What is the best airport to fly into Disneyland, you ask?
John Wayne Orange County Airport is the BEST airport to fly into if you are looking for proximity to the park with drive time and the most convenient option.
But let’s discuss a few other factors that come into play when you are picking the best airport to fly into Disneyland.
Many people mistake LAX as the best place to fly into for their Disneyland trip, that’s because many Disneyland visitors are not familiar with the smaller towns around Los Angeles.
Disneyland is actually located in Anaheim or Orange County California, the anaheim resort area is very large and has MANY options when it comes to good neighbor hotels and Disneyland Resort Hotels.
Let’s discuss a few other factors that are important when selecting an airport for your next Disneyland California trip.
Southern California Closest Disneyland Airports to Fly into
There are 5 options when it comes to airports near Disneyland. If you are adding Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain, or Universal Studios Hollywood, you may opt for a different airport.
Long Beach Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Hollywood Burbank Airport or Bob Hope Airport
Ontario international airport
John Wayne Orange County Airport/ John Wayne Santa Ana Airport
So what Airport Should you fly into for Disneyland
When you are asking for the best airport to fly into Disneyland, it really depends on where you are coming from.
For example
As Disneyland travelers, we are out of Reno, Nevada, so a quick State jump is no big deal for us. You can usually find a direct flight from Reno to Long Beach or Orange County, and the flight options are wonderful.
For someone out of Utah, maybe not so much. For double the price, you can fly Southwest on a Wednesday with no, non-stop flights.
A direct flight can be hard to find; using the major airlines website route map, you can look at places to fly direct if they have it.
Usually, they will have one or two a day that is direct, and most others will be one-stop with a plane change or even a second flight.
Budget-Friendly Airports
We will always lean on affordability when it comes to travel expenses, its always something we are thinking about. If that means flying farther out or even skipping flying and driving instead, we will always factor in our budget to pick the best option.
Depending on where you are flying in from, LAX might be the most cost-effective airport, especially for international flights. However, it could cost extra to fly into the Orange County Airport, which is closer to the park and a less busy, small airport.
Once you factor in the distance to the airport and the cost of transportation from LAX to Disneyland, your outlook might change and the best prices are out of LAX, etc.
And the last thing I will leave you with before I bore you with all the facts and miles, etc., to further convince you of flying into Long Beach or Orange County.
The last thing you want to have happen is to wake up at 3:00 am to make a 5:00 am flight and not be able to find transportation. It’s really awful, and like nobody is awake at 3 am to help answer your questions.
If you do find yourself in the situation, Karmel Shuttles can take you for a very nice fee, and they are right around the corner from most major Disneyland Hotels.
Closest Airport to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park
We’ve added rough travel time with traffic, although times may vary during peak times for the best airport to fly into Disneyland.
John Wayne Orange County Airport/ John Wayne Santa Ana Airport | 20 Min
Long Beach Airport | 30 Min
Los Angeles International Airport | 40 Min
Ontario International Airport | 45 Min
Hollywood Burbank Airport or Bob Hope Airport | 55 Min
San Diego Airport | 1 Hour and 40 Min
We’ve added San Diego because some people are adding Disneyland to their San Diego Legoland trip or even Sea World San Diego.
Transportation Options to Disneyland
While we are on the subject of getting to Disneyland, let’s chat about Transportation real fast. Some websites state they have airport transportation.
They usually third-party it and also make you pay for it, so you might as well figure it out on your own ahead of time.
We always double-check before we book to see if the Hotel offers transportation, but we typically have to find other options, and we find Uber to be the best bet.
We will discuss the other options when it comes to transportation to and from your Hotel near Disneyland.
Transportation Options to and from the Airport to Disneyland
Rental Cars
Rideshare Services
Airport Shuttle
Metro Bus and Rail – Public Transportation
Rental Cars
We Ride Share to the park and then live there the entire time and utilize Ride Share if we are heading somewhere.
But I will admit most airports make renting a car (the area where they are parked) VERY simple. Now, the actual rental car counters experience…
You might as well leave your firstborn with them and your grandma while you are at it. Our friends rented a car from SIXT recently, and even that was a small battle. No matter how “simple” companies make it, it’s still difficult.
Smaller airports seem to have an easier time with rental cars, but when it comes to a large airport, you could be stuck checking in for a good portion of the day because of how many people are trying to rent cars.
We love Turo as a consumer, not as an owner. The Turo experience is very simple, and the platform is very user-friendly.
Usually, you can pick them up at the airport, or you can arrange to pick them up somewhere else and Uber to that location.
Keep in mind that you will pay for parking at most hotels and then Disneyland Park daily, and don’t forget about parking if you go anywhere outside of your hotel for dinner.
I don’t mean to scare you or discourage you from renting a car. We find that renting a car can be really useful in some Cities and not so great in others.
Ride-Sharing Service
Oh man, the downfall of the Taxi. Thank goodness those cigarette smoke cages were terrible. And thank goodness for the option of nicer cars with more legroom.
Southern California does have some Uber and Lyft cars that offer car seats.
However, they do not always have every size, so be mindful of this before you leave on your trip with children.
We LOVE the Pico Portable Carseat for trips like this or a more budget-friendly full car seat, Graco 3-in-1, for its lightweight design.
Lugging young children and a car seat or multiple can be a daunting task, so anytime we can save our backs, sign us up!
We are almost in the booster seats territory, so wish us luck, and until then, we are pleased with our PICO.
As long as you have the app on your phone and fully set up with a credit card, you will find this process very simple.
Make sure you have location services turned on for easier use.
If you are opting out of location services, please know you will need to type in the address of where you are currently and where you are going. It is easy for the airport but a little more difficult out and about the city with street names and location names.
Download Uber App Apple | Google Play Store
Search for your current location
Enter your Destinations address
Accept ride details and wait for driver confirmation
Always double-check the details on your app before getting into your ride share.
Airport Shuttles
Make sure to do this ahead of time for easier pick up and drop off. You do not want to navigate setting all this up once you land.
Karmel Shuttle
This company specifically contracts with Disneyland, and they make everything really simple and easy. You will most likely work with them if you are staying at any of the Disneyland Properties.
We’ve stayed off-property and used this company, and while it’s not the cheapest option, it is a really great and easy option.
Metro Bus and Rail/ Public Transporation
The largest airport offers the easiest transit systems. We’ve used the Flyaway in Burbank, and it is wonderful.
I will give you rough estimates for public transportation travel times.
This is not the most ideal form of transportation to and from Disneyland, and whatever way you need to get there is figureoutable.
Airport Options with Metro Transportation
Long Beach Airport 1.5 Hours
Los Angeles International Airport 3 Hours
Burbank or Hollywood Burbank Airport 5 Hours
Ontario International Airport 3.5 Hours
John Wayne Airport John Wayne Orange County Airport/ John Wayne Santa Ana Airport 1.5 Hours
Metro Information for LAX and Metro Information for Orange County
Getting Around Anaheim
Buses are available to transport guests from area hotels to the Disneyland Resort, Anaheim Convention Center, and other locations within the 1100-acre Anaheim Resort District.
The bus service operates 7 days a week, starting from 7:00 AM and continues until midnight. Passes, including multi-day passes, can be purchased online or at various locations throughout Anaheim.
Information about Ride ART – Anaheim Transportation Network
Disneyland Area Airports
In closing, the best airport to fly into Disneyland is Long Beach or Orange County. We shared information about each airport, how far away it is, and what the best mode of transportation is.
No matter what you decide, you are still going to the happiest place, and it will be a good day.
Long Beach Airport
John Wayne Orange County Airport/ John Wayne Santa Ana Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Ontario international airport
Hollywood Burbank Airport or Bob Hope Airport
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