Driving from San Francisco

[Thori]

We're from the Sunset in SF (and will be going down next Thursday, yay!) and like to leave about 2am, it's completely empty with maybe 20min - 40 min traffic. We notify the hotel that we're going to check in early so the room is usually ready anywhere from 10:30 to noon which gives us a break to have breakfast at Steakhouse 55 around 8:30 and then wander in the parks for a bit.

 

[SugarQuill]

We are leaving in about a month on a Sunday at 7:15pm from Marin. We are hoping that gives us a bit of daylight when we start out, and hope to be at the hotel around 12:30-1am. (And up early the next day for ropedrop)

 

[kitayama]

We go to the Bay Area often to visit relatives. On our way back, we leave at night, sleep in a motel 6 (the one in the Grapevine is nice) and complete the drive after checkout time and breakfast. We don't hit much traffic when we do this.
If you don't want to rest, keep pushing through in the middle of the night and beat the morning traffic.

 

[quikah]

What is everyones plan for the trip home?

We are going back home on a Thursday, would it be OK to leave after lunch (around 2-3PM).

 

[WTFetus]

What is everyones plan for the trip home?

We are going back home on a Thursday, would it be OK to leave after lunch (around 2-3PM).

Yep, might hit traffic for the first bit, but you should be fine. Never left from Anaheim, but I've always left USH at around 5 and drove back up to SF.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

What is everyones plan for the trip home? We are going back home on a Thursday, would it be OK to leave after lunch (around 2-3PM).

We've often done this and sometimes we hit a little traffic in LA, but it's a pretty smooth drive home from there.

 

[Renae De Liz]

Aaaah so jealous what a gorgeous, adventurous drive that will be! If I were driving that way I'd totally stop at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk along the way!

I do not know about LA traffic timing. It looks nuts all the time to me, haha (peaceful Maine highways didn't prepare us at all). Last time hubby and I drove through there, we practically kissed the ground once we arrived safely.

 

[tlovesdis]

I think LA traffic is so unpredictable. Last time I went down, it was a Saturday and we left the Bay Area at 6am and didn't get to our hotel in Anaheim until 2pm. We were doing great, only one stop quickly for food and gas, but once we hit LA it was bumper to bumper for what seemed like forever! I thought a Saturday would be not so busy!

Last year we left Anaheim on a Tuesday at like 11am, figuring we would avoid traffic and it took almost 3 hours to get to Valencia (which should normally take an hour or so).

Earlier is always better, I think! Or leave later in the afternoon and arrive at night!

 

[disneychrista]

I would leave SF by 6am.

We live in Sonoma County, about 40 mins. north of San Fran and we leave no later then 4am , it puts us ahead of the morning traffic and we arrive in s. cal around late lunch , so traffic is OK. In fact it puts us ahead of most traffic so stops along the way are pretty much empty.

I am about an hour north of you and do the same leave 4am and get to Anaheim usually by 1pm.

 

[pjpoppins]

Don't underestimate the Bay area traffic. We left Sausalito around 3:30p (we had a wedding the night before and the bride and groom wanted to hang out with us a few hours the next day). It took almost 3 hours to get past Oakland. We didn't get to DLR til after 11p (and there was no traffic at all).

 

[DLmama]

We usually leave San Jose between 5:30-6am and get into Anaheim around noon-1:00. That's with one or two stops for food/gas/potty. Traffic in LA doesn't get too bad when we leave then.

The one and only time we left around 2pm was AWFUL! We had a funeral to attend and couldn't leave at our normal time and we didn't get to our hotel until almost 10pm. Part of that was we took 101 all the way instead of taking 5, but it was the worst drive we've ever had down there.

 

[chrisaman]

I usually leave south San Francisco at about 8am and get to Orange County by 9:15. No traffic. Boy is an airplane a much more enjoyable experience. In the park 3 hours after I leave. We don't check bags and fly on credit card points

 

[jlmarr]

In the park 3 hours after I leave.

That's impressive. The green lights and TSA agents must have aligned.

 

[chrisaman]

That's impressive. The green lights and TSA agents must have aligned.

it is only an hour flight and I get there 30 min before because I don't check bags. I work at the airport so I fasttrack through security. 3 hours is an accurate time

 

[disneychrista]

it is only an hour flight and I get there 30 min before because I don't check bags. I work at the airport so I fasttrack through security. 3 hours is an accurate time

How much time does it take to get TO the airport from where you live? This should be included I your travel time.

For me flying would take :
3 hours to the airport
An hour - 90 minutes wait at the airport (if no delays)
An hour flight
and then 90 minutes to get from the airport to Disneyland.

Or 8 hours to drive might as well drive.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

it is only an hour flight and I get there 30 min before because I don't check bags. I work at the airport so I fasttrack through security. 3 hours is an accurate time

Your 3 hour may be correct but the flight time is 1:25. We do this flight ourselves pretty often.

 

[jlmarr]

Our record is 15 minutes from living room to Town Square, but that was when DCA was a parking lot.

 

[disneychrista]

Our record is 15 minutes from living room to Town Square, but that was when DCA was a parking lot.

You got to Disneyland from San Francisco in 15 minutes? Wow you must have broken some kind of speed record.

 

[jlmarr]

You got to Disneyland from San Francisco in 15 minutes? Wow you must have broken some mind of speed record.

<== Anaheim

I know, I'm an interloper.