Disneyland Resort Express - Reviews?

[AndreAggie]

Any thoughts or review on the Disneyland Resort Express? We're staying at the new Springhill on Harbor in January. We are flying into Anaheim and then driving down to San Diego to visit some family, the driving back to Anaheim to begin our 5 days at Disneyland. My husband will drop us off at the hotel, then go back to the airport to return the rental car because we don't want to pay for parking at the hotel or parks. We're thinking getting my husband a round trip DR Express ticket and single ones for my son and me. Any other suggestions? Our son is 4, so he needs a carseat and we'll have ours. But the less we have to install and uninstall, the better! How reliable is the DR Express?

 

[scrappymel]

Worked like a charm both ways for us. We actually had a bus to ourselves on the way back to the airport. It was the earliest bus.

 

[AndreAggie]

Did y'all make reservations? This is pretty much the last thing we need to lock down, but I just want the least expensive, but reliable service!

 

[sleepymouse]

We took it from LAX to Grand Cal yesterday. We didn't make reservations. Just hopped on when it came and paid onboard with credit card. We watched Mathilde on board. No complaints.

 

[tvguy]

Used them last week, pre-purchased tickets on the phone. No reservations are needed or even taken on the airport end, John Wayne Orange County in our case. You do need reservations at the hotel end.
Everything within their control worked perfectly. As we landed at 5 pm, we were on the 5:45 pm bus, so we had to deal with rush hour traffic which probably doubled the drive time from previous trips when we landed at 1 pm.
And for some reason, it was gridlock in the circle driveway at the Grand Californian and they could not get the bus (or any vehicle for that matter) in to drop us off, so they dropped us off at the entrance on Disneyland Drive.

I've rented a car, used the blue van and used Disneyland Resort Express and Disneyland Resort Express works as well as the blue van, both are better than driving a car since we never leave Disneyland once we arrive. The Disneyland Resort Express is also the least expensive option.

 

[lalasmama]

Any thoughts or review on the Disneyland Resort Express? We're staying at the new Springhill on Harbor in January. We are flying into Anaheim and then driving down to San Diego to visit some family, the driving back to Anaheim to begin our 5 days at Disneyland. My husband will drop us off at the hotel, then go back to the airport to return the rental car because we don't want to pay for parking at the hotel or parks. We're thinking getting my husband a round trip DR Express ticket and single ones for my son and me. Any other suggestions? Our son is 4, so he needs a carseat and we'll have ours. But the less we have to install and uninstall, the better! How reliable is the DR Express?

You may want to consider renting from Avis--there's a return place at Downtown Disney, so he wouldn't have to go all the way back to the airport. I'm not sure what airport you are flying into, since you said Anaheim, but there's not a commercial airport in Anaheim. I'm assuming SNA (Santa Ana, John Wayne, and Orange County are all common names for it).

As far as the DLRE specifically, it's "okay." I've waited up to two hours for a bus at the airport heading to the hotel, and when I called their main office, they weren't able to tell me how long I would have to wait. They've changed their prices while we were paying--charging us (DH and I) more than the first family of 3, and only relented when I pulled up the website, and showed them the "pre-paid" price, and the "regular" price. I now always call to confirm the pick-up point, as I've been told different places at different times, despite staying at the same hotel... It's a large, safe bus. We've never had a movie on it, but others have. I make alternate plans if time counts--namely, a taxi.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

We have a big family and always find hiring a limo to be the easiest, fastest, and most economical option.

My husband and I went alone for an anniversary trip last April. We decided to use the Disneyland Express to Grand Californian. Our bus wasn't even half full and we were the only party going to that resort. The bus driver was at a traffic light and announced that this was the stop for GC. We were confused because we literally were in the middle of the boulevard. The bus driver put the bus in park and he led us off the bus. We stood between bushes on a concrete island as he fished out our bags. Cars started to honk because we were holding up traffic.

The bus driver handed us our bags and made a swift retreat back to the bus and left us speechless in a cloud of exhaust. It wasn't the start we had imagined for our trip. I guess he didn't want to be bothered by making a left into the resort.

We will never use the bus again. :/

 

[AndreAggie]

You may want to consider renting from Avis--there's a return place at Downtown Disney, so he wouldn't have to go all the way back to the airport. I'm not sure what airport you are flying into, since you said Anaheim, but there's not a commercial airport in Anaheim. I'm assuming SNA (Santa Ana, John Wayne, and Orange County are all common names for it).

As far as the DLRE specifically, it's "okay." I've waited up to two hours for a bus at the airport heading to the hotel, and when I called their main office, they weren't able to tell me how long I would have to wait. They've changed their prices while we were paying--charging us (DH and I) more than the first family of 3, and only relented when I pulled up the website, and showed them the "pre-paid" price, and the "regular" price. I now always call to confirm the pick-up point, as I've been told different places at different times, despite staying at the same hotel... It's a large, safe bus. We've never had a movie on it, but others have. I make alternate plans if time counts--namely, a taxi.

My husband has priority status with Avis...he's Avis first. We need to find out if we can rent from the airport (SNA), then drop off at the downtown location. If that's the case, then we can just take a taxi to the airport after our stay. Or use the DLRE...price is about the same I think.

 

[john398]

So theres no free transportation like there is in Florida, correct?

I just booked my DLR trip for June 28 thru July 2

 

[lalasmama]

So theres no free transportation like there is in Florida, correct?

I just booked my DLR trip for June 28 thru July 2

Correct--there is no Magical Express like WDW has.

 

[lalasmama]

My husband has priority status with Avis...he's Avis first. We need to find out if we can rent from the airport (SNA), then drop off at the downtown location. If that's the case, then we can just take a taxi to the airport after our stay. Or use the DLRE...price is about the same I think.

You can, indeed, rent at SNA and return it to the Downtown Disney location. Honestly, I'd do that, and then just take a taxi back. While I am "okay" with the DLRE, I find a taxi so much quicker (no additional stops!) and more comfortable!

 

[AndreAggie]

We ran the figures online, and it's $70 more to return to the DLR area than to take it back to SNA. Factor in the time and the fee to get back to the resort area, it might be worth it. We'll just have to see. I was hoping with my husband's Avis First status, they might waive or discount that $70.

 

[Cholula]

We have a big family and always find hiring a limo to be the easiest, fastest, and most economical option.

My husband and I went alone for an anniversary trip last April. We decided to use the Disneyland Express to Grand Californian. Our bus wasn't even half full and we were the only party going to that resort. The bus driver was at a traffic light and announced that this was the stop for GC. We were confused because we literally were in the middle of the boulevard. The bus driver put the bus in park and he led us off the bus. We stood between bushes on a concrete island as he fished out our bags. Cars started to honk because we were holding up traffic.

The bus driver handed us our bags and made a swift retreat back to the bus and left us speechless in a cloud of exhaust. It wasn't the start we had imagined for our trip. I guess he didn't want to be bothered by making a left into the resort.

We will never use the bus again. :/

Wow, that is not ok to drop you off in the middle of the street. Every time I've used that shuttle they've had people to drop off at GC and each time they've taken it into the lot and dropped them off pretty much at the front door.

It's kind of awful getting the bus back out, though, and they pretty much have to backtrack and loop around to get back on track, so I would guess that driver didn't feel like doing it that time and tried to take a shortcut. That doesn't excuse dropping you off in the center island and leaving you there.