LAX- DL time of day thoughts....

[hsmamato2]

tell me what you think...... driving a rental from LAX to near DL hotel....choice is either around 5:30 pm midweek, or around 10-10:30 am midweek. according to maps etc, it would be double the travel time in the evening. Is it smarter to drive it in the am, or head down in the evening to a hotel? (optional could stay near airport that first evening if it's huge difference. However the hotel near the airport costs more than the one near DL...... I can't decide...help!

 

[Darkbeer1]

OK, first off, if you have options open, try NOT to fly into LAX, and try to fly into Long Beach (LGB) or John Wayne (Orange County/Santa Ana/SNA) instead. Long Beach doesn't even require using a freeway, just down one city street 14 miles.

If you are stuck with LAX, just leave the airport area. I would opt for the better flight in general, and not the time.

It will take about an hour from landing, to getting your luggage, to catching the shuttle to the rental car location and leaving the lot.

Then the typical drive is the 105 east to the 605 south, to the 91 east, to the 5 south to Disneyland.

Most of this route has a carpool lane (only requires two or more people). It can be as fast as 45 minutes in light traffic, and maybe double that in heavy traffic. And LA Traffic is weird and can get heavy anytime of the day, and who knows when an accident will happen to gum up the works..... Just get here and drive to the Resort area.

Have a great trip.

 

[hsmamato2]

ok thanks!

 

[hsmamato2]

ah ok...I'm stuck with LAX so that can't change...the only change I can make is those times..... we arrive at 5 midweek- so I can either stay overnight near airport or head straight down to DL. (meeting fam in the next day am 9:30,so we will either pick them up,or they can uber to DL) I believe the average uber xl(3 people) cost from LAX isa bout $40-52? that's what the site estimates.... so that's why I'm considering this.

 

[DLgal]

Not the 5:30pm option. The other one will have you at DL in under an hour.

 

[SMD]

I don't think an Uber to DLR will be $42 at 5:30 PM. Are the options 10am arrival or 5:30pm arrival the same day? Or 5:30pm arrival or 10am arrival the next day? I'm not a fan of paying for a hotel room an extra night on my vacation if I don't have to. On the other hand, if I have to leave home at 3am to make a flight that lands at 10am, 5:30 isn't horribly late.

 

[hsmamato2]

sorry if I was unclear. We are meeting family -We plan to fly in the day before (we have a much longer flight) so we can relax before our 'trip' -this evening is an add on day for us. we have a car rental already. my choice was to either
a) get in at 5 pm- get car- drive down to DL area for first night(not go in parks) -uber rest of fam down to DL next am when they arrive.(prob not be on road till 6 pmfor driving at least)
or
b) stay right near airport, relax,have breakfast and pick up fam the next am,drive down to DL hit parks by noon at latest.
either way we have to meet up with fam before hitting parks. so I guess it makes sense to chill and wait to drive down till the next day together, it would be simpler,right? esp. if the traffic gets as ugly as promised at those bad times.

 

[ParkHopper1]

If you are not rushed and it is just a travel day...do which works best and least stressful on arrival day and stay near DL. There is no scenario you mentioned that warrants getting a hotel ear LAX for arrival. It may take an extra 45 min to an hour to get to DL...but so what if it is an arrival day? All the other options in my book would cost you much more time overall.

Heck, I hate shuttles but even look at the Disneyland Express ad see if that is an option so you do not have to worry about higher cost in an Uber in traffic.

 

[hsmamato2]

hmmmmm you think Uber surge pricing will be in effect at 9:30-10 am? I also have a $30 discount code for this so it's even cheaper..... so different opinions..... ahhhh! what to do..... I will keep thinking