LAX Travel Time?

[Andrea0710]

We will be arriving at LAX in the afternoon of Friday, November 17 (Friday before Thanksgiving). How much travel time can we expect from LAX to Paradise Pier Hotel on the Disneyland Express? Also, we are going back home on Wednesday, November 22 (day before Thanksgiving). How earlier before our flight should we leave Paradise Pier to go to LAX? I can only imagine the craziness at the airport that day, so I am trying to get all my ducks in a row ahead of time!

 

[ParkHopper1]

No traffic it is a 45 min drive time. Friday afternoon Southbound I would not be surprised by 1.5 hours drive time.

If you put that drive into Google Maps for a Friday afternoon it comes back with a range of 1:10 -2:20 drive time.

 

[Andrea0710]

No traffic it is a 45 min drive time. Friday afternoon Southbound I would not be surprised by 1.5 hours drive time.

If you put that drive into Google Maps for a Friday afternoon it comes back with a range of 1:10 -2:20 drive time.

Ugh! I wish airports were closer to Disney parks!

 

[ktlm]

Ugh! I wish airports were closer to Disney parks!

For future reference SNA/Orange County is only 15 minutes from DLR. we always fly in there instead of LAX.

 

[Kittyskyfish]

LAX is our usual airport and sometimes we arrive in the afternoon. Expect to spend at least two hours en route, that includes baggage claim.

I would recommend enrolling in TSA PreCheck because your return is on a peak travel day. It's $85/person for those 13 and over (children 12 and under travel with their guardian's TSA PreCheck eligibility). Normally security is not a big issue but weekends and holidays swamp the security lines so the TSA PreCheck line is a LOT faster.

https://www.tsa.gov/precheck

Plan on arriving at the airport three hours before boarding.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Ugh! I wish airports were closer to Disney parks!

SNA and LGB are MUCH closer.

 

[Andrea0710]

For future reference SNA/Orange County is only 15 minutes from DLR. we always fly in there instead of LAX.

I saw that the airport was closer, but the flights were obnoxious and not direct.

 

[Delilah1310]

We are trying ONT - Ontario this trip.
The drive is about the same as that from LAX, but different direction.
When we purchased tickets it was about $200 each less to fly into ONT than into SNA.
And we were planning on a rental car for a couple of days for other Anaheim adventures, so made sense for us.

 

[Frozen2014]

I saw that the airport was closer, but the flights were obnoxious and not direct.

We are in the same scenario. LAX was our only direct flight option. Originally it was the more expensive option, but then prices dropped and it was one of the cheaper ones.

It's crazy how much the time can vary depending on the time of day.

 

[ktlm]

LAX is our only direct flight option too, but we still fly in and out of SNA instead because the airport is so much easier than LAX.

 

[ParkHopper1]

It is funny that most people do not factor in travel time with traffic, hassle, logistics, and travel costs from LAX vs SNA when looking at cheaper flights. Trying to save a buck it really does not wind up saving all that much time or money in the end.

I have no issues with LAX but to fly there vs SNA the cost savings and flight options have to be SIGNIFICANT to even consider it.

A connecting flight that is two hours longer into SNA is no worse than a nonstop and 1.5+ hour drive time from LAX...just a heck of lot less hassle!

 

[jeffbeardreams]

It is funny that most people do not factor in travel time with traffic, hassle, logistics, and travel costs from LAX vs SNA when looking at cheaper flights. Trying to save a buck it really does not wind up saving all that much time or money in the end.

I have no issues with LAX but to fly there vs SNA the cost savings and flight options have to be SIGNIFICANT to even consider it.

A connecting flight that is two hours longer into SNA is no worse than a nonstop and 1.5+ hour drive time from LAX...just a heck of lot less hassle!

Correct, but note that when I priced out our recent trip to Anaheim the cost savings to fly in and out of LAX was a couple hundred bucks. More than worth the extra time and hassle. It can be significant, as can be the direct flight factor. LAX moves a LOT more traffic and thus has more passengers on direct flights in and out.

 

[DebbieB]

I used Super Shuttle on July 9th. From my landing time at LAX to Grand California, it was almost 3 hours. It was about 45 minutes from landing to picking up baggage, then waited for the shuttle maybe 20 to 30 min, maybe close to an hour to pickup at each of the terminals with awful traffic, then 3 stops before mine.

 

[Sergio S]

The Wednesday before Turkey Day(2016) wasn't that bad going to LAX (unless you came from the 405) during the morning and early afternoon. Late afternoon, it was getting a bit heavier. Its still not as bad as traveling Thanksgiving Day and the day after.

So try to plan to START your return travel back to LAX at least 3-4 hours before your flight.

You can also youtube "LA Traffic 11/23/2016" which will show you the 405 freeway at a standstill at 5am.

I worked the day after Turkey Day and the usual 15 minute travel (from 3 miles away) to LAX took over 1 hour. All routes we knew getting into LAX were just jammed pack with cars, buses, shuttles, limos, etc. (both departure and arrival enterances). Coming out of LAX, I wish I took a picture: we were waiting for the light at the corner of Sepulveda and Imperial going away from the airport and the line of vehicles went so far back, we couldn't see the end!

Once you get pass the traffic, inside the terminals is not bad. TSA at LAX is using a new system at initial screening that doesn't cause bottle necking and wasted time.

 

[Helene_C]

I think layover to SNA/LGB versus nonstop to LAX really depends on what and who you're traveling with. Traveling with young kids? No question I'm picking the nonstop to LAX. A potential extra hour in a taxi is well worth avoiding an extra round of gathering up our belongings on the plane, waiting to deplane, carrying all our stuff to another gate, waiting to board, getting all the plane entertainment out again, etc - plus the odds of our checked luggage not making the connection. And all the connecting route options I had added way more time to the trip than the extra driving time from LAX.

 

[Cheryl N. WI]

After reading this thread I'm in a dilemma. It's about the same price price for me to take a direct flight into LAX arriving at 1pm Friday November 10 or I could take a flight with a connection through Denver arriving at 2:10pm at SNA. Now I'm wondering which one would get me to Disneyland resort area quicker? I'll be meeting my daughter at the Fairfield Inn across the street from Disneyland and her flight gets into LAX at around 8:30am so we decided to just meet at the hotel but I'd like to get there as quickly as possible. Any thoughts on which flight would get me to Disneyland area earlier would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Kittyskyfish]

It is funny that most people do not factor in travel time with traffic, hassle, logistics, and travel costs from LAX vs SNA when looking at cheaper flights. Trying to save a buck it really does not wind up saving all that much time or money in the end.

I have no issues with LAX but to fly there vs SNA the cost savings and flight options have to be SIGNIFICANT to even consider it.

A connecting flight that is two hours longer into SNA is no worse than a nonstop and 1.5+ hour drive time from LAX...just a heck of lot less hassle!

The average traveler actually DOES factor in all the hassle when considering SNA vs LAX. We know the value of time. We know the impact of flight connections and traffic and shuttles. It's not the Apocalypse to fly into LAX. To us, it's just further. That's it.

From our non-hub mid-west airport, John Wayne means a connecting flight or else I spend hundreds more for a direct flight when compared to flying direct into LAX. And connecting flights bring added travel risks that I try to avoid because we visit Disneyland in the winter. Winter weather can cause flight delays and missed connections, especially considering many connecting flights have a 30-45 minute layover. I would rather sit longer and doze on an LAX shuttle than run in a panic through O'Hare to catch a connecting flight before the gate closes. <<< I have done this enough times to avoid the situation whenever possible.

 

[SMD]

After reading this thread I'm in a dilemma. It's about the same price price for me to take a direct flight into LAX arriving at 1pm Friday November 10 or I could take a flight with a connection through Denver arriving at 2:10pm at SNA. Now I'm wondering which one would get me to Disneyland resort area quicker? I'll be meeting my daughter at the Fairfield Inn across the street from Disneyland and her flight gets into LAX at around 8:30am so we decided to just meet at the hotel but I'd like to get there as quickly as possible. Any thoughts on which flight would get me to Disneyland area earlier would be greatly appreciated.

I'd rather fly non-stop of that's an option. If it's just direct, it would depend where the plane stops, but if it's somewhere with a better flight delay record than Denver, it's probably still worth it to fly into LAX.

As far as the original question about travel time, you have to factor in time of day both for freeway traffic and LAX traffic and whether or not you're checking luggage and domestic or international flight. If you're not already planning to leave more than 3 hours before the flight, you're way off.

 

[jeffbeardreams]

After reading this thread I'm in a dilemma. It's about the same price price for me to take a direct flight into LAX arriving at 1pm Friday November 10 or I could take a flight with a connection through Denver arriving at 2:10pm at SNA. Now I'm wondering which one would get me to Disneyland resort area quicker? I'll be meeting my daughter at the Fairfield Inn across the street from Disneyland and her flight gets into LAX at around 8:30am so we decided to just meet at the hotel but I'd like to get there as quickly as possible. Any thoughts on which flight would get me to Disneyland area earlier would be greatly appreciated.

Best guess ... it'll be pretty much the same. You're running the risk of traffic issues at LAX and the risk of connection issues in Denver. I'd call that slightly in favor of the connection, but stuff happens ... Denver airport was a major air traffic pinch point one day just last week. But honestly ... that's a tough call. Any time savings you're picking up on either option isn't likely to be significant.

 

[Malcon10t]

After reading this thread I'm in a dilemma. It's about the same price price for me to take a direct flight into LAX arriving at 1pm Friday November 10 or I could take a flight with a connection through Denver arriving at 2:10pm at SNA. Now I'm wondering which one would get me to Disneyland resort area quicker? I'll be meeting my daughter at the Fairfield Inn across the street from Disneyland and her flight gets into LAX at around 8:30am so we decided to just meet at the hotel but I'd like to get there as quickly as possible. Any thoughts on which flight would get me to Disneyland area earlier would be greatly appreciated.

How are you getting from LAX to the hotel? Most people who use Magical Express comment it usually takes 2 hours once on board. My daughter uses Super Shuttle, and from the time she reports she is there, it is about 90 mins til she arrives at the hotel once she has collected her luggage. (Expect to wait 20 mins for luggage.) I usually hire a car, and the driver is waiting for me, and once he has the luggage, it is about 45 mins from airport to hotel.

From SNA, the drive is usually about 20 mins. Again, it depends on if you are doing a ride share or solo. Taxis are about $40 from SNA.