If you recently drove from Arizona to DLR

[nannyz]

How was the traffic? What route did you take?
Thanks.

 

[DisneytheKid]

I really can't speak to recently as it had been a couple years since I drove there. But the last time I did, it wasn't terrible traffic. We usually drive out of phoenix on the 10 and take it all the way into LA. Sorry I dont have a more recent experience for you. Good luck!

 

[Desert Dwellers]

We drove to DL for NYE 2011 and then a trip to LA summer '11. We just take I-10 all the way in. It's usually pretty clear. I think we hit a couple of spots where there was construction and we were down to one lane, but not for very long, and nothing that delayed us.

To get to DL, we always just use the route Google Maps tells us. --


. Slight left to stay on I-10 W
Entering California
298 mi
8. Slight left onto CA-60 (signs for Riverside)
18.6 mi
9. Merge onto I-215 N
4.0 mi
10. Take exit 34B for CA-91 W/Riverside toward Beach Cities
1.4 mi
11. Merge onto CA-91 W
33.3 mi
12. Take exit 31 to merge onto CA-57 S toward Santa Ana
2.4 mi
13. Take exit 3 for Ball Rd
0.3 mi
14. Turn right onto E Ball Rd
2.5 mi
15. Turn left onto Disneyland Dr
338 ft
16. Slight right toward Disneyland Dr/S West St

 

[bakerudall]

We take the 91 through Riverside as well, it's shorter on the map. SoCal residents, is Google right on this one, or is there any reason to stay on the 10 until the 57?

ETA--Traffic is usually no worse than Phoenix freeways along that stretch.

 

[stubby]

We are in a different part of AZ than most...but we take the 40(only a few miles from our house) to the 15 to the 60 to the 57. Our last trip took 2 extra hours and was a nightmare because of an accident(and we thought we'd get there early since we left at 7pm...ugh). Good luck to you!

 

[mouseymommy]

We drove out in March, and we are going back in a few days. I HATE the 60 where it gets all curvy. I think my DH is a pretty great driver and he hates it too. Actually, we met a couple from TX last year and they asked if we knew a different way home because they hated that part of the 60! We take the 10 to the 605 to the 5. DH gave me these for you.


6. Take exit 31A to merge onto I-605 S

10.6 mi
7. Take exit 11 for I-5 S/I-5 N/Santa Ana Fwy toward Los Angeles/Santa Ana

0.2 mi
8. Keep left at the fork and merge onto I-5 S/Santa Ana Fwy

13.9 mi
9. Take exit 110A for Harbor Blvd towardConvention Center

0.2 mi
10. Keep right at the fork, follow signs forHarbor Boulevard S and merge onto S Harbor Blvd

We found this way to be very light on traffic and less difficult that the 60.

 

[Started With a Mouse]

Yes, try to avoid the 60 if you can. The curvy area is a nightmare!

 

[azdoughboy]

We drove to DL for NYE 2011 and then a trip to LA summer '11. We just take I-10 all the way in. It's usually pretty clear. I think we hit a couple of spots where there was construction and we were down to one lane, but not for very long, and nothing that delayed us.

To get to DL, we always just use the route Google Maps tells us. --


. Slight left to stay on I-10 W
Entering California
298 mi
8. Slight left onto CA-60 (signs for Riverside)
18.6 mi
9. Merge onto I-215 N
4.0 mi
10. Take exit 34B for CA-91 W/Riverside toward Beach Cities
1.4 mi
11. Merge onto CA-91 W
33.3 mi
12. Take exit 31 to merge onto CA-57 S toward Santa Ana
2.4 mi
13. Take exit 3 for Ball Rd
0.3 mi
14. Turn right onto E Ball Rd
2.5 mi
15. Turn left onto Disneyland Dr
338 ft
16. Slight right toward Disneyland Dr/S West St

This. Can usually do this in 5-5.5 hours but I drive fast. Last time was in February. Traffic doesn't really hit until you get near LA, and even that's not terrible until CA-91 and CA-57 S when you're close to the park. Totally depends and when you're going (we usually arrive on Sunday or mid-day Saturday).


BC

 

[dana278]

I just made the drive from Phoenix last month, and while I'm no help when it comes to the actual city of Anaheim (we took the 10 to 60 the 91 to the 241 down towards Irvine) I will say that the main stretch of desert was very easy. On a Thursday morning it was smooth sailing from Phoenix until you hit the Coachella/Indio/Palm Springs area. There was a patch of construction in Arizona before Quartzsite but I believe it's completed now. Even coming back on a Sunday afternoon was easier than I thought it would be.

You can check the Arizona traffic announcements here: http://www.azdot.gov/CCPartnerships/News/index.asp

Next visit I'll be going straight to DL so I'll just follow Google Maps and take the 10 to the 60 to the 91. (The 10 to the 605 to the 5 adds an extra 23 miles and 18 minutes of travel time.) You can check Google Maps traffic for the time you are traveling to see if there's any trouble spots.

 

[nannyz]

Thanks to all of you!!!
We'll be heading to CA on a Tuesday so hopefully the traffic won't be quite so bad.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I stay away from the 60. Like mouseymommy said, it's very curvy, and those trucks drive FAST. I've driven it during the day and at night, and now stay away from it. If you take the 91 it curves down, so the road is a bit longer. The shortest way, in my experience, is taking the 10 to the 57.

 

[Desert Dwellers]

I've never noticed 60 being overly curvy. I'm usually taken by the trees. It's a much different landscape than Phoenix. We drove CA Highway 1 down from Monterey last summer, about Solvang, the curves stopped being fun. But 60 never bothered me.

Once our Sat Nav told us to get on the 91 toll road, which was a little nerve racking, because we don't have a express pass. But nothing came of it, and we stick to 91 now.

We're making the trip to Disneyland end of June!!

 

[wvnative]

We drove to DL for NYE 2011 and then a trip to LA summer '11. We just take I-10 all the way in. It's usually pretty clear. I think we hit a couple of spots where there was construction and we were down to one lane, but not for very long, and nothing that delayed us.

To get to DL, we always just use the route Google Maps tells us. --


. Slight left to stay on I-10 W
Entering California
298 mi
8. Slight left onto CA-60 (signs for Riverside)
18.6 mi
9. Merge onto I-215 N
4.0 mi
10. Take exit 34B for CA-91 W/Riverside toward Beach Cities
1.4 mi
11. Merge onto CA-91 W
33.3 mi
12. Take exit 31 to merge onto CA-57 S toward Santa Ana
2.4 mi
13. Take exit 3 for Ball Rd
0.3 mi
14. Turn right onto E Ball Rd
2.5 mi
15. Turn left onto Disneyland Dr
338 ft
16. Slight right toward Disneyland Dr/S West St

We go at least annually and this is the route we prefer as well. Traffic usually isn't too bad but we also leave pretty early to miss Phoenix and LA area traffic.

 

[CateinPhoenix]

We just drove over last Friday, we are here now. We took the I-10 and spent the night in Palm Desert. There was one lane under construction near the AZ/CA border but only for about 15 miles. The remainder of the time we were able to maintain speeds of 75 to 85 MPH. HTH!

 

[dshimel]

Having lived in Colorado for a decade, I have no problems with the 60 between the 10 and Moreno Valley.

1) stop for gas in Quartzsite, just before the CA border. Can be 15-20 cents a gallon cheaper than in California.

2) Traffic is 100% dependent on time of day. If you left Phoenix at.. say... 2AM and arrive in the L.A. area about 7AM hoping to go straight to the parks for opening (I actually did this once).. well... yuck. It can take 3 hours to get to DL from Palm Spring, instead of the usual 1 hour. Most other times of the day, it isn't too horrid.

3) There are at least 6-8 different ways, to get there.
Shortest, most confusing is the 10->60->215->91->57
Then there is the 10->215->91->57 that misses the windy 60.
Least stressful is probably the 10->57. I think it adds all of 11 miles over the shortest.

Heck, you can even do 60->57 or 10->15->60->57.....

Or, as someone else said, to avoid the surface streets between the 57 and Disenyland, you can do the 10->605->5 so that you are exiting the 5 directly into the DLR.. that would add about 20 miles over the shortest.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

I think the worst stretch for traffic at almost anytime of day is the stretch from when you first get on the 91 at Riverside through Corona until you get to Anaheim.

 

[hurleysweety]

We are headed to DLR for our 8th trip since May 2009. We've always taken the route others aren't to thrilled with - but its what we're used to. We'll be taking a detour this trip since our first couple nights will be spent up in Hollywood (shh...don't tell! haha) and then we'll had down to Anaheim.

The part that I hate the most is the 2-3 mile stretch on the 215. People drive like maniacs on there - I hate that much more than the part through Riverside!

We've run into a few traffic issues and a couple accident hold-ups, but all-in-all, we leave our house in Phoenix around 6am and usually arrive around 11:30, or during daylight savings, 10:30

Like others have said, there are many ways to get there. Download a traffic app if you have a smart phone and when you see the red, just pick a different route ahead. There was an accident once and I was able to completely redirect us away from the accident on a nice quite side street until we were out of the way, just by looking at the map on my phone.

Be safe and have fun!

 

[disneygirlinphoenix]

I love this drive...I always get excited knowing I'm leaving the desert and going to Mickey's house! Our family actually prefers to drive at night, we take the 10 down past Palm Springs,and then branch off, I think it's 57. Traffic has never been an issue, but even during the day when the traffic backups, its not for long and doesn't stretch very far. Try leaving at night if you can, less stops with the kids, they can sleep, most hotels will let you check in if they have an avail room, or they can at least hold your luggage.

Enjoy! Im Jealous !!