HELP!?? What airport to fly in?

[taben]

Hello all...we are planning on going to CA for our first time in Jan. 2012. We will be coming from St. Louis and do know it is a little too far in advance to plan on air but know there are a couple options of where to fly into...LAX, John Wayne, Ontario. We are going to stay most of our time in the Orange County area and lucky enough to have a friend who lives out there drive us around and act as our tour guide. LOL

The air is what is going to be the most expensive part of the trip and I just didn't know if there was one airport that is generally a little less expensive to fly into. Granted, airfare changes constantly, and it depends on what carrier you go with that fly to these airports. Just any help to start planning would be huge. Also, we are thinking about staying at the Candy Cane a couple days (because of such good reviews) and of course...DL is calling. LOL Can't wait to see DL too for our first time. We were planning on Jan. because we know it is off season and will be able to see and do most everything (depending on what is closed for refurbishments-we don't have any kids so this makes it very do-able).

Thanks everyone and please send me your thoughts. Help me plan please. LOL

 

[Bucketfoot]

LAX usually has the most and cheapest flight options, but we always fly into Santa Ana (aka John Wayne). It is closest to DL and Orange County (which is where we spend most of out time as well). Car rentals are on-site and security is a breeze.

I frequently fly into LAX for work and while it is not too bad flying into, I absolutely hate flying out of it. In fact I always make sure to schedule a meeting out in Ontario so that I can fly out of there instead.

 

[Bucketfoot]

As for the Candy Cane, we've since moved up our level of accommodations a little, but stayed there a couple of times and have been completely happy with everything about it.

They are within what I call easy walking distance, although my wife thinks it's a little too far at the end of a long day. They also have a very good shuttle service if you don't want to walk.

They also have a decent free continental plus breakfast that you can enjoy sitting outside (if you can find a place).

 

[Kittyskyfish]

Go with the airport that offers direct flights. I did a brief check on travelocity and found that you can get a direct flight into LAX for $337 per person (this includes all fees/taxes). John Wayne SNA and Ontario ONT had no direct flights. It might be a few dollars more for a direct flight, but your trip is in January and the last thing you need is to be grounded in a connection town because of snow or ice.

Candy Cane in is great, btw! We've always been happy with our stays. It's definitely walkable from the park and the carby breakfast offered is decent enough for us.

 

[rramstad]

Use Kayak and select LAX plus nearby airports.

If you don't really care which airport you choose, but are primarily driven by price, this will give you a good idea of which airports are cheaper, and you can look on a map to see where they are located.

We ended up going to Long Beach from Seattle as that was the cheapest non stop we could get for our trip in early July. It worked fine for Disneyland.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

I always check the surrounding airports but each time LAX has been significantly cheaper ($50-$100 per person cheaper) and they have had better flight times. I have never had any issues flying in and out of LAX but I have never flown into the others so I can't really compare.

When searching for flights I check out Kayak.com first and see what it shows for each airport. I then try Expedia and Travelocity and see if they have any good deals on vacation packages.

I don't know if they fly to your airport but I then go to Southwest and see what they have. 9 times out of 10 Southwest has the same if not better prices as the other airlines, plus they don't charge for bags which makes it even better.

There is also AirTran, Allegient Air and Spirit Airlines that can be checked if they are in your area (they are not in mine so I don't know how good they are).

 

[rentayenta]

Long Beach if it's an option.

 

[edit1]

We also like Long Beach. It's not busy like LAX, plus taking a taxi to DLR area only cost us about $45.

 

[BELLEDOZER]

I've flown into LAX, and wasn't that impressed with the airport. Next month we are flying into John Wayne (SNA), as it was cheaper to get a direct flight into there than LAX. I would also check out various airline websites to see if you can catch a seat sale. Being a frugal person by nature, I look for the cheapest flight with an airline that I like, and use this as my guide as to which of the 3 airports to fly into. Although I have to admit, I was glad that the airline I use (Westjet) has started to fly into SNA, as well as LAX, so I had the option to fly into SNA instead, and saved a little money in the process.

 

[rillsung]

We have always done LAX because #1 it's cheaper and #2 direct flights. This next trip we're flying into LAX and out from John Wayne. Had to do LAX for decent times out (otherwise fly out at 6am eek!).

 

[Caseystigger]

I'm from St Louis too! We fly into John Wayne all the time and will be again next month. This year we are taking the Disneyland Express from the airport because they have a special right now, one leg of the ride was childs price I think so it was a lot cheaper then taking a cab which is what we usually do.

Good luck!

 

[Duchie]

We flew into Long Beach last February because it was the only one that offered a non-stop flight for us. We loved it. Getting to and from the airport was a breeze, and the airport was small enough that it was very easy to get around.

 

[MyYearWithTheMouse]

I've lived 30 of my 38 years in California and flown out of LAX well over a hundred times and I have to say, if there's any way I can fly in or out of SNA, Long Beach, or Ontario, I do it. When I do fly out of LAX it's almost always due to one of three reasons: 1) it's cheaper, 2) the flight is direct, and 3) there's a flight that leaves/arrives when I need to leave/arrive that isn't available at any other area airport. Unfortunately, most of the time all three of those things are true. It is actually uncommon to have a flight to any of the other airports be cheaper than LAX. It happens, but it's the exception, not the rule.

LAX is a huge airport and the other three are small, regional airports, which is why they often have few direct flights, fewer flights overall, and are more expensive. However, as a frequent traveler I do want to point out that it's easy to get caught up in cost as the only factor, but it is also important to consider other factors as well. Sometimes convenience is worth paying a little more for. So some other things for you to consider:

1) Connecting flights can eat up a LOT of your day and can leave you pretty exhausted, and there's the possibility of delay, but they can still be a good option.

2) Depending on the time of day, traveling between LAX and Disneyland can put you right in the middle of the worst of LA traffic. Traffic will be heavy going from LAX to Disneyland in the evening rush hour and going from Disneyland to LAX in the morning rush hour. This is mostly felt if you have a morning flight out of LAX and have to wake up REALLY early to sit in the traffic. Traffic to and from Long Beach and SNA is practically nonexistent, and Ontario is usually pretty clear as well.

3) Don't forget to factor in the baggage fees.

4) Sometimes a little more expensive is worth it. For example, if a flight to SNA is $50 more per person but it means that you would arrive at DL an hour after you walk off the plane in time to play around at Downtown Disney or even catch a few hours in the park vs. arriving at LAX and sitting in hours of waiting for baggage, traffic, etc. and having no time to do anything once you arrive, calculate out the cost--that's an additional $100. Ouch! BUT, can you shave off some money off of other parts of the trip that could make that extra cost worthwhile?

5) In the old days, airlines offered a discount for buying a round-trip ticket and a premium for one-way. This is rarely true anymore. You don't have to go in and out of the same airport. I often split airports, flying out of LAX and back into Long Beach or SNA or whatever. It does take some organization on your part, but you don't have to think of your flight as an all-or-nothing. Each segment is really its own trip. Just because you flew into LAX, doesn't mean you have to fly out of it. Try pricing out your different flights as one-way with all 4 airports as an option. That can be a good way to balance cost and convenience. Just make sure everyone (esp. your driver) is clear on where you're going.

 

[isisisme]

We have flown in and out of LAX and John Wayne (SNA). This time, we are paying a little more to fly in/out of SNA. I really dislike LAX and decided this trip I wanted the least stress, which has always been SNA. Plus, taking off can be the last ride since they have a short runway.

 

[rune_74]

I really like LGB(long beach) over LAX. That would be my choice if I had to make one.

 

[HydroGuy]

Hello all...we are planning on going to CA for our first time in Jan. 2012. We will be coming from St. Louis and do know it is a little too far in advance to plan on air but know there are a couple options of where to fly into...LAX, John Wayne, Ontario. We are going to stay most of our time in the Orange County area and lucky enough to have a friend who lives out there drive us around and act as our tour guide. LOL

The air is what is going to be the most expensive part of the trip and I just didn't know if there was one airport that is generally a little less expensive to fly into. Granted, airfare changes constantly, and it depends on what carrier you go with that fly to these airports. Just any help to start planning would be huge. Also, we are thinking about staying at the Candy Cane a couple days (because of such good reviews) and of course...DL is calling. LOL Can't wait to see DL too for our first time. We were planning on Jan. because we know it is off season and will be able to see and do most everything (depending on what is closed for refurbishments-we don't have any kids so this makes it very do-able).

Thanks everyone and please send me your thoughts. Help me plan please. LOL

Others have given you lots of good advice. For me I fly into SNA whenever possible. It is a nice airport (much nicer than LAX) in a nicer area of town and closer to DLR.

Here is a link I want to make sure you know...

"Airport Proximity to DLR and Ground Transportation Information" by 3TinksAndAnEeyore www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2318297

 

[taben]

Oh my gosh...didn't expect this kind of response!!! You all are so wonderful going into such detail with great advice and tips. Thank you so much!

I know it is a ways but I will start looking and see what kind of prices I will facing.

I really appreciate it...thanks again everyone! You truly are good people!