Show Summary
This audio is from our free course that helps you plan a vacation to Disneyland. In this module, we talk about the different options for getting from the airport to the Disneyland Resort.
The most common options are Uber/Lyft, car rentals, and shuttle services, and they all have their pros and cons. We will go over everything to consider when looking at all of these options and how that will affect your trip and budget.
In our free course to help you plan your vacation to Disneyland we have some recommended shuttle services and additional resources to plan your ground transportation.
Jump To:
Chapters and Time Stamps
0:00 Intro
1:18 Using Uber or Lyft
2:35 Renting A Car
3:50 Shuttle Services
5:18 Outro
Show Transcript
How Will You Get To Disneyland?
Not only do we need to think about our flight and hotel,  but we also need to consider how we're going to get from the airport to the Disneyland parks area.
Growing up near Disneyland, we always drove. So if you are doing the same thing and you're driving to the parks, you can go ahead and skip this section. Everything in this section is going to be regarding shuttles and rental cars. So you can go ahead and skip this if you're going to be bringing your own car.
If you're going to be flying into the Los Angeles, Anaheim Long Beach area, there are a couple options that you have to get from the airport to the parks.  And the first is Uber or Lyft. The second is to rent a car and the third is to use a shuttle company.
Using Uber or Lyft
So let's go ahead and talk about these different options and the pros and cons of each of these. Personally, I like to use Uber and Lyft. This is my preferred option. There's little to no wait time and it's flexible to my flight. It's great for flying into SNA, the John Wayne airport or LGB, which is the Long Beach Airport.
 If I'm only going to be going to Disney Parks, Then that's usually going to be what I do. I recommend that you have both Uber and Lyft loaded on your phones as sometimes one will be significantly less expensive. So when you land, check both apps and make sure that you are getting the best price.
Some credit cards will allow for free credits each month or extra points if you're using one of the services. So make sure you have the right card loaded onto those apps.  And then be sure to not only consider how many people, but how much luggage and strollers you have. So while you might only have three people, if you have a double stroller and three suitcases, a regular car is likely not going to be big enough.
You can request a Uber XL, which is a larger vehicle, usually a minivan or something along those lines. If you only have one adult with you, that might not be an option. Or if you have a lot of car seats, there might be some things that keep you from being able to use Uber or Lyft, so let's talk about the other options.
Renting A Car
Renting a car is a great way to get from especially Los Angeles Airport, LAX to the parks, or if you know you want to hit up Universal Studios, Hollywood, the beaches, having a rental car can be a really great option. Be sure to consider parking costs because there will be a fee at the hotel, most likely if it is very close to Disneyland. And then also if the hotel is far enough away where you're going to need to drive to Disney there'll be an additional charge to park at Disneyland.
Remember, if you're planning on renting a car and driving, traffic in Los Angeles can be much more intense and if you are driving a car and you're not used to driving in Los Angeles, just remember, that can be much worse than you are used to.
Always use Google to estimate the time, not the number of miles, especially around the Los Angeles airport. It can take a long time to go a short number of miles in certain parts of Los Angeles and especially at certain times of day. So make sure you build in lots of travel time, really look at what Google recommends as far as travel time at the time that you're planning to go, especially if you're going to be heading out anywhere during commuter times, the time that it would take to get to a destination can be a lot longer.
Shuttle Services
Now let's talk about shuttles. This option seems to be especially popular with those who have multiple kids with car seats or that would like a professional driver to drive them from the airport.
They just feel more comfortable than using an Uber or Lyft, where maybe they don't have as much control over those drivers. This usually tends to be the slowest and most expensive option, but if you need a shuttle to be able to fit all of your travel items, keep car seats, and keep all your family members together, there are some really great companies that provide these services.
And generally the fees are going to be per person.  We have included a couple companies that have really great reputation for service around the Disneyland area that can pick you up at any of the area airports, including LAX and take you to the Disneyland Resort.
Some will pick up and deliver to multiple hotels at the same time, just plan that that can add a lot of time onto your travel. So when you're considering pricing, make sure to find out whether you would be the only stop or whether they would be transporting several families with multiple different hotel locations.
 Now that you have those options in the course, we have additional links here and you can make sure that you have those things planned.
Book Rental Cars Early
If you're planning on renting a car, go ahead and reserve that car earlier, you can always change your mind later. Prices for rental cars do tend to increase significantly as you get closer to your travel date. So booking that rental car, even if you're unsure right now with a refundable option or pay at the counter option, gives you a little bit more flexibility if you're still trying to finalize your transportation plans.
Show Resources