One of the best parts about Disneyland is that it is a pedestrian resort—the parks are within walking distance of one another, the Disneyland Resort hotels, and Downtown Disney, making getting around on property and park-hopping very convenient.
When it comes to traveling from the airport or getting from your hotel to the parks, you have a few different transportation options you can utilize. Below, we will share our top 5 transportation tips to keep in mind when visiting Disneyland!
1) Stay at a hotel within walking distance of Disneyland. In addition to the three on-site hotels, there are a number of hotels in the surrounding Anaheim area that are within easy walking distance of Disneyland. Staying at a hotel within walking distance saves you the hassle of factoring in transportation to your plans at the start and end of each park day.
If you’re looking for an affordable hotel, there are several great options that are right across the street like Best Western PLUS Park Place Inn & Mini-Suites, Tropicana Inn & Suites, etc. that are an extremely quick walk to the Harbour Boulevard entrance. If you’d prefer to stay at a luxury hotel, options like the JW Marriott and Westin Anaheim are both still within an easy 15-minute walk. You can see more of the best hotels within walking distance of Disneyland with maps of the walks and the amenities offered at each.
2) Don’t drive to the parks. A rental car is not necessary for a visit to Disneyland unless you are enjoying a longer vacation and need a car to explore other Southern California attractions. If you do have a rental car, avoid driving to the parks, as this will take up valuable time and money. Prices are high for theme park parking and can easily add up over the course of a multi-day trip—for example, it will cost you $105 total for a 3-day trip to do standard parking at $35 per day.
Driving to the parks can also be very time-consuming, as you have to carve out time to account for getting into the parking structure and taking the tram over to the parks. We recommend avoiding this and opting to walk, take the ART Shuttle, or get an Uber or Lyft for the quick trip to the parks instead.
3) Fly into John Wayne Airport if you can. There are a few airports you can choose from when flying into Disneyland, but the closest and most easy-to-navigate option is John Wayne Orange County Airport (SNA).
You’ll want to factor in the cost of airfare when flying into Disneyland and may consider the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for more budget options, but you will also want to keep in mind the time and cost of transportation from the airport to Disneyland. Getting from John Wayne Airport to Disneyland is far more convenient and less expensive. You have a few different options for transportation from the airport including taking an Uber/Lyft, taxi, or shuttle, or getting a rental car.
4) Take the ART Shuttle if the walk from your hotel is too far. If you’re staying at a hotel that is not within comfortable walking distance or you prefer not to walk, you can take advantage of the Anaheim Resort Transit shuttle (or ART Shuttle) which has stops near most of the hotels in the area.
The ART Shuttle passes are affordable in cost, and the cheapest option would be to get a multi-day pass for the length of your trip. The ART Shuttle runs seven days a week, starting 90 minutes before park opening and running until 30 minutes after park closing. You can see our full guide to the ART Shuttle Bus for everything you need to know about the service and our list of the best hotels near Disneyland with shuttles.
5) Utilize Uber or Lyft. Uber can be a quick and convenient option for traveling to and from the parks if your hotel is not within comfortable walking distance. If you utilize rideshare to get to the parks, there is a designated spot for dropoffs and pickups near the entrance on Harbor Boulevard. There is usually not a long wait to get a ride, and it is more convenient than the ART Shuttle as wait times are not as long and you don’t have to wait for the bus to make multiple stops along the way. This is also our top option we would recommend for traveling from the airport to Disneyland.
Keep in mind that utilizing an Uber or Lyft can get pricey depending on how many trips you’re planning to make. If you’re planning on taking a mid-day break and adding more trips going to and from the parks, this can add up in cost easily. You can see our guide to Uber and Lyft at Disneyland for everything you need to know.
If you’re planning a trip to Disney World, you can also check out our Disney World transportation guide for a breakdown of all of the options you have for getting around the resort!
At Mickey Visit, we share the most important tips for planning your trips to Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Universal, and beyond. Each week, we’ll share some of our top tips here on Laughing Place.