of it ( well, except the traffic in L.A.!)

We stayed at Paradise Pier and saw everything in the 3 days we were there. We also stayed down at Newport Beach for a few days, but were really disappointed - thought the area around the pier was really tatty- but we loved Laguna Beach, and had a great breakfast buffet at a restaurant called 'Las Brisas'. It's situated overlooking the beach, and the views are wonderful.
We were also lucky enough to see 'Fantasia' accompanied by the L.A. Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, which was a highlight of the trip.

If you plan to visit Alcatraz while you are in San Francisco, it may be an idea to book your tickets before you go. We were glad we had done this, as when we visited, there were no tickets available for the 3 days we were there. We also hired bikes and rode over the Bridge, good fun but tiring!

Overall, we loved California, and met some really friendly people ( except for the employees at LAX ) I'm sure you'll have a great time!

 

[isitingood]

Is it still 1989? :zipit:

It must be 1989 for you since Spago Beverly Hills was built in 1997:hammer:

 

[isitingood]

Hey everyone. My husband and I are planning on going to the LA area from Oct 5th -8th (Then staying at the Disneyland Hotel from the 8th - 12th). We are very VERY unfamiliar with the LA area, and I am hoping all of you can shed some light on the subject. We are wanting to hit some of the major sites, such as the major network studios, Rodeo Drive, etc. We might also spend a few hours at a nearby beach. What is the best place to stay or area to stay? What are some of the can't-be-missed sites? What about places to eat?

We are planning on then moving over to DL on the 8th, and have 3 full days planned in DL, then leaving for San Francisco from the 12-14th. My husband has been to San Fran, though if you have any insight there it would also be greatly appreciated!

I know this isn't quite DL disucssion, but the main objective for the trip is to see DL!

Also if you get a chance go to Monterey and take the 17 mile rd through pacific grove and Pebble Beach. You will see beautiful coastline and Mansions also you will see the lone Cypress which has been on it's rocky perch for 250 years. Pebble Beach, Poppy Hills, Spyglass Hill,Spanish Bay and cypress Point Golg Courses are also on this route

 

[FanofDinsey1981]

Thanks for the tips everyone! I know have a short list of where to eat!

And thanks for the heads up on the Alcatrez tickets, that is a must on our trip.

If any of you come up with a great hotel to stay in (for a decent price) or think of something else to do or a place to eat, I am allears! I have never been and I want to make sure our first trip out there is amazing.

 

[isitingood]

Thanks for the tips everyone! I know have a short list of where to eat!

And thanks for the heads up on the Alcatrez tickets, that is a must on our trip.

If any of you come up with a great hotel to stay in (for a decent price) or think of something else to do or a place to eat, I am allears! I have never been and I want to make sure our first trip out there is amazing.

You can also take a Hollywood Trolley tour. It's a fully narrated tour of historic Hollywood. Go eat at the Napa Rose located in the Grand Californian Hotel,it's one of the best restaurants at DL or WDW. Since you are staying at the DL Hotel go visit the best character meal by far at Goofy's Kitchen it's better then anything WDW has. Good Luck and have a great time:sohappy:

 

[MainSt1993]

Since you are staying at the DL Hotel go visit the best character meal by far at Goofy's Kitchen it's better then anything WDW has.

Having never been to Goofy's Kitchen, what makes it stand out?

 

[isitingood]

Having never been to Goofy's Kitchen, what makes it stand out?

The characters actually interact with the kids. Belle (my daughter's favorite) sat at my table and talked to my daughter for about 10 min. which made my daughter's trip. The characters dance with the kids. The only problem now is when I go to DL Goofy's Kitchen is the only place my daughter wants to eat.

 

[FanofDinsey1981]

You can also take a Hollywood Trolley tour. It's a fully narrated tour of historic Hollywood. Go eat at the Napa Rose located in the Grand Californian Hotel,it's one of the best restaurants at DL or WDW. Since you are staying at the DL Hotel go visit the best character meal by far at Goofy's Kitchen it's better then anything WDW has. Good Luck and have a great time:sohappy:

I had Napa Rose down for my husband, he enjoys a good glass of wine (as do I!). Is the wine place in California Adventure also good? I don't know if I want to be drinking and then go out into the parks in the heat and ride thrill rides. That might not be a great idea.....

I have also heard great things about Goofy's Kitchen, I think we were going to do that either the night we got into the hotel, or the morning before we leave to go to San Francisco.

Thanks again!

 

[isitingood]

I had Napa Rose down for my husband, he enjoys a good glass of wine (as do I!). Is the wine place in California Adventure also good? I don't know if I want to be drinking and then go out into the parks in the heat and ride thrill rides. That might not be a great idea.....

I have also heard great things about Goofy's Kitchen, I think we were going to do that either the night we got into the hotel, or the morning before we leave to go to San Francisco.

Thanks again!

Are you talking about Wine Country Trattoria at the Golden Vine Winery? If so then yes it's very good. Also on the lower patio of the Golden Vine Winery they have a food and Wine weekend but it only goes on in April and May.:wave:

 

[FanofDinsey1981]

Are you talking about Wine Country Trattoria at the Golden Vine Winery? If so then yes it's very good. Also on the lower patio of the Golden Vine Winery they have a food and Wine weekend but it only goes on in April and May.:wave:

Yes, exactly! Hopefully with three days in the two parks we will have plenty of downtime if we just want to eat and shop (and ride the rides that are not so heart pounding!). I think that would also be a great place to eat at.

Oh, and the Blue Bayou? I hear sitting next to the windows overlooking pirates is great, and they have very good food. Any thoughts?

 

[MainSt1993]

Oh, and the Blue Bayou? I hear sitting next to the windows overlooking pirates is great, and they have very good food. Any thoughts?

Yes - Blue Bayou is excellent. Matt Ouimett (sp?) played a role in plussing the menu, and our meal there was outstanding. The ambiance of being on the waters of the bayou, where it's always dusk, is really cool and relaxing. You do have to wait a little longer for a waterside table, but it's worth it if you're a small party (I think they only do 2 and 4 tops).

Oh, and it's "open air". No windows.

 

[FanofDinsey1981]

Yes - Blue Bayou is excellent. Matt Ouimett (sp?) played a role in plussing the menu, and our meal there was outstanding. The ambiance of being on the waters of the bayou, where it's always dusk, is really cool and relaxing. You do have to wait a little longer for a waterside table, but it's worth it if you're a small party (I think they only do 2 and 4 tops).

Oh, and it's "open air". No windows.

Oh, the open air is so very much cooler than having windows! We would have just the two of us, and since we would still be on chicago time we will probably eat on off-peak hours. Knowing myself, I will have every sit down meal planned out before we go and then leave the counter service to chance.

Also, I hear of the "In n' Out" burger joint made extra famous by Paris Hilton's drunk driving a few months ago. My husband swears by it. Is there one near DL? or where are they in and around LA? I can't pass up a good burger.

And another question I had was about the workout facilities at DL Hotel? Is there one, if so is it decent?

I am sure I will come up with a million other questions to ask later.

 

[MainSt1993]

In-N-Out is totally worth leaving the park for. I usually go to the one on Harbor Blvd, a block north of the 91 freeway. It's super easy to get to, and folks at the hotel can help point you in the right direction.

Blue Bayou stays busy all day, but it's worth it. Definitely get Priority Seating for the sit down restaurants, which you can request 60 days prior. If you want to shell out the cash, Napa Rose at the Grand is excellent.

The gym facilities are pretty standard hotel facilities. DL Hotel offers stairmaster, nordic trak (people still use these?), treadmills, lifecycles, and free weights.

This site, which is actually geared towards people planning a convention, has a lot of great info about each of the three hotels, including floorplans for the various rooms & suites. Here's a link to the DL Hotel page: http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dlm/overview?id=DisneyLandHotelHMFPage

 

[FanofDinsey1981]

Ok, I am feeling so much better about planning this trip thanks to all of the help from everyone who has posted. Planning a trip to WDW is SO much less stressful. I planned my trip for March in about 2 hours (most of that was confirming with those going that the times of the flight were ok!)

 

[FanofDinsey1981]

Ok, here is my updated info on my trip, I would love to hear some feedback if you have any!

We are flying Soutwest from Chicago Midway to LAX on Friday Oct 5th, landing about 2 pm LA time.

We are staying at the Beverly Pavillion in Bevery Hills (we got a great rate on the rooms!) from the 5th and checking out the 8th.

We are staying at the Disneyland Hotel (on dad's vacation club points) from the 8-12th.

For my husband's early christmas present and a present to myself, we are doing sweedish massages at the spa in the Grand Californian the afternoon we check in.

I have plans to call in and make priority seating arrangements to eat at Hook's Pointe, Blue Bayou, and Goofy's Kitchen.

and we have made tentative plans to eat at the River Belle Terrace for breakfast and dinner or late lunch at Wine Country Trattoria. The rest of the meals will be as we go counter service.

We are doing 3 days in the parks, with one full day each at the two parks, and one day to finish up or go back on rides we really liked.

We have yet to book the San Francisco stuff, but that will happen early next week.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Hi Fan of Disney! I have a couple of reccomendations for you. I say this in every thread but do one of your counter service lunches at the Billy Hill and the Hillbillies show in DL. It's a great show and a relaxing lunch.

Don't miss the Disney Soda Shop in Hollywood. Park at Hollywood and Highland -it's only $2 for four hours with validation. When you come up the escalator you'll be in an outdoor mall with lots of restaraunts and shops. The Kodak theater (they have tours) and Graumanns Chinese Mann theater are there. The Walk of fame is out front and Disney Soda Shop is right across the street. If you can, see a movie at the El Capitan it's attached to the soda shop. Then have a meal or at least some ice cream at the Soda Shop.

Universal is only two miles from there. The park is fun - not as good as Florida - and the backlot tour is great. Another good studio tour is NBC. About two months before write the Tonight Show at NBC (the address in on their website) and get tickets for the Tonight Show. Tickets are free and it's great fun to go see. If you're interested in other TV tapings check tvtix.com and tvtickets.com for shows that are taping when you're there. All tickets are free!