Everything You Need to Know About Flying to Disneyland 2025

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Planning to fly to Mickey’s home in Southern California for a vacation? Even though my family lives within driving distance to Disneyland in Northern California, we fly to Anaheim the vast majority of the time.

I’ve now flown into and out of each and every Southern California airport multiple times (and through the ones closest to Disneyland more times than I can count). Air travel to the Los Angeles area can be daunting, however, if you are not a frequent flyer or do not know the lay of the land well. There are numerous airport choices, big city traffic, and more challenging and often more expensive ground transportation choices. Even if you’ve been to the other Disney coast, flying to Disneyland is a totally different ballgame than flying to Walt Disney World in Orlando.

But never fear! Here are the essentials you need to know to make your flight arrival and departure logistics on your Disneyland trip much, much easier. This guide has been fully updated and fact-checked with pricing, rules and regulations as of early 2025 so you can have the most up-to-date accurate information to plan your trip.

Related: How to Plan a Disneyland Trip in 2025

(Trips With Tykes uses affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through links in this post. See our full disclosure policy linked in the menu at the bottom of this site.)

Which Airport is Best for Flying to Disneyland?

If you are not familiar with the geography of greater Los Angeles, it is important to learn a little bit about that before booking your flight. Southern California has a lot of airport choices. Traffic can be quite bad in LA. This means you really need to choose your airport carefully or you may find yourself stuck on the freeway rather than in line for Space Mountain.

Here are the major airport options to consider when flying to Disneyland:

1. John Wayne Orange County Airport (SNA)

Orange County’s John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana has, for many years, been my personal pick for the best airport to use when headed to Disneyland. Located just about 13 miles from the main gate, you can often make it from the airport to your Disneyland-area hotel in under 20 minutes.

SNA is a small airport, meaning that walks are short and lines are reasonable. I’ve never waited for checked bags for more than 5-10 minutes (although I rarely check bags!) and am usually out the door and at my hotel in record time.

John Wayne is served by many airlines, but some of the airlines with the most service include Southwest, United, Alaska and Delta. Other airlines operating at SNA are: Air Canada, Allegiant, American, Breeze, Frontier, JSX, Spirit, and WestJet.

For tips for flying some of these airlines, scoring good airfare deals, and flying with kids, check out these related posts:

• Complete Guide to Flying Southwest with Kids
• Top Tips for Baby’s First Flight
• How to Make the Most of a Southwest Fare Sale
• Tips for Flying United with Kids

2. Long Beach Airport (LGB)

Long Beach Airport is a very close second place choice for Disneyland travel. It has, in fact, become the airport I have used the most the last couple of years, as it has tended to offer cheaper fares of late than SNA from my home base.

LGB is just about as close to Disneyland than SNA in terms of mileage, but it usually takes about 10 minutes longer of a drive to get to Disneyland. There is not as direct of a freeway route to take and the roads can have a little more traffic some times of day.

Why do I like Long Beach? LGB is an even smaller and more navigable airport than SNA. Expect short TSA lines and very quick bag handling. The walk from the farthest gate in the airport to the curb is just a few hundred steps. Bonus that LGB is currently completing a major renovation, so it looks super fresh and new (and probably very different than if you last experienced it more than a couple of years ago).  

Long Beach used to be a major JetBlue hub, but the airline pulled out of LGB in 2020 (see tips for flying JetBlue with kids). Southwest snagged a lot of the slots and is now dominant at the airport. Other airlines operating at Long Beach include Hawaiian and Delta.

3. Los Angeles International (LAX)

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is one of the largest airports in the United States, so it goes without saying that it will have the most flight choices from the most destinations. For a lot of travelers (especially those starting from east of the Mississippi), it may be the only Southern California airport with non-stop service from your home base.

Nearly every major airline in the world has a presence at LAX. LAX’s larger size means more airline competition so flight prices may often be cheaper here. For larger families on a budget, those flight savings can really add up.

The downside of all this competition and choice is that LAX is huge and at times, incredibly inefficient. Give yourself extra time for security and check-in lines and plan for generally tougher logistics. At about 33 miles from Disneyland, plan for about an hour from the airport to your hotel, although it can sometimes be shorter if you are traveling at a very low traffic time (and conversely – longer if there is a truly LA-style rush hour meltdown).

4. Ontario International Airport (ONT)

LA’s Ontario airport is 35 miles away from Disneyland – not much farther than LAX – but that trip usually takes longer given LA traffic patterns. Ontario is smaller and easy to navigate like SNA and LGB. I personally wouldn’t recommend using it for Disneyland, however, due to distance and fewer ground transportation options unless prices are much, much cheaper than your other options.

5. Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)

The Hollywood Burbank Airport (formerly known as Bob Hope) is the farthest of the bunch at 41 miles. The trip is often well over an hour to Disneyland because of traffic. I’d consider using it on Disneyland trips in the same circumstances as ONT – for great deals only – because the distance and ground transportation is harder.

If you plan to combine your Disneyland vacation with a trip to Universal Hollywood, however, Burbank could make very good sense for your travels. It’s just minutes away from Universal. Like John Wayne, Long Beach and Ontario, the airport is adorably small and super easy to navigate.

6. San Diego International (SAN)

Seriously, San Diego? Yes! I wouldn’t recommend this airport to someone flying in for a quick weekend trip to Disneyland, but visitors who plan a longer Southern California trip should consider it if prices are right. If you are headed to Legoland California in Carlsbad (just north of San Diego) in addition to Disneyland, keep SAN on your radar.

Do You Need a Rental Car at Disneyland?

If you are only planning to visit Disneyland during your trip, you almost definitely do NOT need a rental car. There are numerous other ground transportation options to get you from the airport to your hotel. In addition, most hotels in the vicinity of Disneyland have their own shuttles or are on the Anaheim resort shuttle stop system. These same hotels almost always charge for parking, so you’d be paying twice if you rented a car. Save yourself the money!

If you are planning to visit other attractions in Southern California before or after your Disneyland visit, a rental car is nearly a necessity. Let’s face it: the Los Angeles area is not known for its spectacular public transit. You’ll need a car to get around.

So should you rent at the airport? Maybe not! If you are staying at Disneyland for most of your visit and only need a car for a day or two to go elsewhere, there’s another option: rent locally in Anaheim. There are several rental car companies with locations in the Anaheim Convention Center area.

But most convenient of all is the Enterprise/Alamo rental car office located right in the lobby of Disney’s Pixar Place Hotel which is open for business again thanks to the recent renovation of that property. Its hours are limited, but it can often work very well for a day trip car rental.

What are the Other Ground Transportation Options?

If you decide to opt out of a rental car, there are several other options for getting from the airport to the parks and your hotel. Note that not all airports have every option (or at least every option priced competitively), so choose carefully.

Several of the ground transportation options you may read about elsewhere were discontinued in 2020, never to resume again, so take note (a lot of information out there on the internet on this topic is very outdated and will steer you wrong!). Discontinued ground transportation option include the Disneyland Resort Express as well as several shuttle companies.

The options that remain include:

1. Uber/Lyft

Ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft are allowed to operate at all Southern California airports for both pickups and drop offs. My family has used ride-sharing services at both SNA and LGB regularly and very successfully in our Disneyland travels. Fares for a standard UberX or Lyft are about $25-35 to SNA, $40-50 to LGB, and $60-85 to LAX when surge pricing isn’t in effect.

As with all passenger vehicles, you’ll need a car seat or booster for kids under the age of 8 as required by California law. Practically speaking, that means you really must bring your own car seat.

Uber did recently expand its “Uber Car Seat” service to Los Angeles County, but it’s not reliably always available for on-demand pickups. Plus, it is only available for trips originating at LAX and LGB which are in Los Angeles County – not for the return from Disneyland within Orange County (or for any trips to and from SNA which is also in Orange County).

What car seats are the most portable for air travel? I highly recommend the inflatable and very compact Bubble Bum Booster Seat for travel with kids who are over 4 years old and 40 pounds (see my full BubbleBum review). For younger kids needing a convertible car seat, my top travel pick is the Cosco Scenera NEXT, which is very inexpensive and lightweight. Make sure to get the full scoop on safely using Lyft and Uber with kids before your trip.

The most important thing you need to know about when using ride-sharing is where to go to meet your ride when you arrive. Often the Lyft or Uber app may have that information, but I’ve found that your best bet is to look for the signs within the airport to head to the right place for the terminal you are in.

At tiny LGB which has a single terminal, the rideshare location is right out on the main curb.

SNA, however, moved its ride-sharing pickups from the arrivals curb to somewhat less convenient parking deck pickups (in Southwest’s Terminal C, this requires drivers to ascend several parking deck levels meaning longer waits for a pickup).

LAX makes ride-share passengers jump through the most hoops of all. Arriving passengers must take a shuttle to a parking lot near Terminal 1 to the LAX-it transportation hub in order to catch a ride on Uber and Lyft (Uber and Lyft Black can still pick up on the outer curb at Arrivals). This step adds 15-20 minutes or more after arriving at LAX. Families with a lot of luggage or kids of stroller age or anyone with mobility issues should consider carefully whether this is a convenient option. Ride-sharing services are able to drop off curbside for departing flights at LAX at least.

2. Shared Shuttles

There used to be numerous shuttle companies operating in the LA area that offered flat rate transportation from area airports to your Disneyland hotel. Quite a few of them shuttered in 2020. Quite a few others pivoted from offering shared vehicles and are instead operating more like executive car services.

Regardless of the vehicle used (sedans or 15 passenger vans), you’ll need a car seat for your little ones if you use them just like you would in ride-sharing vehicles or rental cars. Here is some sample pricing of a few of these companies to and from the Grand Californian Hotel as of February 2025:

• Prime Time Shuttle: $65.78 for 1-3 people each way to/from SNA in an executive sedan that seats 3 (private).
• SuperShuttle: $136.96 for 1-5 people in shared ride van each way to/from LAX.
• Karmel Shuttle (best for larger families/groups): $116 for up to 9 people in a large non-shared van each way to/from SNA, also serves LGB ($132) & LAX ($234) (save by $5-13 each way booking with Get Away Today!). Shared shuttles also available at lower fares for solo travelers.

The advantage of shuttles has traditionally been cheaper pricing, especially for solo travelers. For families, however, the cost of multiple people often cancels out any savings makes a ride-sharing service more economical. Compare prices carefully for your party size.

3. Executive Sedan, Car, or Limo Services

If you prefer the certainty of having a private ride booked in advance with a driver meeting you at baggage claim, consider a private car or limo service. There are numerous options in Los Angeles. The service is certainly pricier but is more full-service for families that may be juggling a lot of bags.

In addition, some car services offer extra conveniences that matter for families. Lansky Transportation, for example, will provide car seats upon request and also make a quick stop at a grocery store so you can stock up your hotel room refrigerator with snacks. Additionally, their drivers are able to do curbside pickups at LAX and won’t require you to shuttle to LAX-it. Lansky’s vehicles transport up to 6 passengers $125 one way from SNA, $140 from LGB, and $200 from LAX.

4. Taxis

Last but certainly not least, taxi service is available from all area airports. The cost, however, is often substantially higher than ride-sharing services (particularly from LAX). Always compare them to their ride-share counterparts to maximize savings.

Note also that at LAX, taxi services also operate out of LAX-it and require guests to take a shuttle to a parking lot near Terminal 1. So there is no time-savings over ride-sharing there.

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