Rental Car LAX to Anaheim

[Beck & the Beast]

We are renting a car next week for the first couple days of our trip, picking up at LAX, driving to San Diego and returning at the Katella location in Anaheim. It looks like the rental car pickup locations are away from the terminals, should one person in our party go get the car while the rest wait for luggage? And then once have the rental car circle back through the terminal to pickup everyone else? Or should everyone go in the shuttle to the rental location once we have all luggage to pickup the rental car and leave right from there? We have always taken shuttle or a towncar service before to DLR area. Is it relatively easy to navigate back through the airport? And looks like just link to the I5 as quickly as possible. We fly in Saturday about noon if that makes a difference.

Also, when dropping off on Katella, it looks like it'd be a relatively straight walk though GardenWalk to the park. But my AP includes parking so would I be able to hop on a Toy Story shuttle? As the return location looks just to the east of the Toy Story lot.

 

[grelca]

Picking someone up at LAX is, in my experience, typically a cluster-you-know-what, and I would never wish it on anyone. I'd choose to shuttle everyone to the rental car place.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Personally, I think it would add a lot of time, and after you get your luggage you'd be waiting for a while. LAX is typically pretty busy, and if you don't know the shortcuts to get to Terminals 5 and 7, (depending what terminal you're at whether you'd use the shortcut to exit, or to get to the right terminal to save time) it's going to take time, especially if you're travelling at peak traffic, and with the construction going on in the surrounding area. I recommend everyone go together on the shuttle to the car rental.

 

[SMD]

Everyone should take the shuttle. The last thing you want to do is drive the loop trying to find someone and merge in and out of the pick-up areas, trying to find a spot in the white zone, which is heavily policed once you stop. It might save you a little time to send 1 person ahead to start claiming the rental car and then everyone else trails with the luggage. It depends how often you rental car place sends shuttles (some luck involved here) and if you need that person's help with the luggage. Also, if you're planning to add a second driver, that person needs to be present when you pick up the car.

 

[OKW Lover]

Agree with the PP's that getting to the rental car locations and then back to LAX is not an easy/quick thing. Every time we've flown to/from LAX the traffic on the terminal loop has been horrible. Highly recommend everybody go with their luggage on the bus to the rental car lot.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Another agreement for everyone on the shuttle once you have your luggage. It is easy peasy and they take you right to the rental car location. The LAX passenger pickup loop can be gridlock at times and is one of the worst traffic jam ups at any airport at busy times. The departure from the rental car locations is well away from that mess.

On the return...anyone can hop on the Toy Story bus to the park, paid parking or not.

 

[bumbershoot]

Even though I recommend having one person go in some locations, LAX is not one of those locations. Everyone and the luggage should go then hit the road from your rental car.

 

[Beck & the Beast]

Thank you all for the input. Our last few trips luggage had been pretty fast to come out anyway. We are in Terminal 2 and renting through Avis. Do the busses come fairly often?

 

[ParkHopper1]

Thank you all for the input. Our last few trips luggage had been pretty fast to come out anyway. We are in Terminal 2 and renting through Avis. Do the busses come fairly often?

Yes...at LAX each rental company has their own shuttle busses as their locations are spread out all over the place. There is not a consolidated rental car facility. They run on a continuous loop in regular intervals.

 

[OKW Lover]

renting through Avis. Do the busses come fairly often?

We've seen the Avis busses go by very regularly. If you just miss one, the next will be along in just a few minutes.

 

[Dallas_Lady]

Thanks for posting this question. Normally when we fly, DH goes and gets the car while I wait for luggage with the kids. Then he comes back for us usually just as the luggage arrives. This always works great at MCO but we have never flown into LAX. This is good to know.

 

[Beck & the Beast]

Thanks for posting this question. Normally when we fly, DH goes and gets the car while I wait for luggage with the kids. Then he comes back for us usually just as the luggage arrives. This always works great at MCO but we have never flown into LAX. This is good to know.

I will post an update after we travel this weekend and let you all know how it worked for us.

 

[kristabelle13]

What you could do though, is send someone for the car, and the rest of you follow with the luggage on a later shutttle. If you don't have loyalty/affinity with the car rental companies (IME), you'll be in a pretty big line waiting for your car...