TLinden16
Scotty and Ray at Jelly Rolls are the best!
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2002
I just got back from my trip to Disneyland, and had a wonderful stay at the Grand Californian. I wound up heading to Hollywood twice during my stay, and I wanted to share my thoughts on the two different transportation options I took between Anaheim and Los Angeles/Hollywood.
My original plan was to take one of the full day tours offered by Starline or Gray Line, but there were a few specific things I wanted to do while I was in Hollywood, and I didn't think these tours would really allow me the time to do what I really wanted to do. Plus, I think a city is best explored on foot, and I didn't really want to spend the better part of six hours sitting on a bus.
I wound up finding two other options that would allow me to explore Hollywood on my own. Each option had it's own pros and cons.
Option 1--Gray Line Hollywood Transporation Only
Cost: $35 round trip (plus optional gratuity)
I picked up a Gray Line brouchure at Guest Services at the Grand Californian and saw that they offered transportation to Hollywood. The tour information said that there would be approximately 4 hours in Hollywood, and then would have a stop at City Walk at Universal Studios. The cost of this transporation was $35.
Gray Line came directly to the Grand Californian to pick me up in the morning. I was picked up at 8:25, and we then picked up folks at the Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier before heading over to the Gray Line Tour Center to pay for the tour and board a second bus to take us to Hollywood. The bus left the tour center around 9:20, and the bus driver gave us a tour as we drove to Universal Studios, where most of the people exited the bus.
There were three of us left on the bus after everyone got off at Universal Studios, and we left there about 10 minutes later. We finally arrived in Hollywood at about 11:00 a.m., and were dropped off on a street that runs paralell to Hollywood Blvd. one block away (behind the Disney Soda Fountain area of Hollywood Blvd.). Our driver told us that she would pick us up at 3:45 to head over to City Walk. We arrived at City Walk by 4:15, and were there until 6:15.
The bus left promptly at 6:15, and drove everyone directly to their hotels. The Disney hotels were the last ones dropped off, so I didn't arrive back at the Grand Californian until 8:00 p.m. If I did this again, I would have gotten off the bus at a one of the hotels at Katella and Harbor Blvd. and walked back to the Grand Californian, as the drop offs took at least a half an hour.
The transportation itself was fine, although it does take longer than it needs to with the stop at the tour center and the morning and dropping off at all the hotels on the way back. The two hours at City Walk was a big disappointment, and a waste of time. I wish that they had given us that time in Hollywood instead of making us go to City Walk at the end of the day. Five hours wasn't really enough time in Hollywood.
Option 2--Amtrak train out of Anaheim Station
Cost: $22 round trip for the train plus the cost of transporation to get to the train in Anaheim (approximately $15-20 each way for cab fare from the Grand Californian including tip) and the cost of the subway in LA (one day ticket is $6, although you could do it for about $3 if you just get a round trip ticket). The total cost for this transportation option was $52.
Since I didn't feel like I had enough time in Hollywood using the Gray Line tour, I decided to look into other options for transporation into the city. I decided to take the Amtrak train from Anaheim Station. The station is about 3 miles from Disneyland, and is easily reached by taxi. The ART bus also runs there once an hour, and you can also get there by the metro buses.
I decided to take a train into the city around 8:00 a.m. The ART bus wasn't going to run early enough for me to get there, so I knew I had to take a cab there. I was ready on the early side, so I wound up walking part of the way to the station, and took at cab from a hotel on Katella, which cost me $10 including tip.
The train arrived within a minute or two of it's scheduled time, and the ride into Uniion Station in Los Angeles takes about 40 minutes. The train, which had orginated in San Diego, was a double decker, and there was plenty of seating. The train was clean, comfortable, and efficient.
Once I arrived at Union Station, I followed the signs to the Red Line, and purchased a one day subway pass. After jumping off the train at Civic Center Station so I could see the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion, I hopped back on the train to head to Hollywood and Vine. One thing to note about taking the subway is the Red Line and the Purple Line use the same track to/from Union Station for about 8 or 10 stops, so make sure that you get on the Red Line train if you are going to Hollywood.
The subway runs about every 12 minutes, and the ride to Hollywood and Highland takes about 25 minutes, so expect it to take around 75-90 minutes to get from Anaheim Station to Hollywood.
The Amtrak trains run about 10 or 12 trains to Los Angeles every day in each direction (you can search the times on the Amtrak website). Neither train I took sold out.
I left Hollywood and Highland on the Red Line at about 7:30 to head to Union Station to catch an 8:30 train back to Anaheim. Now, I don't know how safe the L.A. subway system is, but I will say that I was a bit uncomfortable riding the subway alone at 7:30 at night. There were some interesting characters on the train that night, including one guy who just wouldn't stop talking to me. I live in Boston, and I ride the subway on a daily basis, and I'm also quite familiar with the New York City subway system. I am very aware of my surroundings and stay alert when riding the train in any city. It didn't bother me earlier in the day, but if I do this alone again in the future, I would head back to Union Station to get the Amtrak train by about 6:00.
I was at Union Station by 8:00, which gave me plenty of time to get my ticket and purchase a cold drink. The train left on time, and I arrived back at Anaheim at about 9:10.
There was a line of taxis at the station when our train pulled in, so I took one back to the Grand Californian. It cost $15 for this cab ride.
There are also MetroLink trains that travel between Anaheim and Union Station. This option is a bit cheaper than Amtrak (around $9), but the last train back to Anaheim is around 6:30 p.m. It also makes more stops, so the ride is a few minutes longer. Here is the link to the MetroLink schedule:
http://www.metrolinktrains.com/schedules/html.php?id=1046
Overall, I thought that the Amtrak train was the better option for getting into the city. It allowed me to come and go on my schedule, and the overall commute time was quicker than the bus. It also gave me a bit of time to explore other areas of Los Angeles without having to worry about making it back to the bus on time.
If you have any questions, let me know.
My original plan was to take one of the full day tours offered by Starline or Gray Line, but there were a few specific things I wanted to do while I was in Hollywood, and I didn't think these tours would really allow me the time to do what I really wanted to do. Plus, I think a city is best explored on foot, and I didn't really want to spend the better part of six hours sitting on a bus.
I wound up finding two other options that would allow me to explore Hollywood on my own. Each option had it's own pros and cons.
Option 1--Gray Line Hollywood Transporation Only
Cost: $35 round trip (plus optional gratuity)
I picked up a Gray Line brouchure at Guest Services at the Grand Californian and saw that they offered transportation to Hollywood. The tour information said that there would be approximately 4 hours in Hollywood, and then would have a stop at City Walk at Universal Studios. The cost of this transporation was $35.
Gray Line came directly to the Grand Californian to pick me up in the morning. I was picked up at 8:25, and we then picked up folks at the Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier before heading over to the Gray Line Tour Center to pay for the tour and board a second bus to take us to Hollywood. The bus left the tour center around 9:20, and the bus driver gave us a tour as we drove to Universal Studios, where most of the people exited the bus.
There were three of us left on the bus after everyone got off at Universal Studios, and we left there about 10 minutes later. We finally arrived in Hollywood at about 11:00 a.m., and were dropped off on a street that runs paralell to Hollywood Blvd. one block away (behind the Disney Soda Fountain area of Hollywood Blvd.). Our driver told us that she would pick us up at 3:45 to head over to City Walk. We arrived at City Walk by 4:15, and were there until 6:15.
The bus left promptly at 6:15, and drove everyone directly to their hotels. The Disney hotels were the last ones dropped off, so I didn't arrive back at the Grand Californian until 8:00 p.m. If I did this again, I would have gotten off the bus at a one of the hotels at Katella and Harbor Blvd. and walked back to the Grand Californian, as the drop offs took at least a half an hour.
The transportation itself was fine, although it does take longer than it needs to with the stop at the tour center and the morning and dropping off at all the hotels on the way back. The two hours at City Walk was a big disappointment, and a waste of time. I wish that they had given us that time in Hollywood instead of making us go to City Walk at the end of the day. Five hours wasn't really enough time in Hollywood.
Option 2--Amtrak train out of Anaheim Station
Cost: $22 round trip for the train plus the cost of transporation to get to the train in Anaheim (approximately $15-20 each way for cab fare from the Grand Californian including tip) and the cost of the subway in LA (one day ticket is $6, although you could do it for about $3 if you just get a round trip ticket). The total cost for this transportation option was $52.
Since I didn't feel like I had enough time in Hollywood using the Gray Line tour, I decided to look into other options for transporation into the city. I decided to take the Amtrak train from Anaheim Station. The station is about 3 miles from Disneyland, and is easily reached by taxi. The ART bus also runs there once an hour, and you can also get there by the metro buses.
I decided to take a train into the city around 8:00 a.m. The ART bus wasn't going to run early enough for me to get there, so I knew I had to take a cab there. I was ready on the early side, so I wound up walking part of the way to the station, and took at cab from a hotel on Katella, which cost me $10 including tip.
The train arrived within a minute or two of it's scheduled time, and the ride into Uniion Station in Los Angeles takes about 40 minutes. The train, which had orginated in San Diego, was a double decker, and there was plenty of seating. The train was clean, comfortable, and efficient.
Once I arrived at Union Station, I followed the signs to the Red Line, and purchased a one day subway pass. After jumping off the train at Civic Center Station so I could see the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion, I hopped back on the train to head to Hollywood and Vine. One thing to note about taking the subway is the Red Line and the Purple Line use the same track to/from Union Station for about 8 or 10 stops, so make sure that you get on the Red Line train if you are going to Hollywood.
The subway runs about every 12 minutes, and the ride to Hollywood and Highland takes about 25 minutes, so expect it to take around 75-90 minutes to get from Anaheim Station to Hollywood.
The Amtrak trains run about 10 or 12 trains to Los Angeles every day in each direction (you can search the times on the Amtrak website). Neither train I took sold out.
I left Hollywood and Highland on the Red Line at about 7:30 to head to Union Station to catch an 8:30 train back to Anaheim. Now, I don't know how safe the L.A. subway system is, but I will say that I was a bit uncomfortable riding the subway alone at 7:30 at night. There were some interesting characters on the train that night, including one guy who just wouldn't stop talking to me. I live in Boston, and I ride the subway on a daily basis, and I'm also quite familiar with the New York City subway system. I am very aware of my surroundings and stay alert when riding the train in any city. It didn't bother me earlier in the day, but if I do this alone again in the future, I would head back to Union Station to get the Amtrak train by about 6:00.
I was at Union Station by 8:00, which gave me plenty of time to get my ticket and purchase a cold drink. The train left on time, and I arrived back at Anaheim at about 9:10.
There was a line of taxis at the station when our train pulled in, so I took one back to the Grand Californian. It cost $15 for this cab ride.
There are also MetroLink trains that travel between Anaheim and Union Station. This option is a bit cheaper than Amtrak (around $9), but the last train back to Anaheim is around 6:30 p.m. It also makes more stops, so the ride is a few minutes longer. Here is the link to the MetroLink schedule:
http://www.metrolinktrains.com/schedules/html.php?id=1046
Overall, I thought that the Amtrak train was the better option for getting into the city. It allowed me to come and go on my schedule, and the overall commute time was quicker than the bus. It also gave me a bit of time to explore other areas of Los Angeles without having to worry about making it back to the bus on time.
If you have any questions, let me know.
