We are really looking forward to our day at Catalina. I love your thread on the Island. I was glad to see you were able to do the birthday trip last year. Have fun next month! We are trying to determine the best things to do on the island. Someone mentioned the submarine is sometimes not the thing to do on a murky day. I love the idea of the flying fish tour and the sea lion tour. Still thinking about the kayaking, we are not a zip line type of group! If we take the first Express over should we be able to book our adventures without too much fuss? Can we get around the Island by walking or should we definitely rent a golf cart? We need to figure out the best day to go to Catalina now that we know we are facing 3 grad nights and the Lone Ranger Premier during our DL visit!
thymed -
I wholeheartedly endorse a Catalina Island day trip (see the blue link in my signature below)! I've been a big Catalina fan for 25 years (and am going there again next month to take advantage of the Catalina Express Free Birthday Round-Trip boat ride promo, which has been running for 3 consecutive years).
For one-day trips without overnight stays and to maximize your time, Catalina Express is 100% better. The Express has many more departure and return times -- out of Long Beach and San Pedro, but Long Beach is the one I recommend. (There is an Express terminal right near the Queen Mary, the Aquarium of the Pacific and Shoreline Village.) Yes, the price is higher for the Express (though you can sometimes find small discounts online) than the Flyer, but it's because you get more flexibility with when you want to go to the Island and when you want to return from the Island.
Thanks!!! We will use the Express out of Long Beach!
If you're going to be in Newport Beach, I would just stay in Newport and enjoy what that wonderful city has to offer. In fact, fellow DIS'er pixarmom has a great thread with detailed Newport Beach photos and information - here.
Trying to determine whether to go to Long Beach, or Santa Monica. We would love to do some swimming, hopefully the water won't be too cold!!! I have read that swimming off the beach at Avalon is not recommended
I live reasonably close to Hollywood. Actually, I am extremely close to The Grove/Farmers Market, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Petersen Auto Museum, the La Brea Tar Pits, etc. (Those would all be great places to visit on your Hollywood day, if you have time.) Canter's Deli is just a quick dash up Fairfax. The famous Pink's Hot Dogs is a few minutes away, on La Brea. Melrose, Santa Monica Blvd. and Sunset Blvd. are all within minutes. Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive are a few minutes to the west.
I think it would be great fun to visit some of these. How difficult is it to find parking in these areas? We had a costly lesson in paying close attention to parking signs in New York a few years ago!!!!
My immediate area is good (with The Grove and LACMA and all of those places). I like it. As for Hollywood -- personally, I used to spend much more time on Hollywood Blvd. in my younger years (there were a lot of cool collectible shops for musicians and/or music fans). Now? Eh...not so much! Even though there are parts of Hollywood Blvd. and shops that are interesting and should be seen at some point (like the Chinese Theater), the overall area is often kind of on the 'sketchy' side and it scares people away, I think. There have been "clean up Hollywood" efforts in the past, and those work for a brief time, but then the area goes right back to being sketchy again!
We just want to see the Walk of Fame and Chinese Theater, EL Capitan & Disney Soda Fountain Store. Hoping it will be safe to park at the Hollywood & Highland Center. I was thinking this was the perfect plan because we could store our suitcases in the rental until we get to Anaheim to check in. But I have no desire to put our group in any dangerous situation since half of our group will be teenagers!
Fellow DIS'er DizNee Luver described her not-so-great experience in Hollywood in her December 2012 Trip Report. She had a multi-day trip (like you will have) to Disneyland -- and one of the days was spent in Hollywood. I'll have to find the link to that particular post in her TR so you can read about it. Let's just say that she regretted going to Hollywood and not taking my advice to visit The Grove and Farmers Market instead!
You have my complete attention I think I need to read this trip report!!!
Have fun planning!
Thanks, all of the tips and personal experience reports are great for helping me figure out what is the best use of our time!! Thank you and please keep them coming!!!