Driving from Portland UPDATE Post #1

[tdhickey]

Okay, never thought I'd ask this as we have ALWAYS flown down to LAX from PDX. It's so much easier just to head to the airport and be in LA only a few hours later!

However, Dh and I now have 6 kids who all need tickets (so we need to buy 8 airline tickets-yikes-$$$$) and we are thinking about driving from Portland down to Anaheim in May. It will not only save us money not having to buy flights but we won't need to rent a mini van either. The price for 8 flights and a mini van is running around $2000. I am not sure how much gas we would use. We drive a Honda Odyssey.

It's been awhile since I've been on the Disneyland board, but I seem to remember quite a few of us here who are from the Pacific NW

Anyone driven that route? Google maps says 14+ hours. Possible to do in one day without stopping at a hotel?

I've done Vancouver BC to DLR in 17 hours straight and 19 hours straight. Probably closer to 13 hours from Portland. Possible to do in one day, but not very much fun during the drive.

 

[Geemo]

I've done Vancouver BC to DLR in 17 hours straight and 19 hours straight. Probably closer to 13 hours from Portland. Possible to do in one day, but not very much fun during the drive.

16 hours from Oregon I-5 exit 282.
We re-fuel in Medford, around Stockton, Bakersfield. This is also the time for snack and personal pit-stops.

It's a LONG time in the car. We haven't done it for a while. The last time we sat the gradkids up with a laptop for DVD viewing. The earphones for the laptop were fantastic. We didn't have to listen to their movies.

We have tried driving through the night, but it kills the first day for the main driver.

 

[sasywtch]

I use to make a 17 hour trip (although a different direction). When I was 25 it was easy. I could go the next day, no problem. Something happens after 30 I think

We started leaving at 4pm the day before and driving for 6 hours, stop and sleep. There is something more relaxing to sleep in a bed from 11-5:30am then sleeping in a car. We'd get up at 5:30, be on the road at 6am. Kids and passenger would sleep another hour. Driver got his turn to sleep when switching drivers 2 hours into the drive which was always time for a potty/coffee break.

 

[bdub]

I drove down last December with my sons (ages 15 & 19) from the Corvallis area, and we stopped over near San Jose for the night. I just packed some easy travel foods to avoid eating out more than once each day of the drive (a stop at Black Bear Diner in Grants Pass is a requirement for us). I wouldn't have attempted driving down in one straight shot due to how tiring it is, particularly with kids.

 

[aidensmom31]

I want to second jet blue as an option. It is the only one we use now when going to disneyland and have gotten great deals everytime we have went (3 times in the last 2.5 years).

 

[Elk Grove Chris]

Most direct route is I-5 the whole way. It can be quite boring for long stretches, but it is the fastest way to get from Portland to Anaheim (you may have to switch freeways up once down south depending on construction). If you are going to stop overnight, I would suggest a few miles past Sacramento, Elk Grove is much quieter. Holiday Inn off of I-5, Hilton across town off of 99 (straight shot down Laguna Blvd.). Avoid staying overnight in Stockton.

 

[sasywtch]

I was wondering how they were getting to San Jose. I agree with you, do not stop in Stockton. If hitting Sacramento on a weekend, there is also Del Paso Rd just past the airport with Holiday Inn Express and In/Out Burger, Der Weinerschnitzel, pizza, Taco Bell etc, grocery store (Safeway) etc. Weekday, I'd keep going to Elk Grove unless planning on leaving the next morning before 6:30am otherwise you hit the traffic going into downtown. Elk Grove is past downtown where the traffic would be opposite of what you are driving.

 

[mrsmoore]

We are driving from Seattle in July. My husband is determined to drive straight through. Originally we were going to leave at about 3am, now he is saying midnight! We will arrive evening-night, check in, and sleep! The next day we are not hitting the parks, so can sleep in. However, this does add a night to the hotel, and almost makes it the same price to fly. But, at this point, this is our plan! We have an almost 8 year old and a VW CC, so gets great gas mileage, which makes it cost less for us. I found a website that will tell you where to fill up and how much it will cost based on your vehicle.

 

[ORMom2Four]

Update in post #1

 

[awdsmama]

Glad you survived ;-)

We also drove in 2012, and are flying this year.... Mainly due to time constraints plus I just want to GET THERE QUICKLY haha!


One plus to driving though that I'm already thinking about due to flying this next trip is souveniers. Driving you really have space for whatever you want (within reason of course) but flying, you are limited unless you want to get into extra luggage and fees etc.

 

[larina]

.... Spent $120/night for 2 nights in a hotel room in Sacramento for a stop there and back. The room was nice--2 bedrooms, family room with a kitchen and a full, free buffet breakfast for all 8 of us!

So glad you made it.

Do you mind if I ask where you stayed in Sacramento?

 

[bumbershoot]

This exhaustion caused a really bad argument between Dh and I as soon as we walked into our hotel room when we finally arrived at the Disneyland Hotel.

*It is NOT FUN driving. Because Dh has problems driving (he falls asleep due to sleep apnea issue he has) and the older teens didn't feel comfortable driving the van, I drove 100% of the way.

Oh I recognize both of those issues! Those on-vacation arguments are the absolute worst. If only there were a Duct Tape Fairy that would swoop down and plaster it over our mouths, LOL.

DH used to have blood sugar issues, and even with his CPAP doesn't necessarily get enough sleep (though he gets way more than he used to!), so the driving/sleeping thing got really bad there for awhile.

And with us, the problem is that back in '02 I went from an extremely confident "I can do it" driver to a scared, skittish driver. (drove in my VW Beetle into central Montana and that's what caused it) So when we drove from Tacoma to CA in '07, well I still remember the fear, no matter who was driving. I'm doing a lot better now, but still, just the thought of the Siskyous and Shasta area (or are those the same areas?) makes me shudder a little bit.


When we drove from Santa Cruz to Anaheim, it mysteriously took us 13 hours. One stop for lunch, one or two stops for the restroom. I have, WE have, no idea what happened.