Thinking of taking ART on a weekend + recommendations for stuff to do around Anaheim

[bcla]

Not actually visiting Disneyland proper, but we're planning a trip (centered around train travel) and wondering how me might manage transportation around Anaheim without a car. Definitely planning on going to Downtown Disney.

I was looking at the ART website and it's a freaking mess. No real time information or schedules, and no links to any individual route maps, although some web searches yield them. Plus the main map mentions some routes like the Buena Park and City Center routes, but they seem to be gone. I downloaded their app (A Way WeGo) and that seems to have somewhat better info. I might not be able to load it on my phone (not enough free storage), and my tablet is Wi-Fi only. Beside that, it doesn't do portrait mode on a table for some reason.

My big worry is about getting to and from the train station, whether that's ART or OCTA. I guess if we have to, Uber or Lyft. My kid has been researching places in Southern California, and really wants to go to Porto's, whether it's in the LA area where we'll be on day one or Buena Park.

 

[Lisa24jks]

This is how I feel. I’ve thought about using ART a few times but the app and the schedules are basically like gibberish. I’m sure there are easier ways to look at it, but I just gave up.

Hopefully some others here will have tips for you! I’m sure it’s very useful once you get the hang of it.

 

[bcla]

This is how I feel. I’ve thought about using ART a few times but the app and the schedules are basically like gibberish. I’m sure there are easier ways to look at it, but I just gave up.

Hopefully some others here will have tips for you! I’m sure it’s very useful once you get the hang of it.

It was kind of hard to navigate to get a schedule, but I did see real-time information on where the buses were, but not for all routes. In particular I was thinking of going to the Packing District (The Kroft), but I don't see any bus information for the Canyon Metrolink line.

There is also FRAN, but that seems to be limited to a small area where free on-demand rides are made via the app. I think it may also be used to provide delivery services for local restaurants.

I think OCTA might be a better option, especially since they seem to have discontinued the ART Buena Park line.

 

[evilmommie]

Someday I'm going to experiment with taking ART from the ARTIC.

I agree. On the app it looks like a hot mess. If I took Metrolink from South OC, I'd probably then use Lyft, as ART seems like a nightmare. No, thanks on OCTA....I've taken trains all over the world and love the experience. Need to start using the one in my own backyard more. We take the Angel Train for home games, but haven't used it for Dland. They really should make it more user friendly.

 

[bcla]

I started looking into it, and supposedly it's better than it might seem from looking at their rather disorganized website. It barely mentions that most services are on demand except during certain hours when they have more or less scheduled service. But otherwise one is supposed to request specific rides (and the number of passengers) and then they arrange combined rides on their buses with other passengers. So it's kind of a hybrid system, which seems similar to how paratransit services operate. I mentioned trying to get to Buena Park, and I figured out more or how they do it, by using specific stops, but not necessarily on any schedule. I kind of found out how it works from this:

This is also a non-profit service that's subsidized by local businesses through some sort of tax. And there's some controversy since they would like to tap into state public transit funding, but OCTA is objecting because they feel it might take away their funding.'

https://www.ocregister.com/2022/04/...for-tourists-but-should-it-get-state-funding/

 

[bcla]

So I played around with the app some more last night. There is no substitute for seeing what it actually does, although I did accidentally request a ride and cancelled it immediately. Not sure what the deal was, because it gave the name of a driver, so it could have been something closer to a network of individual drivers in cars rather than buses for that kind of late night ride.

It is really challenging to get the right stops though. Searching for ARTIC yield multiple choices and you have to get the right one before it will yield a viable on-demand ride. And the Disneyland Main Transportation Center has multiple bays, and it has to one that works with the other end. But I found that if I picked major points of interest (like Medieval Times or Disneyland) it would show the options with the exact pickup/dropoff points.

However, I think it could probably work, and hopefully better than taking a bus. But worst case scenario is that I would need Uber or Lyft.

 

[gelatoni fan]

Leaving Disneyland is OK by trying to do on-demand when you aren't at the park is a nightmare. I've literally walked up to a random bus driver in front of Disneyland and said, is anyone doing this route? And he was like, no... Let me see if I can take you. Then he drove me and some other people to random spots. I have no idea how to actually order an on-demand shuttle even though it's supposed to be possible.

 

[bcla]

Leaving Disneyland is OK by trying to do on-demand when you aren't at the park is a nightmare. I've literally walked up to a random bus driver in front of Disneyland and said, is anyone doing this route? And he was like, no... Let me see if I can take you. Then he drove me and some other people to random spots. I have no idea how to actually order an on-demand shuttle even though it's supposed to be possible.

It's supposed to be done through the app only. I kind of figured it out, although it may matter when a ride is requested. There's a limited amount of trip planning in future days, but that may only work for the morning routes on defined schedules and not most of the on-demand rides. I tried it on my iPad, so it doesn't fill in the screen. I'm sure that it looks better on a mobile phone rather than a tablet. Here's an example I did in the app using Trip Planner to depart ASAP from Disneyland to Anaheim Packing House. Last night when I was trying it out I accidentally tapped on Request Ride and had to cancel immediately.



But yeah it seems closest to the way that paratransit services typically work, but where one can pay $6 a day per person and basically get in an unlimited number of rides. However, it's a learning curve for this, made difficult because the ART website isn't terribly intuitive.

The other thing I'm thinking of doing is using LA Metro to get to LA via route 460, but there doesn't seem to be any place around Anaheim to buy a TAP card. I think they probably are one of the few buses that take cash fares though. They do have an app that produces a virtual TAP card (I think either NFC or with a QR code), but I'm not sure that I can do that for two on the same device.

 

[bcla]

The other thing I'm thinking of doing is using LA Metro to get to LA via route 460, but there doesn't seem to be any place around Anaheim to buy a TAP card. I think they probably are one of the few buses that take cash fares though. They do have an app that produces a virtual TAP card (I think either NFC or with a QR code), but I'm not sure that I can do that for two on the same device.

I called up LA Metro's customer service and was told that they sell those cards on buses. Wasn't quite sure because the TAP website mentions that they are reloadable on Metro buses.

However, since we're coming down on the Pacific Surfliner (starting in Santa Barbara after transferring from a bus) through LA Union Station, I asked a question on another forum and was told that there's normally about a 25 minute dwell time before leaving southbound. I supposed I could mention to a conductor that I'm getting back on after getting a fare card, I should be OK. Maybe hold on to the seat check too.

 

[bcla]

I thought I'd amend the subject to ask for suggestions on what else to do. I was thinking a few things like maybe Great Wolf Lodge, but their day passes are $175 and even their half day passes are $140. Each.

So far we're thinking Anaheim Packing District. Maybe poutine at The Kroft as well as at least a few hours at Downtown Disney and just walking around the Disneyland entrance for some pictures even if we don't have tickets.

 

[DLgal]

Just one day in Anaheim? How old is the kid?

 

[bardays]

We did ART on demand and went to the Packing District (not a lot there once you have eaten) then we took it to the Outlets at Orange. This is where things went downhill. The on demand arrived and could not "find us" so we had to start again. it took 90 minutes to get a ride back to our hotel. If you use on demand, do not have it detect your location, it worked much better once we specified where we were!

 

[bcla]

Just one day in Anaheim? How old is the kid?

11. We've been to Disneyland several times. But this is really just a fun trip that we're trying to do with Amtrak. The trial run was a few weeks ago when we took Amtrak to Santa Barbara and then an Amtrak bus back home. We theoretically had 4 hours in Santa Barbara although a delay turned that into 3 hours.

However, we talked about doing something a little more extensive - possibly LA. My 11 YO has looked into spots in Southern California that are cool places for food or just entertainment. There are 2 ice cream shops as well as Porto's. And we're thinking the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA and maybe the La Brea Tar Pits, which neither my kid nor I have ever been to, even though I've visited the LA area many times over the years. Also - the plan is that since we're taking trains in, we'll use public transportation and won't rent a car. So that's where ART comes in. I didn't really understand the system, but the on-demand service sounds like it would work for us. But it seemed a better option than using the bus.

And we've never really explored Anaheim either than just whatever was near our hotel, fast food, or the area on Harbor across from the main entrance.

 

[DLgal]

11. We've been to Disneyland several times. But this is really just a fun trip that we're trying to do with Amtrak. The trial run was a few weeks ago when we took Amtrak to Santa Barbara and then an Amtrak bus back home. We theoretically had 4 hours in Santa Barbara although a delay turned that into 3 hours.

However, we talked about doing something a little more extensive - possibly LA. My 11 YO has looked into spots in Southern California that are cool places for food or just entertainment. There are 2 ice cream shops as well as Porto's. And we're thinking the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA and maybe the La Brea Tar Pits, which neither my kid nor I have ever been to, even though I've visited the LA area many times over the years. Also - the plan is that since we're taking trains in, we'll use public transportation and won't rent a car. So that's where ART comes in. I didn't really understand the system, but the on-demand service sounds like it would work for us. But it seemed a better option than using the bus.

And we've never really explored Anaheim either than just whatever was near our hotel, fast food, or the area on Harbor across from the main entrance.

Have you looked into OCTA buses? They have a pretty extensive network around OC.

There is a new attraction (?) at the Westfield mall in Santa Ana that is an American Ninja Warrior Adventure Park. Pretty close to DLR.

https://americanninjawarrioradventurepark.com/

 

[bcla]

We did ART on demand and went to the Packing District (not a lot there once you have eaten) then we took it to the Outlets at Orange. This is where things went downhill. The on demand arrived and could not "find us" so we had to start again. it took 90 minutes to get a ride back to our hotel. If you use on demand, do not have it detect your location, it worked much better once we specified where we were!

For us it's all about the food, so that's OK.

So how did it work in terms of pickup? As far as I can tell, they generally have designated pickup/dropoff points, and entering endpoints will tell us where to go for pickup and where they'll drop off. I was thinking of staying at one hotel, and with a trial run it was giving me a dropoff point more than a half mile walk away. But some places won't give anything, and one has to pick a site closer even if willing to walk a bit more than the app thinks is appropriate. Also choosing some designated sites could be tricky since there are several ARTIC and Disneyland Main Transportation Center bays. I found that for those two, specifying some specific ARTIC points (like Bay 8) didn't work. It might work if the specific pickup bay (13/14) was specified, but easier if just specifying the main starred/points of interest locations like Disneyland and ARTIC, where it would figure out the bus endpoints. It also gives a map where it thinks it knows the passenger is in blue, and then the pickup point in a white circle with a black outline.

I tried your trip here - it was a little while back but I saved the screenshots. I tried looking at the map first, by dragging the text down and zooming in on the map. I found that portrait orientation was actually better on an iPad than landscape. It's more like I would see on a mobile phone.



Then I drag the text back up and it tells me exactly where it's going to pick up.



I did a sanity check on Google Street View (use of this should be considered fair use). Looks like that corner has an OCTA bus stop, but I think that's an ART schedule attached to the same pole. But it's from 2015, so that was probably when they were on set schedules/routes and not the current system.

 

[bcla]

Have you looked into OCTA buses? They have a pretty extensive network around OC.

There is a new attraction (?) at the Westfield mall in Santa Ana that is an American Ninja Warrior Adventure Park. Pretty close to DLR.

https://americanninjawarrioradventurepark.com/

Sure I though about OCTA. However, I rather like that ART seems to be better about scheduling more or less random routes between specific points, so I'm not locked into fixed routes. Of course if it comes down to it, I could just use Apple Maps and its transit feature or just call for Uber or Lyft.

 

[bcla]

So I made a non-refundable hotel reservation in Buena Park (quite a bit cheaper) although I'm not that sure about the place. We're going to be staying near Knott's with less than a 10 minute walk to ART's designated stop in the area. I heard it can be somewhat strange in the area (a few panhandlers) but that it's not particularly unsafe because there are lots of people. It's on Beach so it should be pretty easy access to the Metro 460 bus.

Again - not going to Disneyland per se, but we're thinking of watching fireworks. Heard that the esplanade between the parks is a pretty good place to watch for those without tickets. Something about Downtown Disney having too many trees.

 

[bardays]

For us it's all about the food, so that's OK.

So how did it work in terms of pickup? As far as I can tell, they generally have designated pickup/dropoff points, and entering endpoints will tell us where to go for pickup and where they'll drop off. I was thinking of staying at one hotel, and with a trial run it was giving me a dropoff point more than a half mile walk away. But some places won't give anything, and one has to pick a site closer even if willing to walk a bit more than the app thinks is appropriate. Also choosing some designated sites could be tricky since there are several ARTIC and Disneyland Main Transportation Center bays. I found that for those two, specifying some specific ARTIC points (like Bay 8) didn't work. It might work if the specific pickup bay (13/14) was specified, but easier if just specifying the main starred/points of interest locations like Disneyland and ARTIC, where it would figure out the bus endpoints. It also gives a map where it thinks it knows the passenger is in blue, and then the pickup point in a white circle with a black outline.

I tried your trip here - it was a little while back but I saved the screenshots. I tried looking at the map first, by dragging the text down and zooming in on the map. I found that portrait orientation was actually better on an iPad than landscape. It's more like I would see on a mobile phone.

View attachment 688370

Then I drag the text back up and it tells me exactly where it's going to pick up.

View attachment 688369

I did a sanity check on Google Street View (use of this should be considered fair use). Looks like that corner has an OCTA bus stop, but I think that's an ART schedule attached to the same pole. But it's from 2015, so that was probably when they were on set schedules/routes and not the current system.

View attachment 688373

Interesting. We were dropped off at Lucky Strike and assumed we would be picked up there but the app gave our location as the doubletree nearby. So we had to manually enter the Lucky Strike. When ART on demand worked, it worked well but we also had plenty of trouble.
Pick up at Disneyland Hub was always easy but at our hotel, sometimes they would be accross the street looking for us and they would move on. Once we figured out that we had to be very clear about where we were, North Side etc it was way easier but then our trip was over!

PS the drivers were all super helpful!

 

[bcla]

Interesting. We were dropped off at Lucky Strike and assumed we would be picked up there but the app gave our location as the doubletree nearby. So we had to manually enter the Lucky Strike. When ART on demand worked, it worked well but we also had plenty of trouble.
Pick up at Disneyland Hub was always easy but at our hotel, sometimes they would be accross the street looking for us and they would move on. Once we figured out that we had to be very clear about where we were, North Side etc it was way easier but then our trip was over!

PS the drivers were all super helpful!

I've been reading reviews, and a lot of the complaints seem to be about the on-demand ride apps being confusing to use. There seem to be a lot of moving parts, including that a full route typically requires walking. I believe ART rides can be scheduled with three different apps. I also looked at one particular trip this morning, and it was giving a regularly scheduled morning run, along with an on-demand ride that would have meant less time waiting.

However, this won't be the first time I made a trip to Anaheim without going into Disneyland. I've gone to Downtown Disney for dining a few times. And once we were at Disneyland but didn't tell anyone, including my cousin who lives in OC. They suggested meeting up at Downtown Disney, although it took us a while to get there because we had a FastPass for a high demand ride and didn't want to give it up.

If it's OK to ask, what does it look like after an on-demand ride is scheduled? I can actually schedule a ride even from my location 400 miles away and did so accidentally once when testing out the features. All I caught was a glimpse of a name (the driver?) before I cancelled quickly. I wasn't sure if this was a bus or a car. Does it give a bus number? I'm also wondering about FRAN (Free Rides Around the Neighborhood, and now Food Runs Around the Neighborhood) which I guess one doesn't have to pay for anything.

 

[bcla]

Finally here. Was a little bit interesting because we couldn’t buy ART tickets at ARTIC until the one worker came back from a lunch break. We scheduled our first ride but it’s been reported delayed several times.

However, we did get the name of the driver and the year/make/model of the bus, although this one doesn’t seem to have a license plate yet.