Hollywood with teenagers

sarha

<font color=darkcoral>Disneyland is a new experien
Joined
Apr 3, 2000
We're spending a week in the LA area at the beginning of August . We've been to WDW numerous times but this will be our first trip to DL. I plan on spending 3 days at DL and then moving to a as yet undecided hotel near Hollywood because my DD 17 wants to visit movie studios and do the touristy tours of movie stars homes.
Can anyone suggest tours that would appeal to a teenager? I've looked at a couple of websites but it's hard to tell which tour would be the most appealing.
We do plan on spending 1 day at Universal so my 15 DS can enjoy the rides :-)
I'd love to hear suggestions for anything I might have forgotten.
Also, do you think it makes a diffference if we do DL at the beginning or the end of our week?

Thanks,
Sarha
 
I don't know about tours as I've never been on any of them :) What part of hollywood is she hoping for though? The grungy urban type stuff, or a glipse of a movie star, or just touristy stuff in general? I think I'd probably do Sunset just to say you did it (though it's not that interesting). Shop Melrose and Rodeo drive. And also maybe Venice :) You could have lunch on the patio at any of the little eateries and she'd probably think that was cool.
 
MateasMom. i think my DD wants a combo of movie star/touristy stuff. I thought we'd try to tour movie studios and possibly try to see a tv taping.
Maybe walk down Rodeo drive...
 
The block of Hollywood and Highland would probably appeal to her. That is where Mann's Chinese Theatre, Kodak Theatre (where the Oscars are) and the El Capitan Theatre (the Disney theatre). This block has many, many famous people stars. There is also the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on this block and you might think about staying there. It is a hang out for people like Lindsey Lohan, etc. Hollywood High School is one block behind the El Capitan and she might like to see it to compare their life to hers. :rolleyes:
 


Thanks so much Snow Brite, that sounds just like what my D would enjoy ! I have to check out the price for the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
Can you suggest any companies that give bus tours that might be more appealing to teenagers?
Also, is Santa Monica close enough for a day trip or do you think it would be wiser to book a hotel there for 1 night?

Again, thanks for any suggestions .
 
sarha said:
Thanks so much Snow Brite, that sounds just like what my D would enjoy ! I have to check out the price for the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
Can you suggest any companies that give bus tours that might be more appealing to teenagers?
Also, is Santa Monica close enough for a day trip or do you think it would be wiser to book a hotel there for 1 night?

Again, thanks for any suggestions .

You are most welcome! If the Roosevelt doesn't work there is also the Renaissance right there as well. But the Roosevelt has tons of Hollywood history, and if I remember right was the first home of the Academy Awards. And it is much more cool... ;) It will probably be in the $250+ range per night.

I don't know about a bus tour. Do you not have a car? Not sure where to look for that infomation. Sorry!

The website for the El Capitan theatre is: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/el_capitan/ and you can pre-purchase tickets to the movie that is playing there. This summer it will be Pirates of the Carribean while you are there! Woooohoooo! The VIP tickets seem expensive when you buy them, but they include confirmed assigned seating, popcorn in a take home bucket and a soda. The movie will have additional fun things too. Such as the Narnia movie we saw had "snow" in the theatre that fell from the ceiling before the movie, and then afterwards the movies props were on display downstairs. Get there early enough to see the live organist (amazing!) playing disney tunes, and plan to go to the Disney Soda Shop next door. Look for the Hollywood star for Disneyland at the Soda Shop entrance, it is the only "place" to have one!

Santa Monica is a day trip easy from either Disneyland or Hollywood. It is a nice beach and the pier is fun too. Its actually rather close to LAX if you wanted to hit it on the way in or out, but would have to make sure your luggage was secure in the car if you did that. There is great shopping in Santa Monica as well that your daughter would most likely love.

We like to spend one night on the Queen Mary. It is fun and has a sort of worn elegance with lots of little historical things (like the old salt or fresh water handles in the shower). You could go to Santa Monica for the day and then down to Long Beach to the Queen Mary and the aquarium if you didn't want to do the day trip.
 
Snow Brite, I really appreciate all your help. Sleeping on the Queen Mary sounds like a lot of fun too, and it should appeal to me DS 15.
 


The first time we visited Anaheim in 2002, my daughter had just turned 14 and we went to Knotts Berry Farm, Seaworld, Universal Studios, Tijuana and Hollywood. She enjoyed all these tours but it was also our first visit to America as well, so she was in awe of it all.
We went again in 2004 and she didn't want to go to Seaworld, but she wanted to visit Universal Studios again and Knotts Berry Farm. She really enjoyed shopping in Beverly Hills especially looking at the shops in Rodeo Drive (we even bought things here!!). We did a tour called Legendary LA tour (with CoachUSA) which took us to Downtown LA, Hollywood, The Beverly Centre and then onto Santa Monica where we had a few hours to walk along the pier and do some shopping.
This year she will be 17 and wants to go to Universal Studios, Knotts Berry Farm and lots of shopping, especially at the Beverly Centre.
In 2004 we went to the Hard Rock Cafe in LA for lunch and it was really nice, we will probably go again this year (we also ate lunch at the HRC at Newport Beach).
In 2002 we did the tour of the Stars Homes and to be honest, I would save your money as all you see is a lot of walls, trees and hedges and not too many "homes".
Love Ella
 
My parents took my sister and I to Disneyland as teenagers (way back in the stoneages LOL) and we all went on a tour as stated above. I believe it was the one through CoachUSA. It hit all the stuff we wanted, and was perfect for me, at 16, and my sister, at 14. We didn't feel like we were stuck doing "baby" things, and really enjoyed ourselves. And they actually had a shuttle that picked us up at our hotel near Disneyland. I'm sure they still do, but no idea how to get that all hooked up. My mom did all the planning. When dh and I brought our family last year, my mom insisted that when she and dad took us, (a million years ago) that they had the info right in the hotel lobby, and she just called the day before to book the tour for us.

Not sure if that's 100% accurate, though. But I do know the CoachUSA tour is a good one, that my sister and I enjoyed as teens!
 
Ella 1 and Duckland, thankyou for the info about the LEGENDARY LA tour. I googled it and showed the info to my DD and she is looking forward to taking it.
 
Sarha,
Coach USA do a lot of tours, check out their website.
They pick you up in a "feeder" coach and take you to the main depot before putting you on the coach for your tour.
You can get refreshments here as well.
Love Ella
 
Sarha,

Check my trip report under Disneyland trip reports/So. Calif trip reports. We spent one day in LA, starting at the Santa Monica Pier and ending up in Hollywood. My dd loves music, if your dd likes music/groups - check out the Hollywood Rock Walk. It is the Guitar Center store on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. It has alot of rock groups, musicians hand prints in cement in the entrance to the store as well as pictures, vintage instruments, etc. Best of all it's free and you never know when a famous musician might be in the store! When we were there one of the Backstreet Boys was shopping!
If you like reasonable food - try Pink's HotDogs on LaBrea! Lots of celebrities eat there.
 
I've lived all my life in SoCal.....

.... I would go for Universal and KBF http://www.knotts.com/ . Stay away from Magic Mountain. If you have a half day try renting bikes and riding from Santa Monica to the south as far as Washington blvd... and if you don't like riding on city streets then stock to the bicycle trail. I would also dine near Santa Monica pier - theres' a tiny amusement area there - and lots of young people on the weekend roller skating/walking and riding bikes. After sunset walk santa monica place... then drive to La Cienega and have a nice dinner at either Lawry's Prime Rib http://www.lawrysonline.com/ , or the Stinking Rose http://www.thestinkingrose.com/ , or go casual at the original Hard Rock http://www.hardrock.com/locations/cafes3/cafes.aspx?LocationID=96&MenuID=15&MIBEnumID=3 . Or call NOW and make a reservation at one of the most fameous movie star hang puts... Spago's\!

I'll edit in more later - i gotta run to a bible study
 

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