Hotels Near Universal, Budget Friendly

[Baby Ninja]

Hi All,
I'm in search of shuttle options from DLR to Universal Studios Hollywood. On our visit in 2016, I was able to book/use Luxbus for my family of 3. This was ideal because we paid $35/person for roundtrip transport. I know taking a shuttle won't allow my family to arrive and leave the park when we want, though for budgetary reasons, I'd really like to stay near $100 round trip if possible. From what I can see online, Luxbus no longer offers this service. Has anyone had a good experience with Anaheim Tour Company? Or could you kindly suggest any alternative shuttle companies that may offer early pick up (0730h-0800h) at DLR and late/park close pick up at US?

Taking the bus/train is not a desirable option for us, and nor is renting a car. I don't want any stress or hassle of wondering if the right connection was made, or travelling the freeway at night in the dark. I realize we could Uber or Lyft, though I also know that would be approx. $100 one way. I really don't want to put our visit to US at the beginning or end of our stay as we like "break things up", but I may have to consider this.

Any response is appreciated!
- Kim

 

[monkeypat83]

Hi All,
I'm in search of shuttle options from DLR to Universal Studios Hollywood. On our visit in 2016, I was able to book/use Luxbus for my family of 3. This was ideal because we paid $35/person for roundtrip transport. I know taking a shuttle won't allow my family to arrive and leave the park when we want, though for budgetary reasons, I'd really like to stay near $100 round trip if possible. From what I can see online, Luxbus no longer offers this service. Has anyone had a good experience with Anaheim Tour Company? Or could you kindly suggest any alternative shuttle companies that may offer early pick up (0730h-0800h) at DLR and late/park close pick up at US?

Taking the bus/train is not a desirable option for us, and nor is renting a car. I don't want any stress or hassle of wondering if the right connection was made, or travelling the freeway at night in the dark. I realize we could Uber or Lyft, though I also know that would be approx. $100 one way. I really don't want to put our visit to US at the beginning or end of our stay as we like "break things up", but I may have to consider this.

Any response is appreciated!
- Kim

Anaheim Town Car Service does this. Just typing in a random hotel in Anaheim and then Universal Studios as the destination it looks to be about $300 round trip for up to 4 people which is more than you said you wanted to spend but would allow you to pick your pick up and drop off time.

 

[helenk]

Anaheim Tour Company offers transportation from the resorts to Universal. If you select Universal, it takes you to the next page where you can select transportation only, the cost is $75 per person. So about the same as the Town car service

 

[Baby Ninja]

Thank you both for taking the time to reply.
I do have some time before our late Nov trip to figure this one out. A huge factor for me is the exchange on the dollar (we are Canadian). So $100 USD ($123 CAD) vs $300 ($369 CAD) is a little easier to swallow. I think I’ll either have to make some adjustments in my plan, or accept that it will cost me more than I want it to the way I’ve designed the itinerary.

@helenk - I appreciate you pointing out the cost of transport only via ATC @ $75. Perhaps I got lost in the comparison of multiple shuttle companies and their offerings that I didn’t realize the cost of this one. Yikes!

 

[mouseguy77]

I know you said you were not interested in the bus/train option, but Chris Provost (from Provost Park Pass) posted a video recently showing how to do it and it looked really, really easy.

I have the same concern you do about that option, but after watching the video I think I might give it a try for my upcoming trip. Best of luck to you.

 

[Baby Ninja]

@mouseguy77 thanks for the share on Chris Provost’s video on this. I’ve watched a few of his videos and must say the content is always very good. Dad jokes are funny too.
I’ve discussed this option with hubby, and we may give it a go in the am (daylight) and Uber it back.

 

[Ryan120420]

Taking a public bus is also extremely easy.

LA Metro 460 (picks up underneath the monorail beam on Harbor Boulevard) to 7th Street Metro Station in Downtown Los Angeles. From There you take the Metro Redline (Subway) to Universal City Station and take the free tram to the park.

https://www.metro.net/

 

[bcla]

Taking a public bus is also extremely easy.

LA Metro 460 (picks up underneath the monorail beam on Harbor Boulevard) to 7th Street Metro Station in Downtown Los Angeles. From There you take the Metro Redline (Subway) to Universal City Station and take the free tram to the park.

https://www.metro.net/

We took the 460 from Anaheim to downtown LA. We had a problem in that they ran out of TAP cards and we wanted to buy them and maybe some value, but the driver let us on and we promised to buy them with day passes (which would have included this ride) once we were in LA. But it did get a little interesting with one fellow passenger and I'll leave it at that.

It was very convenient but took a while.

 

[Baby Ninja]

Reviving this post.
We’ve altered our plans and will visit Universal Hollywood upon arrival, then transfer to DLR area. New plan is to stay one night, and take advantage of Universals current ticket offer (buy one day, get second free). We’ve never stayed in the Universal area before, so I’m hoping some of you will provide recommendations that fit our budgetary hopes, and needs.

Aside from clean, I’d be looking for a hotel between $140-$175/night. 2-3 stars, proximity doesn’t matter too much as we will Uber to/from park, though hoping for a 5-10 min ride. As much as I’d love to stay within walking, I cannot bring myself to spend over $300 a night to sleep and shower. We do not take mid-day breaks.

Has anyone stayed at the Tilt Hotel? This one has peaked my interest.

Thank you to all those that provide suggestions. It’s appreciated!

 

[Lisa24jks]

I just came back from a Universal trip and we stayed at the Hilton LA/Glendale. It wasn't too far away and you could probably Uber/Lyft without issues. And it was nice and clean and worked perfect for us. The rates can definitely vary though, so it probably will depend on what days you go. I've seen it under as low as 140ish and as high as 300. (https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/bu...les-north-glendale-and-executive-meeting-ctr/)

I also stayed at the Comfort Inn Hollywood a few years ago and it was really nice for a Comfort Inn and we were able to Uber/Lyft to and from the parks there as well. https://www.choicehotels.com/california/los-angeles/comfort-inn-hotels/ca785

 

[Glynis4]

I feel your pain! We are also coming from Canada and I feel like we have a pretty generous budget, but I’m having a tough time staying within it. We are doing the opposite of you - DLR and then Universal. We booked the Ramada by the airport in Burbank for our Universal days. It’s in your price range. May be more like a 15 min drive to Universal though - we are renting a car.

 

[Baby Ninja]

I just came back from a Universal trip and we stayed at the Hilton LA/Glendale. It wasn't too far away and you could probably Uber/Lyft without issues. And it was nice and clean and worked perfect for us. The rates can definitely vary though, so it probably will depend on what days you go. I've seen it under as low as 140ish and as high as 300. (https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/bu...les-north-glendale-and-executive-meeting-ctr/)

I also stayed at the Comfort Inn Hollywood a few years ago and it was really nice for a Comfort Inn and we were able to Uber/Lyft to and from the parks there as well. https://www.choicehotels.com/california/los-angeles/comfort-inn-hotels/ca785

Thank you so much for your suggestions. I will check them out!

 

[wendlle]

Thank you so much for your suggestions. I will check them out!

Check out Magic Castle Hotel. They have large rooms and it's very close to Universal via Uber.