Getting into Anaheim

[cjsmom5]

We are driving to Rancho Mirage and staying there the first night (Thursday) and then on Friday morning getting up and driving into Anaheim as we are staying at the Disneyland Hotel. We are thinking of leaving there about 8:30 or 9am ... can someone give me some hints on the traffic? Here we have horrible rush hour (LA is worse, though) but it subsides by about 9:30am or so ...

We are going to take 91 to 57 and then AAA recommends getting off Ball Rd. Drive.

Anyone have any thoughts, suggestions, tips, etc. The AAA material keeps talking about construction delays, etc.

 

[brocklesnar69]

If you want to avoid the traffic, leave at 3:30 am.


If that is out of the question, then try leaving a little later in the day. Maybe try somewhere around 1:00 pm.


That would give you time to either avoid the morning traffic or, the lunch traffic.

Have fun!

 

[blackjackdelta]

Boy, I have to agree. I have driven this route and traffic is pretty nasty at
0930 and thru the mid morning.

Jack

 

[cjsmom5]

Well -- we need to be there by 11:30am at the latest as I have a meeting ... so what you are telling me is that it really doesn't matter whether we leave at 8 or 9 or 10am ... right?

I know you always have traffic -- here in Phoenix we do, too, but not as bad as you, yet ... we are moving that way ... it doesn't bother my DH to drive in it at all ... I was just trying to figure out what would be the best time ... and from the sounds of it .. there really isn't a best time. Oh well, at least it is good to know that.

So, how long do you think it will take us to get from Rancho Mirage to the Disneyland Hotel in the morning hours?

Triple A says there is construction delays along this route ... is it bad?

 

[Albort]

like what most people would say, traffic is also very unpredictable like weather...

I remember driving at 65mph on the 91 on a FRIDAY around 6PM... i was amazed...

then there are times at night(11PM) where i see signs that say "All lanes close ahead" :\

but yeah... i drive pretty fast though... but around 10-2PM, you probably get an average speed of 55-70mph... 2PM-7PM around 20-55mph... 7PM-12AM around 65-75mph.

 

[cjsmom5]

Those speeds are pretty good -- better than I thought. Around here if you are going into town in the AM between 6-9am you can go about 10-15 on the freeway. After 9:30 until about 2pm it gets up to about 50-55 ... then after 2pm until about 6pm it goes back down to 20-40mph...depending on what direction you are headed. Traffic -- don't ya just love it.

I think we are going to try to leave between 7:30 and 8am ... of course with a kid that means a little later. That should give us plenty of time to get into anaheim and to the hotel ... I am hoping.

How is the construction on that route? Is there any?

 

[doombuggy]

How about checking the info on traffic.com? I am not sure where these highways are, but that site might help you...
Good luck and have a great trip!

 

[QueenTriton]

I drive the 91 West into Anaheim every morning. I get on just West of the 15. From about 9 a.m. on, it is usually pretty good, so you should have no problem there.

The construction area is the 60/215 interchange, which will slow you down, but only temporarily. How are you coming in from RM? You can stay on the 10 all the way to the 215 and take is south (it turns into the 91). Or, you can take the 10 to the 60, then down the 215/91. Or, you can take either the 10 or the 60 to 15 South and take it down to the 91. At this time of a.m., I'd check www.sigalert.com when you are ready to leave to take a look at the traffic. All of the westbound freeways can be a bear in the a.m.

The traffic channels here are AM 980 (on the 1s) and 1070 (on the 5s). Listen to them as you travel, for accidents, etc.

From RM to our house is about 1 1/2 hours, including the construction delay. From there to Disney is about 20 minutes. We don't drive the route in weekday rush hour, though, so count on an extra 1/2 to 1 hour.

Coming in on Ball is the best idea. It'll take you around the back of the resort, into the parking structure and it less crowded than Katella, which runs along the front.

Where are you staying in RM? We love it there. For eating, try The River. It has PF Changs, Cheesecake Factory, Yardhouse, Johnny Rocket's, Babes (delicious BBQ), and some other smaller places. There is also Mimi's and Islands around the same area.

 

[cjsmom5]

Thanks Queen Triton. We are staying at the Westin Mission Hills Resort. I appreciate the recommendations for eating. We are thinking we will arrive around 6pm on Thursday night and leave out about 8am or so.

Any suggestions on the best route to take in from RM? Trip A says to go the 60 to 215 and then to the 91. A friend of mine today was saying that the construction especially bad and recommended avoiding it by staying on the 10 longer. Would the 10 to 15 south and then hooking up with 91 better and avoid the construction? Or is it worth it going out of the way ... perhaps one doesn't gain much time by doing that??? Sometimes I think it would have been easier to fly.

We were talking today and going to leave at 8am with the target of getting there by 11am since it is rush hour. We are hoping that is enough time.

As far as the route, we are sure open to suggestions. This is my most "unfavorite" part of the trip. Of course getting back out on Monday will be a joy, I'm sure.

 

[QueenTriton]

Westin is nice. It is right off of the 10. Cool water slide, but I think it closes early. The River is straight down the street. There is also a shopping center closer to the Westin which may have something as well.

The 10 to the 15 will cut out the construction area, and you are only going a bit out of the way. I would just do a quick check of traffic before you leave the hotel and listen along the way, an accident can really back things up. It will be a little over 30 minutes before you have to choose. Also, by the time you get there, it will be a bit lighter than the 6-8 am commute.

Ever think of just pressing through all the way to Anaheim? By 6 p.m. you could make it in less than 2 hours. In about 1 1/2 hours you could be to the Embassy Suites right at the 91/57 interchange. There are also a few hotels off of the 91 in Yorba Linda/Anaheim Hills. Either way, don't worry, it won't be as bad as you imagine!

Have fun!

 

[cjsmom5]

Thanks... that was a good idea about the Embassy Suites ... I looked them up and the rates are really high. We were thinking of leaving at 10am on Thursday and just driving straight through ... but then the search starts again to find a place for one night ... yuk! We have a pkg at the Disneyland Hotel that goes Fri-Monday. I'm sure to add a night at the DL Hotel is about $285 ... the Embassy Suites was only $229, though.

Thanks for the other info. AAA said that the difference in going 10 to 15 was about 13 miles. One gal had just come that route and she said the construction was bad and she would take the route that was a few more miles. We had one other friend tells us the same thing.

We are used to Phoenix rush hour but for some reason I have visions of your rush hour being 20 times worse .. not sure how that is possible except that we won't be familiar with the route.

 

[BelleM77]

I live in Redlands which is off the 10 freeway, about an hour West of Palm Springs, and we drive to Anaheim all the time. If I were you, I would avoid the 60 and 91 at all costs. We live over here and avoid them at all costs. Since the completion of the 210 over here, the 10 through Ontario isn't as bad as it used to be. You are better off taking the 10 to the 57 and then exiting on Ball or Katella. We've found it's the route with the least amount of traffic and we always seem to get to Anaheim very quickly that way. Last time we went, 5:00 p.m. on a Monday, we got to Angel Stadium in 40 minutes. We weren't speeding either.

Right now there is a ton of traffic on the 215/60 interchange and then on the 91/215/60 interchange. Even at 1:00 on a Tuesday afternoon I've see traffic at a dead stop going west on the 60 to the 215 or 91. There wasn't an accident, it was all because of the construction. The only construction you will encounter on the 10 to the 57 is through Redlands/Yucaipa area and even then, it's mostly at night.