Next in our Step-by-Step Disneyland Prep, we are taking you through the process of planning your transportation to Disneyland Resort. This is Step 3 (after Step 1 Choosing Dates and Step 2 Buying Tickets). Here is our guide to getting to Disneyland.
Where is Disneyland Located?
Disneyland Resort is located right in the city of Anaheim in Orange County, California in the United States at 1313 South Harbor Boulevard.
While Walt Disney World in Florida is practically a city unto itself, Disneyland Resort is located right on the city streets of Anaheim. As a guest, this allows you easy access to nearby hotels, dining and public transportation not facilitated by the Walt Disney Company, which also gives you easy ways to save money.
Traveling to Disneyland by Airplane
There are five Southern California airports in close proximity to Disneyland Resort. If you are planning to travel through more of California, you might also consider some other California airports. If your main objective is Disneyland, we recommend planning to use one of the following five airports.
Which Airport is Best for Visiting Disneyland?
Disneyland Resort is within fifteen miles of both Long Beach Airport (LGB) and John Wayne Airport (SNA). Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Ontario International Airport (ONT) and Hollywood Burbank (BUR) are a little further out but still fairly close. Any of these airports are a good option. We prefer Long Beach Airport and wrote an article about it here.
Whatever your preferred airline, you should be able to find an airport that works for you.
Remember that actual travel times to and from these airports can vary greatly depending on the time of day. We like using mapping applications to predict traffic at different times of day.
More Air Travel Tips for Flying to Disneyland
We also wrote an article with travel tips for flying with kids that you can find here: 5 Tips for Flying on Airplanes with Kids. In that article we address how we handle traveling with kids in car seats, which we think is helpful as you are considering transportation from the airport of your choice.
Renting a Car or Driving Your Own to Disneyland Resort
If you do choose to travel by air, you will need to consider whether you would like to rent a car or take alternate ground transportation (public transit, taxis, ride shares or shuttles). If you are driving your own car, you will want to budget for parking fees.
Parking at Disneyland Resort
Should you choose to rent a car or drive your own car to Disneyland Resort, keep in mind that almost all Disneyland area hotels charge a nightly parking fee. Disneyland Resort also charges for parking on property for easy access to Downtown Disney District, Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.
You can find addresses for all of these parking areas in our article: Where is Disneyland Located?
Getting a Ride to Disneyland Resort
To avoid parking fees, you may be able to walk to Disneyland Resort from your accommodations or arrange for a ride. All of this is helpful to keep in mind as you are considering the cost of ground transportation (public transit, taxis, ride shares or shuttles) versus renting a car and paying for parking.
There are two guest drop-off areas accessible for free to taxis, ride shares and private vehicles.
If your are being dropped-off or picked-up by car, the locations for guest pick-up and drop-off are (1) east of Disneyland Resort on the southbound side of Harbor Boulevard, between South Manchester Avenue and Disney Way or (2) on the west side of Disneyland Resort located south of Disneyland Drive on Downtown Drive (follow the signs). Each hotel also has a guest drop-off spot.
Planning for Arrival and Departure Days
If you are traveling by airplane or driving from a great distance, we recommend that you do not visit the Disney parks on your arrival or departure days. Southern California traffic and air travel are both unpredictable, and you do not want to miss out on paid admission time because something did not go quite right. Additionally, we think opening time and closing time are great times to be at Disneyland, so we would not want you to miss out!
Instead we have some suggestions for how to spend time outside the Disneyland Resort parks in our article Maximize Value: Take a Rest Day at Disneyland and Terrific Ways to Have Fun at Disneyland Without a Ticket.
Thank you for reading our tips on getting to Disneyland Resort.
We will be continuing our step-by-step Disneyland prep with choosing and booking a hotel. So please, stick with us as we walk your through your Disneyland planning. Thanks again!
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