How to Get to Disneyland from Santa Ana (John Wayne) Airport
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Serving approximately 32,000 passengers daily, the Santa Ana Airport (also known as, John Wayne Airport), is one of the many commercial airports in the greater Los Angeles/Orange County area.
When booking a flight to Disneyland, many folks' first thought is to fly into LAX, as many believe that it's the closest major airport to Disneyland. If that's you, you'll be glad you stumbled upon this blog because that couldn't be further from the truth.
While LAX is nearby, it is approximately 35 miles from the Disneyland Resort, which translates to a 40-45 minute drive (and that's WITHOUT traffic). Alternatively, John Wayne Airport is much closer to Disneyland at just 15 miles or a 15-20 minute drive (again...not counting for traffic). Making it the closest airport to Disneyland.
Therefore, I recommend booking your flight there. Sure, you may save a few bucks flying into LAX, but you'll get to the parks/your hotel much quicker by flying into Santa Ana. In this post, I'm going to discuss the several ways you can get to Disneyland from John Wayne Airport. Let's get into it.
Getting to Disneyland from John Wayne Airport
Car Rental
Firstly, you can rent your own vehicle. This ultimately provides the greatest freedom of travel as you won't be beholden to another's time constraints. John Wayne Airport hosts many of the national car rental brands you're likely familiar with, including Budget, Avis, Alamo, Enterprise, and Hertz.
Once you have your vehicle, simply be on your way. I won't provide actual directions here, as you can simply plug-in either Disneyland or your hotel's name/address into Google Maps for turn-by-turn directions.
However, if Disneyland is the sole focus of your visit, I do advise against renting a vehicle. There are a plethora of hotel options within walking distance of Disneyland, many being just across the street, so you'll essentially be paying $30-$40 dollars a day or more just to drive yourself to/from the airport.
Furthermore, many of the hotels surrounding Disneyland now charge guests a parking fee. At some hotels, this fee can be as high as $50 per night! In my opinion, it simply isn't worth it unless you're planning to visit other theme parks or area attractions and want that freedom of travel.
Rideshare Options
Ride sharing through apps such as Uber and Lyft are far and away the most popular and convenient way to get to your destination from the airport. These apps offer up front, flat rates and often go the fastest and best route as the drivers are paid per ride instead of per mile (like a taxi).
This is advantageous if you run into traffic on the way there, again, thanks to the flat rate. Additionally, considering John Wayne is the closest airport to the Disneyland Resort, you'll pay a much smaller rate versus coming from LAX or Burbank.
John Wayne Airport has its own dedicated ride sharing space. You'll find it on the top level of the parking structures A2, B2, and Terminal C. Keep in mind that this is the only area where rideshare drivers will pick you up and you MUST be there prior to summoning a ride.
Of course, time of day and current traffic conditions could cause your rate to spike or even worse, if there's significant demand at the moment you need a ride, surge pricing could kick in which can double or triple (or higher) your rate.
You can somewhat protect yourself from surge pricing by scheduling your ride ahead of time. Both Uber and Lyft allow you to schedule rides up to 90 days in advance. However, it isn't unheard of for drivers to cancel your ride at the last minute in favor of higher pay during a surge. So be warned of that possibility.
Another way to protect yourself from surge pricing is by using Wingz instead of Uber or Lyft. Wingz focuses and specializes in airport pick ups, offering its riders the ability to book up to two months in advance, have a locked-in rate, and book specific drivers (personally, I LOVE this perk).
*Use this link to sign up for Wingz and receive a $5 credit towards your first ride.
Shuttle Service and Anaheim Resort Transit (ART)
Unfortunately, there’s no official Disney shuttle service from John Wayne to the parks (or hotels). Don't fret, because you still have a few options. First, check with your hotel. Some of them offer complimentary shuttle service from area airports directly to the hotel for registered guests.
It's bad news if you're staying at one of the three Disney resort hotels, as neither of them offer airport transfers. Disney does recommend a third party service, Karmel Shuttle, if needed. Karmel offers shared and private shuttle service, as well as town cars and large SUVs, if needed.
Karmel Shuttle is one of two most reputable airport transfer service providers in the area, the second being Prime Time Shuttle. Looking at Prime Time Shuttle's website, it appears as though they offer town cars, SUVs, and Limos, but not traditional shuttles. In my opinion, those two would be your best options.
They're pretty far apart on rates, with Karmel offering a private sedan from the airport to the Disney Resort area for about $150 and Prime Time offering the same sedan for just under $70 (after a discount). Also with Karmel, a shared shuttle commands just over $75 while a private shuttle would set you back $122.
The next runner up would be the Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) through their off-shoot brand, EVE (Everyone Ventures Everywhere). While the rates are minimal, I've seen numerous online reviews stating that the service is highly unreliable and they take forever to reach your destination due to all the stops they make.
There are other options, mind you. A quick Google search results in dozens of transportation services. However, Karmel and Prime Time are the two that almost always appear at the top of the search results and appear to be the most reputable. Additionally, Disney recommends Karmel.
Word of warning! Whatever you do, DO NOT book with a company called "24/7 Ride". They burned me badly one time by taking my money and no-showing the pick up time. I had an early flight out of LAX and had to scramble at the literal last minute.
I was eventually emailed by them (HOURS later) stating that my ride had been canceled as they do not operate that early. This is despite "24/7" being in the literal name of the business. I'm not the only one, either. Their Yelp page is loaded with similar (and worse) experiences. Out of 2,484 reviews…2,018 of them are one star rated.
Moral of the story...stick with reputable companies and don't get burned. If it's too good to be true, it likely is.
Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA)
Finally, the OCTA offers a network of interlinked bus routes from the airport and throughout Orange County and connects to additional public transportation options. Keep in mind that going this route, while financially beneficial, would require several transfers and walking between stops. This isn’t exactly ideal when you’re hauling kids and luggage around.
At the end of the day, I still recommend going the ride sharing route, with Wingz, particularly. You just can’t beat the convenience, flat rate, and direct access to your destination. If your group is large, then definitely consider the private shuttle service through Karmel. If you’re feeling boujee, then book that limo through Prime Time.
To recap, here are the links to companies mentioned in this post in no particular oder:
Also, if you’re still researching a hotel for your Disneyland vacation, check out my personal reviews of Hotel Indigo Anaheim and Four Points by Sheraton. Both of these hotels are within walking distance to Disneyland and are solid options.
