Hotels in L.A - Which offers the best Disney transport?

[Flea]

Hi all,

 

Dad & I will be attending a photographic convention in Vegas next February, and seeing as it will be my first trip to the states, we figured we'd do a 3 day mini-trip in L.A on our way back to check out Sunset Blvd and all the touristy bits, including trekking out to Disneyland on one of the days. We don't want to stay in Anaheim as it's out of the way of all the touristy bits and ofcourse LAX.

 

So with that in mind, what hotel would you recommend in L.A? We are particularly looking for one that offers Disney transport with good departure and pickup times. The couple of shuttle buses that I've looked up leave at around 11am and pickup at 9pm - as I understand we'll miss the fireworks if we have to leave that early.

 

Cheers guys,

Liam

[ginzo]

Get a rental car. They're very affordable in SoCal. You might pay a bit for parking, but it'll be well worth it for the flexibility. The hotels with the best Disney transport are the ones right by Disney.

[terrancew_hod]

^What he said.

 

When I go to L.A. for New Years (which I will miss this year), I stay at the cheap econolodge near Hollywood and Vine. It had parking (some spaces were a tight fit though). I think they even had a shuttle service to Disney (wasn't by them though) and I know you left at the crack of dawn since it was across town from the park.

 

But if you want to see the fireworks and get around, you need to get a rental car. L.A. is way too big to depend on mass transit if you're on an amusement park schedule and want to see everything without rushing. I believe it could be done though, you would have to find the light rail and bus schedules. But you could probably just get a rental for that day, if parking is too much.

 

Terry

[WFChris]

I work at a hotel in downtown los angeles, and this is my advice:

 

1. Stay in Downtown Los Angeles if you do NOT rent a car. From here, you can spend 2 nights in downtown utlizing the subway and light rail to check out Los Angeles's most popular areas. Downtown is good because hotels run $100-$200 a night, where as in Hollywood it is not difficult to spend $200-$400 a night.

Amtrak has a service to Anaheim which takes about an hour from LA Union station, and Disney runs a shuttle from the train depot. I would enjoy the parks and spend the night in Anaheim for your final evening in LA.

The next morning, take the train back to LA Union station, where you can catch a Flyaway shuttle to LAX every half hour for $4 per person.

A hotel near LAX, especially without a car, will be misearable as it is nearly impossible to get anywhere from there.

 

2. Stay .. well .. wherever you want if you have a car. You can use the car to get everywhere you want, but it will cost you time and money. I have actually become so well at giving advice on public transportation I now recommended not getting a car in LA. If you have a solid itinerary you can get it done VERY well with the subways and trains. It takes 20 minutes to get from Downtown to Hollywood on the subway, but including parking it will take you around 40. Disneyland might take less time in the car, but it might not.

There are plenty of budget hotel options but I would ask a local person on advice of the location before booking. The travelodge in Hollywood is indeed good advice, the Motel 6 is also quite affordable. Be warned that you WILL see some dodgy people at these places.

 

In conclusion,

 

I know there is not a lot to see in Downtown, but I find it a very convenient place to start and end your day. You can get anywhere in Southern California quite painlessly being the central hub for the city rail as well as amtrak.

If you are taking public transportation from Vegas, I would assume you would end up here.

 

I can post more if you want, just let me know! If you need deals in downtown (at a NICE hotel), let me know as well.

 

Chris.

 

 

 

 

Anything else?

 

Chris.

[terrancew_hod]

There are plenty of budget hotel options but I would ask a local person on advice of the location before booking. The travelodge in Hollywood is indeed good advice, the Motel 6 is also quite affordable. Be warned that you WILL see some dodgy people at these places.

 

Luckily where I stayed, the parking lot is gated and I'm used to walking quickly in dodgy neighborhoods. The nearby neighborhood isn't too bad and it was less than a mile to some of the parties I attended... so I could leave my car at the hotel and walk through the neighborhoods away from the main street (where the dodgy people hang) until I get to the bar.

 

But then it was a $70 a night hotel so I'm not complaining. But staying overnight in Anaheim is really good advice. I usually do that when I visit Disney and Knotts just because it's closer and cheaper. I stayed at a budget hotel that actually had a whirlpool in the room and I made my own waffles for for breakfast. I think I paid about $70 a night for that as well and was about 1/2 mile from the park.

 

Yeah I'm cheap when it comes to hotels because I'm just sleeping in them for a bit... as long as it has a place for my car, I'm happy.

 

A hotel near LAX, especially without a car, will be misearable as it is nearly impossible to get anywhere from there.

 

Amen to that. I think the drive from the airport to the rental place was almost a mile and there wasn't anything but industrial buildings with a scattered hotel. You're screwed if you're hungry and didn't get anything at the airport.

 

Terry

[disneylanddork50]

I'd just say rent a car. It'd be much more convienent for you and your dad instead of taking all of the public systems. That way you can get around when you want to, and not have to worry about getting to the bus on time, then worry about catching the train, etc. Plus, when in Cali, rent a Mustang Convertible. It's SOOOO worth it.

Hope this helps!

>>Jake