Arriving in 2 weeks and 3 days and will be getting in very late

[pyrxtc]

should I call hotel and let them know that we'll be late ? We may not get there until midnight or later depending on how well we can follow the GPS from LAX to DLH. We will be picking up our luggage ourselves, just 1 bag, having to get our rental car and then make it to DLH. Our flight does not even get in until 11 pm and I know we will all be tired since it will be 2 am our time. I don't want to get a cruddy room since are in so late and I definitely don't want the room canceled because we did not check in on that date, technically, and we showed up the next day, technically.

Any suggestions ??

It is going to be our first time in CA and our first visit, obviously, to DL. The kids will be finding out they are going after we get to the airport. Should I videotape it ?

 

[disneyfan67]

Let me you give some advice I learned from my recent trip and flying to LAX and getting a rental car. First off, I will never fly into LAX again, unless it was free and my experience with that airport and having to board a nearly packed rental car bus to get to the rental car location, sucked. I can't use any other stronger word to describe it that would be allowed on this board. I also found the freeway system to be a complete mess, but I arrived during the middle of the day. I also used my GPS which I brought along. From now on SNA will be the airport of choice and LAX will be a last resort option.

If you're staying at a Disney owned hotel and paying for that night, I would recommend staying off site at a cheaper option. If you're arriving really late in the night and feel tired and beat, I recommend staying at one of the numerous hotel options near the airport and hitting it first thing real early in the morning. Or wait until the morning rush eases up somewhat then go, but there will be traffic either option. Obviously you're going to get many different opinions on this board about this. Take my word, nothing runs smoothly at LAX or at the rental car locations. I was never so glad to finally get my car and be free of that area. I ended up wasting a ton of time for my luggage to arrive and getting my car. I saw a lot of frustrated people on my arrival and was disappointed in how things are run at that airport. They made O'Hare airport look like a smoothly run operation, by comparison.

I wish you well in what ever you choose to do. I'm just being honest in what I saw and experienced

 

[HydroGuy]

I would make sure the hotel knows. Regarding the room they give you, I doubt there is much you can do about that.

 

[pyrxtc]

Let me you give some advice I learned from my recent trip and flying to LAX and getting a rental car. First off, I will never fly into LAX again, unless it was free and my experience with that airport and having to board a nearly packed rental car bus to get to the rental car location, sucked. I can't use any other stronger word to describe it that would be allowed on this board. I also found the freeway system to be a complete mess, but I arrived during the middle of the day. I also used my GPS which I brought along. From now on SNA will be the airport of choice and LAX will be a last resort option.

If you're staying at a Disney owned hotel and paying for that night, I would recommend staying off site at a cheaper option. If you're arriving really late in the night and feel tired and beat, I recommend staying at one of the numerous hotel options near the airport and hitting it first thing real early in the morning. Or wait until the morning rush eases up somewhat then go, but there will be traffic either option. Obviously you're going to get many different opinions on this board about this. Take my word, nothing runs smoothly at LAX or at the rental car locations. I was never so glad to finally get my car and be free of that area. I ended up wasting a ton of time for my luggage to arrive and getting my car. I saw a lot of frustrated people on my arrival and was disappointed in how things are run at that airport. They made O'Hare airport look like a smoothly run operation, by comparison.

I wish you well in what ever you choose to do. I'm just being honest in what I saw and experienced

Can't change anything now, used DVC points to book and we would just lose them now. obviously can't change airport either. hopefully car rental goes smooth, would have chose another form of transport but shuttles end at 11 and all other were more expensive than driving. We will be bringing our own GPS too.

We are hoping that being so late at night will help with the ease of driving. We are used to big city driving since we visit Boston often but don't know if LA is much different.

Should I call the hotel directly ? Is there a number for that ? how soon out do they have my ressies ?

 

[HydroGuy]

Let me you give some advice I learned from my recent trip and flying to LAX and getting a rental car. First off, I will never fly into LAX again, unless it was free and my experience with that airport and having to board a nearly packed rental car bus to get to the rental car location, sucked. I can't use any other stronger word to describe it that would be allowed on this board. I also found the freeway system to be a complete mess, but I arrived during the middle of the day. I also used my GPS which I brought along. From now on SNA will be the airport of choice and LAX will be a last resort option.

If you're staying at a Disney owned hotel and paying for that night, I would recommend staying off site at a cheaper option. If you're arriving really late in the night and feel tired and beat, I recommend staying at one of the numerous hotel options near the airport and hitting it first thing real early in the morning. Or wait until the morning rush eases up somewhat then go, but there will be traffic either option. Obviously you're going to get many different opinions on this board about this. Take my word, nothing runs smoothly at LAX or at the rental car locations. I was never so glad to finally get my car and be free of that area. I ended up wasting a ton of time for my luggage to arrive and getting my car. I saw a lot of frustrated people on my arrival and was disappointed in how things are run at that airport. They made O'Hare airport look like a smoothly run operation, by comparison.

I wish you well in what ever you choose to do. I'm just being honest in what I saw and experienced

In general I avoid LAX unless i am connecting somewhere else. I pay extra when necessary to fly into SNA. We are flying into SNA tomorrow and out next weekend. To add to what you are saying, aside from the hassle and traffic of LAX, it is just not magical. SNA is a nice airport. It feels good. I will pay extra to feel good about the experience.

 

[disneyfan67]

Can't change anything now, used DVC points to book and we would just lose them now. obviously can't change airport either. hopefully car rental goes smooth, would have chose another form of transport but shuttles end at 11 and all other were more expensive than driving. We will be bringing our own GPS too.

We are hoping that being so late at night will help with the ease of driving. We are used to big city driving since we visit Boston often but don't know if LA is much different.

Should I call the hotel directly ? Is there a number for that ? how soon out do they have my ressies ?

As a DVC owner using points myself, I understand and it's a lesson learned for the next time. It's sounds like your getting in way late so traffic shouldn't be that bad. Just keep your cool and hope that your luggage and rental car pick up will be smooth. During my arrival the rental company bus I needed was full to capacity and it took 3 tries for one to come that we all could get on with our luggage. Then the line at the counter was long and not staffed enough until a manager finally came out to help, but what can you do? It was the middle of the day in LA.

Being late hopefully you will see and experience none of this. Call your hotel directly and make sure they are aware of you late check in time. Keep the number with you on your cellphone in case of further delays. Your GPS should get there with no problem and I wish you a good trip. At least you get to wake up in a Disney hotel ready to start your day at the parks. I look at it this way, after this trip, you are that much better prepared for the next one.

Good luck and have a safe trip.

 

[HydroGuy]

Can't change anything now, used DVC points to book and we would just lose them now. obviously can't change airport either. hopefully car rental goes smooth, would have chose another form of transport but shuttles end at 11 and all other were more expensive than driving. We will be bringing our own GPS too.

We are hoping that being so late at night will help with the ease of driving. We are used to big city driving since we visit Boston often but don't know if LA is much different.

Should I call the hotel directly ? Is there a number for that ? how soon out do they have my ressies ?

When I am going to Disney resorts I am rabid about minimizing time losses.

For example, we almost never check bags. That saves 20 minutes waiting for bags when things go right. It saves hours when things go wrong and a bag gets lost.

Regarding transportation, if the only reason you are getting a car is to get to DLR then it will be much faster and cheaper to use a taxi. You do not need a car at DLR. If you want a car after DLR then rent a car once your DLR trip finishes.

So you arrive at LAX, hopefully get your bags quickly and then jump in a taxi. Saved time? 15-45 minutes. That is precious time late at night with sleepy kids, and more sleep you can get before the next day at the parks.

 

[pyrxtc]

When I am going to Disney resorts I am rabid about minimizing time losses.

For example, we almost never check bags. That saves 20 minutes waiting for bags when things go right. It saves hours when things go wrong and a bag gets lost.

Regarding transportation, if the only reason you are getting a car is to get to DLR then it will be much faster and cheaper to use a taxi. You do not need a car at DLR. If you want a car after DLR then rent a car once your DLR trip finishes.

So you arrive at LAX, hopefully get your bags quickly and then jump in a taxi. Saved time? 15-45 minutes. That is precious time late at night with sleepy kids, and more sleep you can get before the next day at the parks.

we rented a car since everything else was so expensive. It is only costing us $116 for the long weekend and free parking at the hotel so no extra expense there. we figure with 5 people plus luggage, we might need two taxi's and wasn't sure how that would work.

 

[HydroGuy]

we rented a car since everything else was so expensive. It is only costing us $116 for the long weekend and free parking at the hotel so no extra expense there. we figure with 5 people plus luggage, we might need two taxi's and wasn't sure how that would work.

We did 5 people with luggage in June. Got a taxi van from SNA for like $45. From LAX not that much more. I bet it will be no more than $60 each way. Even so the price difference will not be much and think of the time savings on each end getting and dropping the car.

 

[Hawaiian Style]

We have never had problems flying into LAX. 1st, I would let the hotel know you are getting in late and there should be no problem. 2nd, to save time...let your family get your bags, and you can get the car and go back and pick them up. Traffic at LAX at that time can be surprisingly heavy, but traffic outside will be fine...35-45 min to Anaheim. The major car rental places are right off of Century Blvd, and Century goes right into the airport. The major car companies also have more shuttles, so faster pick up. The discount guys probably only have one shuttle going around, so wait will be longer. That has happened to me, but still not more that 20-30 min. Have fun!!!

Tape it!!! We did the same thing, and it's priceless!

PS...you may want to do a drive through snack before you get to the resort. Options will be limited once you get there, in your anxiousness to get there you may overlook being hungry.

 

[pyrxtc]

We have never had problems flying into LAX. 1st, I would let the hotel know you are getting in late and there should be no problem. 2nd, to save time...let your family get your bags, and you can get the car and go back and pick them up. Traffic at LAX at that time can be surprisingly heavy, but traffic outside will be fine...35-45 min to Anaheim. The major car rental places are right off of Century Blvd, and Century goes right into the airport. The major car companies also have more shuttles, so faster pick up. The discount guys probably only have one shuttle going around, so wait will be longer. That has happened to me, but still not more that 20-30 min. Have fun!!!

Tape it!!! We did the same thing, and it's priceless!

PS...you may want to do a drive through snack before you get to the resort. Options will be limited once you get there, in your anxiousness to get there you may overlook being hungry.

Thanks ! We probably will be hungry. We still haven't decided which of us is gonna drive but I guess I'll be getting the car since the reservation is in my name. I went through Enterprise for my car. Figured it would be nice to have if we did want to leave property for anything. Maybe we'll go stick our toes into the ocean just to say we went into the Pacific Ocean.

 

[mydisneymoney]

We used Enterprise in February and it went very smooth. We flew into LAX as well but we didn't have a choice because we flew on Allegiant and they only fly into LAX. Luckily their hub is in Terminal 6 which is a quiet hub with a bunch of small airlines so it really wasn't that busy. Our GPS took us right to PPH. Don't forget to program addresses in ahead of time. I also saved addresses for Target and Walmart that are really close. We arrive at our hotel around 11pm and they were expecting us. In fact, we ended up with a premium view of California Adventure.

By all means, tape the surprise. Not only will you get to experience it over and over when you watch it but you can use it in contests etc to try and win another vacation.

Have fun.

 

[pixiewings71]

We get in late quite a few times, we always call the hotel ahead of time and let them know. It helps them plan better in my experience.

Enjoy!!

 

[blabbermouth]

As a DVC owner using points myself, I understand and it's a lesson learned for the next time. It's sounds like your getting in way late so traffic shouldn't be that bad. Just keep your cool and hope that your luggage and rental car pick up will be smooth. During my arrival the rental company bus I needed was full to capacity and it took 3 tries for one to come that we all could get on with our luggage. Then the line at the counter was long and not staffed enough until a manager finally came out to help, but what can you do? It was the middle of the day in LA.

Being late hopefully you will see and experience none of this. Call your hotel directly and make sure they are aware of you late check in time. Keep the number with you on your cellphone in case of further delays. Your GPS should get there with no problem and I wish you a good trip. At least you get to wake up in a Disney hotel ready to start your day at the parks. I look at it this way, after this trip, you are that much better prepared for the next one.

Good luck and have a safe trip.

What rental company did you use so I can possibly avoid it in the future? Thanks!

Thanks to everyone for the useful info. We'll be flying into LAX and using a rental car. I didn't expect it to be FUN, but I hope it's not dreadful either. I will ask DH about splitting up for the luggage and rental, good idea!

 

[disneyfan67]

What rental company did you use so I can possibly avoid it in the future? Thanks!

Thanks to everyone for the useful info. We'll be flying into LAX and using a rental car. I didn't expect it to be FUN, but I hope it's not dreadful either. I will ask DH about splitting up for the luggage and rental, good idea!

The rental car company I used was Enterprise and I had no problem with the car, the staff was friendly for the most part, and the rate for 7 days was affordable. What I didn't like that is the rental car buses were packed and you might have to wait for one that is less full and that's time consuming. I never flew into a major airport like this and saw such a messed up, inefficient system to get people where they need to go. BTW, I don't know if I would split people up and recomend staying together, imo.

FYI, how LAX has the area where you board the shuttles is ridiculous and I know will fly out of SNA. I wasn't the only one who thought it was an accident waiting to happen. LAX seriously needs to redo this area and make it safer for people waiting to get on those buses. Here is a good video to watch on how it is and I watched before I went and was prepared somewhat. Take the time and give it a look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwWrZ3jrXsY


I did do a link below to the Enterprise location with reviews and pictures.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/enterprise-rent-a-car-los-angeles-41


I'm not trying to scare people here, but give the unvarnished truth and help others prepare. It may run smooth for the OP and I hope so. Remember, information is your friend.

 

[blabbermouth]

Just thought I'd follow up now that I'm back from my trip. Flying into/out of LAX was easy peasy. The Budget rental shuttle came right away and only took a few minutes to get to the depot. Only a few people in front on us in line and we were off in our ford focus. We didn't go directly to Anaheim, but on our way back to the airport, we left at 8am for our 11:30 flight on a Friday and traffic was great! So all in all we didn't have any complaints, but maybe we were just lucky

 

[cathicool]

OMG! You guys are freaking me out!

We are going to LAX from NYC at the end of this month (Sept). We are landing at 9:45pm. Have a car rental thru Alamo. Is it really going to be miserable? I keep telling DH that we need to take the earlier flight (flying Southwest, so changing the flight isn't a big deal- same price at the moment), but he can't get out of work earlier.

We have 3 kids and it's going to feel like 1245am to them (and us) b/c of the 3 hr time difference! We are staying at VGC, so I guess I will call them and let them know about our ulta late arrival. I think I will have DH or myself get the car and the other adult stay with the kids and get the bags to speed up the process.

Any other words of wisdom?????

 

[snesguy]

OMG! You guys are freaking me out!

We are going to LAX from NYC at the end of this month (Sept). We are landing at 9:45pm. Have a car rental thru Alamo. Is it really going to be miserable? I keep telling DH that we need to take the earlier flight (flying Southwest, so changing the flight isn't a big deal- same price at the moment), but he can't get out of work earlier.

We have 3 kids and it's going to feel like 1245am to them (and us) b/c of the 3 hr time difference! We are staying at VGC, so I guess I will call them and let them know about our ulta late arrival. I think I will have DH or myself get the car and the other adult stay with the kids and get the bags to speed up the process.

Any other words of wisdom?????

Don't worry. With you coming in at 9:45 PM you are not arriving at a peak time. You won't have commute traffic to deal with. You'll be fine if you do a little planning.

I've flown into LAX a few times. It's my least favorite airport in the area because it's more complicated to get in and out of there in a rental car. It takes longer to take the shuttle to and from the rental car lot so you have to plan for that if you are short on time, and if you travel during commute hours you are going to be in for some painful traffic (but you can use the carpool lanes). I've gone there occaisionally because a few times I got a much cheaper airfare there. I have to save a lot to choose to fly in there, I favor SNA or Long Beach, but if you know what to expect LAX is OK.

A couple of things I would suggest: either take a map of the airport area (old school), or have the passenger in the rental car following along with an online map on your smartphone or GPS to guide the driver. I probably wouldn't send someone unfamiliar with the area alone to the rental car location and have them have to find their way back to the terminal alone. The most traffic you are going to see at that time of night is probably getting in and out of and around the terminal so I would just load everyone up on the rental shuttle and leave from there (unless you have a lot of big heavy luggage). I think that will be easier. Look up on Google maps before you go the location of the rental car lot and how to get on the freeway from there going to DL. Likewise, lookup how to get from the freeway back to the rental car lot on your return.

 

[disfan07]

Eh...LAX really isn't that bad. At least not IMO. We've flown in and out of LAX probably about 10 times in the past 3 years. Have never had any problems.

It's really not that hard to get from LAX to DL. Just look at a map before you leave on your trip. Go to AAA and pick up a SoCal map. And you can also google the directions beforehand.

At that time of the night, you really should not have too many problems at the airport. Yes LAX is busy, but I really don't think it is as bad as people say.