After we went to see the Christmas Carol movie at the El Capitan theatre in Los Angeles, we decided to cross the street, walk the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame and check out the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
Visiting Hollywood Walk of Fame is pretty much in almost every guide book. I even put it on my Best 10 Free or Cheap Things to Do with Kids in Los Angeles. But I might have to take it back, I will say SKIP IT!
If you don’t have any plan to watch movie at the El Capitan which I highly recommended, then find something else to do like going to Santa Monica beach or the Griffth Park. Seriously, kids are too young to know anyone who has their names there. You can see how excited Mr. Z were when we asked him to pose.
Plus, there are a lot of characters walking around in front of the Grauman Chinese’s Theatre that will urge you to take a picture with them. Here is the thing. My kids are used to Disney World and other Theme parks where characters will pose a picture with you for FREE. Well, not in Los Angeles! You will have to tip them. I think I will take Mr. Incredible from Disney (which actually put on the mask to look like Mr. Incredible from the movie) over Mr. Incredible from Hollywood any day.
Now, if you are a movie fan, it’s still a fun thing to do to stroll along the Hollywood blvd and check out your favorite movie stars’ name plate. It’s just not the experience that we enjoyed as a family there.
Check out other travels’ Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
What you refer to as the Walk of Fame is the Grauman’s Chinese Theater forecourt…that’s different. The Walk of Fame is the sidewalk along Hollywood Bl. with the stars embedded in the sidewalk. For kids, yeah, not so much. Most of the stars are way before their time. Better to catch the subway (station is right underneath Hollywood and Highland), go one stop north to Universal Studios. A lot more fun for kids without the sketchy characters along Hollywood Bl. and still movie related.
One place I highly recommend on Hollywood Bl. is Skooby’s Hot Dogs…much better than pinks. Nearby, the Los Angeles Farmers Market (at Fairfax and Third) is an L.A. time machine and a great place to kill a couple of hours.
-Darryl
Ah.. We would love to stop by at the Skooby’s hot dogs if I have known about it. :) Maybe next time.
Oh no doubt. That whole scene is a must skip. Of course, we consider Times Square a must skip too. Neither displays the real offerings of the respective cities.
Yeah.. I guess I have to experience it to learn it the hard way. :)
Amy, this is good to know. It’d be one of those things I would think I SHOULD do with kids–now I feel free to skip it and spend time on other worthy attractions!
Yup. I mean if you have limited time, then definitely there are other things that are more worthy.
Always good to know what you can easily miss or at least zoom through. I do like the last shot, the faces on the kids tell it all.
I think driving by Hollywood Blvd will be a bit more fun than walking. :)
That’s a shame – not everything is what it seems in the kid’s book of fun. My son was so hot and bothered by the time we’d braved the queues at the Colissum in Rome that he spent the whole visit sitting in the shade reading his book.
So true. Plus a lot of times it also depends on when you visit as well.
I’m not a kid, and I even get pretty bored with much of what’s in all of the guidebooks :)
LOL… As the name tells us, it’s a ‘guidebook’. :) It’s just a guide so we can decide it for ourselves. Sometimes my kids surprised me by enjoying things that I think it will be boring. Guess we will never know. :)
Ha! We were just having this discussion two days ago and my husband looked at me like I was crazy to want to take our kids there. Then I realized, yeah, they don’t really get who movie stars are to begin with, they’d be really annoyed if they don’t even get to see a movie, and we should spend our time in santa monica instead! Thank you!
Yup. I guess we went there for me.. I just want to revisit it again then realize that it wasn’t anything they will enjoy. We did enjoy our time at the El Capitan though. So if there is a good show there, definitely worth a trip to watch a movie there.
Ha Ha! It’s so true, and I love the look on your son’s face:)
I found it very interesting in that I could see the hand and foot prints of all the old stars. My husband and I kept calling out to each other over interesting people we’d come across. But our kids weren’t with us, and I’m sure they would have been less than interested even though they are young teenager types:)
Good post that made me laugh!
Debbie
I agree, skip it with young kids, or just expect the bored looks from them. And hey, you never know which characters will make it onto Hollywood Blvd. (fictional and otherwise!) :)
Good to get an honest review about a popular attraction. Slugging through the sidewalk and the crowds seems understandably not so great for kids. I do, however, love the top photo. Reminds me of that episode of I Love Lucy where they step in the cement time and time again!