Anaheim as a base?

[Aurora0427]

Hey guys, I hope this isn't something that comes up all the time but here goes!

We're based in the UK and know WDW like the back of our hands, but we haven't done DLR....yet. Being from the UK we'd be looking to do a longer trip in Fall 2023, and as well as doing Disney, I guess see what the LA area has to offer (all the tourist stuff I guess, Hollywood, Santa Monica etc).

Flights from our local airport get us as far as Vegas, so we kind of had this vague plan of doing a few nights there, hire a car, drive to DLR and spend 3/4 full days doing the parks (would that be enough time?) before then spending another 3 or 4 days looking round other parts of LA.

So I guess my main question is, would a DLR resort (not Disney owned, but in the area) be OK to base ourselves for things outside of Anaheim? I plan on keeping the car and can see that most things are going to be like an hours drive away, but I guess I am not too bothered by that, I drive a lot for work. To me it seems easier to just stay in Anaheim rather than stay in a 3rd different hotel. Or am I crazy for thinking that and we'd be better moving to a more centrally located hotel once we're done with Disney?

I would stay in Anaheim- do Disneyland and go to Crystal Cove State Park or one of the beaches in Laguna. We don’t like the beaches in Newport on the peninsula. I think they’re trashy in the summer compared to other beaches. Then I would travel up for LA and stay at The Garland in Studio City. We’ve stayed at the Universal Hilton, and it’s fine but sterile. The Garland is awesome and it’s a 5 minute drive to Universal Studios, and they have a shuttle. Check out the reviews and photos on Trip Advisor and request a room that doesn’t overlook the 101. We were there in August, and there were tons of people from the UK on holiday! Don’t miss the La Brea Tar Pits. It’s a must do.

 

[Thegoatfeeder]

Firstly I just wanted to say thanks for all the feedback, it is genuinely really helpful and given us a lot to think about.

I am going to try and respond to most points but I apologise if I miss any .

On the Vegas bit, it is partly economics, from our local airport it is MUCH cheaper to fly to Vegas as opposed to LAX (its also a direct flight whereas LAX requires a stopover in Heathrow which is never a great thing), also its the first place me and my girlfriend ever went as a couple so I guess even though its kinda tacky and trashy it holds good memories etc. Either way I dont think we plan on flying back from Vegas, coming back we'd just go from LAX and deal with the stopover.

The LA area is kind of an interesting thing as for me, I don't have a huge interest in any of me, but my partner really wants to see Hollywood and Beverly Hills, its a bit of a mystery to me, but I guess once its done, its ticked off for her. I am slightly interested in Santa Monica but again that is more of a her thing, she's from Spain and LOVES beaches and although I hear Santa Monica is not that great, she just wants to 'see it', I expect it'll be a disapointment and nothing like the movies, but yeah....she's keen.

My expectation is like to be able to 'do' LA in a couple of days, BH and Hollywood in a day and Santa Monica on another. I am more than happy to see other suggestions though, and actually the La Brea Tar Puts I am aware of but had totally forgotten about and they seem really cool.

So whilst I hear exactly what people are saying about getting sick of driving, if we do LA in a couple of days I feel like the brutal parts of the driving might be kept to a minimum. I guess all this potentially changes when we do more research and find more things we want to do, and at that point, doing a split stay might become vital!

San Diego is really somewhere that I do want to go, but I think i'd rather explore that sort of region on a future visit to DLR when we can ignore Los Angeles.

 

[Minniesgal]

Hey guys, I hope this isn't something that comes up all the time but here goes!

We're based in the UK and know WDW like the back of our hands, but we haven't done DLR....yet. Being from the UK we'd be looking to do a longer trip in Fall 2023, and as well as doing Disney, I guess see what the LA area has to offer (all the tourist stuff I guess, Hollywood, Santa Monica etc).

Flights from our local airport get us as far as Vegas, so we kind of had this vague plan of doing a few nights there, hire a car, drive to DLR and spend 3/4 full days doing the parks (would that be enough time?) before then spending another 3 or 4 days looking round other parts of LA.

So I guess my main question is, would a DLR resort (not Disney owned, but in the area) be OK to base ourselves for things outside of Anaheim? I plan on keeping the car and can see that most things are going to be like an hours drive away, but I guess I am not too bothered by that, I drive a lot for work. To me it seems easier to just stay in Anaheim rather than stay in a 3rd different hotel. Or am I crazy for thinking that and we'd be better moving to a more centrally located hotel once we're done with Disney?

We did this in 2019. We have DVC points so we did 8 nights at the Grand 4 parks days. My son really really wanted to see the USS Iowa at the port of Los Angeles and I wanted to go to Santa Monica pier and Malibu beach. The only drive I remember being bad was the night we arrived driving from LAX to Anaheim. But then my husband isn’t phased at all on the roads. It busy

 

[Dr. G]

Since you'll be in Vegas anyway, some thoughts about the drive to Anaheim.

Do not drive from Vegas to Anaheim on a Sunday since you will run into massive traffic from all the SoCal folks who spent the weekend in Vegas. If you do have to make that drive on a Sunday, stay at a hotel south of downtown and leave early. Reverse is true from Anaheim to Vegas: don't do it on a Friday.

We've had good luck on weekdays through Vegas to Anaheim mid-week.

Try to time your arrival into the Anaheim area (and an hour or so before that) for around 10 to 11am to 2pm (maybe 3pm) to minimize the heavy traffic coming into SoCal.

We generally have decent traffic luck out of Vegas on I-15, then 60 west (always seems to back up a bit transitioning from I-15 south to 60 west), then 57 south into Anaheim and exit at Katella or Ball.

Remember to use those HOV lanes. For example, when heading west on 60 in the HOV lane there is an exit from that HOV lane to 57 south's HOV lane and it seems to miss some of the backups.

 

[DLgal]

Since you'll be in Vegas anyway, some thoughts about the drive to Anaheim.

Do not drive from Vegas to Anaheim on a Sunday since you will run into massive traffic from all the SoCal folks who spent the weekend in Vegas. If you do have to make that drive on a Sunday, stay at a hotel south of downtown and leave early. Reverse is true from Anaheim to Vegas: don't do it on a Friday.

We've had good luck on weekdays through Vegas to Anaheim mid-week.

Try to time your arrival into the Anaheim area (and an hour or so before that) for around 10 to 11am to 2pm (maybe 3pm) to minimize the heavy traffic coming into SoCal.

We generally have decent traffic luck out of Vegas on I-15, then 60 west (always seems to back up a bit transitioning from I-15 south to 60 west), then 57 south into Anaheim and exit at Katella or Ball.

Remember to use those HOV lanes. For example, when heading west on 60 in the HOV lane there is an exit from that HOV lane to 57 south's HOV lane and it seems to miss some of the backups.

Monday mornings Vegas to LA/OC are also terrible now.

 

[heathpack]

Best Hollywood sightseeing:

Griffith Park Observatory. Planetarium. Walt Disney conceived of Disneyland while visiting the carousel in Griffith Park. Hiking would be nice in October.

See a show at the Hollywood Bowl.

Dinner at Musso & Frank

Horseback riding excursion to Hollywood sign with Sunset Ranch.

Try to score an invite to an evening at the private magic club called the Magic Castle.

Universal Studio theme park.

Paramount studio tour.

Places to eat. https://la.eater.com/maps/best-hollywood-resaturants-los-angeles-places-to-eat

Also The Griddle Cafe. https://www.thegriddlecafe.com/menu

Not Hollywood but close enough. https://la.pizzeriamozza.com/

La Brea Tar Pits is not too far from Hollywood. The Petersen Automotive Museum is in the same block- excellent.

 

[heathpack]

Santa Monica:

The beach, the amusement pier.

The Wed, Sat or Sun Farmers Markets.

A little north of Santa Monica is the Getty Villa, a Mediterranean villa that is converted into a small museum. Reservations required. Well worth it.

 

[bardays]

We are doing 5 days in Anaheim and 5 in Newport Beach. (December 2022) I figure we can do a day trip to San Diego and explore the coast. My family wants all 10 days in Anahiem but I think I would tire of the crowds.

 

[Gladys Belcher]

You can also stay in Buena Park and visit DL + add Knott's kicks.

Also consider central coast 805 Malibu- Monterey area for more of a local coastal vibe.

Enjoy the research and it is great to plan ahead.

 

[Thegoatfeeder]

Thanks again for the replies, plenty of food for thought. I'm definitely a planner and enjoy the researching so it's great to get all the feedback.

 

[Aurora0427]

We are doing 5 days in Anaheim and 5 in Newport Beach. (December 2022) I figure we can do a day trip to San Diego and explore the coast. My family wants all 10 days in Anahiem but I think I would tire of the crowds.

Oh good Lord no. Ten days in Anaheim is way too much considering how many other incredible things there are to do here in Orange County and LA.

 

[Lumpy1106]

If you are driving from Las Vegas you also might consider stopping by Joshua Tree National Park or Palm Springs. The park is very unique and Palm Springs has a fun retro vibe, the gondola there is a little scary for those afraid of heights but the area at the top is pretty.

Love the PS tram - it's a very unique, only in Palm Springs experience. BUT - my family has experienced altitude sickness every time we have gone up there. It' the huge elevation gain from sea level the day before to 8500ft in such a short time period. Bad news is you feel like hell, bad headache, nausea, dizzyness. Good news is it goes away almost immediately when you take the ride back down. Still, be forewarned!

 

[Lumpy1106]

Oh good Lord no. Ten days in Anaheim is way too much considering how many other incredible things there are to do here in Orange County and LA.

100% agree. DL/DCA is 3 days, 4 days MAX, MAYBE 5. That's how much time we spend in WDW and there are 4 parks there. The rest of Anaheim you can skip. I'd plan a day or 2 in Santa Barbara (4 hours up the coast to San Luis Obispo is even better if you are really adventurous) and 2 days in San Diego. If you really want to see LA I would pick Griffith Park over Hollywood. I would also consider a day trip by train from Anaheim to LA. Phillipes is a great place to have lunch with a real historic LA feel (go easy on the horseradish mustard - learned that the hard way). you can also stroll Olivera Street and see the historic park from there. There's really not much else to see in Downtown LA IMHO. If you do want to drive to LA, maybe spend part of the day in LA and the other part in Pasadena.

 

[starry_solo]

As long as you leave Las Vegas by 8 or 9 am on a Sunday (assuming that is your travel day), you should be ok.

 

[Tksolomom]

I don’t know your interests, but it is worth seeing Knott’s Berry Farm in my opinion. 4 days for Disneyland/California Adventure is enough. Depending on when you are going, check for Fireworks/Fantasmic as sometimes they only happen on Fri/Sat/Sun and not during the week.