Nervous Mom

[tweetybird]

First time for us to Disneyland. Scared to Death of the lax airport. Is it really that huge. Can someone tell me how many hours before departure do you need to be at the airport. I will be coming home on a friday , so how soon should i leave my hotel when my departure is at 1pm.

 

[lap3]

I don't think it's that big...especially if you compare it to O'Hare, for example. You shouldn't worry too much about it. I'll assume you're renting a car. If so, give yourself plenty of time to return it. Traffic shouldn't be so bad on a Friday at mid morning. For my family, we hate being late for anything. Being way too early is better than being 1 minute late. Know what I mean? So, we have no problem sitting in the airport waiting for our flight. I would suggest leaving the DL area between 9:30-10.00 AM. This will allow you to drive at a less hectic pace and if you encounter traffic, you'll still have plenty of time to return the car, check in your bags, and go through the security check.

 

[lap3]

BTW, you should probably wait to see Mary Jo's response as I believe she works around the LAX area.

 

[tweetybird]

Im from canada , so wont be renting a car. First time ever going to L.A

 

[clyde]

We are kind of in the same boat, leaving Vancouver via WestJet and arriving in LAX for the first time. I haven't heard anyone talking about LAX being overwhelming, so they must have it laid out and marked very well.

When are you guys heading to DL?

We are heading to DL October 27 - November 4

 

[lap3]

I don't think LAX is overwhelming. In fact, I think just about anyone can navigate through LAX with little to no difficulty. Once you get off the plane, everyone heads to baggage claim. At this point, just follow everyone that was on the plane with you because they're going to the same place. BTW, everything is pretty well marked so look above anywhere you walk and you should see signs as to where to go.

Checking in can be done a number of different ways. Most airlines will have curbside check-in. While some will have a kiosk inside. Even more, there are the usual lengthy lines of manually checking in at the counters. Best thing to do is ask one of the employees there as to the best way to check-in.

Back to the tweedybird's last post, if you are taking a shuttle, ask them what time they will pick you up. They will have a good idea of when is the best time to account for any delays. They may pick up other passengers as well. So, you may have to start your trip to the airport a bit sooner.

 

[superdisneyfan]

Shuttles charge by person whereas taxis charge by car. If you have 3-4 people, consider taking a taxi instead, especially going back to the airport from your hotel. This way, you don't have to worry about delays in making stops at other hotels or the shuttle being delayed. Your taxi will take you to your departure terminal without other stops. Have a great trip!

 

[tweetybird]

Thank-you everyone for your help. And as for Clydes question we our leaving on the 21 of Dec. Flying out of vancouver also. When are you going?

 

[disney-super-mom]

Don't be nervous about it at all. You'll be fine. I'm from Spokane, not too far from you, and we've flown into LAX several times through the years, and it's very easy to navigate. It's just that when we go to DL, which is at least once a year it seems, we now always fly into John Wayne Int. airport (SNA) because it's closer to DL. The worst you're looking at is a 45 minute drive from LAX to the DL area.

On your return trip, plan your departure around rush hour traffic patterns and plan accordingly. I would probably start heading to the LAX airport from the DL area about 3 hours before my flight was scheduled to take off.

Have a great trip!

 

[mtb2005]

Hey what about the Long Beach Airport. I know this is off topic but you guy's are talking about airports so i guess i'll ask.

 

[brenda1966]

I've been to LAX, O'Hare, DIA (Denver), Atlanta, Orlando, Toronto, Bangkok etc. -- Large airports all over and as long as you keep your eyes open and pay attention to signs, you shouldn't have any trouble. I've never found large airports any harder to get around in than small ones. In fact, I think they usually have more and better signs to help you get around. A shuttle or a taxi should know exactly where to drop you off. Your hotel can probably suggest a good time to leave for the airport as well.

We flew out of LAX at 6:15pm and left Anaheim at 2:30. We did have a rental car to return.

 

[tinkerbell13]

For me the worst thing about flying out of LAX, which we did this summer, is worrying about driving out there. We live close to ONT which is super easy to get to and to get in and out of. We just made sure we left earlier than we thought we needed too, which was good because we had a big delay due to a wreck, but we made it no problem. Have fun, but be prepared for big crowds at Disneyland