Local transportation questions

[PigletGurl]

Hello, we leave soon and we are planning on being in disney for two weeks.

We won't be renting a car, but seeing as how we'll be there for quite a bit we'd like to take some days to do some mall hopping.

The malls we'd like to visit are: Main Place, Irvine Spectrum, Anaheim Gardenwalk, and The Block, and South Coast Plaza.

Since we aren't renting a car, how do we get to those place without having to pay for a cab?

Thanks

 

[Misskitty3]

You might check each malls website to see if they offer complimentary shuttles. I think SCPlaza used to a long time ago......

 

[hellotoyou]

When we were there 3 years ago, we caught the ART (Anaheim Rapid Transit) bus from Disneyland to Block at Orange ... at that time the 1 day pass was $3 .. I think it might be $4 now.

 

[PigletGurl]

bump

 

[jlmarr]

Gardenwalk is walking distance - a short block east of Harbor between Katella and Magic Way.

The Block is on ART route #15.

South Coast Plaza does have a pricey shuttle - http://www.southcoastplaza.com/shuttle.html - but I believe it's the biggest mall in these here parts.

We used to go to Main Place a lot, but after several store closures including Paradise Bakery it has lost its appeal for us.

Brea Mall has been more appealing to us of late. Here's a Google map where you can ask for public transit directions (e.g. #50 and #57 buses). A one day OCTA bus pass is $4.

 

[cyclenut]

Irvine Spectrum (outdoor) and South Coast Plaza (indoor) are top rate. You can spend an entire day at SCP. The Block is nice and in your list probably third. Not sure I would take the time to visit Main Place. There is really nothing special about it, but if you're more interested in just browsing the stores and don't care much about how great the mall itself is, then it would be a good visit.

As for transportation, the PP did a nice job of providing you some tips on how you might get there. Just a word about our public bus service here, OCTA (it used to be OCTD).

http://www.octa.net/bus-routes-and-schedules.aspx

The buses are clean but they tend to make a lot of stops. The busier bus stops include covered benches but many of the stops are just a bench near the sidewalk. There are a few that are missing a bench, but most have one or the other. Pay close attention to the schedules as the frequency drops off near the end of the day. It probably goes without saying, but look for the most direct route, with the fewest transfers. Transfers will kill your travel time. Either way, allow for more time than you might ordinarily expect the trip to take.

If you can get a shuttle or use the Anaheim ART, you are going to be better off.

 

[jlmarr]

Brea Mall has been more appealing to us of late. Here's a Google map where you can ask for public transit directions (e.g. #50 and #57 buses). A one day OCTA bus pass is $4.

Now that I look at it, the #43/#143 route might be of interest to you since it has a stop at an In-N-Out Burger (just past Orangethorpe in Fullerton) and you change buses at the Fullerton transportation hub, which shares the parking lot with the Fullerton Amtrak/Metrolink station. Via rail you can see quite a few other things in SoCal, but that's another discussion. Here are some Metrolink blurbs and a link to the Amtrak California web site.