Walt Disney World ICP - Day 80 - Exploring (the real) Hollywood! - 21st August 2013

Having travelled 6 hours from New York across the entire country, I wasn’t simply going to stay in Disneyland for 6 days - I was in California with so much to see and do. If I’d had an extra day or two I would have flown over to San Francisco but alas I had to settle with Hollywood - it’s a tough life, huh?

Photo: Wikimedia
So yes, today it was off to Hollywood to walk about, see the Walk of Fame, the Chinese Theatre and do a bus tour. The big problem was getting there - it took me almost 3 hours. I’d researched everything on Google but the buses come at 25 minute intervals so I got a bus to Anaheim Metrolink/Amtrak station which took about 15 minutes and then bought my ticket - then it was a 40 minute wait for the next Metrolink (regional overground train).

As soon as I was on the Metrolink it was fine but it was that initial bus journey which took an eternity as I couldn’t afford to miss my trains, so I always ended up getting the earlier bus. The Metrolink took about 45 minutes to get me to Los Angeles Union Station where I then got a Metro underground train to Hollywood, which was about another 20 minutes. The ticket for the Metrolink even gave me free Metro access in LA which wasn’t bad for $18 return.

Eventually I got to Hollywood and the Walk of Fame and WOW is it a strange place - there were people dressed as Spiderman and Batman everywhere vying for tips and blocking the pavement, but it was exactly how I imagined it - with the Chinese theatre which you can’t stop to take a photo of without being harassed by the lycra-clad superheroes and the stars all along the walk of fame.

On the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame

I walked down the Walk of Fame and saw the tour bus I’d researched online stopped at the first stop. I wasn’t in any rush so went into a couple of shops then crossed over. I managed to get a ticket just as the bus was departing, went upstairs and was ready for my tour of Hollywood.

And little did I know that I’d see a lot more than Hollywood - I ended up doing 2 of the bus loops and was pleased with the value for money I got out of it. It’s strange doing a bus tour of somewhere like Hollywood as unlike London or Paris there’s no real history and a lot of what was said on the pre-recorded British (yay!) commentary was about film stars or films I’d never heard of - however there was also a lot of really interesting stuff in there too which I appreciated and even some dry British humour.

Home to the rich and famous.
After I had seen a lot of Hollywood itself I switched routes at one point and even went all the way to Santa Monica beach which must have been 20 or 30 miles out of LA and made it worth the money alone. There was also a tour of downtown LA which I didn't get to do, but there were already so many cool little things along the 2 routes I did do that I didn’t feel like I missed out. I wouldn't even have known where to start otherwise as I was all alone! I only spent about 5 or 6 hours on the buses including lunch as the last train going back to Anaheim left at 6:30PM from Union Station, which was ridiculously early.

Just before going back home, I explored the big shopping plaza by the TCL Chinese theatre and got a really good view of the Hollywood sign from there before journeying back.

Next: Walt Disney World ICP - Day 81 - Universal Studios Hollywood - 22nd August 2013

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