Pre Trip Planning 8th Year to LA June 2016

[BadPinkTink]

So its time to make this official, I have just booked my flights to LA for June 2016. This will be my 8th year to visit LA and California.

Irish airline Aer Lingus have a new route, Dublin to LAX direct starting in May so I decided to try that this year. As I have booked 6 months out from departure date, I got a great deal and I was able to book my seats in advance too. Another bonus of flying direct from Dublin is USA Pre Clearance. This means that there is USA Homelands Security at Dublin airport and my passport gets stamped before I get on the plane so that when I arrive in LAX I just go straight to baggage claim, same as an internal domestic flights

This year I plan to go to Universal Studios as well as Disney. I cant wait to see the new Harry Potter land.

Most likely I will stay at the same hotels I did last year, they worked out really well transport wise, as I dont drive.

 

[ADLFAN]

Pre Clearance sounds awesome!

We liked Universal Studios, but it is no Disneyland! Maybe it was all the extremely tall beer cans carelessly left in corners.... I wish we'd invested in the Front of Line Pass upgrade, they were even offering it on the way in that day, but we were being thrifty and declined. Let me just say, the lines at Universal are long, full, and boring. And they sold the extremely tall beers and snacks throughout them. Since it's not exactly as ride-filled as Disneyland, you don't have the option to skip that ride for now and do something else.

I am sure the Harry Potter area will be beautifully themed and detailed, like in Florida. I can't wait to see pictures!

What bus/shuttle do you use to get from Anaheim to LA?

Have fun planning!

 

[BadPinkTink]

Pre Clearance sounds awesome!

It is, I have used it on previous trips to New York and its soo handy

We liked Universal Studios, but it is no Disneyland! Maybe it was all the extremely tall beer cans carelessly left in corners.... I wish we'd invested in the Front of Line Pass upgrade, they were even offering it on the way in that day, but we were being thrifty and declined. Let me just say, the lines at Universal are long, full, and boring. And they sold the extremely tall beers and snacks throughout them. Since it's not exactly as ride-filled as Disneyland, you don't have the option to skip that ride for now and do something else.

Totally agree. I went there on a one day visit back in 2011 with friends. It was good but like you say very different to Disney. I went to just City Walk in June 2015. My main reason to go back is Harry Potter Land

I am sure the Harry Potter area will be beautifully themed and detailed, like in Florida. I can't wait to see pictures!

From the little bits I have read, it seems to be almost the same as Florida. I have been to the real studios in London, where they have the actual sets and props so I cant wait for the Land

What bus/shuttle do you use to get from Anaheim to LA?

I use Supershuttle and do it in 2 parts. It worked out really well in June 2015 so I will do the same in 2016. I stay in Downtown LA first and then go over to Anaheim. I booked supershuttle LAX to my Downtown hotel return. The return part is the transfer day to Anaheim. I just went to Southwest website and looked up a random flight leaving LAX around the time I wanted to go Anaheim.
Part One
Arrival Day My real arrival time/ flight details pick up LAX going to my Downtown LA Hotel
Transfer Day,Pick up at my Downtown LA hotel going to LAX, random Southwest flight leaving LAX flight details

Then I went back to Southwest and picked a random flight arriving to LAX, used those details for pick at LAX to my hotel in Anaheim. For the return part I used my real departure flight details to go back to LAX to go home

Part Two
Transfer Day Pick up at LAX going to my Hotel in Anaheim, random Southwest flight arriving LAX ,
Departure Day Pick up at my Anaheim hotel, going to LAX my real departure flight details

It works out at two return Suppershuttles, approx $64 total for the 4 journeys. It takes a bit of organising, checking out the Southwest flights, one which lands at LAX, one which leaves LAX around the same time. In June 2015, it took just over 2 hours from my hotel in Downtown to Anaheim. Its the cheapest and hassle free way as I have quite a large suitcase and I'm on my own

 

[ADLFAN]

That's brilliant! We use Super Shuttle to get from SNA to Anaheim and I love how you can track their vehicle as they're arriving to pick you up.

I assume you use the discount code (6UJ5D) for 10% off courtesy of the Anaheim Visitors Bureau?

It's one of the few coupons I actually remember to use because I book ahead of time, the rest of my coupon efforts usually end up returning home with me...