I hope this info is useful to some Festgoers--
The Renaissance Hollywood Hotel is located south of the 101 Fwy, and west of the 110 Fwy. The hotel shares parking with the shops on Hollywood & Highland (Blvds.). Entry to the underground structure is on Orange Dr. or Highland. Access to the hotel's valet parking is on Highland Blvd.
There is no courtesy shuttle to local airports. :- The SuperShuttle is $15 per person to LAX. Though closer, shuttling to Burbank Airport is a bit more expensive.
Reservations can be made at
www.supershuttle.com. Taxi is another option. There's a subway entrance on the corner of H&H.
Hotel valet parking -- $22/day, includes in and out privileges.
Self parking -- maximum $10/day if you're leaving your car in the lot, or $15/day for in and out privileges. Just give your parking ticket to the front desk and they will charge it to your room and give you a pass for your entire stay. Note the level number (1-4) and the color in case you forget the former, and the letter. Otherwise, you will be in trouble because the levels can be disorienting. The good news is that they're clean and well lit. After you move up to street level, you can either walk over to the hotel from there, or (highly recommended) proceed to the 3rd level of the shopping complex, where you'll find a ramp that will take you to the 2nd level of the hotel, and walk downstairs. H&H Center staff is on hand near a few of the escalators to direct you.
The shopping is fantastic. My personal favorites-- Coach, Build a Bear, and did I mention Coach?
There are loads of restaurants. The hotel only has 1 AFAIK. There's a Starbucks and the always dependable CPK (California Pizza Kitchen). Wolfgang Puck's Loggia and Vert are at the top.
The complex also boasts the Kodak Theater, home of the Academy Awards, which offers frequent guided tours. There's a 6-screen movie theater. An exit opens to the courtyard in front of Mann's Theater. The DS connection: in the east streetside corner of the forecourt is Jean Simmons' signature.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame lines both sides of the boulevard. Joan Bennett's star is located catty-corner to the Pantages Theatre (address below). Her star is in front of a former Department Store that has been broken up into smaller, junky storefronts/offices so I can't give an exact address. Just start at Vine Street and walk west on Hollywood Blvd.; if you reach the Iguana (as in "Night of¢â‚¬¦") Vintage Clothing Store, you've gone too far. A recent ShadowGram reported that Kate Jackson also has a star, and I'm sorry, but I don't think that's correct. However, you can check out
www.katejacksonstar.com for info on a fan project to get one for her. :-
The Hollywood Sign can be viewed from the hotel. Maybe it'll be changed to Halliewood in honor of Kathy Cody's 1st Fest appearance? Hollyweird?
Other sites of interest are: (For reference, the Mann Theater is located at 6925 Hwd. Blvd.)
The Hollywood Entertainment Museum is at 7021 Hwd. Blvd.
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is at 7000 Hwd Blvd.
The Pacific El Capitan Theatre is at 6838 Hwd. Blvd.
The Hollywood Wax Museum (6767 Hwd. Blvd.), The Hollywood Guiness World of Records, and Ripley's Believe It Or Not are all near each other.
The Egyptian Theatre is at 6712 Hwd. Blvd.
Musso & Frank's Grill is at 6667 Hwd. Blvd.
Frederick's of Hollywood is at 6608 Hwd. Blvd.
The Pantages Theatre is at 6233 Hwd. Blvd. near Vine St.
The Capitol Records Tower is on Vine, north of Hwd Blvd. You can walk inside, but there's no tour.
Collectors Book Store is at 6225 Hwd. Blvd.
The Hollywood Forever Cemetery is located at 6000 Santa Monica Blvd. The gift shop sells a map. A partial list:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Forever_Cemetery The gravesite of Rudolph Valentino is said to be haunted.
The Hollywood Collectors Show runs simultaneously (Sat & Sun) with the Fest. Its new location is the Hilton Burbank Airport Center. I do NOT see June Lockhart listed as a guest, which is good news to DS fans. I really enjoyed meeting her at an autograph show last year. If she brings photos, all the better, because she has some great pictures from Lost In Space, Lassie, and General Hospital. Expect to pay (IIRC) $10 or $20 for her autograph or autographed photo. She's a very frank lady, btw, and I'm looking forward to her reading from the Bennett biography. See
http://www.hollywoodcollectorshow.com/Burbank.htm for a complete list of guests. It's subject to change, as guests may be added or removed (or may simply not show up).
Some reserved tickets for the Tut Exhibit at
LACMA are still available for $30 but I suggest you not wait. "Wicked" is, unfortunately, completely sold out, but if you have tickets, there's a free [evening only] shuttle to and from the Pantages. See
www.hollywoodandhighland.com for info. The Pantages is 1 subway stop on the Red Line ($1.25 per boarding, $3 day pass).
Disneyland is celebrating its 50th birthday. In honor of the golden anniversary, Space Mountain reopened this month, woo hoo! Other special events, such as a specially decorated Sleeping Beauty's Castle, are listed here:
50th Anniversary HighlightsUniversal Studios Hollywood. Take the Red Line to the Universal City Station.
The nearest Olive Garden Restaurant is in Burbank on Victory Blvd. You know who you are.
Does anyone have questions or info to add?
