San Diego to Universal Studios

[cruzlover]

Staying in San Diego for 10 days pre-cruise. Does anyone know if there's a day tour that would go from San Diego to Warner Bros. Studios?

 

Had to edit my post. I meant Warner Bros. studio.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Staying in San Diego for 10 days pre-cruise. Does anyone know if there's a day tour that would go from San Diego to Warner Bros. Studios?

 

Had to edit my post. I meant Warner Bros. studio.

 

I would doubt that there's any tours going from San Diego up to a Los Angeles attraction (unless there's a busload of people who would like to do so). Some options would be renting a car and driving up to LA for the day or stay a day or two in the Hollywood/Burbank/Universal City/Studio City area, and then return to San Diego a day or two before your cruise.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I was assuming that you were sailing out of San Diego, but if you're talking about your stay before your Mariner cruise, you'll be leaving from the Port of LA in San Pedro.

[cruzlover]

We are sailing out of San Pedro but are in San Diego for a convention so leaving for a couple of days is not an option. There is a 9 hour tour from our hotel (Hilton Bayfront) that goes to Hollywood and back so I was wondering if anyone knew if there was an option like that for Warner Bros.

[Fattony]

"Hollywood," as in the tours, is a wide area, and there are enough people who want to go there (regardless of how much is really there) to justify tours. Warner Brothers is just one specific location, in Burbank, with nowhere near the number of people who want to go to Hollywood, or Disneyland, etc. If you can drive, that's best (being aware of rush hour, of course). You can get to Warner Brothers Studios from San Diego by public transportation, but it isn't easy: Amtrak train to Union Station in downtown L.A., then either Metro subway to North Hollywood/Universal City and bus (or taxi) from there, or Metrolink commuter train from Union Station to downtown Burbank and bus or taxi from there. Since there are so many tourists at Universal Studios perhaps there are shuttles from there (at least one of the hotels there-- Hilton or Sheraton) to Warner Brothers. Why not phone Warner Brothers? Also, your SD hotel.

 

Sony Studios, in Culver City, also has tours, and appears to be reachable from Union Station in L.A. via one bus. It's an option. It's the former MGM studios, which certainly has a storied history.

 

Try looking at Google Maps. They have a public transportation option. However, if you input Warner Brothers you get one location (where the studio is) and if you input Warner Brothers VIP Studio Tours they give you an address at Universal City (so maybe there are tours leaving from there???).

[Rickey 88]

We are sailing out of San Pedro but are in San Diego for a convention so leaving for a couple of days is not an option. There is a 9 hour tour from our hotel (Hilton Bayfront) that goes to Hollywood and back so I was wondering if anyone knew if there was an option like that for Warner Bros.

 

Probably what the "tour" you mention is a private one specifically for convention attendance. I doubt if you could request a deviation to Warner Bros.

 

The Warner Bros. tour is one of the most interesting of all and will give you a "back lot" glimpse unlike that offered by Universal. However, and this may dampen your interest, you could only take that tour by driving up from San Diego yourself. I doubt you will be able to find anything else.

 

If you do chose to drive yourself, the time to get to L.A. from San Diego would be about two or more hours, so allow yourself that much to reach Burbank. Tours can be reserved for the first three hours of each day, otherwise, it's a first come - first served basis.....

[Fattony]

I've taken both the Warner Brothers and Sony tours. It's been a while, but I'd probably concur with WB being the best. I was on a special group tour (helping to escort a group in the State Department International Visitors Program), so can't opine on the regular vs. VIP tour. I remember Sony also being good, but don't remember as much. I haven't been to Universal in a long, long time, but understand its emphasis is on the theme park over studio tour. If I were driving, I'd allow at leasty 3 hours to get from SD to WB or Sony, due to chances of bad traffic and the necessity to get there something like 20 mins. before your tour starts. Why not phone your hotel about tours, and phone WB or Sony for suggestions on getting there? I imagine you're not the first ones with the same question.