Thinking of Driving:scared:

[DisneyloverinWA]

I live in LUbbock Texas. That is 16 hours from Anaheim. I am thinking about driving to DLR this coming December. Am I crazy? I just cannot afford to fly! I got laid off from my job in January, so it's either drive, or not go.

Here's what I'm thinking.....get up at 4 am and leave the house by 4:30...drive to Flagstaff, AZ. That is 10 hours. Then, spend the night at a hotel in Flagstaff and leave the next day after lunch. It's only another 6 1/2 to Anaheim.

I dont think it will be that bad. We drove to Pheonix 1 1/2 years ago and that was 13 (we did that in one day) and the kids did pretty good!

Any thoughts???

We are leaving this friday to drive to Disneyland....Our kids are 13 and 4 and we are all so excited! We live about 16 hours from Disneyland (Washington State) and I say go for it!

 

[LoveTheDuck1934]

I'm leaving on March 27th to drive to San Diego from Colorado Springs, Colorado. After spending five days in San Diego, we are heading up to DLR for a couple of days before driving home.

This will be my third time making this drive in the past four years. I've done it twice in March and once in October with kids (10 and 4 currently). It is about a 16 or 17 hour trip. I'll be leaving in the evening and driving all night, arriving in San Diego by around noon on the 28th. I work nights and actually work the night before we leave. I will then spend most of the day we are leaving sleeping until my wife gets home from work. So the all night drive is just like another night at work for me as far as having to stay up all night. I've driven all night once before on this same route and another time going as far as Las Vegas. I have also done the drive where I leave in the morning and stop for the night after driving for about 10 hours. From Colorado Springs I have the option of going down I-25 into New Mexico and then taking I-40 into California or I can take I-70 over the Rockies and then down I-15 through Vegas and into California. Both drives are about the same distance.

Normally I just watch the weather a couple of days before leaving and then I will route around any snowstorms or other bad weather. I'll go the southern route if the mountains are getting snow. If there will be no snow, I go right over the continental divide as I like that route a bit better.

We just make sure the kids have stuff to do on the ride and it really isn't that bad. I'd say go for it but just keep an eye on the weather and if necessary, route yourself around anything that looks like it might cause problems.

 

[Beana]

I didn't even think about the weather!

I am more worried about New Mexico (Albequerque) than Flagstaff! I dont know what to do now.

You'll be fine going through Albuquerque, usually has mild weather. It's just the leg from Grants to the AZ border that can be iffy in winter. I can't think of the site just now, but before you leave, google NM driving conditions and it will bring up a NMDOT website that will give you current driving conditions and any closures, accidents, etc. Then do keep an eye on Flagstaff as well for snow. We don't have constant snow in this area just a day or so here and there, usually overnight. Once the sun comes out it all melts off.

 

[50sjayne]

We are leaving this friday to drive to Disneyland....Our kids are 13 and 4 and we are all so excited! We live about 16 hours from Disneyland (Washington State) and I say go for it!

Hey we're leaving this Friday too, sometime in the afternoon. My husband wants to get through the Siskyious before dark. I told him they are only 3 1/2 hours from us but he said he wants to leave at noon.
It won't happen anyway they are always late- he and my ds. This is a bad indication for me though that he is planning on driving the whole way and stopping at a rest stop to rest. I wanna drive too! Grr. He does this. Oh well at least it's a magic morning day Saturday so if we get there pretty early we can do that.

 

[caligirl stuck in va]

Do it, Do it, Do it! 16 hours is not that bad. If it is the difference of going or not going - not even a question for me!

 

[MichaelColey]

Be careful not to underestimate your costs of driving. That's 1100 miles each way. If it costs you $0.40 per mile to drive your car (which is probably pretty close when you factor in wear and tear, maintenance, gas, etc.), that's $880. Add in the two extra hotel nights and extra meals, and you're well over $1000.

Airfare is dirt cheap right now. Pick a price that works for you, set up an alert on FareCompare, and wait to see if the price comes along. If it does, jump on it. If not, go ahead and drive.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

It should be no problem. I drove from San Diego to Boston and back (long story)

the best piece of advice I can think of is to have a GPS device. it is great for navigating place that you have never driven!

 

[archie]

I live in LUbbock Texas. That is 16 hours from Anaheim. I am thinking about driving to DLR this coming December. Am I crazy? I just cannot afford to fly! I got laid off from my job in January, so it's either drive, or not go.

Here's what I'm thinking.....get up at 4 am and leave the house by 4:30...drive to Flagstaff, AZ. That is 10 hours. Then, spend the night at a hotel in Flagstaff and leave the next day after lunch. It's only another 6 1/2 to Anaheim.

I dont think it will be that bad. We drove to Pheonix 1 1/2 years ago and that was 13 (we did that in one day) and the kids did pretty good!

Any thoughts???

if you are driving into flagstadd i suggest arriving early in the day as hotels sell out very quickly there. when i drove from so cal, to wdw and back flagstaff was sold out both ways.

i would say flagstaff to anaheim is closer to the 8 to 8.5 hour range especially for the time you plan on arriving in the so cal region. if you could stretch your first day of driving over to kingman or there abouts, hotel rates will not only be a bit cheaper, but it will be easier to find a room. also make sure you stop at one of the rest areas and pick up a green hotel coupon book, as many times there are amazing deals to be found.

i say good look and remember, once you are in california, make sure you have plenty of fuel, as if i recall there is a stretch of highway about 60 to 80 miles that has no fueling stations.