Driving to Disneyland

[Littleprincess2010]

We are starting to plan our stays on our way from Vancouver Island, British Columbia to Disneyland.

Our 2.5 day/2 night plan is to catch the 3pm ferry and drive to Portland for the night, arriving in Portland around 10:30pm.

The next night we plan on driving to Stockton, CA and staying there.

My questions are:

1) Are Portland and Stockton good places to stop? (ie. are they safe?)

2) Can anyone reccommend an affordable ($100) hotel in either of those places? I've done the tripadvisor thing but wanted to get some ideas from you guys.

TIA!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Portland is just barely into Oregon (which I'm sure you know), leaving all of Oregon and half of CA to traverse the next day. While I adore Portland, I would try to get further down Oregon before stopping for the night.

Does the ferry (you're coming from Victoria?) get into Seattle? What time does it land?

 

[Littleprincess2010]

These were the 3 options we had worked out:

Option 1 - 2 nights
Leave Victoria BC Ferries 5pm Ferry
Arrive in SeaTAC 3 hr 26 min
Leave SeaTAC
Arrive in Redding 9 hr 6 min
Leave Redding
Arrive Anaheim 9 hr 15 min. (Up to 10 hr. 50 min in Traffic)


Option 2 - 2 nights
Leave Victoria BC Ferries 5 pm ferry
Arrive in SeaTAC 3 hr 26 min
Leave SeaTAC
Arrive Williams, CA 10 hr. 37 min
Leave Williams, CA
Arrive Disneyland 7 hr 38 min (Up to 9 hr 10 min in Traffic)


Option 3 - 2 nights
Leave Victoria BC Ferries 3pm Ferry
Arrive in Portland 6 hr 43 min (Arrive at 10:30pm)
Leave Portland
Arrive in Stockton 9 hr 46 min (Arrive at 7:30pm)
Leave Stockton
Arrive in Anaheim 6 hr 3 min (Up to 7 hr 40 min in Traffic) (Arrive at 4pm)

We were opting for the 3rd one because it gave us the least amount of driving on the day we arrive in Anaheim, we're planning to go see the Fireworks that night.

After working half a day I dont know if my husband and I will be up for driving really far on our first day (although Disney might give me the strength to drive all night, lol). Our 2nd day is solely dedicated to driving and then our 3rd day is hussling to Anaheim as fast as I can without getting a ticket .

What would you suggest as another way to go? Im really open to getting to Anaheim as quickly as possible without too much suffering for my mother and my daughter.

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't really have another way to go, but I just have NO idea where the Victoria ferry takes you to. And I'm seeing seatac and portland in your itineraries? Off to check out that website, b/c both choices are kinda confusing me. I want to help you with how far to drive. If it gets into seatac, it's worth knowing that that's about half an hour north of Tacoma, and it generally takes us a couple/few hours to get to Portland...and Portland is large and multi-faceted, and if I'm driving through I usually don't want to stay IN P'land, b/c getting into and out of the city's areas can take precious time. I'd rather go through, then stop at a highway motel after it, ya know?

On the other hand, traversing their bridges and interchanges isn't fun when you're exhausted!

 

[Littleprincess2010]

Sorry, the Ferry takes us to Tswwassen in Vancouver BC. Then we drive down through the Peace Arch into Washington.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

Why not fly? How much will the ferry cost both ways? How much will you spend on those 4 extra nights at a hotel (2 for the trip down 2 for the trip home)? It's also extra days missed from work/school. We can fly out @ 8am and be in the parks @ 10:30am (11:30am our time ~ so 3.5 hours after our flight left).

 

[Littleprincess2010]

I'd rather go through, then stop at a highway motel after it, ya know?

I really want to avoid the traffic and getting stuck in a city, but Im so unfamiliar with the US!! If we drove through Portland the first night and stayed just past it, where would be a good place to stop?

 

[Littleprincess2010]

Why not fly? How much will the ferry cost both ways? How much will you spend on those 4 extra nights at a hotel (2 for the trip down 2 for the trip home)? It's also extra days missed from work/school. We can fly out @ 8am and be in the parks @ 10:30am (11:30am our time ~ so 3.5 hours after our flight left).

Sorry, my post really didnt give enough detail. We plan on going to San Fransisco on our way back and doing some sight seeing Alcatraz here I come!!!

 

[tlovesdis]

I wouldn't recommend stopping over in Stockton. Just go a bit further to Lodi.

Depending on what you chose, Santa Nella is a great place to stop overnight (about an hour or so beyond Stockton). Then you are only about 5 1/2 hours from Anaheim! And you can eat at Pea Soup Andersens!!!

 

[Littleprincess2010]

I wouldn't recommend stopping over in Stockton. Just go a bit further to Lodi.

Depending on what you chose, Santa Nella is a great place to stop overnight (about an hour or so beyond Stockton). Then you are only about 5 1/2 hours from Anaheim! And you can eat at Pea Soup Andersens!!!

I'll go check out Lodi, is stockton not a very safe place to stay?

I love the idea of being a bit closer to Anaheim!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Depending on what you chose, Santa Nella is a great place to stop overnight (about an hour or so beyond Stockton). Then you are only about 5 1/2 hours from Anaheim! And you can eat at Pea Soup Andersens!!!

Just be aware that the only website for PSA you'll find shows the restaurant in Buellton. There seem to be two. Aha, just found their Facebook page that acknowledges the two. Whew!



Thank you for clarifying the ferry. I was soooooo confused. But since last week there was someone talking about the ferry from Seattle for their cruise leaving from Vancouver city, and they weren't aware (it seemed) that there's Island vs City, I wouldn't have been surprised if there had been confusion of Seattle vs Port Angeles in there. (though I do tend to put more faith in the knowledge of Canadians than my fellow US citizens)


I can't think right now, so I'll let others help you with the drive through CA. I grew up in CA but left at 17 so I'm really not as familiar as I feel I should be with the ways of driving. And I have awful driving mojo b/c it took us something like 12, 13 hours to get from Santa Cruz to Anaheim, when everyone said it should have taken 7 hours. So ignore anything I say about driving through CA. Except for the Pea Soup Andersens confusion.

I'll ponder the Portland question for a few hours...maybe my impending workout will help clear my brain a bit!

 

[tlovesdis]

Stockton is not one of the more desireable places in California!

I am surprised PSA in Santa Nella isn't on their website??? That place is an instiution! Cant wait to eat there on the way home from Disneyland in May!!!

 

[07pilot4me]

she will be closer than 5.5 hours right?? i'm hoping since i think its 6 hours from sacramento

I wouldn't recommend stopping over in Stockton. Just go a bit further to Lodi.

Depending on what you chose, Santa Nella is a great place to stop overnight (about an hour or so beyond Stockton). Then you are only about 5 1/2 hours from Anaheim! And you can eat at Pea Soup Andersens!!!

 

[tlovesdis]

she will be closer than 5.5 hours right?? i'm hoping since i think its 6 hours from sacramento

I can do Santa Nella to Anaheim in about 4.5 or 5 hours IF there is no traffic! So I said 5.5 to be safe! Depending on what time you are hitting LA traffic can be horrendous. It once took hubby and I three hours to go from Valencia (Magic Mountain area) to Disneyland and it is only a normal 1 hour drive!

 

[Littleprincess2010]

Just looking at a map and Lodi is located North of Stockton. Are you reccomending I take Hwy 99? Our current route takes us straight down the I-5, but if 99 will get us there faster, Im on board!!!

 

[DLovinFam]

If you want to just get through Portland and not go much further, I'd suggest Tualatin/Lake Oswego area. Very nice and safe.

http://www.hotelplanner.com/Hotels/29154-NEAR-Bridgeport-Village

Here is a list of hotels in that area. Bridgeport Village is a really nice newer shopping center right off I-5 just south of Portland. These hotels are all located near the shopping center. I'm not sure on prices, but hopefully you can find one within your price range.

If you have any other questions about the Portland area, I'd be happy to help! I live in the suburbs of Portland.

 

[aurorae]

I really want to avoid the traffic and getting stuck in a city, but Im so unfamiliar with the US!! If we drove through Portland the first night and stayed just past it, where would be a good place to stop?

Since you aren't planning to see anything in Portland, take the bypass (205) around Portland instead of taking the I5 bridge across the Columbia River into downtown.

Look for a hotel maybe in Salem, if you can get that far. Or else for one along 205 near the Portland Airport if that is as far as you can go that night.

 

[DLovinFam]

I was looking over the list of hotels I just gave you and most of them would be too far out of the way. It looks like the first one wouldn't be too bad. (Holiday Inn Express) You could probably find other hotels off I-5 in that area by googling.

 

[pdxJolene]

I can help out with the Portland bit! I'm assuming you'll be coming in on I-5, right? If you stick with that plan I would drive through downtown and then stay off of I-5 somewhere in Tigard, Tualatin, or Woodburn. Those are all suburbs of Portland and while I've never stayed at any hotel in Portland (I live here, lol.) I wouldn't stay at a cheap motel/hotel downtown, and the nice ones are spendy. Now, if you'd like to avoid the downtown area totally and take the suburbian route you can choose to get on I-205 south from I-5 and stay anywhere along 205. In Tualatin 205 connects back with I-5.

Hope I didn't just further confuse you!

 

[pdxJolene]

Since you aren't planning to see anything in Portland, take the bypass (205) around Portland instead of taking the I5 bridge across the Columbia River into downtown.

Look for a hotel maybe in Salem, if you can get that far. Or else for one along 205 near the Portland Airport if that is as far as you can go that night.

Great mind think alike!