Absolute latest to leave for airport

[maleficent55]

What is the absolute latest you would advise someone (me! I’m that someone! ) to leave Disneyland for a 3pm flight from LAX?

-solo traveling
-fast walker
-one check on
-Monday
-have done and would love to do SNA, not an option this time
-probably Lyft

Trying to decide if I want to go into the parks this departure day. While the rest of the trip I’ll be with another, this last day I’d be alone. So even if I had 3 hours that’s 3 hours of single rider line, quick eats and it would only cost me $48.67/hr, less per hour of course for more time. If I’m being honest, how much it would cost me for a few hours is not relevant anyway.

 

[LKing]

What airline or terminal?

Traffic and security don't care how fast you walk. Will you have a carry on? Are you okay checking it if you arrive late?

Absolute latest would be 1:00, assuming an hour to get to the airport and a half hour to check bag, get through security and to the gate. Realistically, I would say 12:30.

 

[maleficent55]

What airline or terminal?

Traffic and security don't care how fast you walk. Will you have a carry on? Are you okay checking it if you arrive late?

Absolute latest would be 1:00, assuming an hour to get to the airport and a half hour to check bag, get through security and to the gate. Realistically, I would say 12:30.

United

Not sure the terminal.

I will have one bag to check and a small carryon that I want to keep with me but not a huge deal if I couldn’t. As long as I have my phone and AirPods, I’m probably fine…

 

[OneThree]

I had a similar departure time for a work trip not too long ago. Lyft from the Anaheim convention center area to LAX (Alaska terminal) was right about 45 minutes.

 

[LKing]

United

Not sure the terminal.

United is Terminal 7. If your driver knows how to cut across from terminal 1 to terminal 7, drop off should be pretty easy. If they don't, allow an extra 10 minutes to wind your way around/through LAX traffic. Look at the image below. You enter by terminal 1. Just after the first parking structure on your left, there is a cut across to terminal 7. Your driver needs to be in the far left lane in order to do that cut across. If they miss it, they can try and cut across after terminal 2.

Another time saver would be to ask your driver to drop you off either departures or arrivals whichever seems to have less traffic.

Do you have TSA precheck?

 

[maleficent55]

United is Terminal 7. If your driver knows how to cut across from terminal 1 to terminal 7, drop off should be pretty easy. If they don't, allow an extra 10 minutes to wind your way around/through LAX traffic. Look at the image below. You enter by terminal 1. Just after the first parking structure on your left, there is a cut across to terminal 7. Your driver needs to be in the far left lane in order to do that cut across. If they miss it, they can try and cut across after terminal 2.

Another time saver would be to ask your driver to drop you off either departures or arrivals whichever seems to have less traffic.

Do you have TSA precheck?

View attachment 838287

I don’t have TSA precheck

Can I get that now?
What time would you advise without precheck?

 

[Pluto468]

Do you have to arrive at 1:00 for your 3:00 flight?

 

[irlandaise]

I don’t have TSA precheck

Can I get that now?
What time would you advise without precheck?

PreCheck is nice, and some credit cards will cover the cost. How soon are you leaving for DL? You'd need to find out when you can get an appointment at your nearest PreCheck application center. After that, it should only take a few days to receive your Known Traveler Number (KTN).

 

[soniam]

Do you have to arrive at 1:00 for your 3:00 flight?

You don't have to, but it's a really good idea at LAX, especially if you don't have TSA Precheck. My airport is in Austin is now recommending arriving 3 hours before for domestic flights due to potential security backups. The staffing hasn't been able to keep up with the traffic.

EDIT: There can also be unforeseen issues at the airport, like loss of power to the terminal, mechanical issues with the baggage conveyors, weather, especially to the destinations, but with all of the recent storms in LA, maybe there too.

 

[maleficent55]

Do you have to arrive at 1:00 for your 3:00 flight?

That is the question!

Do I HAVE to?

I figure I can rope drop…get a few attractions in, breakfast, a few more attractions. Leave around noon to walk across the street. Get picked up at 12:15pm?

That’s desired

 

[soniam]

That is the question!

Do I HAVE to?

I figure I can rope drop…get a few attractions in, breakfast, a few more attractions. Leave around noon to walk across the street. Get picked up at 12:15pm?

That’s desired

You don't have to, but the airline doesn't have to wait for you either. How big of an issue would missing your flight be? Is there a later one? What would be the fee to catch it if you missed yours? Do you have to be home the next day? Would you sleep in the airport? I'm just putting out the things that have happened and can happen. Hope it works out.

 

[foolish_mortals]

With United your bags have to be checked 45 minutes before departure. So by 2:15pm they need to be tagged and on the belt. If you don’t have status or aren’t flying business class or higher, plan on a line for bag drop. So absolute latest I would get to the airport would be 1:30 pm. That’s ignoring any security wait.

The more unpredictable thing is traffic. Sure it’s normally a 45 minute drive…but sometimes it takes 30 minutes to go the last 1/2mile. I would plan to leave by 12 and arrive by 1, that will cover most traffic delays (baring no protest or fires on the freeway)

Arriving less than two hours before, with a bag to check and no TSAPre or priority is risky.

 

[Pluto468]

That is the question!

Do I HAVE to?

I figure I can rope drop…get a few attractions in, breakfast, a few more attractions. Leave around noon to walk across the street. Get picked up at 12:15pm?

That’s desired

I'm so used to getting to airports 2 hours early now, but I wasn't sure if your flight was at 5 and you wanted to get to LAX for 3. Now that I see it's a 3:00 flight and 1:00 is when you want to get to the airport... I'd say try to leave at noon.

We've rope dropped on departure day and had to leave the parks at 1:00. I just pack as much as I can the night before so we can get to the parks early. Or sometimes we rope drop, go to the park until 10ish then head back to the hotel to check out. Then we stay at the park until it's time to leave. Since you're traveling alone I bet you can get out of your hotel pretty early in the morning.

 

[DonnerB]

That is the question!

Do I HAVE to?

I figure I can rope drop…get a few attractions in, breakfast, a few more attractions. Leave around noon to walk across the street. Get picked up at 12:15pm?

That’s desired

I’d probably be at the hotel calling for my ride by noon, giving you a buffer for driver to get to you and any unusual traffic.

My rule of thumb for LAX is to arrive an hour before boarding, but that’s because I have PreCheck. I’ve waited 20-25 minutes to drop bags before (not an issue for you & also improving with some airlines implementing self check), but with PreCheck I’ve never waited more than 10 for security (having flown at both Thanksgiving and Christmas this past year). I’m usually at my gate annoyed that I’m so early. I clearly have a higher risk tolerance than many…but I would be totally comfortable arriving at the airport 2 hours early with just a carryon!

 

[AstroBlasters]

11:30am…. and get pre-check.

 

[twodogs]

I’d probably be at the hotel calling for my ride by noon, giving you a buffer for driver to get to you and any unusual traffic.

My rule of thumb for LAX is to arrive an hour before boarding, but that’s because I have PreCheck. I’ve waited 20-25 minutes to drop bags before (not an issue for you & also improving with some airlines implementing self check), but with PreCheck I’ve never waited more than 10 for security (having flown at both Thanksgiving and Christmas this past year). I’m usually at my gate annoyed that I’m so early. I clearly have a higher risk tolerance than many…but I would be totally comfortable arriving at the airport 2 hours early with just a carryon!

I think this person has to check a bag.

OP, is there anyway you can consolidate what you are bringing to just have a carry on and personal item? This takes away the risk of the wild card luggage tagging and check in line. If you have to check a bag, can you pre-pay for the checked bag on the app ahead of departure time so that you just have to go to a kiosk and print the tag and drop the bag (which can still have long lines, but at least you aren’t waiting to talk to an agent to check the bag)? I don’t usually fly United, so I don’t know if they offer this (AA does).

 

[DonnerB]

I think this person has to check a bag.

OP, is there anyway you can consolidate what you are bringing to just have a carry on and personal item? This takes away the risk of the wild card luggage tagging and check in line. If you have to check a bag, can you pre-pay for the checked bag on the app ahead of departure time so that you just have to go to a kiosk and print the tag and drop the bag (which can still have long lines, but at least you aren’t waiting to talk to an agent to check the bag)? I don’t usually fly United, so I don’t know if they offer this (AA does).

You’re right - I skipped straight to the “small bag they want to keep with them” bit!

Based on the time of day they’re departing, I would still think traffic would be the bigger potential problem than either bag drop or security.

OP, I just got home from a solo morning in the parks. You can have a great time and accomplish a lot in those few hours! Crowds seemed a bit lighter because of the rain today, but I pretty much walked on Soarin’, Incredicoaster and Space in the single rider lines!

 

[LKing]

The problem with United (as opposed to Southwest) is that a large percentage of people flying United will have checked bags. Everyone, for all flights, waits in the same line to drop off their bags. Without any type of priority check in, that line could be really long.

 

[maleficent55]

I think this person has to check a bag.

OP, is there anyway you can consolidate what you are bringing to just have a carry on and personal item? This takes away the risk of the wild card luggage tagging and check in line. If you have to check a bag, can you pre-pay for the checked bag on the app ahead of departure time so that you just have to go to a kiosk and print the tag and drop the bag (which can still have long lines, but at least you aren’t waiting to talk to an agent to check the bag)? I don’t usually fly United, so I don’t know if they offer this (AA does).

I wish! But it’s Dapper Day…aka: will have a special dress, special shoes, extra jewelry, my hair piece, a parasol….special jewelry
It’ll be my third park day so those clothes too, and all on the heels of a couple of days in LA
Plus my mickeys ears.

It would be possible without dapper day or the LA days but this trip has more “stuff” happening!

 

[maleficent55]

I'm so used to getting to airports 2 hours early now, but I wasn't sure if your flight was at 5 and you wanted to get to LAX for 3. Now that I see it's a 3:00 flight and 1:00 is when you want to get to the airport... I'd say try to leave at noon.

We've rope dropped on departure day and had to leave the parks at 1:00. I just pack as much as I can the night before so we can get to the parks early. Or sometimes we rope drop, go to the park until 10ish then head back to the hotel to check out. Then we stay at the park until it's time to leave. Since you're traveling alone I bet you can get out of your hotel pretty early in the morning.

I plan on getting out of the hotel by 6:45am
This is easy, I’m used to being to work at 6:00am