I've been to L.A. a hell of a lot PLUS I have a few friends that live there, so if anyone has specific questions, feel free to ask.
Just off the top of my head:
Disneyland in a day - doable.
There are line jumper things you can get (go to a ride, grab a ticket that has a hour on it, then you come back at that time and you can skip the line). It's the best way to do it, so hit a few of those tickets first, then wait in line for a ride or two, then at that point you can hit 3 or 4 rides in pretty quick succession. Disneyland is fine in a day, especially if you're not crazy about rides. It's not actually THAT big.
Where to stay - avoid the strip.
If it were me personally, I'd chill near Anaheim and drive up to Hollywood or Venice. It's about 20-30 minutes without traffic, an hour in rush hour. Don't stay near the strip, it's just more run down than anything. It's nice to visit, but find somewhere else if you don't want to drive that far. Or as Duffman said, take the train. Anaheim is SO cheap to stay in, so I'd make it home base and travel from there.
Venice in October - don't expect much.
At this point you're getting into the "off season". The beach is still nice, but certainly not as nice as the touristy season. Lots of sketchy people and a little vacant at times, but still worth seeing. If it's the actual BEACH you're after, I recommend hitting Santa Monica instead. A little better, but still got that iconic SoCal vibe. That said, Venice never bothers me personally in the off season, but I find it to be a little concerning for some people.
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