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[DisneyMovieDiva]

do we take a taxi from LAX to the Grand Califorian or should we rent a car?

Please Help!!

thanks

M

[DawnDenise]

Personally, I would use one of the shuttle services from LAX to the Grand Californian. If you are going to visit attractions outside of the DL resort area, then a rental car might be necessary for you.

There is a listing of shuttle services as a sticky in this forum. I've used SuperShuttle on two of my trips and have had decent experiences with them.

[Dave Marx]

Taxi would be my last choice. It's a long, expensive taxi ride.

Rent vs. a shuttle service? It depends on the nature of your stay. If you're only visiting Disneyland, then a shuttle is fine.

However, because LA has such a competitive car rental market, you could easily rent a car for your full stay, benefit by the ability to travel elsewhere in that car-focused region, and still pay something similar to the cost of a shuttle service, especially if there are more than two travelers in your party.

I just booked a $13/day rate (pick-up/drop-off at LAX) on a compact car from a well-known rental company (although $20-$30 is also possible). At rates like that, even if it remains parked for your entire Disneyland stay, you're most likely coming out ahead.

You can also take mass transit from Anaheim to visit Hollywood, downtown LA, and Universal, as well as San Diego, with perhaps a short cab ride to fill the gaps. You might be able to use mass transit to make most of the trip from LAX to Disneyland, too (though there's no direct route). All possible, very economical, and with a cleaner environmental footprint.

[thequeen]

Is it cheaper to rent a car off the airport like Enterprise or on site? I am planning a whirlwind 7 night trip to SoCal this August. We are arriving at LAX at 10 pm on Sat night and plan on staying at the Airport Hilton , then having Enterprise bring us a car the next morning, which is a Sun, so we are hoping that we can drive to Long Beach to visit friends in the early am with less hassle and traffic. We actually end our vacation spending 3 nights at DL Hotel at a conference, and then returning to LAX for a 9;30 pm flight (red-eye) back to Indiana. In that short week we will see relatives in LA and San diego and see Legoland. Are we Crazy?? Or is this doable? We plan on getting up early every day (since we will be on EST ourselves) and being very productive.

[Dave Marx]

Rental rates are all over the place in LA. Sometimes the "off airport" rentals are cheaper, sometimes the "on airport" rentals are cheaper. Like airline rates, it also pays to shop several times prior to the trip. However, unlike the airlines, you can make and cancel reservations without a penalty. Shop for a rental, make a booking, then shop again a while later. Lather, rinse, repeat.

For my most recent trip to LA I checked rates more than a month out, and again at three weeks out. There was no significant change in rates or who had the lowest price during that period. So, three weeks out I made a booking with a lesser-known, "off airport" agency, at $22 for a compact. About a week out I shopped again, and got a $13 rate from Dollar (which is on-airport). Other times, Hertz and Avis have had the best deals. It's a very competitive market out there, and almost any agency is likely to offer a juicy rate if they have too few reservations in their system for your date and time is running out.

Please note, that all rental facilities are effectively off-airport at LAX. No matter who you rent from, you'll have to board a shuttle and travel a few blocks. The only practical difference between "on" and "off" has to do with the shuttle bus situation. The on-airport rental agencies have dedicated shuttle pick-up areas, and they have buses circulating constantly (they also tend to have 24/7 office hours, while some of the off-airport agencies do not). Officially, at least, you have to phone the off-airport rentals to be picked up (and in a different curbside area). There are courtesy phones in the terminal for this purpose.

[2princessmom]

I just got back and we used the Disneyland Resort Express (similar to WDW but not quite as magical) and it was great! It took us directly to our hotel and was comfortable and quick. They also took us back to the airport. It came as part of our package so I don't know how much it costs but it was very effective and the outside of the bus is fun. THere is no movie or trivia like at WDW but otherwise was great.