How bad will traffic be?

[disneylover102]

Our flight gets into LAX at 6:50 AM next Wednesday. We’ll be renting a car from Alamo (we’ve done the online check in including skip the counter so we just need to pick up our car and we don’t have to go to the counter) so we’ll need to take the shuttle from terminal 1 (where Southwest is) to Alamo. The park opens at 9 that day. Is there a chance we’ll get there by then? If we do, I’ll probably do Indy first. Doing MFSR when barely getting there before the park officially opens sounds like a terrible idea.

 

[WonkaKid]

Depends on how fast you can get to your car and on the road. Here’s the thing: “getting” to Disneyland will likely take an hour or so from LAX. However, you’ll still have to park, get through security and to the park gates. That will probably take 20 minutes at a minimum (provided there isn’t a long line into the parking structure and at that time there could be). So if you make the park gates by 8:40... there will still be a long line ahead of you. So I wouldn’t expect to be the first guests into the park. Of course this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to go. Just manage your expectations. Be OK with getting to IJ at 9:20.

 

[CastAStone]

You will be lucky to leave the car rental place by 7:45.
If you are first off the plane and your bags come quick and you catch the shuttle right away and there’s no line at the exit (Alamo is pretty efficient in my experience at LAX) and you use the carpool lanes and there’s no accidents and the lines at the parking lot and security are minimal, maybe. Everything has to go completely right.

 

[disneylover102]

Thanks! I should have mentioned, we won’t be bringing any checked luggage (just carry ons) and I am going to be dropped off at the guest drop off to increase at least my chances of making park opening.

 

[bcla]

Thanks! I should have mentioned, we won’t be bringing any checked luggage (just carry ons) and I am going to be dropped off at the guest drop off to increase at least my chances of making park opening.

I entered it into Google Maps for a 7:30 AM departure on Wednesday.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Ala...459!2d33.8085965!2m3!6e0!7e2!8j1579073400!3e0
For the route through mostly CA-91 it's estimating anywhere from 40 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes. It doesn't account for the time to get to the rental car shuttle stop, wait in line, the shuttle time to the rental counter, or checkin time. But I would think best case is that you do make it there before 9 AM.

Wed won't be a Magic Morning day, so there will likely be limited number of visitors there early. I'd say a strategy might be to get a FP for Indy and then head straight for MFSR since they don't have FP.

 

[disneylover102]

Wed won't be a Magic Morning day, so there will likely be limited number of visitors there early. I'd say a strategy might be to get a FP for Indy and then head straight for MFSR since they don't have FP.

Actually, people have said that unless you can be way toward the front, you shouldn’t do MFSR first because you could end up waiting a couple hours but it’s actually better to wait until the afternoon when the mad rush has calmed down. I plan to use the single rider line. I’ll probably go to Indy first and get a Fastpass for it as well because it’s one of my absolute favorites.

 

[bcla]

Actually, people have said that unless you can be way toward the front, you shouldn’t do MFSR first because you could end up waiting a couple hours but it’s actually better to wait until the afternoon when the mad rush has calmed down. I plan to use the single rider line. I’ll probably go to Indy first and get a Fastpass for it as well because it’s one of my absolute favorites.

Maybe check the Disneyland app in the morning to see what it shows? I was there last week and since it was super busy the waits were consistently 120+ minutes.

 

[disneylover102]

Maybe check the Disneyland app in the morning to see what it shows? I was there last week and since it was super busy the waits were consistently 120+ minutes.

Right now (5:22 PM) the wait for MFSR is 40 minutes. Even on opening day without reservations, the wait times were 2-3 hours around park opening and then went down to 30-40 minutes later. I just think if I did it first, I would be too far back in the crowd and it would be more beneficial to take advantage of the short wait times for all the other rides.

 

[Iceman93]

Others have given great advice on the chances of getting to the park by 9am. But I will foot-stomp the advice to NOT go to Smugglers Run first thing. It's what all the uneducated noobs do, but since you're here you're smarter than that. The line WILL be shorter later in the day, guaranteed.

 

[DLgal]

There is no way you will make it prior to 9am opening. Just let that dream die peacefully.

I have driven to/from LAX 6 times in the last 3 weeks. I live near DL. Last trip was to drop off my husband at 7:15am. He was departing out of terminal 4. I didn't get home until 8:45. It's a 45 min trip without traffic.

Your biggest time suck will be the shuttle ride to Alamo. Since you are catching the shuttle at Terminal 1, it will have to stop at 7 more terminals before it actually heads to the offsite Alamo, which is another 5-10 minutes away. If your flight lands at 6:50, you will be lucky to be out waiting for the shuttle by 7:15. You can count on a solid 45 minutes to just go around all the terminals picking up other passengers. Then another 5-10 to get to the rental place. Then let's say 10 minutes to get the car, load up, and exit to the point where you are getting on a freeway. I am gonna put you at 8:20-8:30 when you finally get on a freeway, right in the thick of rush hour traffic. Its gonna take no less than an hour to get to DL. You will be lucky to make it by 10am.

 

[tsumgirl]

I’ll probably go to Indy first and get a Fastpass for it as well because it’s one of my absolute favorites.

By all means, get your trip started with your favorite ride! There's no better way to get that instant feeling of DL than by doing your tried and true favorites. Especially with Indy possibly going down frequently during the day, it's good to do it first thing in the morning. I remember during my December trip getting 2 ME passes in one day just from trying to get a FP for Indy later in the afternoon.