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Lekta
04-10-2004, 11:36 PM
My wife and I are having a hard time making a decision as to the means for which we will arrive at Disneyland in May. The 2 scenerios are as follows:

May 17
PDX 6:20am-9:50am LAX = $383.00 (RT Total)
Car Rental from LAX = $125.00 (7 days)
APPROX TOTAL = $508.00
TOTAL TRAVEL TIME = APPROX 7-9 HOURS

-OR-

May 16
Car Rental from PDX = $208.53 (8 days)
Gas to and from = Approx. $220.00
APPROS TOTAL = $428.53
TOTAL TRAVEL TIME = APPROX 35 HOURS

However, you also have to factor into the equation that we would still be renting a car in LAX regardless, however in the scenerio that we are driving in, we already have the car rented, therefore, other then the increased amount of the car rental, they nearly cancel each other out. Leaving the only difference between the flight and the drive is the gas cost and the time spent.

So, you can see how we might be torn on the decision. On one hand, we have to conserve our money at this point in our lives, especially to insure that we have a decent amount to spend while we are down there. On the other hand, we would be losing more then an entire day driving.

On top of that, I recall asking myself why I ever agreed to drive down there, on the last trip I so happened to drive all the way. It was a LOONG drive. It especially pains me to make the long drive in the opposite direction....

Any quips, recommendations, general taunting, good/bad/or indifferent would be much appreciated.

Thank you kindly =)

DisneyDaniel
04-11-2004, 01:41 AM
Here are two considerations regarding your dilemma: Are you planning a ROAD TRIP with places to several places to visit or stop by briefly in between Oregon and Anaheim, California?

If the answer is "yes," then definitely make the drive and enjoy visits along the way, with Disneyland being the highlight of your trip.

If the answer is "no," and if Disneyland is your primary place to visit during the entire trip, then I say spend the extra-money by flying down to save time and relieve yourself of the grueling drive just to visit one place. Also, gas costs are increasing, especially in California, so your actual cost for the driving option may actually be higher.

Good luck deciding.

Hakuna Makarla
04-11-2004, 06:14 AM
depending on how many kids etc. I would fly and save the hassle of the long drive! 35 hours drive( where are you coming from) I live in Montana, and decided to fly, and not rent a car and just rough it as far as taking shuttles back and forth to the park and hotel, and also eating at the many resturants along the way( Dennys, Mc donalds etc.)
A car would be great but if can save my self a ton of money by not getting one, and by shuttling it, I figured this alone would save me 200.00 and besides, I get lost in my own yard LOL!!

Hakuna Makarla
04-11-2004, 06:16 AM
how about driving the family car? save the money renting one and you still have transportation? or are you really far away?

Lekta
04-11-2004, 07:50 AM
I am actually coming from Portland, Oregon, which is about 1000 miles from DLR. That is about 17 hours both ways if we don't stop to rest. Also, we have no children, just my wife and I. In regards to having a road trip, we do love the mood and atmosphere of the drive down, as we relish in our anticipation the whole way. It builds up a bigger payoff once we finally arrive. But, as I mentioned, the drive back is just grueling.

I wish the family car was an option, however, unfortunately, I have never had faith in my car, as far as traveling long distances is concerned. I'd also rather not add 2000 miles to an already high mileage car. Much rather drive someone elses and save myself to worry about it breaking down. Nothing would ruin a vacation more then breaking down in Grants Pass or something on the way and missing our reservations.

However much it would help us to save a hundred or 2 bucks, it might be just as good to not have to waste that 35 hours. But, being a new realtor, I'm a stickler on penny pinching, until my feet are wet. =)With that in mind, does anyone need a home in Oregon....lol =)

Thank you all kindly for your thoughts and ideas, my wife and I just love this board!! :D

THE REF
04-11-2004, 08:23 AM
Renta cars beakdown too.

justagrrl
04-11-2004, 08:26 AM
I think there might be a shuttle from LAX to one of the hotels very near Disneyland. If you could take that, and it was less then the car rental, it might make it worth it to drive.

In fact - here's some info from this site (http://www.mouseplanet.com/al/docs/direct.htm) :


There are several shuttle bus services that run between LAX and Disneyland. They are all in the $20+ range and I have found that if you go out to the street where they are all lined up you can haggle with the drivers for the best price. On our last trip my wife and I went to the Disneyland Hotel for $19 for both of us. Just go to one driver ask his price and then go to the next and say that guy wants $X to go to Disneyland, what's your price? Most drivers will drop their price just to get a fare than just sit at the airport. Best time to try this is in the middle of the week when things are kind of slow.

There are also busses leaving from LAX every 5 minutes making stops at all the major and the small motels at. Just tell the driver which one you want to be let off at. Around $14 one way.


Not sure how current those prices are though - but it should give you an idea anyway.

mrs_toad
04-11-2004, 08:52 AM
Lekta ~ I have driven to Portland from the SF Bay Area all by myself. And I have driven down to DLR many times. Now, if I put those two together, that is one very long drive.

I used to love driving down to DLR, leaving really early in the morning and stopping for breakfast at Harris Ranch, the way my family did it when we were kids. Then on the way home on two separate occasions I had a serious problem with fighting sleep behind the wheel...very scary! After 5 days at DLR the drive home is grueling, as you said. I couldn't imagine having to continue on to Portland.

We have now started to fly and we don't rent a car when we are in Anaheim. Basically, when we had our car, the only thing we would use it for was to go to Knott's Berry Farm for the chicken dinner. We spend 5 days in the parks nonstop. And it sounds to me like you probably do the same thing.

Why don't you fly down and not rent the car? Seriously, I think that when you factor in the time saved and the exhaustion of driving, you're so much better off. The extra $$ spent on airfare is definitely worth it for me. Then again, I have a husband that flew into LAX instead of SNA and took a cab to DLR...a $100.00+ cab ride!!:eek:

PS~ We fly into SNA and then take the Airport Bus, I think it's called, to our hotel. You can save money on a roundtrip ticket and the price is cheaper than a Shuttle Van. They have the same thing at LAX. Is flying into LAX cheaper for you than SNA? SNA is much closer.

HBTiggerFan
04-11-2004, 09:24 AM
The money you would save would be spent on gas (and you could very well spend more). The cheapest I have seen gas near Disneyland this last week is $2.15 for the cheap stuff at Arco (a cheap station). And it is supposed to keep going up. I hear No. CA is higher than we are.

Just some food for thought.

Not Afraid
04-11-2004, 09:44 AM
I guess I have 2 big questions: Will you make the drive part of your vacation, stopping at cool sites along the way; and will you be going anywhere else in So Cal when you are at DL?

I would love a long, leisurely drive from Portland. I'd drive the California Coast route part of the way down, and then back up. There is much to see and do along that route and it is a LOT of fun. However , that takes quite a bit of time.

If you are just planning on visiting the DLR, then you won't need a car. But, if you want to visit the many other sites in So Cal, then you would most definitely need a car.

Both of those factors would be important to make a decision on before making a final decision about which way to go.

happyhaunts999
04-11-2004, 09:46 AM
I have driven from Vancouver BC Canada straight to disneyland only stopping for Gas,food and well you know, but it took us 24 hours. It was alot of fun and i have now done it a few times. But i have also flown down as well both have the pros and cons. If you are going to need a car down there anyway, drive, it really is a lot of fun. Plus driving down the I-5 at 80 miles an hour with the rest of the crazy californians is alot of fun in itself. No matter what you do you will have fun.

Lekta
04-11-2004, 09:49 AM
Let me tell you this, you guys are really fantastic!!! You have got our minds thinking about different options now.

Here is the deal with the car rental. We do not necessarily need a rental car, save for one day. We will be staying at the Alamo Inn, so no need for a car to get to Disneyland. We will be visiting Knotts, which is fairly close to our hotel, so we could cab it or take the shuttle. However, we will also be visiting Universal Studios, which, as you know isn't too close. I am sure that there is a shuttle to US, as we have taken it before, however, we found that the shuttle schedule didn't afford us as much time as we usually like to visit everything. Not too mention that my wife and I love the shopping area just outside the park. In our experience with the shuttle to Universal, we need more time then allowed.

So, I was hoping that there might be a car rental agency within a close distance of DLR, that perhaps we could go to rent a car for just 1 or 2 days, to allow us to go to US and maybe Knotts with the car, then return it. That would save us about $100 it would seem. Does anyone know of a close car rental agency very close to DLR?

You guys are the BEST!!!!!!!! :D

Not Afraid
04-11-2004, 09:56 AM
There are several rental care agencies serving Anaheim. Most will pick you up - which is a BIG advantage for you. With this option, you could just rent a car on the days you need to and not pay a lot of extra maney for rental and parking.

Here's the Yahoo Yellow Pages guide to rental cars in Anaheim. (http://yp.yahoo.com/yp/Anaheim_CA/Automotive_Rental_Cars/7844591.html)

happyhaunts999
04-11-2004, 09:58 AM
there are many we are renting a car from budget which is on south harbour. But there are many just check the internet. http://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dll?qscr=carw&flag=f&rfrr=-361&&zz=1081705960550& has all of the rental places you can book through them and it is reasonably cheap. We got a convertible mustang for 45 a day not bad.

DisneylandForever
04-11-2004, 10:16 AM
I just did a flight search and it looks like leaving PDX (am) on 5/17 and leaving LAX (pm) on 5/24 is only 356 for 2 people. But maybe that's before taxes? I checked United and US Airways.

I agree definitely fly and rent a car for only 2 days. There are rental places on Harbor, very close to the Park. In fact I think there is one right next to Denny's (smack dab across the street), cuz I always see a car parked there and a big "rent me" sign in the window. Plus I think the Castle Inn & Suites has a rental car place too. And so does the Villager Lodge, about 100 yards down from HoJo on S. Manchester, right behind the bus depot (behind Millie's restaurant). So yeah dude you have plenty of options. I myself drove from SF to Seattle in Dec of 2002. The drive up was cool (aside from the snow) because of the anticipation, but driving home was NOT cool. Besides, the less time you use traveling, the more time you have in the Park!

Have fun, man!

adriennek
04-11-2004, 11:09 AM
If you're going to consider alternative airports to LAX, I would like to suggest Ontario Airport. It's a little further out than SNA, but it doesn't have the strange flight pattern/take off/landing restrictions and has fewer taxes than SNA. It's a really great airport, too- it's brand spanking new and easy to get in and out of.

I'm not familiar with their shuttle services and I don't know about the directness of their Portland flights, but it's a great airport, only about 30 to 45 minutes from the parks, and worthy of checking into.

Adrienne

happyhaunts999
04-11-2004, 11:22 AM
Dland forever I did the exact same search at expedia.com and found the same price and it does included all taxes and surcharges. It is cheap to fly from portland I might have to move there.

BryanPeek
04-11-2004, 11:27 AM
I've been to the Portland Airport and it is quite nice. Very nice actually, I didn't notice anything bad about the airport. This was two years ago, however. We took Alaska Airlines to Orange County Airport. I do not like LAX.

So, the airport is nice, now, I have never driven down to Anaheim from where I live. And I believe you posted you were from Portland, I live two hours away from Portland, in Rochester, Washington. We are going to begin driving tomorrow morning at 4:30 AM. I believe it takes 18 hours to get to Anaheim from where I live if I remember what Map Quest said.

For this driving trip we are renting a Van. Matter of fact, my Step Dad and Mom should be on their way with that Van right now. I believe it's from Budget. Anyhow, I don't know if that actually would help you but that's our plan for this drivingtrip.

Hakuna Makarla
04-11-2004, 12:10 PM
Let me tell you what my travel agent did for us, it cost us 2,095 for 3 round trip tickets, 3 southern california passes to all the attractions and motels to disney land, and then 2 days in san diego for the rest of the sights. Meals were included and so were all the shuttles back forth, and even a cool train ride.
----------------
enough said maybe you could do this,
fly down to disneyland, stay there until you want to go to universal and stay at a motel close to there? no need for cars,resturants real close to everything and you still save ?? .or rent a car for only 1 or 2 days when you need them to go somewhere else?

Not Afraid
04-11-2004, 03:34 PM
If you're going to consider alternative airports to LAX, I would like to suggest Ontario Airport. It's a little further out than SNA, but it doesn't have the strange flight pattern/take off/landing restrictions and has fewer taxes than SNA. It's a really great airport, too- it's brand spanking new and easy to get in and out of.

Also, check out Long Beach Airport. It's a smaller, very cool airport without all of the bustel of LAX.

I don't mind LAX at all. It's easy to get in and out of if you use the 105. We mostly fly United so we cross over the airport to Terminal 7 from T1. Piece of cake!

Everything is pretty easy to get to around here. I live in Long Beach and I will fly out of (in order of preference) LAX, Long Beach or John Wayne. JW is a nice airport to fly into, it's just a pain when you have to actually drive there.

I've never flown out of Ontario. It's waaay out there from my house, but it is an option when going to DL.

My big decisions would be based on the time of day you arrive. If it's rush hour, that would make a world of difference.

BryanPeek
04-11-2004, 04:39 PM
JW is a nice airport to fly into, it's just a pain when you have to actually drive there.


Really? I prefer JW over all the airports near DL. And I thought it was a very easy drive. it's only like 15-20 min from DL. And whenever I go, it has never been crowded or a pain to get out of.

Hakuna Makarla
04-11-2004, 04:45 PM
I am not coming into lAX ,I am coming into jw, why would you come into LAX ?

HBTiggerFan
04-11-2004, 05:46 PM
BryanPeek,
I am not 110% sure, but I think Not Afraid thinks JW is a PITA to drive to because she lives in Long Beach (making JW a very long drive).

Personally I hate flying out of JW for no other reasons then the take-off. It is a nice small clean airport.

karlahart, LAX is a huge airport, very busy and conjested. It is about 45 minutes away from Disneyland, however it is often much cheaper to fly into and out of LAX then it is to fly into and out of JW.

Hakuna Makarla
04-11-2004, 05:59 PM
wow I did not know that. well thank god I am not flying into it, the airport in seattle was enough for me LOL!

only1mouse
04-11-2004, 07:14 PM
I work in Camarillo, CA and live in Portland, OR. I fly regularly to the Southern California area. I despise LAX and avoid it at all costs. Another alternative airport is Burbank. Alaska Air often has deals in and out of this airport, I've been getting it between $158 - $208 for the last several months.

At one point we talked about driving to Disneyland last year and I don't think I'll ever hear those words come out of my mouth again. The stretch between the bay area and LA seems to be never ending and I'd much rather fly.