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Los Angeles - USA
Griffith Observatory
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Hi everyone,
I'm down to planning my tours while I'm in LA.
I want to go Disneyland, Universal Studio and a tour of Hollywood.
Is there any tours or website where I can get a good deal? For Disneyland and Universal Studio, I am looking for transport to and fro there and hotel, and entrance fee.
I believe it's better for me to book online than to reach LA and book, right?
Thanks,
Doris
I've used Coach America a few times and they have been good. Grayline also does tours. Both will pick you up and return you to your hotel. I have booked ahead of time and booked at the hotel. The price is usually very much the same. You can get deals either way. Both have websites you can look at. I have always stayed at Disneyland and then taken tours to Universal, Beverly Hills, and LA city tours.
http://www.grayline.com/grayline/destinations/us/losangeles.go
Most tours to Disneyland and Universal Studios will be day trips that offer round-trip transportation. If you're looking for a theme park + hotel package, the theme parks themselves offer this, but you may just want to try Googling it.
http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/ticket_hotel.html
Notice the page above mentions "Metro Stops." Universal Studious has the advantage of being on LA's subway system which connects it to Hollywood.
Hollywood itself is a relatively small area, at least for what would be of interest to tourists. The Hollywood/Highland intersection is the epicenter, and the Walk of Fame and string of attractions only last a couple of blocks in each direction. Most Hollywood tours lump larger sections of LA into them, such as stars' homes, the Sunset Strip, Beverly Hills, etc. If you just want to visit Hollywood, I would just jump on the subway while staying by Universal Studios and spend a bit of time there.
If you want to do a tour though, there's a double decker bus that picks up right on Hollywood Blvd. You can buy tickets when you're down there (no reason to get that in advance).
If you don't want to do a day trip to Disneyland and actually stay overnight (if you want to go to the park for multiple days, for instance), then that's a little tougher. There's public transportation there, via MetroLink (train) and then a local shuttle.
http://www.rideart.org/
If you came from Universal Studios, this would be really easy, because you could take the subway all the way to Union Station, then catch the MetroLink train to Anaheim/Disneyland.
Ok, so I couldn't find a definitive spot for this tip but... did you know that you can go to the US Post Office's website and do an online request form to hold your mail while you're on vacation? If this service is not available in your area you can also download their official form and mail it to your local Postmaster.
http://www.usps.com/receive/holdorredelivermail/welcome.htm
or just www.usps.com and search for "hold mail."
Should you decide you MUST visit Los Angels, I would suggest that you leave the city for a little while. Places like Big Bear and Solvang are prime locations that are stunning to look at. Big Bear is a sweet little city buried in the San Bernardino mountains, you will find quaint little shops and a world of friendly faces, something you will be desperate for after a few days in Los Angeles. And Solvang is a unique little Swedish village. You will feel as if you have arrived in Sweden instead of LA should you visit this charming little village, with its street performers and intricate candy and wine shops.
When I went to Los Angeles, back in 1946, we were invited to go through the lot at 20th Century Fox Studios. We were escorted around privately. We watched the filming of a scene from The Homecoming with Cornell Wilde and Maureen O'Hara. We saw Jimmy Gleason tilted back in a chair against a wall studying a script. We were taken to the commissary for lunch. It was a lot of fun.
Today, the major studios run regular tours. They sell tickets for the experience which lasts about two hours. The cost runs around $15 per person at Paramount to $32 per person at Warner Brothers. What a change!
'Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts which have created America...with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.'...........................................................Walt Disney.
(Hm, a little pretentious but what the heck eh?) Tidbits on Mickey Mouse:
He is called Musse Pigg in Swedish..which would translate into Musse the alert (heh)He was almost called Mortimer instead of Mickey but thankfully it didn't turn out that way. But did you know that Mickey was actually called Oswald for a while there? That was back when he wasn't even a mouse yet..he was a rabbit! Mickey's b-day is November the 18 the year 1928..so he should by all means have at least grey ears by now! This is what he looked like as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
Everyone knows that LA is a driving city. For the most part you will need a car to get around.
I like walking though, so I decided to be rebellious. On my last trip, my travel companion and I hiked all over Hollywood, once even hoofing it from Rodeo Drive all the way back to Hollywood and Vine, taking in all the fun of Sunset Strip along the way.
For anyone looking to avoid the car, subways and buses aren't too bad an option. Cabs are a little more difficult. You'll have to call ahead to get one - or pick one up at a nearby hotel.
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