Top Airports for Disneyland: Ranked from Best to Worst

If you’re headed to Disneyland and planning to fly, you are probably wondering which airport to fly into. There are SO many options!! Having a lot of options is not necessarily a bad thing as there are pros and cons of each one. I, personally, have 2 favorites so if one is higher priced or doesn’t have the flight I want, the other one almost always does. And with 6 airports to choose from, there are many great options! I am going to rank the top airports for Disneyland best to worst so keep reading!

Here they are, the top airports for Disneyland ranked best to worst:

1. John Wayne Airport (SNA)

Distance to Disneyland: 14 miles
Drive Time: Approximately 20 minutes (more depending on time of day)

John Wayne Airport (SNA) is the closest airport to Disneyland and is my personal favorite! Here’s why it’s my top pick:

Pros:

• Convenience: Super close to Disneyland and easy to get to.
• Small Airport: It is a smaller airport so security lines are super easy and it tends to be less crowded.
• Transportation: Lots of options for shuttles, ride share and rental cars. Rental car locations are on-site at the airport making it so easy!
• Food: It has a decent selection of food options, especially given how small the airport is.
• Flight Options: From Salt Lake City, it has several flights a day going in and out and the times of the flights seem to be well spread out throughout the day. There are some good early morning flight times available if you want to fly in early and hit the parks the same day.

Cons:

• Price: Since it’s a popular airport for Disneyland goers, the flight prices do tend to be quite a bit higher than surrounding airports.

2. Long Beach Airport (LGB)

Distance to Disneyland: 18 miles
Drive Time: Approximately 30 minutes (more depending on time of day)

Long Beach Airport (LGB) is another great option for Disneyland and is actually tied for for first place as my favorite. I would be happy flying into either John Wayne or Long Beach equally.

Pros:

• Convenience: Also super close to Disneyland and easy to get in and out of.
• Small Airport: It is a tiny airport, much smaller than John Wayne. Security lines are very easy and the airport is never crowded.
• Transportation: Lots of options for shuttles, ride share and rental cars. Rental car locations are on-site at the airport making it so easy!
• Price: This airport is much better priced for flights than John Wayne.

Cons:

• Food: There are not many food options at this airport. In fact, there is really only one place to get food and it’s usually pretty busy.
• Flight Options: From Salt Lake City, the flight options are pretty limited. There are really only 3 or so a day and no early morning flights.

3. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

Distance to Disneyland: 33 miles
Drive Time: Approximately 60 minutes (more depending on time of day)

Los Angeles Airport (LAX) is one of the busiest airports in the world. It is a very popular choice but the drive time can get long especially with LA traffic.

Pros:

• Amenities: There are so many dining, shopping and lounge options at LAX you really can find anything you’re looking for.
• Transportation: Lots of options for shuttles, ride share and rental cars.
• Price: This airport is going to be a lot more affordable than the first two. And you can always find great deals if you’re using miles here if your dates are flexible.
• Flight Options: From Salt Lake City, there are a ton of flight options to LAX. Plus they will have the most options when flying from various locations domestically or internationally.

Cons:

• Convenience: The biggest downside of LAX is convenience. It is a huge airport so it’s hard to get in and out of. Baggage claim usually takes much longer. You have to take a shuttle to an off-site rental car location and the drive in traffic to Disneyland is going to take much longer as well.

4. Ontario International Airport (ONT)

Distance to Disneyland: 35 miles
Drive Time: Approximately 60 minutes (more depending on time of day)

Ontario International Airport (ONT) is a good, smaller airport option if you’re okay with the distance from Disneyland

Pros:

• Small Airport: It is a smaller airport so it’s easier to navigate, security lines are shorter and it is less crowded.
• Transportation: No shuttle options but there are ride share and rental cars.
• Food: It has a decent selection of food options, especially given how small the airport is.
• Price: Flight prices at this airport are average. Not as high as John Wayne and not as low as LAX. This is the reason LAX is higher on the list than Ontario.

Cons:

• Flight Options: From Salt Lake City, are only a few flights a day going in and out and the times of the flights aren’t ideal.
• Rental Cars: Rental car locations are off site at the airport so that will take more time as you have to ride a shuttle to the rental car location.
• Convenience: Much further away from Disneyland and depending on Los Angeles traffic, it could take quite a while to get to Disneyland.

5. Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)

Distance to Disneyland: 41 miles
Drive Time: Approximately 1-1.5 hours (more depending on time of day)

Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) is a small airport just north of Los Angeles.

Pros:

• Small Airport: It is a smaller airport so it’s easier to get in and out of with less stress.
• Transportation: There are shuttles, ride share, train and rentals cars from this airport. Rental cars are on-site at Burbank airport making it very convenient.
• Price: Flight prices at this airport are also average.

Cons:

• Flight Options: From Salt Lake City, are only a few flights a day going in and out and the times of the flights aren’t bad. There is generally a morning, afternoon and evening flight to SLC.
• Food: Food options are pretty limited at this airport.
• Convenience: Much further away from Disneyland and depending on Los Angeles traffic, it can be a pretty lengthy drive.

6. San Diego International Airport (SAN)

Distance to Disneyland: 96 miles
Drive Time: Approximately 2 hours (more depending on time of day)

San Diego International Airport (SAN) is located approximately 2 hours south of Disneyland. The only time I would recommend this airport is if you are adding some time in San Diego onto your Disneyland vacation.

Pros:

• Amenities: This is a big airport os there are a lot of places to shop, eat and lounges.
• Flight Options: From Salt Lake City, are lots of flight options throughout the day and you will find more flights to this airport from various places as opposed to the smaller airports.
• Food: There are lots of food options at this airport!
• Price: Flight prices at this airport are also average.
• Scenic Route: The drive from SAN to Disneyland is a lot longer but the views are incredible! Driving down Highway 1 is an experience in and of itself.

Cons:

• Transportation: Your best bet here is going to be a rental car and rental car locations are off-site at this airport so it’s going to take some time to get to your car.
• Convenience: Much further away from Disneyland and depending on traffic, it can be a pretty lengthy drive. Again, I would only recommend this airport if you plan to spend time in San Diego as well.

Conclusion

Choosing the right airport can make such a big difference in your Disneyland experience. John Wayne Airport and Long Beach Airport are the closest and so convenient but LAX is going to have much better prices on flights and a lot more flight options as well.

Ontario and Burbank are not great choices based purely on their distance alone and San Diego is perfect for a multi-destination vacation! No matter which airport you choose, the magic of Disneyland is just around the corner!

Do you have a favorite airport to fly into when visiting Disneyland? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

If you’re still looking for a hotel, Garden Grove has some amazing hotels at a lower price than the ones right next to Disneyland! Click here to read all about the hotels in Garden Grove!

XOXO 

Amanda

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