Which airport from NY?

[iluvthsgam]

Flying from NY with two kids (8,5), John Wayne airport (SNA) is closer than LAX. But SNA only has one direct flight with a time that works and LAX can actually get us in 2 hours earlier. Landing at LAX at 7pm versus SNA at 9pm. Is it worth spending more and landing later to get to SNA? Or will the time saved getting to LAX earlier be wasted by traffic getting there?

It is already going to be a late night for kids who go to bed at 7:30pm normally, so just trying to see what is most efficient way to get there without too much hassle. Is traffic somewhat more predictable from LAX after 7/8pm at night? This would be traveling Feb 16, 2023, so Thursday before the Presidents Day weekend. Any insight or suggestions welcome!

 

[ParkHopper1]

You will be saving overall an hour at best flying into LAX. All things being equal LAX drive time is 50 min vs 20 for SNA but LAX will also take longer to get bags and get to ground transportation to the resort area, plus cost a lot more in Uber or Taxi. That time of night typical traffic should not be too much of a factor.

SNA is a lot more relaxed and easy access to the resort once you land vs LAX which can be a bit more chaotic and will take longer to get tot the hotel...so is the time savings worth it?...all thing being equal not really IMO so it comes down to what is the cost savings.

 

[ktlm]

Are you renting a car, or using uber/lyft etc? SNA is a quick and easy airport. Close to DLR, bags usually come fairly quickly, rental car counters are by baggage claim, if you are leaving through SNA security is usually fairly short. It is about a 15-20 minute drive to DLR. Traffic usually isn't too bad.

LAX getting anywhere takes a while, if you are renting a car, you have to take a shuttle to the rental car counters, it can take longer to get bags. If you aren't renting a car, it is going to cost more to get to DLR from LAX. It is at least a 45 minute drive and if traffic is bad could be an hour and a half.

You probably won't actually be saving much, if any time, by going to LAX...so it boils down to cost. Are the flights to LAX saving you so much that it makes up for the cost of uber/lyft if you are using it.

We live in a place that has several direct flights to LAX, but no direct flights to SNA. The cost typcially is not that much different. While we much prefer direct flights, SNA wins out every time for us. It is such an easy airport, and the proximity to DLR makes the to/from a lot easier too.

 

[2tinkerbell]

When figuring out which airport, make sure to add in your transportation costs as well. Since you really aren’t saving any time, I would look at other variables, such as cost, convenience, etc. I would add in the tired factor as well. Will your children be tired, have had a long travel day, etc. Is flying into SNA worth the extra cost, if any, for happier children and mom?

From experience, I use Lansky. I factor in the ground transportation. Sometimes I want to get there early in the morning and with an early direct flight, I will choose LAX. This last time the cost to SNA was kind of worth it for me to fly into there.

 

[iluvthsgam]

Many thanks for your responses. To answer some questions. We are flying one way because going to San Diego for cruise after. We are not renting a car and planning on Uber or car service. Kids will be tired either way, but just trying to save what time I can. Flights difference is $200/person at LAX vs. $400/person at SNA. So for four of us SNA is extra $800 one way.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Many thanks for your responses. To answer some questions. We are flying one way because going to San Diego for cruise after. We are not renting a car and planning on Uber or car service. Kids will be tired either way, but just trying to save what time I can. Flights difference is $200/person at LAX vs. $400/person at SNA. So for four of us SNA is extra $800 one way.

For $800 savings LAX is a no brainer IMO especially if just one way. Put that money to plus your vacation experience at the parks unless you just have budget to burn.

 

[lalasmama]

For an $800 savings plus kiddos used to going to bed at 7:30, I'd do LAX. That's a heck of a change from my normal "avoid LAX at all costs!"

My reasons: $800 savings. That's enough for a while day extra at DLR (even if you wouldn't do it). Kiddos' bed time. Coming from NY, that's a heck of a flight. At SNA, you still wouldn't be at the hotel until 10:30 pm-- or 1:30 am in NY. Obviously I don't know your kids, but mine would be so, so cranky/difficult staying up 6+ hours past their normal bedtime. Heck, our 7yo grand was asking to go back to the hotel and to bed less than an hour after his normal bedtime on our flight day, and we were still in our home time zone! (We joke that was when we knew he was "mine"-- flights for me out too.)

Yes, flying into LAX will take longer to get your bags and longer to get out of the airport, and longer to get to the hotel, but you'd still get to the hotel maybe an hour earlier. Is an $800 savings worth it to you to deal with a longer drive if you still arrive before you would at SNA. Another way to look at it: you'd be saving about $13 a MINUTE if you did LAX and got to the hotel an hour earlier; $7.50 a minute if you arrived even 30 minutes earlier....

 

[DLgal]

If you arrive at SNA at 9pm, you'll be in your hotel room by 9:30. If you arrive at LAX at 7pm, you'll be at your hotel room by 9:30, but with far more hassle.

I will die on this hill: SNA

 

[iluvthsgam]

Great advice, much appreciated. Thank you all. Gives me a lot to think about.

@DLgal is there a time difference where LAX would make sense? Just continuing to look at flight schedules, school schedule, etc. thanks!

 

[DLgal]

Great advice, much appreciated. Thank you all. Gives me a lot to think about.

@DLgal is there a time difference where LAX would make sense? Just continuing to look at flight schedules, school schedule, etc. thanks!

Are you renting a car? If so, you will need to allocate 2 hours between landing and arriving at Disneyland from LAX, best case. If you are arriving somewhere around 10am-noon during the week you will have an easier time overall. Or, very early arrivals on a weekend as well should be easier.

 

[iluvthsgam]

Are you renting a car? If so, you will need to allocate 2 hours between landing and arriving at Disneyland from LAX, best case. If you are arriving somewhere around 10am-noon during the week you will have an easier time overall. Or, very early arrivals on a weekend as well should be easier.

no rental car, just uber or car service.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

LAX, that's a lot of money, like a lot when it comes to airline pricing. It's not something I would just throw away.

My husband, when he lived in Long Beach temporarily, would fly home using LAX and would fly back to Long Beach normally SNA but with a stop (vs LAX was non-stop).. However his company was paying for all the airfare and SNA was extremely expensive compared to LAX. No way would we have paid that much more money to do SNA. I have flown out of SNA when I visited my husband and sure it was more relaxed but again I couldn't have cared less because the company was paying for my ticket. If it was on our dime more than like the cost difference would be quite high negating any convenience factor. To some they will pay whatever they want (and no judgement in that but it's not the case for everyone).

 

[joseph821]

Great advice, much appreciated. Thank you all. Gives me a lot to think about.

@DLgal is there a time difference where LAX would make sense? Just continuing to look at flight schedules, school schedule, etc. thanks!

I always go nonstop from JFK to LAX. You have more flights, more non stop flights and better times. Jet Blue and American are my go to airlines.

 

[lalasmama]

If you arrive at SNA at 9pm, you'll be in your hotel room by 9:30. If you arrive at LAX at 7pm, you'll be at your hotel room by 9:30, but with far more hassle.

I will die on this hill: SNA

Interesting, I have *never* gotten to my hotel from SNA that quickly. It's never been less 60 minutes if I have a checked bag and have to wait for Uber.

 

[DLgal]

Interesting, I have *never* gotten to my hotel from SNA that quickly. It's never been less 60 minutes if I have a checked bag and have to wait for Uber.

I didn't factor in waiting for an Uber. I based it on the fact that bags are usually to the carousel within 5 minutes, rental cars are right there and you can be driving away in about 10 min and Disneyland is a 15 minute drive (usually) from SNA.

When my friend came to visit, she landed at 9:23am and we were checking into our room at the DLH at 9:57. Granted, I picked her up, but still.

 

[ktlm]

If you arrive at SNA at 9pm, you'll be in your hotel room by 9:30. If you arrive at LAX at 7pm, you'll be at your hotel room by 9:30, but with far more hassle.

I will die on this hill: SNA

Often, I don't even look at what LAX would save me. I don't want to know. SNA saves me a whole lot of hassle-- and DH complaining about LAX. Usually, the prices aren't too different here between those airports though even though LAX is a direct flight.

$800 is a lot of money. I played around with Uber for weeknights around 7:30 from LAX to DLR and right now it is showing anywhere from $120-$230 for an UBER XL. So you can deduct that, but you will still come out over $500 ahead. That is a hard one- especially since you are only flying in to LAX and not out. If I had to fly out of LAX too- I would still pick SNA. But only dealing with the hassle of coming in and you aren't getting to DLR early enough to go to a park either way-- I might almost be swayed to LAX. There is still the issue of likely having to wait for a shuttle bus to get to baggage claim--- they come about every 10 minutes and the line can be long, but since you are doing UBER or car service- at least you don't have the hassle of another bus to a rental car station and long lines there.

How are you getting from DLR to San Diego? The train got shut down due to landslides and track issues about a week ago I think. Hopefully it will be back running by then--- but they are saying it is down "until further notice" and "at least" a month. Hopefully that won't turn into multiple months-- but if the train is your plan, you might want to think of a back up.

 

[ktlm]

I didn't factor in waiting for an Uber. I based it on the fact that bags are usually to the carousel within 5 minutes, rental cars are right there and you can be driving away in about 10 min and Disneyland is a 15 minute drive (usually) from SNA.

When my friend came to visit, she landed at 9:23am and we were checking into our room at the DLH at 9:57. Granted, I picked her up, but still.

When we grab a taxi we usually are at DLR within 30 to 45 minutes of landing. We almost always take a taxi instead of Uber/Lyft because they are always right there waiting- I always check the uber/lyft prices and wait times as we are walking towards the taxi stand or grabbing our bag and we almost always wind up just grabbing an SUV taxi. If we rent a car how long it takes to get to DLR depends on the rental car line.

 

[fly girl]

If you want boosters for the kids you'll need a car service. Factor in that price too. I don't know the current price for Lansky, but that was always my go-to when my daughter was little.

Traffic shouldn't be a nightmare that time of day, that would not be a huge deterrent for me.

$800 is a big difference. That could be the tipping point for LAX over SNA. But if you want less stress and ease -- no matter the cost, then SNA would be the choice.

 

[2tinkerbell]

I would do LAX when the difference in cost is that much. To me, it really isn’t that big of a hassle. I would book Lansky as you will need car seats. California car seat laws are strict. Uber and taxi won’t have the car seats you need. That is unless you are bringing your own for the airplane and other travel. You most likely will have a lot of stuff so getting a car service is the way to go. Lansky is worry and hassle free. That is my personal experience and is also my sisters after she saw how great their service was.

 

[iluvthsgam]

Just coming back to this thread after a little while with an update. The price difference gap has lessened a bit, as the LAX flights went up and the SNA flight went down a bit. Total gap is SNA is about $300 more now. The biggest problem is that the flight schedule for only SNA flight available to us changed to arrive at 9:45pm. Now my choice is a flight that lands at LAX at 7:30pm vs. SNA at 9:45pm. We are not checking bags and will be getting an Uber or car service. Now that the time difference is more than 2 hours, I am leaning towards LAX.

I am also worried about a scheduled landing too close to the airport closing and being diverted to LAX anyways. Does that happen often? I don't think introducing a connection to get the SNA is worth it?