Los Angeles with Kids 

Los Angeles may seem like an overwhelming place to visit with kids. Not so. It’s a very colorful, eclectic and cosmopolitan city. Los Angeles has more museums than any other city in the United States, and boasts some of the best hotels in the world.

DAY ONE
Disneyland!
Located just a short drive from downtown Los Angeles, Disney is loads of fun for kids 3 through 90. Be sure to do your planning before you get to the park to save time. Purchase your tickets online, and be sure to print out a map of the park and the daily schedule. With some pre-planning as a family, you can reduce the stress of trying to do too much in one day. The Disneyland Railroad is a great first stop, because it allows you to relax a little and get a nice overview of the park, so you’re sure not to miss anything. Refer to the daily schedule for parade times. Think about staying into the evening; have a little dinner and enjoy the lighter crowds and shorter lines. The night parade and fireworks are also a bonus! Visit their website for ticket purchases, reservations, driving directions, a map of the park and the daily schedule: Disney Schedule

DAY TWO
Warner Brothers VIP Tour!
This is Hollywood’s “best kept secret.” The tour lasts about 2 hours and fifteen minutes, and takes small groups of twelve people around the back lots of Warner Brothers studios. There is a small museum loaded with fun Harry Potter memorabilia like the “sorting hat” at Hogwarts, plus many of the costumes and props from the Harry Potter movies. The famous purple apartment door with the picture frame around the keyhole (from the sitcom "Friends") is here, as is the “foozball” table, the kitchen set and some of the characters’ clothes. Other props and costumes from popular TV shows and movies are also on display for VIP tour groups. The tour also brings guests around to currently active sets, as well as some of the most famous shows no longer being taped. Our group visited the “Daily Perk” set from Friends. Kids enjoy seeing the real Batmobile, the car from Dukes of Hazzard and Scooby Doo’s VW bus. Visit their website for tour information: Warner Bros Website

DAY THREE
The Getty Museum!
Visit the Getty Museum. No trip to Los Angeles would be complete without a trip to this famous place. The spectacular, multi billion dollar complex sits high in the hills above Santa Monica and is free to the public. Visitors pay a nominal parking fee and park at the base of the hill. Trams shuttle people to and from the complex. The facility itself is incredible. One could spend a day just exploring the gardens and the many lovely outside seating areas. The artwork and antiquities are housed in four large multi level buildings. There is plenty to do with kids at the museum, including an exclusive area for small children to explore and paint their own works of art. The restaurant at the museum is sleek, elegant and offers exceptional views by day and night. Lunch is served daily. Dinner is offered on Friday and Saturday evenings when the museum stays open late. In addition to the main restaurant, there is a café with a spacious outdoor seating area. On a clear day, the views from Malibu to downtown LA and beyond are absolutely spectacular. Getty Museum

DAY FOUR
Grauman's Chinese Theater!
See a movie at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, perhaps Hollywood’s most famous landmark. Here, in the courtyard of the theatre, is further testimony to the greatest of the great in early Hollywood: hand and foot prints of the stars of yesteryear with salutations to Mr. Grauman for his new theatre. The courtyard is special indeed, but what most tourists never see is the best part: the inside! Park at the Hollywood and Highland complex. Enter the structure on Orange Ave., the second light east of La Brea Ave. (right off Hollywood Blvd). Grab lunch in the neighborhood and spend the afternoon exploring Hollywood and shopping! Grauman's Chinese Theater

DAY FIVE
Hit the Beach!
Hit the Beach! Check out the famous beaches of Southern California. Sign the kids up for a surfing lesson! The beaches of Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Venice & Santa Monica are happening places. The dudes range in age from 8 to 68, and there are plenty of dudettes catching some of the country’s best waves on most days of the year. Wetsuits and boards are provided with the lessons. Check out Malibu Long Boards surfing lessons on their website or the Learn To Surf California website here There is a bike trail which runs along the water from Redondo Beach to Santa Monica, about 15 miles away. Rent bicycles or rollerblades and spend the day outside getting some exercise, people-watching and soaking up the sunny California sun.