I-5 north heading home

[labagit]

I've got a couple of travel questions for you veterans. We live in Northern CA and will be heading down 101 to arrive at Disneyland. Coming home, we want to do the quick route so will be taking I-5. We have decided to go to DL the Sat of our stay, but the kids start back to school the following Monday. To save a bit of time traveling on Sunday, we are thinking of driving a bit after we leave the park while the kids are still pumped up rather than staying in Anaheim. Are Santa Clarita/Valencia the northern most cities prior to crossing the grapevine? If we don't stop there, how much further is it to the next town (and what is it?)

Thanks so much. I had hoped to avoid the rush home, but I don't want to try to cram the Electrical parade and fireworks into the same night, and I'm not willing to miss either. My ds will be 7 by then, and I was pregnant with him the last time I went to Disneyland. There's no telling when we'll make it back!

 

[tlgoblue]

Santa Clarita is about it until Bakersfield, which is another 80 or so miles up. There are a few watering holes along the way, but by the time you hit Santa Clarita, you'll be ready to stop. There is a Residence Inn and a Fairfield Inn right off the freeway at Lyons Rd in Stevenson Ranch. Beyond that the Hilton Garden Inn is off of Magic Mtn Pkwy about 5 miles up. Then Bakersfield.
Thare is no way I would try to do the light parade and all that and go any farther than S.C., especially on a Saturday night.

Have Fun!

 

[labagit]

Thanks so much. That'll probably be perfect for us. According to Yahoo maps, it's about an hour. Does that sound right?

 

[tlovesdis]

Anaheim to Valencia should be an hour, but you have to consider traffic. It once took us almost three hours to get from Magic Mountain to Disneyland!

 

[homeboycartel]

I live in Santa Clarita and an hour is a modest estimation. I'd budget 80 minutes or so as the bottle neck traffic into downtown LA and into the Santa Clarita Valley on the 5-side will be heavy as they always are.

Up the 5, there are small towns all w/ ample motels and fast food eateries every 40-45 minutes of driving, however Santa Clarita/Valencia is the last real town of more than a motel and a truck stop until you begin the Grapevine. Hope this helps.

 

[tlgoblue]

I would definately go with the 80 min estimate. Saturday nights on the I-5, one accident and it could be hours. As always with LA traffic, hope for the best, prepare for the worst, i.e. use the facilities before you leave the park, mandatory, and keep a bottle or two of water in the car in case you do get stuck in traffic. (of course that could bring up the "facilities issue" again. ) Have fun anyway!

 

[Leofoenget]

I've got a couple of travel questions for you veterans. We live in Northern CA and will be heading down 101 to arrive at Disneyland. Coming home, we want to do the quick route so will be taking I-5. We have decided to go to DL the Sat of our stay, but the kids start back to school the following Monday. To save a bit of time traveling on Sunday, we are thinking of driving a bit after we leave the park while the kids are still pumped up rather than staying in Anaheim. Are Santa Clarita/Valencia the northern most cities prior to crossing the grapevine? If we don't stop there, how much further is it to the next town (and what is it?)

Thanks so much. I had hoped to avoid the rush home, but I don't want to try to cram the Electrical parade and fireworks into the same night, and I'm not willing to miss either. My ds will be 7 by then, and I was pregnant with him the last time I went to Disneyland. There's no telling when we'll make it back!

That is exactly what I did in November. Drove from San Diego to Santa Clarita arriving in SC about 9ish. Hit the road first thing in the morning. There are a lot of Hotels right there by Magic Mountain. I am SOOOOO GLAD I stopped there the traffic was GASTLY AWFUL and even the next day it still took me forever to "get moving" . Once over the grapevine, things moved very fast and I made good time until some idiot totaled my van in GILROY! (on Thanksgiving day btw) But aside from that the trip was great.

 

[girlegirl7101]

I remember staying in a hotel right over the grapevine a few years ago it was this one http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-350...2NzkEX3MDOTY5NTUzMjUEc2VjA3NyBHNsawN0aXRsZQ-- its 40 miles south of bakersfield. It was nice and we enjoyed the pool too.

 

[50thisyeartoo!]

I live in Bakersfield and have been to DL many times in the past few years. That is a L-O-N-G drive after spending a good day in the park, let alone lots of Saturday evening traffic. If I were you I would drive as far as Valencia, sleep the night and then get a fresh start early in the morning. One night coming home from that area we saw THREE accidents. It took us five hours to get home. It was a Saturday night. There are lots of hotels in the Valencia/Santa Clarita area and if I were you that's where I'd stay.

 

[labagit]

I really appreciate all the replies to this. It sounds as if Santa Clarita/Valenica is definately the furthest we should go, but if traffic is bad, that might also be pushing it a bit. (It will also depend if the kids can wind down and rest or if they're bouncing off the walls.)

If traffic is bad, are there many hotels right off the freeway between there and Anaheim? Do you think there are sufficient hotels in that stretch that we can get by without a reservation so that we can play it by ear just how far to drive?

 

[ralfrick]

I've stayed at the Holiday Inn Express by Magic Mtn 3 times, and would do so again without hesitation.

The direction of the EP was changed to start at PP to discourage people trying to see it and the fireworks on the same night anyway, so even if you wanted to get to both in one night, it would be difficult, if not impossible. The best spot for fireworks is the front of the hub, and those spots go very early.

A bientot.

 

[kc10family]

We live between San Fran and Sac and we make the drive in one day all the time. It's about a 7 hour day with 2-4 stops (did I say I have a 5 yr old and 3 yr old). JMO if you can swing it stay the night at DL and leave the next morning first thing. Sunday drive home is just fine, if you lived in my area and left DL at 1000 you would be home around 5 or 6.
Again JMO, but then you could stay until the park closes and you would have a very good nights sleep. And I (being the Disney addict I am) would love any extra few minutes in the area I could get.

Best of luck and have a fabulous trip.

 

[tirby]

Just curious, I hear a lot abouit "The Grape Vine" what is so bad or hard about this stretch of road and where is it (what town is near ect.)

 

[Delilah Bleu]

I would suggest driving as far as Valencia or waiting until the morning to get a fresh start. Also remember that it's more difficult to drive when you are sleepy or unfamiliar with the roadway.

We just did a weekend trip. We left at 8:00 am on Friday from Oakland and got to Paradise Pier about 2:30 with one gas stop. Going home on Sunday we left at 10:30 am and arrived in Oakland about 4:30 with two stops (one for food and one more for gas because the gas was $2.90 where we stopped for food and that was too much).

 

[Leofoenget]

Just curious, I hear a lot abouit "The Grape Vine" what is so bad or hard about this stretch of road and where is it (what town is near ect.)

Its a steep mountain road and if something comes up with your car you are basically stuck. When we were there on Thanksgiving day, we had warm sun normal, beautiful weather in LA, but SNOW at the top of the grapevine! You have to go over this mountain to hit the long stretch of road to get home.