Image source: https://www.keytotheworldtravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/IMG_1831.jpg
Thankfully, once you have made your decisions of when to go, how to go, and where to stay, there is one decision you dont have to worry about: how to get to your hotel. A recent survey of airport transportation options in Los Angeles takes the guess work out the decision-making process and provides clear and concise information for each of the options available to you.
Rental Car
Renting a car is the path that most visitors choose to get to the Disneyland resort; however, our research found that it may not be the wisest. While there are good deals to be had with the rental companies, many travelers fail to figure in the additional costs of gas and parking, not to mention the hazards of driving in an unfamiliar area. Los Angeles is notorious for its traffic (Texas A&M researchers found it the worst in the nation) and its maze of a freeway system. One of the benefits of the Disneyland resorts in Anaheim, CA is that the area surrounding the park is well built up with a number of restaurants, grocery stores, and other venues for entertainment. Assuming that mobility is not an issue for anyone in your party, you should be able to walk everywhere you need to go if you choose your hotel carefully. This could lead to a big savings in gas and parking fees and lower your stress level as you leave the driving to the professionals.
Public Transportation
Utilizing public transportation is by far the least expensive option that we investigated. From LAX, you will exit baggage claim and look for the bus labeled G. This is a free shuttle that will take you to the Green Line train station. You take the Green Line train to the Norwalk station. From the Norwalk train station, you take the Express 460 bus to Disneyland. The total cost per person will be $3.75 ($1.25 for the train and $2.50 for the bus). While the cost cant be beat, there are two major problems with utilizing public transportation to get from LAX to Disneyland: using the Metro system turns a 36 miles trip into a 3 hour odyssey and the trains and buses are often quite crowded, making it very difficult to travel with any sort of large pieces of luggage. More information on public transit in Los Angeles is available at http://metro.net or by calling (323) GO METRO.
Disneyland Express
Grayline Bus Tours operates a private bus that will transport you from LAX to Disneyland called Disneyland Express. Reservations are not required, and you can pay your fare on the bus. If you exit the baggage claim and cross over to the center island, Disneyland Express arrives approximately every hour under the green sign at each terminal. The one way cost is $22 for adults and $19 for children ages 3-11. It is important to note that the bus only runs from 7:30am to 10:30pm.
Taxi
Taxis are abundant at LAX, but the distance to Disneyland of 36 miles makes them pretty inefficient for our purposes. There are 8 different companies licensed to serve the airport and their reported fares range from $60-$85. However, the World Taximeter figures the fare at $115.94 after figuring in airport surcharges, tip, and potential time spend waiting in traffic. Aside from the expense, the inability to predict the exact fare is another reason taxis are not a popular option from LAX to Disneyland.
Hotel Shuttles
There are a number of airport shuttles and hotel shuttles in Los Angeles. The two shared ride services that are licensed to operate at LAX are Prime Time Shuttle and Super Shuttle. Upon exiting baggage claim, both have uniformed representatives (Prime Time in red, Super Shuttle in blue) at the curb at each terminal. Prime Time Shuttles fare for a hotel shuttle to Disneyland is $15 per person. The cost is the same for the return hotel shuttle to LAX. Super Shuttle charges $38 for the first person and $9 for each additional passenger for the same trip. Each are able to accommodate a maximum of 9 passengers per van. Regardless of the number of passengers, Super Shuttle comes out to be more expensive, so you should stay with Prime Time Shuttle unless you have some sort of coupon or discount for Super Shuttle.
Discounted Shared Van Service
A relatively new shuttle to LAX is Shuttle2LAX.com. As a travel wholesaler (they purchase unused seats from the other companies and resell them to the public), their rates for hotel shuttle service from LAX to Disneyland are $20 for the first passenger and $11 for each additional passenger. Once you make your reservation online, you will find out which hotel shuttle will be serving you and then will need to follow the specific instructions of that carrier in order to know where to meet your shuttle. Prime Time Shuttle is still cheaper than going through Shuttle2LAXs discount service if you have 1 or 2 people. If you have 3 or more, Shuttle2LAX is the cheapest.
Private Van
Another option is a private van. Again, only Prime Time Shuttle or Super Shuttle are licensed to provide this service at LAX. Super Shuttles private van can hold up to 9 passengers and is $109 one way. Prime Time offers a smaller, exclusive 7 passenger van for $90 one way or a 9 passenger van for $100.
Town Car
Town cars are not as strictly regulated by the airport and there are a plethora of companies that provide this service. Two major carriers are Go Sedan and Super Shuttle. A private town car that can carry 3 passengers and 4 pieces of luggage is available from Go Sedan for $95.58. Super Shuttle offers the same for $119.
Now that all of your options have been laid out for you, along with their relative costs, we hope that at least this one decision regarding your family trip to Disneyland is easier to make.
