Hi, it’s me! And I’m going to Disneyland!

Disneyland

That should come as no surprise because if you’ve read a lot of my posts, you’ll know I love Disneyland. Now, I live in the Midwest, which means I have to fly to Disneyland, and let’s just say that’s never been an easy feat. Although there are plenty of airports to choose from in the area, it’s certainly not as simple (or as cheap) as booking a flight to Orlando International Airport like you do when you go to Disney World. However, thanks to finding a cheap flight via Google Flights, I’ve discovered a NEW airport to fly into that’s close to Disneyland: Long Beach Airport.

Now for locals, this may not be a secret, but those of us coming to Disneyland from out of town, we usually only think of two options for flying to Disneyland: John Wayne Airport in Anaheim (SNA), which is the closest airport to Disneyland, and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which is generally the cheapest. Now, I did look at flights to LAX, but I would rather have a dentist pull all my teeth without an anesthetic than fly into LAX. It’s HUGE, it’s chaotic, and it’s always crowded. I loathe that airport with the burning hatred of a thousand suns.

©AEcom

I usually opt for SNA in Anaheim, but for this trip (which happens during Season of the Force because STAR WARS!), flights from Memphis (my home airport) to SNA were SUPER expensive. We’re talking in the $500+ range. I have no idea why, but that’s a lot more than I paid two years ago to fly to that airport. So let’s just say I was looking for other options.

©John Wayne Airport

So I started researching other nearby airports and my search turned up Long Beach Airport. Color me intrigued. I looked up prices, and lo and behold, they were much cheaper than flying into SNA. So then I looked at the airport’s distance from Disneyland, and it’s only about 30 miles from Disneyland, just a little bit further than SNA. Of course, I was skeptical, so I turned to Yelp, and to my SHOCK, this is one of the FEW airports that has almost all 5-star reviews! Say what?

©Yelp

So what did I learn from reading these reviews? Well, first, this airport is small. Small airports are AWESOME, y’all. Like I love our small Memphis airport, but this one seems to be even smaller. In fact, it’s so small that there aren’t walkways that run from the airport itself to the planes — no, you have to exit the plane via its steps like a celebrity arriving at a private airport on a private jet. Don’t think I’m not going to put on my shades and do a Princess wave on my way down those steps, y’all…

©Long Beach Airport

Because this is such a small airport, Yelp also informed me that security usually only takes about 5-10 minutes. I don’t need my TSA PreCheck because you just basically breeze through security. That means less time waiting in line PLUS you don’t have to get to the airport 3-4 hours early like you would at LAX (did I mention how much I hate LAX yet? I have? Well, let me mention it again…).

©Long Beach Airport

Anyway, here’s an idea of just how small this airport is:

©Long Beach Airport

So, yep, the flight is booked, but here’s a quick note: it is nearly impossible to get a nonstop flight to anywhere from Memphis at a decent price, so yes, my Disneyland flight does have a connection in Phoenix going to and Houston coming back. I’m used to this, although I know a lot of people hate connecting flights. I take connections as an opportunity to stretch my legs and get some food and drinks.

I also learned that most of the flights coming and going from Long Beach are Southwest flights. I booked my flight before Southwest decided to get rid of free checked bags, and my trip takes place before that goes into effect, so WHEW. However, I still need to have some words with Southwest Airlines, and I know I’m not the only one.

©Long Beach Airport

I leave in about a month and I’ll be back with photos and a review of the airport. However, Long Beach Airport looks perfectly charming and very stress-free, and I’m actually looking forward to visiting an airport. So stay tuned to DFB for more!

What airport do you use when flying to Disneyland? Let us know in the comments!