Drive to SD Airport

[amym2]

We'll be at DLR the week after July 4th. We'll probably arrive the night of Tuesday 7/6 so we are ready to hit the parks the next morning. We fly out from San Diego airport at 11:20am on Saturday 7/10. My question... should we go ahead and stay in Anaheim through the 10th and drive back to SD early that morning (any idea how long in traffic?) or should we plan to be back in SD the night of the 9th? If we stay longer in Anaheim we'll have more time at the parks plus the hotel on the 9th to rest if need be, but I'm worried about the drive and making the flight out the next day. Any advice?

 

[amym2]

Guess I should point out (it may be obvious) that if we drive from DLR to San Diego airport the day of our flight, it will be a Saturday morning. Is that better than driving Friday night?

 

[bumbershoot]

Going backwards...

11:20am, so, be there stepping into the airport at 9:20 (we'll just assume you're like us with being there early).

Return rental car, give yourself, what, an hour? half hour?

A solid 1.5 hours to get from the driveway of your hotel to the airport (much much more if there's a game of some sort at the arena in downtown SD), with perhaps some extra time to gas up the rental.

Getting yourself up, out, fully packed (all the things you leave out overnight), maybe some breakfast, get the car, get into the car...only you know how much time that will take!


So add up the time, and wonder if leaving what seems to be pretty darned early is really worth it.


Of course, if money is an issue, check the costs of close-by hotels in SD, to see if high or low cost makes anything more worth it.


Isn't it fun being in my head?

 

[amym2]

Is 1 1/2 hours to get from Anaheim to San Diego airport really enough time? How much time would we really need to leave to drive from Anaheim to San Diego airport, allowing for traffic on a Saturday morning and not risking missing our flight?

If we left the hotel Saturday morning at 7 and returned the car at 9, we'd still have plenty of time for our 11:20 flight, right? We're staying at the HOJO so won't have breakfast anyway, so we can always eat something in the car. Doesn't seem too bad since our kids are early risers anyway.

Alternately we'd spend Friday morning packing up and checking out, spend most of the day at the parks (without a place for a rest), then drive from Anaheim to San Diego Friday night, where we'd have to check into a different hotel and unpack and repack again. But we wouldn't have any chance of missing our flight.

We're having to take 3 flights to get home on Saturday, so it is going to be one LONG day!

 

[sonnyjane]

I live less than ten minutes north of the San Diego airport, and it takes me 90 minutes to get to Disneyland from my house during weekdays when there is a bit of work traffic, so I'd say you're pretty safe in that assumption on a weekend. Plus most people are actually heading north from San Diego to LA on the weekends, not the other way around.

The only thing to remember about rental cars in San Diego is that unlike a lot of airports that have on-site car rental, you will have to take a shuttle from the car rental place to the airport, as they are about two miles away.

Personally, if you're positive that you can be out the door by 7, I think you'll be okay in your timing, but as you said, you're going to have a LONG travel day, so if you think you'd prefer a few extra hours of sleep, I'd just stay in SD near the airport.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

Have you already purchased your airfare? Why are you flying in & out of San Diego? There are closer airports, if you're just spending time @ DLR there's no reason not to use a different airport.

 

[nana50]

I live in San Diego also. It shouldn't take you long at all. Leave aound 7:00 and you will be fine.

 

[Monkey Monkey]

There is no traffic at 7:00 on a Saturday morning. You'll be fine.

 

[amym2]

Have you already purchased your airfare? Why are you flying in & out of San Diego? There are closer airports, if you're just spending time @ DLR there's no reason not to use a different airport.

We're spending a few days in San Diego hitting the highlights and visiting friends before we go to DLR. Plus we used frequent flyer miles for the tickets and SD offered the best options.

 

[amym2]

Personally, if you're positive that you can be out the door by 7, I think you'll be okay in your timing, but as you said, you're going to have a LONG travel day, so if you think you'd prefer a few extra hours of sleep, I'd just stay in SD near the airport.

Our kids never sleep past 7 anyway, even when they have been up late, so that's not a big deal. Plus with the time difference (3 hrs) and my early-rising DH, the chances of my sleeping in are slim. I'm hoping to catch a few naps, though! Maybe if I get lucky the kids will snooze on one of the flights. Or at least watch movies and leave me to snooze!

 

[amym2]

Thanks for the replies! I'm glad to hear traffic heading south shouldn't be an issue. We'll just make sure we leave in plenty of time and keep our fingers crossed!

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

you SHOULD be okay if you leave the hotel at 7, but be aware that a traffic accident in California can back a freeway up a whole bunch in a short time.

the good thing is to have an alternate route planned if that happens.

from my house to the parking lot at Disneyland is usually about 90 minutes, like another poster said. DW and I drove up one time and it took almost three hours, because a accident closed down the freeway to one lane just north of pendleton.

other times we have made in in about an hour and ten to fifteen minutes (DW DID tell me to slow down!!)

you CAN get some good deals at airport hotel that have free shuttle to the airport!! and with a bay view room!