Anaheim to LAX- Uber pick up time & ?'s

[AuroraSheasMom]

I'm traveling to Anaheim this weekend for a softball catcher's retreat with my daughter. I have to leave a day before everyone else on August 1 to come home for the 1st day of school the next day.

My flight leaves LAX at 4:45 p.m. I want to be at the airport about 2:30 to be safe. I've read traffic is terrible and that drop off at the airport can be a pain. I've also read many drivers don't even want to do drop off because it's not worth the $ (traffic, congestion, etc.).

So...What time would you reccommend for pickup? The pickup location is about 20-30 minutes east of Disneyland. Do you think I will have trouble scheduling a driver?

My biggest fear is getting stuck in traffic and missing my flight. I'm due to arrive home at midnight. Next flight won't get me in until 5 a.m. (3 hours before school starts, an hour and a half from the airport). Not an ideal way to start the 1st day of school!

 

[Sergio S]

You might want to leave your location around noon. Traffic going towards LAX is pretty unpredictable. Now, here's a simple hack that I've been monitoring for a few weeks...if drivers don't want to go to LAX, then set your destination to the Hyatt Regency LAX...then its a simple (yet complicated) walk to the terminals. But if its good enough for the flight attendants and pilots to walk, then why not others?
There's a back street (W 98th st) that the drivers can take rather then the busy Century Blvd.

Now of course if you have a ton of luggage, then I wouldn't recommend this.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I just took a Lyft from Paradise Pier to LAX, and just grabbed the first car that popped up, no problems. Driver said he often will get another fare out of LAX as soon as he drops a person off, because he is not at the staging area, but in the terminal loop itself as he is exiting. I said, but that could shoot you off in another direction, away from Orange County. In typical California fashion, he laughed and said "it's all good, I just ride the wave". I left PP at about 6:20 for a 9 pm flight back east, but it was a Sunday.

One driver, who took me from LAX to Grand Californian, explained that Lyft will often be less, because international visitors must use Uber, which accepts their CC for payment. Lyft is US only. In my case Lyft was $38 and Uber was $92. (Obviously Uber was in a surge, cited low availability on app). My (adult) kids say, ALWAYS check both apps!

 

[DebbieB]

I priced Uber and Lyft from Paradise Pier to LAX Hilton around 10:00pm on Sunday night after D23, Lyft was $38, Uber was $42. I was amazed of the price for a 45 minute drive.

I took Super Shuttle on the way in, it took 3 hours to get to GCH. Between LAX traffic, picking people up at each terminal and then 3 stops before mine, I was going nuts.

 

[gottalovepluto]

We had no issues getting an Uber at DLH to LAX. Maybe the drivers used to object because they didn't used to be able to pick-up at LAX, but they can now! I think it took 10 mins for our Uber to arrive at DLH? We were at LAX in like 40-50 mins. Light traffic that late morning according to the driver. A 4:45pm flight that I absolutely couldn't miss, I'd call an Uber at 12:30pm. 12:45pm arrival with 2 hours to get to LAX by 2:45pm is ample IMHO. If leaving earlier makes you more comfortable do it, save yourself whatever stress you can!