Driving to Disneyland - Tell Me What You Know, Please. (And other questions!)

[HappieMommie]

Hi there!

Its getting close to planning time for us - we decided on this trip January 1/13 and its been driving me nuts keeping it a surprise this whole time!).

We are driving from Calgary-area to Disneyland in early December. Has anyone else done this drive? I have met a handful of dedicated Disneyland drivers, and they all prefer it over flying. I am up for the adventure, and so excited to try this out.

Where are the typical places to stay and rest over night?
Can you recommend hotels for a good night's sleep?
Where are the best gas stops?
Do you have and Car Kit ideas to keep kids busy? (Thankfully, we have a minivan with a tv and plug in spots for the wii, so this should be a lovely distraction.)
Are there any treacherous road conditions or areas that we should keep in mind?
Do you know of any neat little touristy (or not) stops along the way to make it fun?
Any places that you love to eat at? (Bonus points for plant-based places!)
How did you time the drive? How many stops, etc?


Thanks for your help, guys. I really appreciate it.

 

[Disneylovers2000]

We drove down from Edmonton a few weeks ago. Do you know which route you were going to take? We drove the coast going down I5 and the 101. We drove back the I15. If I can help you out anyway I can I sure will

 

[amie416]

If you happen to take the 101 scenic route (not sure if it would be too long with kids in the car), a really neat road trip stop is lunch at Andersen's Pea Soup Restaurant and then walking around a bit in the village of Solvang.

 

[BCmomma]

If you're driving in December you will definitely need chains as well as snow tires (I'm assuming you have this since you live in AB, I live in Vancouver so don't have those LOL)

We are driving down (we've driven several times), leaving this Saturday morning, from Surrey BC (just outside Vancouver). Since we've done this trip before we are booting it down because we have 2 small children and are on a timeline of sorts.
First night we are staying in Eugene Oregon, second night is Sacramento and then we arrive in Anaheim on Monday. On the way home we are going up the 101 a little bit, staying in Santa Margarita (close to the Pismo Beach area) for two nights, then driving to Medford Oregon and then home.

Can't say about gas stops, we just stop when we need gas LOL
For food we love to get In N Out as it's a treat since we don't have it in Canada ;-)

 

[HappieMommie]

We are thinking of going through Utah, and the Vegas, and then Anaheim. This has been the way recommended when it comes to efficiency. What are those states like in December? We sometimes have snow, but we are used to snow (used to live in Edmonton and Manitoba) so driving in the winter doesn't really phase us.

We looked into the coastal route, but it certainly adds time on. Maybe worth it? I would rather do that in the spring/summer/fall, not December, I think.

 

[amie416]

We looked into the coastal route, but it certainly adds time on. Maybe worth it? I would rather do that in the spring/summer/fall, not December, I think.

I did the coastal highway from LA to San Fransisco when I was in my 20s, with two other "adults". It is stunningly beautiful and a whole lot of fun, but I think one or all of us actually broke down and cried because it took so long...

It's probably wise to save it for another time.

 

[HappieMommie]

So...you're saying it would be unwise to chose the coastal route with my 9, 6, and 2 year old?

 

[endy]

We're from Calgary, in San Diego right now and heading to Anaheim tomorrow. Having done the drive close to 20 times I cross at Coutts and straight down. No changing highways until I'm in SD or just outside Riverside CA. Easy drive in the summer. Like a PP I just stop for gas when I need to and eat whatever is there. Most gas stops are at truck stops as they're easy on and off the highway and usually will have 1 or 2 fast food joints. Can't help much with plant based stops as I'm a carnivore
Not sure what it cost for gas this time tho it's usually in the $600 range including all the driving around we do (ford Escape). Last week I left home at approx. 4pm, stayed in Helena. Next day was a long day, stayed in Mesquite NV, arrived in SD approx. 3pm Sat.
It is 2700 kms to SD, a bit less to Anaheim.
For me the worst of the drive is thru Salt Lake, it goes on forever (like Calgary).
In the winter I think it's likely a bit longer. You could hit snowy roads into the middle of Utah. There are a couple of passes where there are chain up areas tho I think that's for big trucks.

If you have time the drive up the west coast is amazing but it does add on a lot of time (likely a full, long day). Then you would still have to head east thru either WA or BC.

Any other questions and I'll be glad to help.
Wendy

 

[Disneylovers2000]

So...you're saying it would be unwise to chose the coastal route with my 9, 6, and 2 year old?

It would be a LONG journey lol! With our 13 year old boys it was good but I'm not so sure with little ones!
We drove a Dodge journey and it cost us about $700 in gas but would have cost less going the I15 route for sure and ours is a 3hr longer drive than yours and it also included all of the driving down there. We are the same as the PP, we just stop for gas when needed. We liked to fill up at between a half and a quarter because we never really knew how far the next place would be. The signage in the US is very good and even if you didn't have a map or GPS you could easily get there just following signs. Alberta really needs to take a lesson from them lol! Gas stops are easy, like stopping in gasoline alley in Red Deer. Off, then back on. Gas was cheaper in every state than Alberta! It took us 2.5 days to get home from Anaheim. We stopped in Baker - not sure if that was Arizona or Nevada lol, Cedar City, Clearfield, Lima, and Conrad to fill up with gas. Very easy. Cost was, $230 and we left with a full tank from Anaheim which cost $67. We just ate at your basic stops Denny's, subway, McDonald's. I really wanted to try In and Out Burger but found out its only in the Western States, not anywhere north or east of Nevada Guess I should have eaten there in Anaheim!! We felt really safe on that drive - can't say as much for the coastal drive down!! We did a bunch of pee stops and got some groceries in Idaho at the HUGE Walmart. And we drove about 13/14 hours a day, including stops. We stopped the night in Clearfield Utah, just north of Salt Lake City. It was a last minute stop as the rest of the area was booked solid and we were tired. Not a choice I would make with a clear head, it was a bit yucky. We drove through Salt Lake in the dark so it didn't seem as long for us Then we stopped the night in Lethbridge which you probably wouldn't do since that is so close for you but 5 hours for us.

 

[HappieMommie]

This is all super helpful, you guys! Thank you!

Has anyone gone in the beginning of December, or around American Thanksgiving? If I remember correctly, we had snow last year, but not the year prior. I am moderately worried about driving through the States in the winter...scary American snow.

 

[MrMarv]

It's 430 miles from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas, and another 260 miles to Disneyland.

The weather throughout Utah can vary widely in early December; KSL Radio in SLC (1160 AM) covers most of the Western half of the USA after dark and is excellent for traffic reports 24/7, and is simulcast on 102.7 FM.

KNX Newsradio 1070/Los Angeles also has a monster signal which goes everywhere at night, and does traffic 'on the fives', at :05, :15, and so on after each hour around the clock.

Once you get to southern Utah, the weather shouldn't be an issue, although you might have to put up with showers from time to time.

Early December weather here in LA is usually very mild, with 72/48 (F) the average high & low temperature for Dec. 1st.

 

[HappieMommie]

Thanks, MrMarv for the comprehensive reply! I appreciate that.

 

[MrMarv]

From, Calgary to Idaho Falls, ID is 670 miles or 1080 km, and Salt Lake City is another 215 miles, or 345km away.

Regardless of where you spend the night between Calgary and Salt Lake City, you'll find hotels right alongside I-15 in whichever city you choose to spend the night in, whether it be Great Falls, Helena (Montana's state capital), Butte or Idaho Falls.

If you want to familiarize yourself with your anticipated surroundings in any of those communities, I heartily recommend that you wander over to http://www.maps.google.com, put something like 'hotels near great falls, MT in the search box, and use the stick figure to 'drive' around your chosen hotel's area, while making note of nearby restaurants, gas stations, and all the rest.

http://www.choicehotels.com and http://www.wyndhamrewards.com have modestly-priced hotels in all of those cities as well as SLC and all of the other cities along I-15 between SLC & Corona, CA, where you'll make the transition onto the westbound 91 Freeway for your trip to Disneyland, some 30-40 minutes away under normal conditions.

Those hotels also offer discounts to members of the AAA or the Canadian Automobile Association as well.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to post them.

Have a great trip!

 

[KateDrake]

We are thinking of going through Utah, and the Vegas, and then Anaheim. This has been the way recommended when it comes to efficiency. What are those states like in December? We sometimes have snow, but we are used to snow (used to live in Edmonton and Manitoba) so driving in the winter doesn't really phase us.

We looked into the coastal route, but it certainly adds time on. Maybe worth it? I would rather do that in the spring/summer/fall, not December, I think.

We just moved to Edmonton from Salt Lake City! So while I can't comment on the first part of your trip, I have done the SLC to Anaheim haul several times. We most recently did it last Feb. for a cruise out of Long Beach. The drive is pretty easy, we've actually done it a few times straight through. Northern Utah does have "real" winter, but once you get a couple of hours south of Salt Lake it is mostly desert, so the conditions are fine.

I'd actually be more worried about the stretch from AB down through Montana and Idaho. The winter weather there is pretty rough, just like here. So one thing you might want to consider is making the first couple of days shorter distance-wise, because they may take you quite a bit of time if you run into bad weather. You could do something like stay in Great Falls, then SLC, and then make the long haul to Anaheim on the 3rd day. The drive from SLC to Anaheim can be done in about 12 hours, including stops, so sometimes it makes sense just to push through. We did a split drive on the way down to our cruise (left SLC at about 5, stopped for a long dinner and arrived in Vegas around 11) and then did the next five hours or so the next morning in order to make the cruise. But on the way home, we hopped off the ship and did the long haul in one day. We decided the long haul was better, just because it meant you didn't have to hop back in the car again! When we woke up in Vegas and had to put the kids back in the car, they were not very happy! It seemed to make it stretch the trip out that much longer.

 

[Eddygirl]

We have driven to DL twice. We are in the Okanagan, however, my folks are in the Lower Mainland so we start from there. I-5 whole whole way.

The first time we went down with 2 overnight stops. The first in Medford, the second in Santa Nella. We crossed the border by 7 am and were in Medford for Dinner, left by 7am and were in Santa Nella by 2pm! We realized if we kept going we would practically be in LA. We left Santa Nella by 7:30 am and were at our Anaheim hotel by noon. We said if we ever did it again we would go with only 1 overnight.

The second time we were across the border by 6 am and were in Red Bluff, CA for dinner. Left by 7 am and were in Anahiem by dinner. Longer days on the road, but it was just fine!

We tend to stay at Holiday Inn Express on the road trips. I find they are always clean, NO BEDSPREADS! , and have a descent breakfast.

We take a cooler that plugs into the car for snacks and lunch. For lunch we have a "treat" like a lunchable or something. We have a DVD player for the kids and they have ipods etc, so the drive goes smoothly. One thing I learned to do after our first trip was pack 1 piece of luggage that was our "travelling bag". It had a change of clothes, PJ's, swimsuits and toiletries for the whole family. That was the only bag that was allowed to be opened on our layovers. The rest of the luggage was kept zipped and neat and tidy!

One thing that we do notice about travelling in the US is the "Travel Centers" dotted all along the I-5. They have a gas station and a few restaurants clustered around an exit. There are also many regular "rest stops" just off the hwy...easy in and out. Clean bathrooms, picnic areas and usually vending machines.

We travelled in February our first trip and did hit snow in Grant's Pass, OR. We drove down on my snows. On the way back we sliced one of my Blizzacks and had one heck of a time finding a replacement. Had to drive 50 MPH up the HWY for 3 hours on my spare! That was FUN!!!! lol

It is a lovely drive and we really enjoy the trip.

 

[Eddygirl]

We have driven to DL twice. We are in the Okanagan, however, my folks are in the Lower Mainland so we start from there. I-5 whole whole way.

The first time we went down with 2 overnight stops. The first in Medford, the second in Santa Nella. We crossed the border by 7 am and was in Medford for Dinner, left by 7am and was in Santa Nella by 2! We realized if we kept going we would practically be in LA. We left Santa Nella by 7:30 and were at our Anaheim hotel by noon. We said if we ever did it again we would go with only 1 overnight.

The second time we were across the border by 6 am and were in Red Bluff, CA for dinner. Left by 7 am and were in Anahiem by dinner. Longer days on the road, but it was just fine!

We tend to stay at Holiday Inn Express on the road trips. I find they are always clean, NO BEDSPREADS! , and have a descent breakfast.

We take a cooler that plugs into the car for snacks and lunch. For lunch we have a "treat" like a lunchable or something. We have a DVD player for the kids and they have ipods etc, so the drive goes smoothly. One thing I learned to do after our first trip was bag 1 piece of luggage that was our "travelling bag". It had a change of clothes, PJ's, swimsuits and toiletries for the whole family. That was the only bag that was allowed to be opened on our layovers. The rest of the luggage was kept zipped and neat and tidy!

One thing that we do notice about travelling in the US is the "Travel Centers" dotted all along the I-5. They have a gas station and a few restaurants clustered around an exit. There are also many regular "rest stops" just off the hwy...easy in and out. Clean bathrooms, picnic areas and usually vending machines.

We travelled in February our first trip and did hit snow in Grant's Pass, OR. We drove down on my snows. On the way back we sliced one of my Blizzacks and had one heck of a time finding a replacement. Had to drive 50 MPH up the HWY for 3 hours on my spare! That was FUN!!!! lol

It is a lovely drive and we really enjoy the trip.

 

[ken hennig]

Hi there!

Its getting close to planning time for us - we decided on this trip January 1/13 and its been driving me nuts keeping it a surprise this whole time!).

We are driving from Calgary-area to Disneyland in early December. Has anyone else done this drive? I have met a handful of dedicated Disneyland drivers, and they all prefer it over flying. I am up for the adventure, and so excited to try this out.

Where are the typical places to stay and rest over night?
Can you recommend hotels for a good night's sleep?
Where are the best gas stops?
Do you have and Car Kit ideas to keep kids busy? (Thankfully, we have a minivan with a tv and plug in spots for the wii, so this should be a lovely distraction.)
Are there any treacherous road conditions or areas that we should keep in mind?
Do you know of any neat little touristy (or not) stops along the way to make it fun?
Any places that you love to eat at? (Bonus points for plant-based places!)
How did you time the drive? How many stops, etc?


Thanks for your help, guys. I really appreciate it.

Hey how's it going. We are thinking of driving down to disneyland from Edmonton in December 2016 and someone informed us that the roads can impassable at that time. I was just wondering if you ended up making the trip and if so how long it took to get there and how the roads were.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[xlxo]

Some thoughts....

• Love the I-5, but yes watch out for December snow. Pay attention to traffic reports of closures (by people not used to snow).
• Scenic 101 is nice, but pay attention to when it gets dark. Much of the road is single lane and it's hard to pass like the I-5. I hate when a truck high beams you when he's unable to pass. The road also lacks any streetlights on many stretches until you get to a town.
• 101 is better going Southbound... you are closer to the ocean.
• have a good GPS. Love the Garmin to plan my rest stops and restaurants at my finger tips.

 

[endy]

Hey how's it going. We are thinking of driving down to disneyland from Edmonton in December 2016 and someone informed us that the roads can impassable at that time. I was just wondering if you ended up making the trip and if so how long it took to get there and how the roads were.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Ken
I haven't done the drive in the winter for many years however expect winter driving conditions all the way to SLC. You'll likely be taking the I-15 all the way through and it is a much better highway than our #2.
Be prepared for a slower drive at times in case of snow, there are a couple of passes in Montana but it nothing like going thru BC. Of course the weather can't be predicted so you might need to overnight somewhere.
I'm also hoping to make the drive again in the fall.

Wendy

 

[tvguy]

I have lots of family in Canada who have made the drive from Calgary, and Saskatoon in winter. The only common issue is the chains they had didn't always meet California standards. So check to make sure your chains that are legal in California. Funny, people from a country with lots of snow have to be careful about the little bit of snow you might encounter in California. I should point out 2 of my Uncles had to chain up in California, something they never had to do ever in Canada.
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/chcontrl.htm