DL newbie- 2-3 day LA visit

[blackwo1]

Hi! I am traveling to LA in March 2022 for Spring Break with DH, DD8 & DD12. We are WDW vets but new to DL. We are spending a few days with family in Santa Barbara then driving our rental car to LA/Anaheim for the final 2.5 days. Trying to decide on what to do those days. Here are our options:

1) Stop in Burbank for WB tour then head to Anaheim for two days at DLR. One day at DCA, one day at DL.
2) Go right to DLR for two full days, one day in each or PH?
3) Spend one day at Universal Studios and one day split between the two DL parks.

Some info about us- my girls love Fuller House but don't know a thing about Friends, Big Bang Theory etc. Also, they know about Harry Potter and have seen some of the movies but aren't die hard fans. They do love WDW, rides/coasters and would also enjoy some show biz fun.

Also, I'm looking at some hotels on Harbor like Tropicana and others. Is that an easy walk into the the parks? Or is there a better area to stay if we drop our rental car off early?

Thanks!

 

[jason417]

The hotels on Harbor are a very easy walk from to the gates of both parks, especially if you pick one near the crosswalk like Tropicana or Desert Inn. It’s less than a 10 min walk from those hotels to security bag check. We never get a rental car when we go. We just fly into Orange County, Uber to a Harbor hotel, and do everything on foot. There are food options near those hotels as well.
You may want to consider a park hopper pass because it’s incredibly easy to bounce back and forth between parks. It’s especially useful if you are planning to buy Genie+. Disneyland has more to do than DCA so you may find yourself wishing you could go over to DL on your DCA day. Since you’re WDW vets, I’m sure you can look at what DCA has to offer and have a good idea as to how a day there would play out for you. If you’re new to DL, then one thing you’ll probably find impressive is the efficiency of that park compared to WDW parks. There’s a lot within a small amount of space. Your feet will prefer it.

 

[Jason2015]

Another option for hotels is up the block at the Convention Center area with its Marriott and Hilton brand hotels. Its a short walk to the Toy Story parking lot and the shuttle busses. The nice thing is in the morning you go through bag check before getting on the shuttle. Before COVID my family always did one park per day with out park hopper. I think DCA is underrated and has plenty to do for a day. Since COVID and without all the entertainment DCA can be done in less than a day. (With things slowly being add back DCA may be back to a full day park.) If you do two days at DLR maybe do day one at DL and then add the hopper for day two if you feel you need more time at DL.

 

[DisneylandFan22]

Based on your description of interests I would skip the WB tour and go right to Disneyland. I would also skip Universal. I agree with staying at one of the hotels on Harbor. You might want to look at the Courtyard by Marriott Theme Park Entrance based on your family size and ages.

 

[Kit Jackson]

If you you only spending 2.5 days in theme parks/LA and it is your first trip to Disneyland, I would reccomend spending the entire theme park of your trip in Disneyland. Park Hopping is easy and totally worth it, if you can afford it.

 

[ktlm]

For that short of a trip, skip Universal and focus on DL/CA.

Also, because your time is very limited, I would also skip WB this trip unless your older child is very interested in movie and film making. The WB tour is fantastic. My musical theatre DD was 13 when we went a few years ago and was obsessed with the fact she was standing right where The Music Man was filmed. She wants to go into the entertainment industry so it was a fantastic experience for her. But, if your older daughter is not overly interested in movie and film sets and the mechanics of making tv and movies to the point a stop there would be a priority, I would skip it this trip and focus on Disney.

The drive from the Universal and WB area to the DL area can take 2.5 hours in traffic-- you don't want to lose a good part of one of your Disney days on the road.

Although the limit on hopping before 1:00 p.m. is a bit of a pain, I would still recommend the hoppers. Unlike WDW, hopping at DLR takes 5 minutes. The plaza between the 2 parks is about the length of a football field. Don't like the size fool you, there is a ton to do at DL/CA. We are WDW vets as well. We typically spend about 4 to 4 1/2 park days at DL/CA (3 full days and at least a half day on arrival and departure days).

 

[gelatoni fan]

For such a short trip, I agree with everybody that two days in Disneyland without the WB tour or Universal would be best.

Depending on who you rent from, it could make a lot of sense to stay at the Hilton or Marriott at the convention center because you can return the car to the Hilton (Enterprise) or the Marriott (Hertz) and they are right across from each other. If you rent from Alamo, you can return at the corner of Katella and Harbor which is right next to the Dessert Palms but I'd personally prefer to go across the street to the Residence Inn or Hyatt House. All of these properties are walkable but if you're at either convention center hotel, you could also take the ART bus which picks up in front of both of them. The shuttle does have a small fee. For people who prioritize being close to the park entrance, I usually recommend the Fairfield which has free breakfast although it's not as nice as any of the four hotels I previously mentioned.

California Adventure doesn't have as much to do as Disneyland so most people would likely want a bit more time in Disneyland which makes park hoppers potentially worth it for a 2 day trip. However, since you mention being WDW vets, many attractions in Disneyland will be similar enough to be skippable so you may not want to spend the extra time in Disneyland, finding California Adventure more unique. In that case, Park Hoppers may not be worth it.