Disneyland Express Bus or taxi..pro/cons

[WDBRDWLK]

We had planned on taking the Disneyland Express Bus from LAX to the Grand Californian but looking at their schedule, we may be waiting over an hour once we land.. so if anyone could give us their experinces, we would appreciate it. What was the cost of the bus vs a taxi or a limo? TIA

 

[gottalovepluto]

We Ubered. It was like $40 I think. No way was I gonna wait around LAX for an hour for their $15/person (I think it was 15) bus! We Ubered back as well. Loved it.

 

[Belle83]

We only take the bus to avoid having to travel with a car seat. Otherwise, I would just Uber or take a taxi.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Taxi can run upwards of $100 from LAX...Uber is the the most efficient/cheaper option...or hire a car service

Don't overlook pricing out a car. Depending on dates, I have gotten a car round trip for what Uber would have cost.

 

[BriannaRuth]

The only thing about a car is that you most likely would have to end up paying for parking at the hotel, which can be very pricey.

Advantages of DLE: It's the most comfortable. The seats are big and roomy. They show Disney movies on the bus. It's the most "Disney." It can also be the cheapest if you have kids -- they don't charge for under a certain age (maybe 13 or so, I don't remember for sure). Car seats are not required.

Advantages of Lyft/Uber/limo -- quickest. No waiting for the bus (as you said, it could be up to an hour) and it goes directly to your hotel. If you take the DLE, you only go directly to your hotel if you are staying at the DLH. Otherwise, you go to all 3 Disney properties first, then to other hotels. Same is true on the return trip -- unless you are staying at the DLH you will have stops on your way back to the airport if you take the DLE. Lyft/Uber may be cheaper than the DLE if you have more than 2 adults. Limo will be more. Also using any of these services you could stop somewhere else (like a grocery store) on the way if you wanted.

You can also take a shared shuttle, which would be somewhere in between. Less comfortable than the DLE but may be cheaper. I'm not sure how often they run but it has to be more often than the DLE. No stopping for groceries.

Of course the limo would be the most expensive but probably the most comfortable and quickest. But no movies or theming.

We tend to take the DLE on our way to the hotel because we like getting a "head start" on all things Disney and we usually stay at the DLH. We sometimes use another way to get back.

I do have to mention that our last DLE trip was less than stellar, however, as the A/C on the bus was out and it was August. I think I read someone else say the same thing recently.

 

[tarheelalum]

Uber or Lyft is the only way to go.

 

[bumbershoot]

I like Karmel Shuttle.

 

[nutshell]

Uber

 

[jrjankowski8]

Last time we went to DL, we had a car, but we weren't going exclusively for DL. This time we are staying 6 nights at a GNH in the Convention Center. I booked the SuperShuttle van share. It was $64 for 2 people round trip from LAX to the hotel. Really couldn't find anything to beat that and if they don't have other people coming in at that time, you get your direct ride to the hotel anyway like you would in a taxi.

 

[AshClan]

I'm getting in at 11:30 at night, and have already decided that an Uber is my best option. The few times we've rented cars at LAX, I've been horrified at how long it takes to get to the rental car facilities. And then you have to drive in LA. At that time of night I have no desire to wait for a shuttle.

My issue is for my way back from the Grand Californian. I'm going to have to leave the hotel no later than 3:30 a.m. on a Monday to get to the airport for my 5:50 flight (I have TSA precheck and will be doing carry-on only, so I think that'll be enough time). May be a silly question, but am I going to have any trouble getting an Uber that early in the morning??

 

[hootey]

The Disneyland Express Bus is a comfortable ride from the airport to GC, have used it several times with family. But, we use it based on what time our flight is arriving or leaving. 08:00 am to 6:00 pm or so the bus is great and have never had to wait very long for it. Riding thru LA traffic in a tour bus is nice.
We use Lyft for early morning or late flights from LAX. The Lyft drivers are always on time, polite, with very clean cars or SUVs.

 

[BriannaRuth]

My issue is for my way back from the Grand Californian. I'm going to have to leave the hotel no later than 3:30 a.m. on a Monday to get to the airport for my 5:50 flight (I have TSA precheck and will be doing carry-on only, so I think that'll be enough time). May be a silly question, but am I going to have any trouble getting an Uber that early in the morning??

The trouble with Uber and Lyft is that there has to be someone available *and* close by at the time you call if you don't want a long wait since they don't take reservations. We did have some trouble this past summer getting an Uber from the GCH and from the DLH in a timely manner. In fact, after waiting for an Uber at the DLH to go to the airport (this was in the middle of the afternoon), we finally gave up and ended up taking one of the taxis that was just standing there waiting. We took Uber a number of times last summer at DL, and it always took about 15 minutes for them to arrive. So plan accordingly and don't think you'll get one in 5 minutes.

Uber and Lyft are great, but don't forget the old-fashioned taxi option since you can call for a taxi further ahead of time.

 

[sashasmommy]

You can get free quotes from car services. Sunny's Transportation is very highly rated on Yelp and price is on par with 2 others I checked. They will provide installed car seats on request.

 

[hootey]

Disneyland Express just after dark the weekend before Christmas. We went from a Boeing 787, to the Disneyland Express, to the Grand Californian, not bad for a sat afternoon/evening. A nice airline flight, a nice comfortable bus ride, checked into the nice GC and enjoyed every minute of it!

 

[Mintycake]

Is there a link to the DL express schedule? We are arriving on a Sunday and are debating between this and Uber. Mainly because I don't want to bring a car seat!

 

[krispin41]

Is there a link to the DL express schedule? We are arriving on a Sunday and are debating between this and Uber. Mainly because I don't want to bring a car seat!

https://dre.coachusa.com/ShuttleReservations/Home

 

[WDBRDWLK]

Just posted on another thread the same info but here it is again.. We used the Disneyland Express bus from LAX to Grand Californian and I must say that is was a nice experience. We had to wait about 40 minutes outside of LAX but its better than just missing the bus and having to wait even longer. The bus comes on a set schedule.. There were 3 families on the bus, total of 7 people. Oh and the cost was $48 round trip per person. Not too bad. We did give the driver a small tip.

 

[felice]

Another vote for Karmel Shuttle here (from personal experience) and I've also heard good things about Lansky too.

Your mileage may well vary, though you * may * need car seats for your smaller children. Please don't quote me on this - not having kids myself.