A Little Bit Confused... Getting to Universal from DL

[bennyb98]

So from reading all the threads on here I'm a bit confused still on how to get from DL to Universal. I'm not planning on renting a car while I’m on my trip (don't want to deal with Traffic and I have a horrible tendency to get lost) and would really not spend the money on a taxi so I a bit confused on how to use Public Transportation to get there. From what I've read it involves transferring several times and can take upwards of an hour to an hour and a half, can anyone explain this better for me? Thank you guys in advance!

 

[fairycat]

Here is one idea there are some buses, but you are limited to their schedules.

http://www.luxbusamerica.com/bus-schedule-pricing.php

I would say a Taxi is out because it would be VERY expensive, since the parks are about 37 miles apart.

For the trains you would start at Universal Studios take the train to Union Station (25 minutes), then Union Station to Fullerton (Angels Stadium) then you take the bus or a Taxi to the Park.

http://www.westworld.com/~elson/larail/red.html#ride
http://www.metrolinktrains.com/schedules/html.php?id=241

Or look into private cars, were some one drives for you or a vanpool.

Sadly L.A. is still not well set up for public transport. In fact these trains are not that old so still a big deal here. It can be tough, but can also be done.

BTW- with traffic and/or transfers I would plan more like two hours just in case.

 

[perlster]

You need to decide on what day you want to make the trip and when you want to arrive at Universal.
Note that (if you decide to take public transportation) your trip will end up a station nearby, and you will take a shuttle up the hill to where USH is located. (Unless you are really in for some exercise and want to hike it)

If you go to http://mta.net, and put Disneyland and Universal Studios in the "From" and "To" boxes, then fill in the day and time, you will be given instructions for the trip.

 

[bennyb98]

Thanks for the info! Looks like I still have a lot of research to do. Kinda reminds me of the time I tried to get to Universal from DTD in Orlando at the spur of the moment and it took me 2 hours along with getting lost downtown. lol

 

[Valencia Joe]

As someone mentioned before, the Metrolink trains are probably the best way to go. Take a taxi to the Anaheim Stadium station and make sure you take the Metrolink train to Los Angeles. The train will end at Union Station. From there, just take the Red Line (Los Angeles' subway) to Universal. Make sure you take the line going to Hollywood/Universal and not the one going to Wilshire (there are two directions in which the Red Line will go). Once at Universal, you can either walk (which will be a hike up a hill), or just take the complimentary shuttle that Universal provides which will drop you off at the top of the hill. It is not that confusing at all. You'll only be taking one train, and one subway ride there. I have attached a link to the Metrolink site to get an idea of the schedules. Good luck.

http://www.metrolinktrains.com/

BTW, the other link involving MTA does not factor in the Metrolink train system (which is extremely efficient (unless you are caught behind a freight train)), and will only give you a bus and subway connection. I would highly recommend that you look at the Metrolink/Red Line alternative compared to a bus/Red Line method of getting there. There are many plusses involved in the Metrolink/Red Line method, as compared to taking a city bus for a portion of your route (eg cleaniness of the bus, the frequent stops, the traffic). Just my two cents.

 

[bennyb98]

Thank you very much!

 

[Huff]

All Anaheim Tours runs a bus to/from Disneyland area and Universal Studios. I believe I've seen a few other buses that provide this service as well. $29 a person round trip. I believe they also have a package that includes discounted admission tickets to Universal.

http://www.allanaheimtours.com/body.asp?tour=ANA-B0041&page=TourDetails

 

[tracys2cents]

Thumbs up to Valencia Joe's information.

Buses just get stuck in traffic, like the cars!

 

[Valencia Joe]

As a follow-up to my post, I checked the price for a round-trip ticket on Metrolink from Anaheim to LA Union Station. The weekday cost for a round-trip ticket is $14/person (drops to $10.50 on the weekend). You won't have to pay anything on the Red Line because you are doing a connecting ride from LA Union Station (normal ride on the Red Line is $1.25/one way anywhere it goes on the system). You also don't have to pay anything on your ride back to Union Station because it is considered a connecting ride... just make sure you have your Metrolink ticket with you in case you get asked at the station (LA's subway system is on a "honor system" in terms of tickets). Should you use this method (Metrolink/Red Line), just make sure that you get on the train that says North Hollywood, and NOT Wilshire. The Red Line stop at Union Station (which is the beginning point for the Red Line), has both lines running from it. Assuming you get there during morning commute time, the Red Line trains run about every 5 minutes (same thing for evening commute time which starts around 3:30/4). During mid-day, they run about every 12 to 15 minutes.