Transportation with a 3 year old

[natsprat04]

My DH & I are taking our DD (3) to Disneyland for the 1st tme mid May & I have been debating whether to take the shuttle from LAX, the Disney bus or rent a towncar from the airport to Disneyland.

I have heard stories about Supershuttle that they may take other people outside of Disneyland which can make travel time longer than what they should be. We can take the Disney Express bus but because we're not staying at one the Disney hotels, I don't like the idea of maybe unloading some passengers to another bus to take them down to Harbor Blvd. I have been leaning towards a towncar. Do they usually provide carseats? Do you think it'll be okay if we didn't have one (yikes)? Does anyone recommend a limousine company wherein you've used their carseats? I have called some of them & they said I have to pay $25 for the carseat but I heard that some provide it if you request it.

I appreciate your input.

 

[funnygarcia]

Depends on what time you arrive .... Super Shuttle might give you a grand tour if you arrive very late at night/earlymorning.

During the day there are enough passengers wanting to go to DL that it should be fairly direct trip to your hotel.

You can arrange for exclusive service on Super Shuttle, meaning no one shares the van with your group. Costs a bit more but not as expensive as a town car or limo.

 

[natsprat04]

We arrive LAX on a Monday afternoon around 3:30pm & our flight back is 4:30pm on the Saturday. So since we're going in the daytime, we should get a direct trip to our hotel right? SS doesn't provide carseats, just like the bus... yikes, I hope that is alright. Would SS be better for us than the Disney Express bus?

 

[mystic_path]

Well supershuttle usually tries to put you into a van that only goes to the Disneyland area, or the area that you are staying in so they dont stray much off the beaten path. You do have the option of waiting for the next shuttle which will only go to the area you are staying in. For the most part I found it really good, but I dont recall there being any car seats for children. I think your best bet would be to take your own car seat and rent a car. That way you know for sure that you get there when you want, you have your own wheels and a safe ride for your child. I dont really want to comment on the disneyland bus shuttles cause I havent ever taken that route.

 

[mamacatnv]

Have you considered renting a car? Since you are staying off site you could take your carseat with you and have your own source of transportation. Also the Anaheim area has so many restuarants, shopping & access to beaches that if you wanted a break from DL you could drive somewhere else.

We always rent a car when we go to DL, even tho we usually stay at a hotel that is within walking distance we utilize the car in the evenings for dinner & usually some shopping.

 

[PrincessIM]

We're going to Disneyland in May (with a 2 1/2 yr old & 6 yr old) and faced the same dilemma. I wasn't comfortable with the kids not being in a car seat plus the thought of having to stop at other hotels before getting to ours wasn't something we were thrilled with so we decided to rent a car instead. It actually ended up being much cheaper than we thought it would be. I've taken the Super Shuttle in the past (before kids) and it wasn't too bad but still had a few stops but at least they were in the hotel district. On the way back to LAX, we had a couple of residential stops.

 

[natsprat04]

We're not really too keen on renting a car since we're not too familiar with CA freeways & traffic. We figured we're on vacation so we want to be driven around . So renting a car might be out of the question plus since it's the 1st trip for my DD we are striclty going to do Disneyland this time & take our time with the parks so renting a car might be more of a hassle.

I have looked at Karmel Shuttles. Has anyone had any experiences with them? It says that their shared van would only make a max of 1 addt'l stop instead of 3-5 stops which would completely cut travel time. Please do share.

Is it just me who feels weird about not having a car seat? I guess shuttle vans like buses, planes & trains are considered mass transportation so I guess they don't require to have car seats. If I bring our own... not only is it heavy & bulky, it is also a big hassle with bringing a stroller & several luggages. Aaaahhhhh, this is driving me nuts!!!

 

[silence]

is she big enough just for a booster seat?

you might find you want a car seat for her on the plane though too.

 

[hlbtimes2]

If you are using anything other then express bus you will need to bring car seat/ booster seat with you. You will want one in a taxi, shuttle or town car. Its not safe and against the law to not use one. Dont risk it, just check the car seat with your bags and be safe! Be sure to bring the "I" shaped locking clip with you for the seat belt. Most of the shuttles have the older type car seats that dont rachet and lock- you have to use the clip to hold them in place.

 

[KelsiesMommy]

in CA the law states all children under 6 and 60lbs bein a car seat- 4 and 40 is the rule for non harnessing boosters

 

[bumbershoot]

"We can take the Disney Express bus but because we're not staying at one the Disney hotels, I don't like the idea of maybe unloading some passengers to another bus to take them down to Harbor Blvd"


Wait. The D.E. website says "The Disneyland Resort ® Express offer hourly service between your Anaheim area hotel and Los Angles International (LAX) and Orange County 's John Wayne Airport (SNA). "

It does NOT say Disneyland Resorts, it says Anaheim area hotels.

So I'm not sure that you need to have a concern of NOT being dropped off at your hotel.

And this page shows the approximate times for ALL sorts of hotels.

So you might want to think about that bus again!


As for things like Shuttle Express, they are just vans, and we have absolutely had to use DS's carseat in it. If there's a belt, as far as I know, you use it. Buses don't have belts, so you don't need a seat.


That said, when we go with our 3 year old, we're bringing his travel carseat, his Scenera, for the plane, b/c it's just SO much easier to get his cooperation with his seat, instead of just a lapbelt.




update. Just called D.E.

They explained it this way. If I arrive at the airport and there is someone manning the kiosk, I pay there, get on the bus, that bus takes me all the way to my hotel (Carousel, for us).

If I arrive when there is no one manning the kiosk, I get on the bus, then get off at DLH, and pay there. Then get back on the bus (she said it was only one bus, but I imagine if there were a line to pay one might end up catching the next bus that came by?) and they take me to my hotel.

On the way back, she said you call to make the reservation, and it's all taken care of, no getting off at DLH. It might require a stop if you haven't paid already, I imagine.

Anyway, sounds like D.E. is still an option, without having to worry about walking.

 

[Katie0677]

We went to DL last year with our 3 kids, 2 needed a carseat. Yes, it's more of a hassle for sure, but it's the law. Karmel told us if we didn't have a carseat for our children then legally they would not be able take us to our hotel. We took Karmel from SNA to our hotel, and they were at the airport within minutes of us calling and we were taken directly to our hotel. When returning to the airport from the hotel, you have to call 24 hrs. in advance to make reservations to be picked up. If you wait until the last minute you will have to take whatever pick up times are left which can be a hassle.
Have fun!
Katie

 

[natsprat04]

Thanks to everyone for your replies, you've been all very helpful. I guess I would need to take my carseat just to be extra safe.

Katie0677, you said your family took Karmel Shuttles. I'm guessing that you had a good experience with them? I was told that we might have to have one other stop which isn't too bad unlike Super Shuttle. I guess you were lucky to go straight to your hotel. I hope I'll have your luck.

I was also looking into Express Shuttle. They have a 'business class' vehicle where you don't have to share the ride with anyone & they gave me a quote of $122 RT. Anybody have used them before? The archives only listed Super Shuttle & some Karmel for the top shuttles people use to DL so if anyone can share their Express Shuttle experience that would be great.

Thanks.

 

[Katie0677]

Yes, we had a nice experience with Karmel. When they picked us up at the airport it was just our family and another couple, we were dropped off first. When they picked us up from the hotel, we were the only ones.
Katie