Transportation: Do I have to book/pay ahead, or can I choose/pay when I arrive?

[Amysita]

Flying into SNA...it will be a close call to make the DL Express, and if I miss it I would have to wait a whole hour! *gasping* shock of horror! Of the options, I would prefer DL Express, but ONLY if I can catch the 12:30 bus. Is it an option to not book DL Express ahead of time, wait until I land, get my bags...etc. If I make it for the 12:30 bus, can I just purchase the ticket there, right on the spot? If I miss the 12:30 bus then I would just get a cab...but if I 'HAVE' to book ahead of time & miss the 12:30 bus, since I've already paid for it, I would just wait around until 1:30...wasting a hole hour of my vacay.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Their website says that reservations are recommended but not required which tells me you could hop just on and pay if you make the 12:30 shuttle and there is space.

 

[Amysita]

Yeah, I read the same thing, but didn't want to assume when they don't state it outright, I was hoping maybe someone here might have personal experience.

 

[lalasmama]

You can pay at time of service. Remember that they will charge you a different price than online. And you will want to know what that price is--they have charged us different prices than what they said the price was online (not the difference between the pre-pay price, or pay-at-time-of-service price, but $10 above that, saying "Oh, we just changed the price!")--so, be ready to pull up the published price, either in a print out or on your phone.

We have always just taken a taxi. Yes, it's a little more expensive, but I appreciate the door-to-door (basically) service. Never fails that whatever hotel I'm staying in doesn't have a Disneyland Resort Express stop for several hotel lengths. With a taxi, they drop me off right at the hotel lobby.

 

[BriannaRuth]

We have taken the DL Express from the airport without reservations and have paid on board. No problem. We're doing the same thing this year -- hoping to take the DLE but if the times don't work we'll Uber it. Uber would actually be cheaper for us but my kids love the DLE.

 

[bumbershoot]

At SNA there's more to do while waiting than at LAX, and you'll probably need to eat anyway, so if I were in your shoes (and wanted to take DLE)...if I got in at a time where I would just miss the bus, I'd just hang out in the airport a bit. Get some food to go, take it out and snag the bags, look at the John Wayne statue, etc. (at LAX there's just nothing to do when you're near the baggage area)

Or I'd take Karmel Shuttle (that's what I would actually do) after pre-arranging it.

Or I'd get a rental car.

 

[lalasmama]

Totally forgot to mention one other point... Occasionally the busses are full, which could mean you have to wait for another one. You're best bet to get on is a reservation, but I've been bumped to the next bus (at LAX) because of this. So frustrating!

 

[sunflare]

If you're going into SNA, it might be cheaper to get an Uber or Lyft... it's close enough.