LAX Anxiety

[KaystotheKingdom]

Hey all. In the middle of planning my first Disneyland vacation. All was going well until it came time to book the flight home. The prices?!? Omg- gives me chest pain. Anyway- I was hoping to avoid LAX but the other airports are not working out due to limited carriers, too many layovers, insane costs etc. there are direct flights out of LAX that will fit in our budget.

how much time do I need to build in to getto lax from land on a Sunday? Does time of day matter much on a Sunday? There are quite a few similar flights at different times throughout the day.

 

[Zurezo]

Do what you can to leave from SNA. Sooooooo much less stressful and way less of a headache.

 

[CO2CA]

While we prefer SNA, LAX is no biggie at all. We didn't fly out from LAX until pretty recently (about 5 years ago) after having gone to Southern California for over 20 years. We always tried to pick SNA or LGB and never flew out of LAX due to the anxiety about flying out from such a "big" airport, but it's truly not that complicated - I promise! Each terminal has it's own TSA security that houses maybe 3-4 airlines, so lines are rarely more than 30 minutes long. It's easy to navigate as long as you look for signs. In fact, I enjoy LAX more than Denver, since all our terminals go through the same security and we need to take a train to each concourse. The only part we hate is getting to the airport. We've had our fair share of crazy drivers (speeding, etc), so that makes things less enjoyable. I would recommend finding a shuttle so you don't have to deal with the hassle of finding an Uber with their fees that can really swing ridiculously high (Karmel has private shuttles). If you do, keep in mind finding one that has curbside pickup. That is one thing we pay extra for to avoid the "LAXIT" area for non-executive shuttles and Uber/Lyfts.

I always build in extra time, so would probably leave around 3 hours before your flight if you're leaving on a Sunday. Time of day shouldn't matter much on a Sunday, but my preference would be to pick a late morning flight (10am-12pm).

 

[CO2CA]

Hey all. In the middle of planning my first Disneyland vacation. All was going well until it came time to book the flight home. The prices?!? Omg- gives me chest pain. Anyway- I was hoping to avoid LAX but the other airports are not working out due to limited carriers, too many layovers, insane costs etc. there are direct flights out of LAX that will fit in our budget.

how much time do I need to build in to getto lax from land on a Sunday? Does time of day matter much on a Sunday? There are quite a few similar flights at different times throughout the day.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Sunday mornings are best for less traffic

 

[KaystotheKingdom]

The cost difference for my travel party would be basically $1000 more total to fly out of SNA, for a non direct flight. Is SNA that much more convenient?

 

[OneThree]

Just my opinion but SNA is not worth $1000. We have flown out of both SNA and LAX for Disneyland trips. Would we prefer SNA? Sure but LAX works just fine too.

Keep in mind the time you fly in and out of LAX and try to avoid peak AM and PM commute times. SoCal traffic is SoCal traffic but it can be less of a hassle if you are not trying to get to/from LAX during peak commute times.

 

[sjmac42]

The only part we hate is getting to the airport. We've had our fair share of crazy drivers (speeding, etc), so that makes things less enjoyable. I would recommend finding a shuttle so you don't have to deal with the hassle of finding an Uber with their fees that can really swing ridiculously high (Karmel has private shuttles). If you do, keep in mind finding one that has curbside pickup. That is one thing we pay extra for to avoid the "LAXIT" area for non-executive shuttles and Uber/Lyfts.

This is what I too would recommend. Getting to LAX is much more stressful than navigating the airport itself. The shuttle service (I’d also recommend Karmel having used them many times) will ask for your flight details and arrange a pick up for a time in Anaheim that will get you there in plenty of time for your flight. They will drop you at the correct terminal and the drivers are very knowledgeable and friendly. Yes it’s a large airport but using a shuttle will allow you plenty of time to get where you need to be and avoid the LAX-it area with its seperate shuttle. I’ve driven there, dropped rental cars, picked up friends, used shuttles and never had an issue midweek or weekends at LAX. I just allow about 3 hours for domestic or 4-5 hours for international to account for traffic from Anaheim, avoiding rush hours. Mind you last time I drove from Anaheim at approx 6pm on a Wednesday, I was at the rental car drop off in 50 mins and in the Airline lounge before 7-30pm. That was not typical of course but it happens occasionally.

Other options for your departure would be Long Beach (LGB) or maybe even Burbank (BUR) but I wouldn’t pay a huge premium to use them over LAX. Organising a shuttle pickup takes most of the hassle out of using LAX, particularly on a Sunday.

 

[wishing4PA]

Hey all. In the middle of planning my first Disneyland vacation. All was going well until it came time to book the flight home. The prices?!? Omg- gives me chest pain. Anyway- I was hoping to avoid LAX but the other airports are not working out due to limited carriers, too many layovers, insane costs etc. there are direct flights out of LAX that will fit in our budget.

how much time do I need to build in to getto lax from land on a Sunday? Does time of day matter much on a Sunday? There are quite a few similar flights at different times throughout the day.

I understand! I'd found "almost" decent pricing into and out of SNA, but I needed to use vouchers that had to be used by calling someone (not loaded into my airline account due to specific circumstances - the voucher $ didn't appear anywhere visible to me, but it was attached to my account -- long, long story). Anyhow, by the time I finally go through to a person at the airline, I ended up having to pay more and there no longer were any reasonable return flights ($ or layover-wise) except LAX. So we're flying into SNA, back from LAX. I ended up adding Karmel transfers to my package just for my comfort level.
On the upside, LAX is an iconic airport. My kid won't be seeing a lot of the LA landmarks on this trip, but at least she can see LAX. I flew through there (had an overnight layover) on what I think was my first international flight, when I was about her age! I'm definitely wasn't trying to revisit it, but I suppose it was meant to be.

 

[DLgal]

The cost difference for my travel party would be basically $1000 more total to fly out of SNA, for a non direct flight. Is SNA that much more convenient?

IMO, absolutely yes. I always pay significantly more money and fly with connections specifically to use SNA and avoid LAX (I live 10 minutes from SNA). LAX is my own personal idea of hell.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I never had any particular issue using LAX. Yes, I prefer SNA and LGB, but sometimes it doesn't work out. My next trip is LAX in December. I use Uber/Lyft and just chill each way to and from. And I usually travel with my adult special needs son, with a WC (and he is of no help with the luggage). I would pay somewhat more for the smaller airports but not accept really bad (for me) flight times or connections vs. nonstops to LAX from east coast).

 

[Piglet99645]

We recently flew out of LAX on Sunday morning. Execucar scheduled a 5:30am pickup for us for an 8 am flight. MORE than enough time. Could probably have returned a rental car, too.

I avoid LAX as much as possible but for $1000 I’d deal with it, too. If you have to do it, Sunday is a good day.

 

[mlayton14]

Why not San Diego? I know it’s much farther , but in my case there are many, many more direct flights than SNA , much cheaper, and a much smaller airport than LAX. I’m not speaking from experience here , but isn’t there less traffic on weekends anyway esp if you could get a noonish flight ? To me , extra connections are worse than traffic

 

[KaystotheKingdom]

Why not San Diego? I know it’s much farther , but in my case there are many, many more direct flights than SNA , much cheaper, and a much smaller airport than LAX. I’m not speaking from experience here , but isn’t there less traffic on weekends anyway esp if you could get a noonish flight ? To me , extra connections are worse than traffic

we are flying into San Diego, to take a cruise first. After the cruise we were planning on taking the Amtrak as my 3 year old is obsessed with trains. Didn’t think about it going back......

Our travel day would quite literally be planes, trains, and automobiles! Haha

 

[TikiTikiFan]

Just my opinion but SNA is not worth $1000. We have flown out of both SNA and LAX for Disneyland trips. Would we prefer SNA? Sure but LAX works just fine too.

Agreed. I've used LAX many times and while obviously prefer SNA, it's no big deal. Our home airport (DIA) is much crazier in comparison usually so it doesn't phase me. I've navigated many airports and have never found LAX to be that much worse than any other international airport. Just allow extra time if you're worried and save the money. And this is me speaking from experience of flying alone with my kiddo from a small age too- it's really not that big of a deal. I don't love it but I'd save the $1000 everyday haha.

 

[e_yerger]

I’ve been to Disneyland twice so far (WDW veteran), and each time we flew into LAX. If you land between 11am - 3pm, you can be down to Anaheim in about 35/40 minutes. Very easy drive with little traffic!

Our flight home on our last trip departed around 9am, so our Lyft picked us up around 6am on a Wednesday. By 6:30 traffic was already building up but we made major distance and were close in milage to LAX. Spent about 15 minutes in bumper to bumper traffic. Still go through security with enough time to have a sit down breakfast, bathroom visits, and charge our devices up at the gate before boarding.

Honestly, the biggest headache with LAX is getting to the rideshare pick-up section (if you’re planning on using Uber or Lyft). It’s about a 20 minute walk through parking lots out to the pick up area. Its efficient once you’re out there, but it’s a hike to get to.

 

[deejdigsdis]

This is what I too would recommend. Getting to LAX is much more stressful than navigating the airport itself. The shuttle service (I’d also recommend Karmel having used them many times) will ask for your flight details and arrange a pick up for a time in Anaheim that will get you there in plenty of time for your flight. They will drop you at the correct terminal and the drivers are very knowledgeable and friendly. Yes it’s a large airport but using a shuttle will allow you plenty of time to get where you need to be and avoid the LAX-it area with its seperate shuttle. I’ve driven there, dropped rental cars, picked up friends, used shuttles and never had an issue midweek or weekends at LAX. I just allow about 3 hours for domestic or 4-5 hours for international to account for traffic from Anaheim, avoiding rush hours. Mind you last time I drove from Anaheim at approx 6pm on a Wednesday, I was at the rental car drop off in 50 mins and in the Airline lounge before 7-30pm. That was not typical of course but it happens occasionally.

Other options for your departure would be Long Beach (LGB) or maybe even Burbank (BUR) but I wouldn’t pay a huge premium to use them over LAX. Organising a shuttle pickup takes most of the hassle out of using LAX, particularly on a Sunday.

Does Karmel pick up right outside, or do you have to take an airport shuttle to another area to then be picked up by Karmel?

 

[CO2CA]

Does Karmel pick up right outside, or do you have to take an airport shuttle to another area to then be picked up by Karmel?

It depends on which option you choose. The ones curbside will have a "curbside" next to the option on their website. We did the executive SUV and while it was a bit more expensive, it was worth it especially since we had 5 people traveling with us.

 

[evilmommie]

I live in OC and try to travel through SNA as much as possible. With that said, there are times when we fly out of LAX as it makes sense from a cost perspective as well as flight times. I agree with previous posters about hiring a car service for pick up. The parking and navigating LAX in rush hour traffic can be a nightmare. Sunday traffic should be just fine for you...especially in the AM. Have a fantastic trip!

 

[sjmac42]

Does Karmel pick up right outside, or do you have to take an airport shuttle to another area to then be picked up by Karmel?

Their shared shuttle services definitely do, I have used that service 18 months ago after LAX-it was implemented. I also believe their “private” shuttles do as well (where you book a shuttle just for your party) as these are still counted as a shuttle service. Some private cars (like Karmel, Lansky Limo etc) may or may not, as above look for “curb side pickup” when you book.

Quite often when you book a “shared shuttle” service for a larger party (5 or 6 people) you’ll often be the only group in the shuttle anyway. Karmel also guarantee they will only do 3 pickups around the airport with their shared service so it never takes more than a few mins to be underway to your destination.