SNA Airport Shuttle Association Thoughts?

[TheCheshireTigger]

For the hotels I am considering for a potential DLR trip in November, this service seems to offer great prices (at least in comparison to a taxi). Has anyone on here tried this service, and if so, what did you think of it? How were the drivers, how long did you have to wait, and were there any hidden charges that I should account for in budgeting? Thank you all so much.

 

[coachwnh]

We used this service from LAX just two weeks ago. It was the first time we used it as each other time we drove to DL. We found it very easy from LAX which is much bigger than SNA. The buses run every hour, so we were happy to get off the plane, grab the luggage, then head outside and wait just 5 minutes to get the shuttle. It was perfect timing for us. It was also very easy the morning we left PP for LAX, too. Good luck.

 

[gboiler1]

I'm torn between the "Disney" bus service Disneyland Express and Super Shuttle. I'm leaning towards the Express bus though which is similar to Mears and we used on our last trip in 08. The bus is a bit more expensive but offers more room than the shuttle van. I'm not a big fan of squeezing in 9 passengers into a van if it can be avoided.
Anyone else have thoughts?

 

[Figments Friend]

For the poster above,
gboiler1 who asked about DL Express and Super Shuttle -

I have used the Disney Express twice on my two most recent visits.
Both times i have had positives ( price, comfy ride ) and negatives ( late pick up due to not getting my reservation through the hotel or driver).

Getting TO the DL Resort is easy FROM the airport of choice.
You simply hop on curb side at LAX and the bus heads off to the DL Hotel. Here fares will be collected and then you will continue on to your hotel.
At SNA you walk outside curbside and purchase your ticket to ride at the small white booth for the DL Express.
As of May, the rates were about $35 round trip to either airport.
SNA is a quick 30 minute ride and LAX is about 45 to 50 minutes. ( with no traffic issues ).
You will stop at multiple hotels before reaching yours, unless of course you are staying at the DL Hotel.
The Disney owned hotels and a few non-Disney hotels will drop you off right at the hotel lobby...but be forewarned that this is usually not the case for most non-Disney hotels.
You will be dropped off at the closest 'bus stop' along the DL Express route...which can be near your hotel, or several minutes walk away.
Something to keep in mind if you are loaded down with kids and luggage.

Getting BACK to your airport is another matter...especially if you are not staying at a Disney owned hotel.
Non-Disney hotel pick ups are usually not directly from your hotel as noted above, but instead at one of the local public transportation bus stops.
Some of the better non-Disney hotels, or 'Good Neighbor' hotels do pick up right at the lobby...but many others are at bus stops located around the Resort Area.
So you may have a short trek ahead of you the day you depart.
Also, you MUST reserve your pick up time a full day in advance. DO NOT rely on your hotel, or drivers who claim to make the reservation for the return pick up for you. There is about a 95% chance it will be forgotten and you will be sitting around waiting to be picked up.
My two experiences i learned the hard way....and finally took the initiative to just book my own reservation the day before.


The buses however are nice...your typical long haul comfy seated motor coach.
It is a nice ride ...either airport ( i have done both ).
The drivers were friendly and were eager to chat, but that might have been because of the hour i arrived and the fact i had the bus all to myself!
At $35 for round trip, the price is appealing to the budget traveler who does not want to spend a lot of money on taxi rides ( especially from LAX! )

Super Shuttle i have not used to date so i cannot really comment.
I have been told that it is also not a door-to-door service and that you will make many stops before reaching your destination in some cases.

Hope this helps you out !

 

[gboiler1]

Thanks Figment. I think I'm going to go with DL Express. We're staying at BW Park Inn right across for the DLR main entrance so I have to believe we'll be dropped off pretty much at the door (fingers crossed). We'll only have one suitcase each plus a small carry on, so a bit of a walk shouldn't be bad if it occurs.

I'm going to link through Mouse Savers for a bit of a discount. My only concern is catching the bus on its hourly stop at LAX. We land at 110pm which should be safe for us to gather our checked bags, see my parents off to their shuttle to my Grandmother's house and catch our bus. I certainly don't want to wait for the three pm ride!

We'll rent a car after our Disney stay so we won't rely on the bus for the return trip.

I'll report back on our experience in a couple weeks.

 

[JamieD]

We just returned and did not have a good experience with Grayline/DL Express. The Mousesavers code did not go through. I notified them but they said there was nothing they could do other than send it up the ladder. I began receiving emails about a sightseeing tour booked for Karen Hunt. I am not Karen Hunt. Upon arrival in OC, I realized the last bus left SNA at 7p (completely my fault). We arrived to the shuttle area at 7:09p and discovered the issue. The DLE booth was locked tight. The only person to talk to us was the shady knock-off van driver, like the website warned about. I called; they told me to take a cab and refunds were rarely given. We took a taxi. I realize it's my fault, but I can't believe they close at 7p?!? I emailed but was told that refunds were rarely given and they'd have to send my request -- get this -- up the ladder. I called for our return trip to SNA and someone named Ally hung up on me. A lot of little things added up to a negative experience and what I would consider consistently poor customer service. We took a taxi back to SNA too. In fact, I wouldn't bother with Disneyland Express. Our taxi rides were around $40 each way -- or slightly more than our family of four paid for DLE -- and drop-off/pick-up were right at the hotel and without waiting for shuttle times. I learned the hard way, losing $70.

 

[Figments Friend]

Ah yes....something else to be aware of if you are arriving at SNA in the later evening hours.
There is NO DL Express Bus service after 7PM. I found this out about a month ago while reviewing their current schedule of operation from that airport and was surprised it ended so 'early'. I was not taking into consideration that SNA has a shorter operational time due to it's location.
I was really glad i learned about this BEFORE arriving later this year...as that would have been a bit of surprise.

A good rule to abide by before traveling is to ALWAYS check the current time schedule, even if you are sure you 'know' the times.
It can change, and depending on when you arrive or depart you might discover you do not have a DL Express option.

I see JamieD above had this happen to her.
I will agree that customer service leaves a bit to be desired.

Regarding discount codes....
I have used one once that was offered through the Anaheim/Orange County visitor website last year and i had no issues.
The codes change often, and do expire, so be sure to look to confirm you have the current offer.

 

[gboiler1]

FYI if someone is taking the DL Express from LAX here's the info about the bus and schedule...

LAX- After exiting baggage claim, lower level, proceed to the
outer traffic island. The Disneyland Resort Express is the
Official Disneyland scheduled airport service to Anaheim
and operate the "Cars Land" character motorcoaches.
Buses pickup beneath the overhead GREEN signs
indicating "Flyaway, Buses, Long Distance Vans:.

AM 750, 850, 950, 1045, 1145
PM 1245, 145, 245, 345, 5, 6, 8

Slightly unusual on the times in my opinion. We are set to land at 110pm so I think it will be tough to catch the 145 bus when you factor in waiting on baggage check, so we'll hopefully grab a bite to eat and wait for 245.
I guess we'll be pushing it to arrive by 5pm at the parks.

 

[Figments Friend]

I waited about an hour the one time i flew into LAX and used the DL Express last year.
I did'nt have the current schedule, but kept feeling like i 'just missed one'.

It worked out...but it was a seemingly long wait.
Just bad timing on my part.

My experience at SNA was much more inviting.
There was a bus about to begin it's run as soon as i stepped out of the main terminal.

 

[tare]

We used the sna airport service. We reserved a time for pick up at our hotel and the mini van showed up right on time. It was $20 to get back to the airport for 3 of us. Great deal!!!

 

[DisneyGirls71]

When we went in February we were worried about the drop off times and the time it would take to get through all the hotel stops. It was a little higher (about $20 a person before tip each way), but we used TNT Limo Services. The driver texted us the day before our arrival to confirm what time we would arrive and she was waiting for us just outside baggage claim. She stopped at the store for us to grab water and breakfast items before taking us to the hotel. And we already knew the price upfront (vs. a taxi). The day before we departed she called and texted again to confirm the arrangements and took us to an In-and-Out Burger on the way. It was a very pleasant experience and we will only use them for our future trips.

 

[gboiler1]

Here's first hand feedback from today albeit LAX, not SNA. While there were no issues with the service we caught the bus at 145pm. It was only about 4 minutes late so schedule was decent. The big drawback was an hour and 45 mins or so on the bus. I think we were the first stop at LAX of about 8 stops. I guess the thing is if you don't mind the stops its fine for $30 person. If you would rather pay more and get there quicker perhaps a cab or limo might be a better option.