Can any Los Angeles natives help me make sure I've got my Metrolink itinerary right?

[mjallemand]

So the wife and I are taking a short Disneyland trip about a month from now, and I'm getting the last few items on my itinerary in place. Our flight and lodging were booked months back, but I still need to purchase the actual Disneyland tickets in addition to reserving a shuttle from the hotel back to the Airport on the last day. We were initially going to do a bit of Los Angelese sightseeing on our first day arriving, but the wife and I decided to just be realistic with our available time and are just gonna stick to the Little Tokyo area, as there seems to be plenty to see and do there.

Rather than renting a car or dealing with Uber, it's looking like our best option is using Los Angeles' rail system to get around. I've poured over the Metrolink website recently, but I wanted to pass it by you folks just to make sure I've got everything correct here.

Our overall plan is to arrive at LAX, spend time in Little Tokyo, then leave there and head to our hotel, the Anaheim Desert Inn, which is nearby Disneyland.

We're going to be arriving at LAX on January 5th at roughly 9:50AM, and we're packing light so everything will be handled via carry-on so we don't need to wait for checked luggage to be unloaded. Assuming time to de-board the plan and time to get around the airport, I'm assuming we'll be able to make it to our first "stop" at roughly 10:30am.

1) A bus seems to run from LAX to L.A. Union Station, called "LAX via FlyAway". Departure times are roughly every 30 minutes which the website listing 10:10AM and 10:40AM times, so it's likely that we'll make the 10:40AM Departure.

2) After arriving at the L.A. Union Station the Little Tokyo area seems to be roughly a 5 to 10 minute walk. Official directions say to take a bus from the station to Little Tokyo, but that doesn't really seem necessary, unless you guys think we should.

2b) Does LA Union Station have any sort of luggage storage options? We'll have a small wheelie suitcase which should be a big deal to bring around if we have to, but if we can stash that away while we're exploring Little Tokyo that's be awesome.

3) After a few hours in Little Tokyo we'll return to the LA Union Station and board Metrolink Train 666 which departs LA Union Station at 4:40PM and arrives at Anaheim Station at 5:22PM.

4) From the Anaheim station we'll board the ART bus and get off at the Disneyland stop. From here we'll walk back to the hotel.

Finally on our last day we're just going to take a Supershuttle back from the hotel to LAX. Unfortunately the train schedule doesn't quite fit our schedule as one train has us getting back to LAX at 11am and the next one has us getting to LAX at 6:30, way too close to our 6:55PM flight departure time.

Any thoughts on this? Thanks to any help you can offer.

 

[ashley0139]

So the wife and I are taking a short Disneyland trip about a month from now, and I'm getting the last few items on my itinerary in place. Our flight and lodging were booked months back, but I still need to purchase the actual Disneyland tickets in addition to reserving a shuttle from the hotel back to the Airport on the last day. We were initially going to do a bit of Los Angelese sightseeing on our first day arriving, but the wife and I decided to just be realistic with our available time and are just gonna stick to the Little Tokyo area, as there seems to be plenty to see and do there.

Rather than renting a car or dealing with Uber, it's looking like our best option is using Los Angeles' rail system to get around. I've poured over the Metrolink website recently, but I wanted to pass it by you folks just to make sure I've got everything correct here.

Our overall plan is to arrive at LAX, spend time in Little Tokyo, then leave there and head to our hotel, the Anaheim Desert Inn, which is nearby Disneyland.

We're going to be arriving at LAX on January 5th at roughly 9:50AM, and we're packing light so everything will be handled via carry-on so we don't need to wait for checked luggage to be unloaded. Assuming time to de-board the plan and time to get around the airport, I'm assuming we'll be able to make it to our first "stop" at roughly 10:30am.

1) A bus seems to run from LAX to L.A. Union Station, called "LAX via FlyAway". Departure times are roughly every 30 minutes which the website listing 10:10AM and 10:40AM times, so it's likely that we'll make the 10:40AM Departure.

2) After arriving at the L.A. Union Station the Little Tokyo area seems to be roughly a 5 to 10 minute walk. Official directions say to take a bus from the station to Little Tokyo, but that doesn't really seem necessary, unless you guys think we should.

2b) Does LA Union Station have any sort of luggage storage options? We'll have a small wheelie suitcase which should be a big deal to bring around if we have to, but if we can stash that away while we're exploring Little Tokyo that's be awesome.

3) After a few hours in Little Tokyo we'll return to the LA Union Station and board Metrolink Train 666 which departs LA Union Station at 4:40PM and arrives at Anaheim Station at 5:22PM.

4) From the Anaheim station we'll board the ART bus and get off at the Disneyland stop. From here we'll walk back to the hotel.

Finally on our last day we're just going to take a Supershuttle back from the hotel to LAX. Unfortunately the train schedule doesn't quite fit our schedule as one train has us getting back to LAX at 11am and the next one has us getting to LAX at 6:30, way too close to our 6:55PM flight departure time.

Any thoughts on this? Thanks to any help you can offer.

I take the subway rarely because I have a car, but one thing I can tell you is that the Flyaway buses do NOT run on a schedule from LAX. They do when they're departing from the station away from LAX, but at the airport it's just when they get there. Just hop on the next bus, but you could be waiting 5 minutes or an hour. Make sure you buy your tickets for all public transportation ahead of time.

 

[mjallemand]

I take the subway rarely because I have a car, but one thing I can tell you is that the Flyaway buses do NOT run on a schedule from LAX. They do when they're departing from the station away from LAX, but at the airport it's just when they get there. Just hop on the next bus, but you could be waiting 5 minutes or an hour. Make sure you buy your tickets for all public transportation ahead of time.

I was just going to use the Metrolink phone app for tickets instead of relying on printed ones.

I figured as such with the Flyaway bus. Hopefully we don't need to wait too long.

 

[BadPinkTink]

1) A bus seems to run from LAX to L.A. Union Station, called "LAX via FlyAway". Departure times are roughly every 30 minutes which the website listing 10:10AM and 10:40AM times, so it's likely that we'll make the 10:40AM Departure.

2) After arriving at the L.A. Union Station the Little Tokyo area seems to be roughly a 5 to 10 minute walk. Official directions say to take a bus from the station to Little Tokyo, but that doesn't really seem necessary, unless you guys think we should.

I have used Flyaway from Union Station to LAX and I am very familar with Union Station that part of Downtown LA. I have stayed at The Kwada Hotel on Hill Street and I would advise taking an UBER from Union station direct to Little Tokyo. Its alot further than it seems on the map. That part of Downtown LA can be a bit sketchy, so if the official directions advise taking a bus then heed those directions. Another option would be to take the RED LINE underground train from Union Station to Civic Center and even then you will have a good 20 minute walk to the main part of Little Tokyo.

Check out the area on Google Maps. Little Tokyo is right next to Skid Row and tent city, so if you are not familar with the area, its best not to walk around. I have been to Little Tokyo, one of my friends drove directly there and we went around the shops in the afternoon. Its not that big, just a couple of streets.

3) After a few hours in Little Tokyo we'll return to the LA Union Station and board Metrolink Train 666 which departs LA Union Station at 4:40PM and arrives at Anaheim Station at 5:22PM.

4) From the Anaheim station we'll board the ART bus and get off at the Disneyland stop. From here we'll walk back to the hotel.

I did the opposite of this in June 2018. You will need to take ART Route 15 from Anaheim ARTIC station. Its about a 20 minute journey to Disney. I was on the Pacific Sufliner train from Anaheim to Union Station, journey time was approx 1 hour.

Its all very doable BUT you need to allow for journeys to take longer than planned. Union Station is big, and you may walk up to 20 minutes from point A to Point B.

 

[Ryan120420]

2. Take LA Metro Gold Line (light rail) to Little Tokyo Station from Union Station. The walk to little Tokyo isn't the safest, especially if you have luggage. And if you purchase your Metrolink ticket on your phone, any Metro Bus or Train will be free for the rest of the day.

2b. Nope. Unless you have an Amtrak ticket you can not store luggage at the station.

Also keep in mind of LA Metro 460 bus that runs from Downtown LA to Disneyland. In case you want to stay later in Downtown LA the last bus is at 11pm and will drop you off at Disneyland.

 

[BadPinkTink]

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Also keep in mind of LA Metro 460 bus that runs from Downtown LA to Disneyland. In case you want to stay later in Downtown LA the last bus is at 11pm and will drop you off at Disneyland.

I have taken the LA Metro 460 bus, it picks up beside The Milner Hotel at South Flower Street and W 8th Street, which is not near Little Tokyo. You would have to take the Red Line Underground Metro from Union Station to 7th Street Station and then walk down the street to the bus stop. It takes about 2 hours from The Milner Hotel to Disney.

 

[Ryan120420]

I have taken the LA Metro 460 bus, it picks up beside The Milner Hotel at South Flower Street and W 8th Street, which is not near Little Tokyo. You would have to take the Red Line Underground Metro from Union Station to 7th Street Station and then walk down the street to the bus stop. It takes about 2 hours from The Milner Hotel to Disney.

460 also picks up at Pershing Square and at the corner of 5th and Grand in front of the US Bank Tower. Very easy to get to those stops from Little Tokyo/ Downtown area. Also it can take 2hour on that bus, however if you get on past the rush hours it is MUCH less.

 

[mjallemand]

I have used Flyaway from Union Station to LAX and I am very familar with Union Station that part of Downtown LA. I have stayed at The Kwada Hotel on Hill Street and I would advise taking an UBER from Union station direct to Little Tokyo. Its alot further than it seems on the map. That part of Downtown LA can be a bit sketchy, so if the official directions advise taking a bus then heed those directions. Another option would be to take the RED LINE underground train from Union Station to Civic Center and even then you will have a good 20 minute walk to the main part of Little Tokyo.

Check out the area on Google Maps. Little Tokyo is right next to Skid Row and tent city, so if you are not familar with the area, its best not to walk around. I have been to Little Tokyo, one of my friends drove directly there and we went around the shops in the afternoon. Its not that big, just a couple of streets.



I did the opposite of this in June 2018. You will need to take ART Route 15 from Anaheim ARTIC station. Its about a 20 minute journey to Disney. I was on the Pacific Sufliner train from Anaheim to Union Station, journey time was approx 1 hour.

Its all very doable BUT you need to allow for journeys to take longer than planned. Union Station is big, and you may walk up to 20 minutes from point A to Point B.

Thanks for the heads up on walking. I guess that's out then.

There's no specific time table except for making train schedules, so journeys taking longer than planned should be alright. I'll pay attention to how long it takes to get from LA Union Station to Little Tokyo and give ourselves an extra 50% to make the reverse trip.

2. Take LA Metro Gold Line (light rail) to Little Tokyo Station from Union Station. The walk to little Tokyo isn't the safest, especially if you have luggage. And if you purchase your Metrolink ticket on your phone, any Metro Bus or Train will be free for the rest of the day.

2b. Nope. Unless you have an Amtrak ticket you can not store luggage at the station.

Also keep in mind of LA Metro 460 bus that runs from Downtown LA to Disneyland. In case you want to stay later in Downtown LA the last bus is at 11pm and will drop you off at Disneyland.

Looks like the Gold Line is the way to go if walking is out. I'll fix my itinerary.

Edit: I see mention of luggage storage at "The Bike Center" on the LA Union Station website. Maybe that's an alternative https://www.unionstationla.com/visit

 

[BadPinkTink]

this was my journey in June 2018, which is the opposite of what you are doing

At Disney I got ART route 15 to Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodel Center (ARTIC) . This is where you get the Amtrak, Surfliner and Metrolink trains as well as Greyhound bus and Orange County Transportation Authority bus (OCTA). It seemed about a 20 minute drive and it was really interesting to see a different part of Anaheim.

The ART stops directly outside the station. You can actually see it from far away, although I didnt realise it at the time.

The main concourse of the station is a large open area. The bus ticket desks are on the right, the train ticket desks are on the left, with the escalators up to the train platforms in the centre.

The train I needed was the Surfliner to Union Station. My one way ticket cost $13.26, unreserved seating. I bought my ticket at the ticket desk.

I had some time to wait for the train, so I got some food. There is a Wetzels Pretzel kiosk on the main concourse and a bar on the second level.

To get to the train platform, you go up to the train concourse and go across the bridge. There are just 2 platforms, Northbound to LA and Southbound to San Diago. Then depending on which direction you going, you take the escalator down again to the actual platform.

A few metro trains come past and then finally the Pacific Surfliner arrived. For this particular train you need to watch which doors open when the train stops. Not all the doors opened and I had to go down to the next carriage where a train employee had opened the door. The train was interesting to me, there were a number of steep steps up to the carriage.

Anaheim is the second last stop on the route, the train had come from San Diago so there were not that many passengers. Once the train started moving, a train employee came around to check my ticket.

The journey to Union Station took about an hour. There was just one stop, Fullerton and then direct to Union Station.

 

[Ryan120420]

Thanks for the heads up on walking. I guess that's out then.

There's no specific time table except for making train schedules, so journeys taking longer than planned should be alright. I'll pay attention to how long it takes to get from LA Union Station to Little Tokyo and give ourselves an extra 50% to make the reverse trip.



Looks like the Gold Line is the way to go if walking is out. I'll fix my itinerary.

Edit: I see mention of luggage storage at "The Bike Center" on the LA Union Station website. Maybe that's an alternative https://www.unionstationla.com/visit

The trip from Union Station to Little Tokyo Station is less than 5mins, its the very next stop from Union Station.

I travel through Union Station on a weekly basis and I have never seen or heard of the Bike Center, I guess its new.

 

[mjallemand]

I see mention on the Metrolink website that they have $10 weekend unlimited tickets, which is superb for our situation, as we'll be there on a Saturday. I didn't see an option for these on the app, even when I loaded it up on this past Saturday. Is that something I'll have to go to a ticket booth/kiosk to get?

 

[Ryan120420]

I see mention on the Metrolink website that they have $10 weekend unlimited tickets, which is superb for our situation, as we'll be there on a Saturday. I didn't see an option for these on the app, even when I loaded it up on this past Saturday. Is that something I'll have to go to a ticket booth/kiosk to get?

The Weekend Day Pass only appears in the app starting at 12am Saturday thru 11:59pm Sunday. Make sure you choose station pairs within the App that are valid for the Weekend Day Pass. For instance if you choose 'LAX Fly Away" within the Metrolink App as one of your station pairs it will not show the Weekend Day Pass.

 

[wingednike]

From Union Station, you can take a D Dash bus to get near Little Tokyo without having to walk too much. You could also take the Gold Line or B Dash at Union Station to visit Chinatown.

Across from the Station is Olvera Street. That's a nice, quick place to explore.

 

[mjallemand]

Thanks for the help, guys and/or gals, I'll play around with my itinerary a bit more.