NON driving NYer, looking to visit DL...HELP Please!!!!

[mommycrawford]

It can't be right away, but I dream of Jack Skellington in the Haunted Mansion

OK...I'm a dork, but all the more reason to ask fellow disers.

What city to fly into, where to stay, and how to get there...could I be more needy?

I am REALLLY NYC and WDW savvy, so I would be happy to swap info if anyone has any questions.

TIA! and be merciful!...we don't have driver's ed here

 

[mandac]

I live in UT so we fly to DL quite often. I prefer to fly to SNA (Orange County, John Wayne Airport) because it is the closest airport to DL. The shuttle from here is not too expensive and the ride is short. We usually find a hotel in walking distance (I haven't stayed at the resort - too pricy for me!) If you just want to do Disney, you will be fine with that. I believe the ART (Anaheim Resort Transportation) can take you out to other theme parks, such as Knotts.

You will have so much fun! I am excited for you.

 

[marcemc]

"OK...I'm a dork, but all the more reason to ask fellow disers"



We know it, we know it, but it is hardly said "out loud".

 

[bumbershoot]

The three airports that most fly into are LAX (los angeles), SNA (aka john wayne airport, it's the closest one, I believe), and LGB (long beach).

LAX is typically the cheapest, but transportation costs a bit more. SNA is often more expensive (sometimes simply b/c of taxes and fees...we booked into LAX instead of SNA for our upcoming trip because even though the base fares were exactly the same, the taxes/fees caused the total to be $80 more for SNA) but it's quick to get to the parks and you have the same options as from LAX.

Those options, the ones I've taken at least, are Grayline's Disneyland Express (a coach bus) or Super Shuttle (shuttle van). Both have good, both have bad, points.

LGB doesn't have the bus option, so for you it will be shuttle (super shuttle goes there).

Or towncars, limos, etc, which you can book for any of them.


Absolutely no reason to drive, and even those of us who grew up in CA and had two driver's ed courses (one paid for by my mom b/c I have a late birthday, one through the school AFTER I had my license, LOL) choose to NOT drive in southern CA if not really needed, just b/c it's nicer to have someone driving who is used to the traffic.

If you need groceries you can get a taxi or make an order from vons.com (grocery store, the only one that delivers now).

 

[Hawleys]

We did a 4 day trip to Disneyland Resort in August with no driving at all. It might be more convenient to have a car if you are planning to visit LA, San Diego or some of the nearby beaches but you can do that without a car too. Grayline books coach bus tours to LA and Universal Studios. I've read trip reports from folks who took the Amtrak train from San Diego to LA. You will have a great time!

 

[GrandBob]

I notice that no one has yet pointed you to the undisputed starting point for right-coasters visiting DLR.

Hydroguy's DLR Guide for WDW Vets

It's truly a wealth of information. He should publish it and sell it on Amazon.

 

[Buttercup26]

I second the suggestions to read Hydroguys tips - great info.

If you are only doing the Disneyland Resort area you definitely do not need to drive. I almost never drive on our trips. There are numerous hotels within a 10 minute walk to the parks and DL - DCA are literally right beside each other. You just walk accross the esplanade it's 3 minutes from the front gate of one park to the other.

I prefer to fly into SNA when possible, it is often slightly more than LAX but I find the shorter trip to the hotel and less expensive shuttle/taxi makes it a pretty even trade. On our last trip in May it was $19 more per person (2 of us) to fly in/out of SNA, but the Super Shuttle was $9 less per person - so the net extra to fly into SNA was $11 per person.

We usually use Super Shuttle to get from the airport to the hotel. I book online and use a code, the entertainment book is usually the best - but if you don't have an entertainment book check some of the coupon sites, or even posts on the boards for a code.

Depending on where your hotel is and how many other people are on the shuttle with you a shuttle from SNA can be anywhere from 15 - 45 minutes. Our experience has typically been 20-25 minutes.

We love the HoJo and that is an easy walk. We stayed at Paradise Pier in May and loved it too.

Everyone has their favorite hotel close to Disney and there many, many options to choose from.

Don't worry about not driving - it's not needed at all to visit DLR.

 

[ukstitch]

It can't be right away, but I dream of Jack Skellington in the Haunted Mansion

OK...I'm a dork, but all the more reason to ask fellow disers.

What city to fly into, where to stay, and how to get there...could I be more needy?

I am REALLLY NYC and WDW savvy, so I would be happy to swap info if anyone has any questions.

TIA! and be merciful!...we don't have driver's ed here

Which city to fly into - I'd recommend Santa Ana (also known as orange county) airport if at all possible as it's slightly closer and it's also a quieter airport.

If you can't manage that, then I guess you'll have to fly into Los Angeles International.

How to get from the airport to the area - I've used the Disneyland Resort Express bus that runs from both Los Angeles and Santa Ana direct to the Disneyland area and will drop you off at your hotel. It costs $30 return from Los Angeles or $25 return from Santa Ana. I found this to be nice and easy and I'll be using it again in December.

Where to stay - not so good at this one as I've not had too much time to sample the different hotels. Lots of people seem to like HoJo's (that's where I'm staying this time). I've also stayed in the Camelot Inn & Suites which was reasonable and very close to the parks.

There are loads of hotels all down South Harbour Boulevard which are in easy walking distance of the parks. There are also 3 disney hotels, although these can actually be further away than the South Harbour Boulevard ones (though I believe they're nicer - especially the pools).

 

[Buttercup26]

We've done the Disneyland Resort bus, run by Grayline, it is a very nice service but I personally prefer the other shuttles. The Disneyland Resort Express doesn't run as often, it has a very specific schedule of when it leaves the airports. It is also the most expensive of the various shuttle options.

We've had the best experience with Super Shuttle. In May we paid $14 per person round trip ($7 per person per trip) on Super Shuttle from Santa Ana (Orange County) and when we walked out to the shuttle area there were 4 Super Shuttle buses waiting - our bus was on the way to our hotel 5-6 minutes after we walked up to it. That has typically been the case for us with Super Shuttle. They also give you a 15 minute window for pick-up at your hotel and they have always arrived within that window when we've used them.

 

[nunzia]

I can also say that Super Shuttle is very good, reasonable in price. How about flying into Ontario? How does that work? Is there a shuttle from there? When I was there last week and stayed for the Expo I set foot off the Disney property for the first time since 2001. (I popped the magical Disney bubble so to speak). The area looks alot nicer than it used to! There are many choices of nice quality hotels very close..I still choose to stay on site but it was good to see the surrounding area looks better than in years past. I also found a very close 7-11 and ABC market for items like beer and light groceries. No need for a car!

 

[jlmarr]

Just another data point - my DW prefers the Disneyland Express bus over the shuttles because of the smoother ride. It's an issue if you have a bad back. The bus goes directly to the DLH and then you are transferred to another bus to go to other area hotels. (I'm not sure, but GCH and PPH might not require a transfer.) Here's their brochure.

If you're flying into Long Beach (LGB) you'll need the shuttle. JetBlue flies into LGB.

There's an Amtrak station in Anaheim, an option if you want to go up or down the coast on the Pacific Surfliner.

From Union Station in LA you can connect with LA's subway system to get to Hollywood or Universal Studios.

 

[mommycrawford]

You guys are the best!!!!!

...and to clarify,...I am proclaiming myself, and me alone, a dork!!!!(Having not actually had first hand encounters with other Disers, you will all have to judge your own membership to that club for yourselves.)

...All my board experiences, make me think you all are pretty cool !

Thanks for all the tips!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Well, I live in NorCal and always drive to the DLR, so I can't offer any help on flying. However, if you're just visiting the DLR, you do not need a car. There are many hotels within easy walking distance of the parks that are very affordable.

I know there are some public transit options up to L.A. if that's a must do on your agenda, but do your homework on whether or not going to L.A. is really worth it for you.