Best transport for a herd from SNA?

[Mome Rath]

Hello all! My family and I are WDW vets, but have never been to DL, and we are planning a trip for 2016. We know we won't be renting a car, so what would you recommend as far as transporting us from SNA to the Grand Californian?

As I know the advice differs depending on specifics; there will be 6 adults and 3 kids, and all of our luggage lol. In proper order, I'm concerned about safety first, the least amount of stress next, and price third. However we get to the Hotel, we will probably want to return the same way.

How long does it usually take to get there, and what can we expect to pay with the various forms of transport? Thanks for any help or opinions you can give!

 

[DahliaRW]

If you want to avoid the car seat hassle (if your kids are younger) and your flight gets in during operating hours, you may want to use the disneyland resort express. http://www.graylineanaheim.com/airport_info.cfm It's quite convenient when staying on site (the first stop coming from SNA and the last stop leaving to SNA are by the disneyland hotel, and the GCH is the one before/after that. And you could get off and walk from DLH). It's also super cheap, compared to most shuttles. It takes about a half hour from SNA.

There are also various shuttles in the area you could use. We're using Lansky from LAX this week. But it is quite a bit more cost wise.

 

[Just Peachy]

Our family travel count runs between 7 and 10 adults most of the time to Disneyland. On our last two trips (last two years) we hired a stretch limo. We have been able to find a local company that runs us ~$130 each way. With my group the Magic Express would run $140 - $200, we might wait up to an hour (the bus leaves hourly) and we have to carry our own bags.

With the limo; the driver has been at SNA waiting for us, loads our bags, leaves as soon as we are in the vehicle and it is a real blast!

On our last trip I was told that the driver would stop at a local grocery store to allow us to get provisions if we stayed at the Grand Cali. So, this summer, we are going to try that.

Depending on the ages of your kids, you might get them on the Magic Express bus for free (up to 3 kids/paying adult), so you would need to check out the pricing.

 

[Mome Rath]

Thank you both so much for the info! The limo sounds like a blast... now if I could just convince the rest of my fam! lol

 

[bumbershoot]

Our family travel count runs between 7 and 10 adults most of the time to Disneyland. On our last two trips (last two years) we hired a stretch limo. We have been able to find a local company that runs us ~$130 each way. With my group the Magic Express would run $140 - $200, we might wait up to an hour (the bus leaves hourly) and we have to carry our own bags.

With the limo; the driver has been at SNA waiting for us, loads our bags, leaves as soon as we are in the vehicle and it is a real blast!

We had 3 people in a limo in Florida with 4 checked bags, 3 carryons and our personal items, and our personal items and one carryon had to go in the body of the limo. The trunk was tiny! How on earth did you guys fit all your bags?


OP you can look into a booking on a shuttle like Karmel Shuttle (my fave so far) or Super Shuttle. You would fill the shuttle (if not need another). See what the capacity is for the shuttles, at least.


Often, convincing the family just means pricing it all out. Options are Greyline's Disneyland Resort Express, the shuttles I mentioned and I'm sure there are others. Limos, towncars, even rental cars. Price it all out and see how it all goes together. You could very well find that a limo, assuming there's no issue with luggage like we had, is a totally financially viable option.

 

[lalasmama]

A big factor in this equation is what airport you are planning on flying into. Three airports service the immediate area (LAX, SNA, and LGB). At SNA and LAX, you have more options (namely, the Disneyland Resort Express). Keep in mind that, while WDW has the Magical Express, DLR has no such thing, and all transportation is your responsibility to coordinate and pay. The Disneyland Resort Express is *not* ran or owned or even endorsed or recommended by Disneyland.

Your three qualifications are: safety, ease, and price. There are three typical ways to get from the airport to the hotel: a hired vehicle (shuttles, limos, etc), a rental car, or a "drive-by" shuttle/bus/taxi. Safety-wise, the Disneyland Resort Express may be the top in safety and ease of use--it's a huge Greyhound-style motor coach, and doesn't require the use of child restraints. In fact, there aren't even seatbelts! Safety is maintained through "compartmentalization," just as in a school bus. If an accident occurs, basically, you won't go further than the seatback that is in front of you. The unfortunate part about the Disneyland Resort Express is, if you are flying into LAX, you are stuck waiting on a center island with vehicles going around each side of you.

For ease, I'd think a hired car would be at the top of the list... They will often wait for you in baggage claim and help you with your bags. Of course, if your children are young, you would need to provide child restraints. (I would personally never expect a hired car/shuttle to provide correct seats--seats expire, need to be cleaned specific ways, and not all restraints fit all children; that's a lot to trust to a hired car driver, who could well be a 22yo single man who hasn't ever used a car seat.)

Regarding price, that's highly dependent on what airport you are flying into... A taxi from LAX is approximately twice as expensive as a taxi from SNA or LGB. The Disneyland Resort Express is about 50% more from LAX I believe (can't remember the exact amount at the moment). Shuttles and such are going to also be more from LAX, as it's further away from Disneyland.

I have a hard time recommending basic shuttle services; this is based purely on a safety standpoint. They are more top-heavy, and more likely to tip over... LA driving is rough, and a simple swerve to avoid a car accident can result in a tip. But, I know I'm admittedly more concerned about this possibility than most people; years ago, there was a wreck in my hometown, with a family on the way to the airport, and the father died in a shuttle van, and that really stuck in my head! This only pertains to the shuttle busses that are like the vans on a high truck chassis; the ones similar to what city transportation uses don't seem to be so likely to tip.

Edited to add: Whoops! Just re-read your post, and see that you mentioned SNA as your airport of choice! I'd recommend the Disneyland Resort Express or a hired car (limo, shuttle, whatever). It's a bit of a hike to get from baggage claim over to ground transportation at SNA, but it's doable with 6 adults and 3 kids.

 

[Mome Rath]

A big factor in this equation is what airport you are planning on flying into. Three airports service the immediate area (LAX, SNA, and LGB). At SNA and LAX, you have more options (namely, the Disneyland Resort Express). Keep in mind that, while WDW has the Magical Express, DLR has no such thing, and all transportation is your responsibility to coordinate and pay. The Disneyland Resort Express is *not* ran or owned or even endorsed or recommended by Disneyland.

Your three qualifications are: safety, ease, and price. There are three typical ways to get from the airport to the hotel: a hired vehicle (shuttles, limos, etc), a rental car, or a "drive-by" shuttle/bus/taxi. Safety-wise, the Disneyland Resort Express may be the top in safety and ease of use--it's a huge Greyhound-style motor coach, and doesn't require the use of child restraints. In fact, there aren't even seatbelts! Safety is maintained through "compartmentalization," just as in a school bus. If an accident occurs, basically, you won't go further than the seatback that is in front of you. The unfortunate part about the Disneyland Resort Express is, if you are flying into LAX, you are stuck waiting on a center island with vehicles going around each side of you.

For ease, I'd think a hired car would be at the top of the list... They will often wait for you in baggage claim and help you with your bags. Of course, if your children are young, you would need to provide child restraints. (I would personally never expect a hired car/shuttle to provide correct seats--seats expire, need to be cleaned specific ways, and not all restraints fit all children; that's a lot to trust to a hired car driver, who could well be a 22yo single man who hasn't ever used a car seat.)

Regarding price, that's highly dependent on what airport you are flying into... A taxi from LAX is approximately twice as expensive as a taxi from SNA or LGB. The Disneyland Resort Express is about 50% more from LAX I believe (can't remember the exact amount at the moment). Shuttles and such are going to also be more from LAX, as it's further away from Disneyland.

I have a hard time recommending basic shuttle services; this is based purely on a safety standpoint. They are more top-heavy, and more likely to tip over... LA driving is rough, and a simple swerve to avoid a car accident can result in a tip. But, I know I'm admittedly more concerned about this possibility than most people; years ago, there was a wreck in my hometown, with a family on the way to the airport, and the father died in a shuttle van, and that really stuck in my head! This only pertains to the shuttle busses that are like the vans on a high truck chassis; the ones similar to what city transportation uses don't seem to be so likely to tip.

Edited to add: Whoops! Just re-read your post, and see that you mentioned SNA as your airport of choice! I'd recommend the Disneyland Resort Express or a hired car (limo, shuttle, whatever). It's a bit of a hike to get from baggage claim over to ground transportation at SNA, but it's doable with 6 adults and 3 kids.

Thank you so much! Needed this info for sure...

 

[TheChapman6]

We have flown into sna 4 times and always get a taxi they are waiting in a line you get in and go! You might need 2 but it would be fast and easy