Hi, We will be arriving into LAX from Melbourne in Febuary at 7.30am and I haven't a clue on how to organise transport to our hotel opposite Disneyland.
I would be very grateful of any advice on what bus company etc. to use and how do I go about booking this.

I prefer to use Super Shuttle. It is very important that you know exactly where to go outside after you pick up your bags. You can go to their website to make a reservation but it isn't necessary. You will look for the "Shared Ride Van" sign and a uniformed attendant who will help you. Unfortunately, like many airports, you will have to wait in a median strip between busy streets so expect to cross the street to get to the waiting area. Super Shuttle seems to be the most reasonably priced although your hotel is probably on the route for the Disney bus. I saw people who had printed a discount coupon off their website. Last January I stood in the wrong place and got an independently owned van ride after waiting a long time. The price was higher than Super Shuttle and the driver really didn't know where he was going. We got to Anaheim okay but he had trouble finding the hotels near the convention center (next to Disney) even though they have huge signs. The people in the van would just have to start shouting for him to stop at their hotel. On my next trip I made sure to find the Super Shuttle spot. They have locations all over the US and always seem to be professionally run and courteous.

I would also check with your hotel about their recommendations. I'm sure your issue isn't unique and they should have some good suggestions. FWIW, we have not had experience at LAX, but our experience with Super Shuttle in other locations has not been particularly good (though airport to hotel is better than vice versa).

Every airport's website has "ground transportation" with a list of metro, buses, shuttles, taxis.

I know in San Francisco I just take the first available shuttle going to my area. Probably the same is in LA. If it takes a while to wait for super shuttle, go with any company! The price is approximately the same.

Since I was attending a convention which got a discounted rate with Super Shuttle, they were several dollars cheaper than the other companies each way. Faina's suggestion to check the airport's website for ground transportation is a good one. It's a 30-45 minute ride from LAX to the Disney area. There's a lot of vans going in a lot of different directions. If you don't stand in the right area, you're going to wait a long time.
It's a shame some airports like LAX do not have a comfortable/safe waiting area like Seattle does. When you arrive after a long flight, the last thing you want to do is wait another 30 minutes or longer wondering when a van to your area is going to come along. Since you are arriving at 7:30 am, you might be wise to have reservations. What I liked about Super Shuttle was the attendant is their to make sure a van is coming for you. If you stand in a different area you just take your chances.

The one and only time I used SuperShuttle was from LAX to a hotel in Santa Monica. This should take 20 minutes and it took 1-1/4 hours. Never again.

There is an express bus service from LAX to the Disneyland that stops at the hotels, operated by Grayline. It is on a regular schedule, so if you can make it thru customs to sync up with them, it may work out for you. For additional information:

http://graylineanaheim.com/airport_info.cfm

You can also get a Supershuttle (or Prime Time Shuttle) at the "Shared Van" signs outside most terminals. Those are the two licenced shared ride vans at LAX.

dmlove,

Exactly what time of day does it take 20 minutes to get from LAX to SM?

My point was that I sat in the van as it made stop after stop dropping off other people at their hotels and I was the last dropoff. It wasn't traffic that was the problem, it was the concept of 6 people in a van and everyone going different places and I was the last one. I'd rather walk.

C,

There is another bus company that runs express routes between LAX and the Disneyland area. I've used it many times and it was about $35 round trip. If I remember correctly, it's called Airport Express (brillant!). They run every 1/2 hour, less in the wee hours, easy to find them at the airport. They do stop at about 4 places in Anaheim, one of which is the Disneyland Hotel itself.

Is there some reason you're not renting your car at the airport. (It's practically impossible to do California without one.)

If I were flying approximately 14 1/2 hours from Melbourne, I would not want to drive on the "wrong" side of the road. P.S. I am also a native Angelino.

We did the reverse trip a few months ago, ie from our hotel at Anaheim to LAX, and we used the Disneyland Express, $ 19.00 one way. There are also discount coupons available.

If you go to www.mousesavers.com/shuttle there is lots of information available. We flew into SFO from New Zealand and flew out from LAX, spent four days at Anaheim. I spent hours and hours on the internet researching our trip and we had a fabulous time.

There are multi-day hopper passes available which a quite a bit cheaper than buying for single days, and allow you to visit both Disneyland and California Adventure.

Hi, thanks for all the great advice. I am feeling more confident now.
Yes after flying 14 hours and chasing the sun the whole way and missing a nights sleep, driving on the opposite side of the road and then just parking the car in the hotel carpark for 3 day's whilst we are at Disneyland is not a wise move and a waste of money.
We will then be heading to Las Vegas and then Skiing in Colorado, so I am really looking forward to the trip.
Thank you again.